Any interest in a billet tidy tail? - Ducati.ms

Treadmarks · Dec 3rd, 2008, 9:13 am

Saw a scrap of some machined billet today that was about the size of a Florida license plate. I'm gonna talk to our machinist and see if he can fab it into a tidy tail.

What I'm thinking is a single part machined billet tidy tail that has the machine marks visable and fits up high on the stock mounting point with enough space to remount the stock light or an aftermarket light.

I will work on a template this week.

NYSport · Dec 3rd, 2008, 9:30 am

I like to see what you come up with.

tunefx · Dec 3rd, 2008, 10:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYSport

I like to see what you come up with.

+1

typhon · Dec 3rd, 2008, 10:30 pm

me2

Dallara · Dec 3rd, 2008, 11:09 pm

As was just discussed in another thread, since I mounted a Quat-D 2-1 low exhaust system I didn't need to use the stock mounting points for my license plate mount...

Instead, if I was going to have it look like I wanted it to I would have to find a completely new place, and way, to mount my plate, etc. So we started with a piece of aluminum billet about the size of a small brick and here's the bracket we came up with...

It's great to have mills and things around your shop...

Those are all pictures of it almost right off the mill and just some very preliminary surface finishing. A bit of sanding, edge shaping, priming, and painting and you end up with this...

Combine that with a old Lockhart license plate mount I had laying around, an e-Bay aluminum "Ducati" etched license plate frame, one of our required plates for mounting Texas State Vehicle Inspection stickers, and some high-density silicone rubber and you get what you see here in these pics...

Drill two holes in the right spot in the Hyper's rear sub-frame and add a few stainless steel metric allen bolts, some ss washers, and ss ny-loc nuts and here's what you get... Note that block of high-density silicone rubber between the license mount arm and the Hyper's frame.

And here's what it looks like out where people actually see it...

In no way trying to hi-jack your thread here. Just thought what we came up with might help you in some way or spark some additional ideas.

Hope it helps!

Dallara

Treadmarks · Dec 4th, 2008, 3:38 pm

Very sanitary install Dallara.

It does get me thinking.

I like the adjustability of the two piece unit.

yota · Dec 4th, 2008, 4:01 pm

around here we have to have a liscense plate light.

Dallara · Dec 4th, 2008, 9:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by yota

around here we have to have a liscense plate light.

The piece we made shown above was designed and built from the ground up to have the capability of mounting a license plate light... Hence the big hole through the middle of the bracket that matches with a hole in the subframe so I could route the necessary wire through there. In fact I have two different types of little license plate lights here in the shop because here in Texas a license plate light is also *required* by law...

However, I have been running my Kawasaki KLR-650 for four years with only the light from the tail lamp - i.e. no license plate light - and it has passed the required Texas State Vehicle Inspection each year since I modified the license plate mounting on it. One of the things inspectors are *supposed* to check for is license plate lights... Only they never do. Nor has any officer of the law when I have been stopped on the KLR.

Nor did cops over the past 35+ years when I have ridden without a license plate light on various other bikes like equipped...

Soooooo, I decided to chance it with the Hyper, and sho'nuff when I took it for an inspection sticker over at a local bike shop they didn't even look and passed it, gave the sticker, and sent me on my way.

Until I get a ticket for not having one I am going to try not to have a license plate light, if for no other reason than it's one less set of wires, etc. running out the back... But it doesn't hurt that it makes the local constabulary's job a lot harder to get my license plate number after dark.

BTW, the tail lamp really does cast quite a bit of light down on the plate in the position it's in.

Just my two cents... YMMV.

Dallara

Fresno · Dec 5th, 2008, 12:47 am

Why the rubber piece between the billet and the bike? Is there that much of a vibation problem? Will it work without the rubber spacer?

Otherwise, I love it and want one.

Also, why use the lockhardt piece? Couldn't you machine it so it was one piece?

As you can tell, I'm a minimalist - less is more. I've been tellin my wife that for years.

Willi-P · Dec 5th, 2008, 12:00 pm

Any chance you'll make your bracket avaialble to others (like me)?

I've got the Termi 2-1 exhaust, so It looks like your bracket would work nicely and clean things up quite a bit.

Also, something I'd be interesting in learning your thoughts about...I removed my OEM license plate bracket the other day to prepare for a track day and I found the process a bit cumbersome because I had to remove a whole bunch of other stuff to get at it. Your bracket looks like it might be a heck of a lot easier in that regard. I'd appreciate any comments you might on that.

Anyway, if you are thinking about producing brackets and selling them, I'd be very interested in buying one.

Thanks

Bill