[ddennedy]

Two weeks ago, I was trying to do a single track and twisted and pinched my lower back causing to drop my sled off road for the first time. I have had a lower back problem that flares up about once a year for about 5 years. The sled is too heavy for this, and I getting too old (48). The sled is perfect for me because it will keep from putting myself in danger because it has its limits - both on road and off. But those limits are decently pushed, and it is a super fun bike! While healing, I decided to remove that rear license plate bracket and take it to a weld shop. Taking off four inches also heal's the sled's tail section too! Pay close attention to the cut lines in the first picture.

I also reduced the housing around the license plate light and removed the side reflectors. I kept the one rear reflector because it looked like something was missing without it, and it adds another touch of red.

 

[Hui]

This is what I call a tail-tidy although what you've done is way better than the unfinished job Ducati did.
They used the longer Classic bracket with the short Icon tail piece on the DS. Why ? I don't know.

 

[gibby]

ddennedy - I was thinking of doing the same cut off and weld job on my DS license plate bracket. Good to see another one already complete first! Looks great and it doesn't look like the tire would rub against the license tag if suspension is fully compressed, which was one of my concerns.

 

[ddennedy]

No, I do not believe the rear tire will collide, but I would like to have bent the angle of the plate to better conform to the curve of the wheel and fender for aesthetics. However, the weld job is done, and I am not sure if a blow torch will suffice or if I really care to bother.

 

[Hui]

No, I do not believe the rear tire will collide, but I would like to have bent the angle of the plate to better conform to the curve of the wheel and fender for aesthetics. However, the weld job is done, and I am not sure if a blow torch will suffice or if I really care to bother.

Yours looks fine the way it is, more like factory too (if they did it better), I'm not sure what the regs. are with you but in the UK it states the plate should be as near vertical as possible which your one is.
Mine is the same song, different verse but without welding etc. The Sled is 3" higher so the tyre hitting the plate will be OK as when I had the shock off the Classic in the photo, I lifted the wheel all the way up and it touched the undertray and not the plate.

 

[Max Kool]

Simple whack job. Works perfectly

 

[Hui]

Simple whack job. Works perfectly

View attachment 18665 View attachment 18673

Like the songs chorus, easier to do and repeat plus the song is better for it.

 

[ddennedy]

Simple whack job. Works perfectly

I considered your approach when you first mentioned it in a previous message, but I did not want to worry about things wiggling around back there. Also, I though law enforcement might like to see the license plate light on. But, I do like the looks of yours a bit more.

 

[Max Kool]

Yeah, should have a light there.

But gotta say, I haven't been pulled over for it ever. Been without a light there for over 10 year. Not on my DR, not on my XChallenge, or on the DS.

It's neat and clean, not tucked away at least.

 

[ddennedy]

Well, this answers our question. Happened at Hollister Hills, CA. Now, to straighten out the plate or keep it this way? Are you kidding?! If some people consider dirt on their bike a badge of honor then wear this with pride... at least until I make a remedy. Oh, and I washed the bike clean when I got home. ;-)

Tip to others who go this route: Ask your metal guy to bend it up about 20 degrees. Do you think a simple propane blow torch will let me bend the bracket upwards at its elbow?

 

[ddennedy]

Nope, could not bend the bracket with a Map-Pro blow torch. Did I not let it get hot and red enough? I went the hack-n-strap route as well, and I addressed any concerns with wobbling parts by using two bolts at each end of the strap. For strap, I simply used an off-the-shelf 1.5" elbow bracket.

 

[mAttitude]

For info. Evotech Performance have a revised tail tidy available for the DS.

It took hours to carefully strip out the original subframe and fit the new smaller part but I'm happy with the result. Top tip though if you are thinking about changing the stock indicators then you really want to do them at the same time! No way that I want to take that apart again.

The licence plate is still a U.K. legal one, I haven't fitted a smaller one yet. I put the plate on in a bit of a hurry to get out to Box Hill today so it isn't tidied up properly as it's temporary.

 

[AnotherHobby]

Looks great! Mine will be here in a few days. The license plate scaffolding is something I didn't like to begin with, and it hasn't grown on me.

I've taken the back apart twice now on my DS, and did it over half a dozen times on my Icon. I don't think it's that bad of a job.

 

[mAttitude]

I guess that having done it once it would be a lot easier and I know where the connectors are now although the indicator ones will still be hard to reach...
At least the original scaffolding is gone now.

 

[ddennedy]

For info. Evotech Performance have a revised tail tidy available for the DS.

I like this option; however, from the looks of these pictures, I would still be concerned about the license plate colliding with the wheel when bottoming out. Since the original reduction surgery did not work for me, as I explained I cut the bracket off completely at the edge of the fender and used a simple L bracket bent from 90 to about 150 degrees to hold the plate. But I even bent the plate with the wheel in that setup - after also adding preload to rear shock! Now, that I fixed the bent plate a second time, I have bent the L bracket upward further to nearly 180 degrees so the plate faces sky more than the following vehicle.

 

[thesnowback]

Are you getting a stripe up your back from rear tire spray with the reduced bracket length? How about with the Tidy Tail kit - anyone?

Commuting concern.

 

[ddennedy]

Are you getting a stripe up your back from rear tire spray with the reduced bracket length?

With either the extended bracket or not, in some wet spots, I do get some spray up the back of the jacket, which is not that big of a deal to me. Any difference has been too subtle for me to notice and would have been subject to different conditions anyways (not a controlled test).