Side number plates installation ??

[Motox520]

Just a random question I wanted to throw out there regarding installing number plates. This is all due to a conflict me and my son had with last night regarding his new UFO number plates and the little inserts that go in the holes for mounting. From day one every number plate I have ever removed/replaced had the little alum. inserts pressed into the holes from the outside (meaning the flange is on the outside of the hole where the head of the screw would meet)) which basically acts as a washer for the screws and prevents the plastic from getting squished when tightening. Even the factory YAMI plates on my son's 450 have the inserts installed from the outside (flange out). Well my son argued-argued and argued some more till I got to the pissed off mode last night that the inserts that he installed on his new plates are suppose to be installed from the inside? ***? That means the flange is now on the inside of the plastic where it does nothing. Please tell me I am right and that the flange of the inserts always go on the outside of the hole in the plastics. This also goes for the front fender, etc. When I have about 100 replies from you all, i am going to send this thread to my kid for him to read. He (16 yrs old) thinks he knows everything and he needs to start listening to his dad about this motorcycle stuff who knows a whole lot more then he ever will, and I am going to prove him wrong for once and for all lol. ?

[grayracer513]

You're right, and he's wrong, simple as that. The flanged washer is designed to retain the plastic while limiting the clamping pressure applied to it and yet still allow the bolt to be fully tightened to its normal torque value. If the plastics were assembled with a simple bolt and washer, the torque required to keep the bolt from falling out would apply so much pressure on the plastic that it would split around the hole, or otherwise become damaged.

The flanged spacer/washer is made slightly shorter than the design thickness of the plastic, so that regardless of the torque applied to the bolt, the clamping force applied by the flange to hold down the plastic can never exceed a certain amount. The design calls for the washer lip on the spacer to hold down the plastic, and the bolt to hold down the washer. If the washer side of the spacer is placed on the inside, it will still work IF an additional washer is placed over the bolt. Otherwise, it's just wrong.

I recall giving my son riding advice, which he ignored. Two weeks later, my friend gave him the same advice, and he thought it was a great idea, especially after he tried it and found it to work. So, my friend asks him, "How come it was such a dumb idea two weeks ago?"?

Tell him he needs to move out and get a job while he still knows everything. ?

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." ~Mark Twain

[tek_01]

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." ~Mark Twain

That's a great quote!

[coreyl]

yep it goes on the outside. i am 16 and have the same arguments with my dad and usually come out wrong.

[motojase316]

Outside. no argument here.

[APlusAutoParts]

i agree motox520 is correct and his son is wrong.

[myoung]

So yeah, this one had me stumped so I went and checked. All my stuff is OEM and as much as I'd love to jump on the bandwagon and say the kid is wrong, he's not. All my OEM number plates come with the spacers installed, unlike aftermarket, and are installed from the back. The washer or flange on the bolt is what holds the plate on, the flange of the spacer is there to sandwich the plastic between it and the bolt flange/washer and to insulate it from the frame on the lower hole and act as a washer for the slotted hole at the seat bracket, the shoulder keeps the plastic from being squished. In fact, there is a raised part of plastic surrounding the spacer flange that would be crushed when tightened if the spacer was not there.

Damned punk kids.........LOL!

If it's any consolation though, all the shroud spacers are installed from the front.

[tek_01]

myoung your correct, the oem spacers are from behind as i just changed the plastics yesterday. They have a recess where they sit so its obvious which way they go

[grayracer513]

? Yeah, you got me thinking about that, and the kid is correct with regard to at least some of the plastics, including the side plates that were the specific subject of the OP, but not all. The shrouds mentioned are one example.

Whether it would really make a difference depends on what the plastic is bolted against. The really important part is that it's there.

So, I stand corrected, but I stand by Mark Twain on the overall principle, nevertheless.

[Motox520]

damn looks like I am 50/50 here on this one lol

My OEM plates btw have the inserts installed from the outside... opposite of what you guys are saying, thats weird.

But, the kid still needs to get a job and pay for his own stuff then he can install it however he wants lol

[myoung]

damn looks like I am 50/50 here on this one lol

My OEM plates btw have the inserts installed from the outside... opposite of what you guys are saying, thats weird.

But, the kid still needs to get a job and pay for his own stuff then he can install it however he wants lol

YEAH! ?