Number Plate Size

[Martin.UK]

So i had to go out and buy a new number plate yesterday as i fitted a tail tidy last month and needed a new plate as the holes did not line up on my old plate.
The new plate is the same size as my old one, but because the tail tidy is smaller than the old OEM one the plate looks way to big.
So to keep within the law, i'm going to have to buy a new reg number with less letters in it so i can make the plate smaller, but still keeping to the rules.
Here in the UK a motorcycle number plate has to be a set size for the letter and spacing.
The letter & number size must be 64mm x 44mm apart from the number 1 and letter I which are 64mm x 16mm, There must be 13mm between each letter & number on the same line. There must be 19mm space between the 2 rows and a 13mm space around the border of the plate. The spacing was smaller, but it was changed 1st Sept 2021.
We can't have the reg number all on one row like cars do.
So the smallest plate i could get and still keep to the DVLA/MOT rules is 184mm wide by 178mm high. We must also have the name on the bottom of the plate of who it was made by and also the BSU number.
I wish i was a bad ass and did not care about the rules, But im not rich enought to keep paying £1000 ($1355 USD) every time i got stopped and nick by the cops for no rear plate.

 

[fallenarch]

Wow! I guess no matter how much we try to convince otherwise, size matters! Do the cops there carry a micrometer to measure all that crap?

 

[Bumblebee]

Wow! I guess no matter how much we try to convince otherwise, size matters! Do the cops there carry a micrometer to measure all that crap?

Thank goodness we don't have license plates that big here....

I recall the old days when the UK had the plates on the front fender...bike design wrecked that plan at least...

 

[Martin.UK]

I live in Wales and my local police are known to carry a tape with them to check the size of your plate.

Any bike before 2001 can still have a front number plate if the owners want one.

Just been looking on the DVLA reg number sale website and i think i have found one. But i think i would keep getting stopped once they worked out what it ment.

 

[sixpack577]

At least you're not in India...those guys have front facing front tags as well as the rear.
They look terrible.

 

[Dai.]

At least you're not in India...those guys have front facing front tags as well as the rear.
They look terrible.

And all those aluminium cage like poop around the swingarm etc.

 

[JohnnyDangerous]

Never been fined more than £100 for a dodgy plate or actually no plate at all, ive gone an inch down on mine but am going to go another inch

 

[Al Kyrie]

Couple of inches down on mine , never had a problem

 

[sixpack577]

Couple of inches down on mine , never had a problemView attachment 1646973

I bet they love that speed limit 200mph too
lol

 

[Martin.UK]

Couple of inches down on mine , never had a problemView attachment 1646973

As the new rules and changes only came in last september, i would be careful this summer.

 

[dave s]

The plates are that size so the speed cameras can clearly read them

 

[dave s]

I believe you would also get 3 points for not clearly showing number plate

 

[Oldsoldier47]

Just in - crap weather, patchy ice on country roads causing the odd sphincter tightening moment but great being out - down from the standard 9x7" to 7x6" - ride all winter (just needs cleaning every time!) and have been followed by police cars on a number of occasions. Never been stopped - so far.....................

 

[Al Kyrie]

No points £100 fine .Don't ask me how I know

 

[Martin.UK]

Now got the new reg number. In the end i went for "A13 HYP" which to me means "A 1300 Hypersport". It was the only one i liked after looking for one for months. Can also use a road legal 7"x7" plate.

 

[JohnnyDangerous]

Now got the new reg number. In the end i went for "A13 HYP" which to me means "A 1300 Hypersport". It was the only one i liked after looking for one for months. Can also use a road legal 7"x7" plate.

To be legal it’s 9 x7 dude

 

[Martin.UK]

Hi JD

No it does not have to be 9x7.

Updated 12th April 2022

INF104 booklet

From Page 10 of the booklet.

• characters must be 64mm tall
• characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be
44mm wide
• the character stroke (the thickness of the black print)
must be 10mm
• the space between characters must be 10mm
• the space between the age identifier and the random
letters must be 30mm
• the margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate
must be at least 11mm
• vertical space between the age identifier and the
random numbers must be 13mm


So going by there own info of:

11 + 64 + 30 + 64 + 11 = 180mm = 7"

11 + 44 + 10 + 44 + 10 + 44 + 11 = 174mm = 7" just under.

So i can use a 7" x 7" plate with the BS number and makers info on it and it will be road & MOT legal.

 

[Martin.UK]

I also think they have a wording wrong in the INF104 booklet, going by my other road legal plates. They have vertical and i think it should mean horizontal. As this spacing it 13mm on my other plates and not 30mm.

• vertical space between the age identifier and the
random numbers must be 13mm

 

[JohnnyDangerous]

Interesting, I got knocked for an 8x6 bank holiday Monday in may

 

[hayabuser]

Thank goodness we don't have license plates that big here....

Not that big, but I was pretty shocked at BC's plate size when I moved out here. It's like having an airbrake hanging back there.

There's a chance that they'll resize them out here now that the stickers have been eliminated, but seeing that they enlarged the font on the plates only a few years ago to aid law enforcement in identifying fleeing motorcyclists, I'm not going to hold my breath.