Automatic Plate Tilters - not PC!!

[madboy]

Okay, okay... this thread like the debate on Police/runners etc will polarise - you're either into it or you're not... I'm not asking for the moral debate on this one. You don't like, you don't need to read.

I saw, and don't recall who posted it, a short vid of someone with a plate that tilted upward at the press of a button. Something that I have long considered a worthwhile engineering experiment.

I don't want to run with no plate. Last time I did that my fuel consumption went up so much I ended up pushing the bastard 5 kms down the mway - not something you want to do in breach of your license conditions with no plate on!! Just that for those times when it is cost effective to have your plate less prominently displayed, well, some form of electric device would be helpful.

I'm thinking a hinge across the top and a central locking motor strategically placed would do the trick. I've been told a choke cable would have the same effect, but it's just sooooo low-tech. Prefer an electric solution. Tried to whip something up on the weekend but the two spare motors I had were shagged.

The only real area I'm not sure on is wiring the motor. They have two wires. Stick +/- into it and it goes up, stick -/+ into it and it does down. All well and good when you're sitting there with bare wires but can you put a three position switch on there and it goes one way up and the other way down? Or do you need relays or little things to stop the current flowing back? Or should I have just paid more attention to 5th form?

Do I need to reinvent the wheel here, or has someone got some brilliant advice on creating one of these devices before I go to the trouble? Bearing in mind I've got enough hinges, wire, switches, relays and a new door lock motor is bugger all from Dickies or Ripco - so I don't wanna import some device from the US with a cracking markup on it!!!

Any suggestions, pointers, etc?

[jrandom]

Attach the plate with magnets, instead of screws. Practice reaching around at speed and yanking it off.

Job's a good 'un.

[Blakamin]

what you need is a solenoid that just pushes a rod when powered... then a spring to return it... Gman has some ideas, and when he stops being a lazy prick we'll finish it :shake:

[Drunken Monkey]

You can order some after market kits also. Look at last month's Superbike Mag (might still be on the shelves), go to the 'long termers' section and check out Jayne's R6.

[Biff]

Attach the plate with magnets, instead of screws. Practice reaching around at speed and yanking it off.

Job's a good 'un.

If I could reach around the back of my Bird (it's a looooong bike) while it was stationary let alone while travelling at speed I'd be in a bloody circus, as oppossed to my current job as a producer for Playboy.

[jrandom]

If I could reach around the back of my Bird (it's a looooong bike) while it was stationary let alone while travelling at speed I'd be in a bloody circus, as oppossed to my current job as a producer for Playboy.

So trade it for an XB9.

Duh.

[bugjuice]

This (http://www.dynomite.co.uk/Dynosite/HTMLfiles/ac_misc.html) is what you want (about half way down the page).
There was a thread on something like this last week and couldn't find what I was on about, so here it is..
Makes for 'more aerodynamical' resistance 'while racing on a track' of course..

[Hitcher]

I wondered what the "Rotate Plate" button was for...

[scumdog]

Central locking door lock solenoid + ingenuity?

Go slower and save the effort? :thud:

[sedge]

If I could reach around the back of my Bird (it's a looooong bike) while it was stationary let alone while travelling at speed I'd be in a bloody circus, as oppossed to my current job as a producer for Playboy.

Heh heh... I dunno why, but I read from the Back forwards... I guess playboy just drew the eyes in eh ?...

"I work for Playboy, I can reach around to the back of my bird while travelling at speed, I should be in a circus."

Frecking weirdo...

sedge.

[TonyB]

What about the motors they use to fold back the mirrors on Jap cars? They must already have some sort of limit switch arrangement to stop them at both ends. Could be worth a look.

[Biff]

So trade it for an XB9.

Duh.

No chance, and never have to work with all those loverly ladies again!!!!

[Deano]

I know a certain KBer that had a low tech method using electric wire connectors and a fishing line to drop the plate flat. No way of it coming back up though until you stop.

[blackbandit]

i spent many years riding in London. my answer to the tilting plate was to carry a bike cover on my sports rack and let the corner hang down covering the plate. in over 20 years riding i only got stopped a couple of times. i had the perfect excuse,
"sorry officer it must have slipped"

[bugjuice]

i'd be happy to give it a go and rig something up.. can't be too hard.. can it..??

[Skunk]

Don't forget to make it 'invisible' to WOF checks eh...

Put Scottoiler behind plate. Put a hinge at the top edge of the plate. Then a thottle/choke cable to the bottom edge of the plate. :yes:

[**R1**]

Central locking door lock solenoid + ingenuity?

Go slower and save the effort? :thud:
Thats what i used when i made one for the zxr400, never got a chance to use it tho....i also found when i hit judderbars and such like it used to pop and the plate would fold up.....after a while of it doing that it started chipping the paint by my tail lights :doh:

[Monsterbishi]

I'm in the middle of doing something similar to our car for a show in a few months, but with a front plate pivoting to expose the intercooler, basically, using a small motor to tilt the plate, with the pivot point turning the plate 90 degrees, just using a electric window switch to control it.

[**R1**]

Go slower and save the effort? :thud:
now what fun would that be :Pokey: :devil2: :laugh: :bleh:

the other problem is if ya make the plate fold up it would be clearly visable whilst doing nice big kick arse wheelies...and how are you going to show the coppers your in complete controll if ya cant slow down let then catch up and then wheelie off??....

[madboy]

now what fun would that be :Pokey: :devil2: :laugh: :bleh:

the other problem is if ya make the plate fold up it would be clearly visable whilst doing nice big kick arse wheelies...and how are you going to show the coppers your in complete controll if ya cant slow down let then catch up and then wheelie off??....
helps to have a machine capable of big kick arse wheelies.

[**R1**]

helps to have a machine capable of big kick arse wheelies.
And if that machine aint a in line 4 1000cc sports bike, what prey tell would be???

[madboy]

And if that machine aint a in line 4 1000cc sports bike, what prey tell would be???
was referring to my lack of a thou... hell if i can stand a TL up on power i'd prob flip a bloody R1 before i realised what was happening!!

actually if one of my dear friends wasn't getting married in the states next year, there'd be an R1 sitting in the garage right now.

$20 for a new door lock motor from Ripco, or you can buy 4 from Dickies for $48... wonder if i should do one for the car while I'm at it?!

[Wonko]

now what you do is have your WOF and Rego attached to the top of your plate. It's not your fault if the fall down over your plate and make it hard to read is it? "Must have been the guy's at the testing station." :whistle:

[madboy]

now what you do is have your WOF and Rego attached to the top of your plate. It's not your fault if the fall down over your plate and make it hard to read is it? "Must have been the guy's at the testing station." :whistle:
the resolution on a speed camera would surely be good enough under enhancement to read the rego label. prefer to take no chances and just not have anything in view.

and just bought the new door lock motors at lunchtime... ahh, roll on home time :Punk:

[Lou Girardin]

I had a front plate on a car that folded back under wind pressure, not much use on a bike though. Unless it's spring assisted and there's enough wind pressure at the back to fold it upwards.

[Mongoose]

I had a front plate on a car that folded back under wind pressure, not much use on a bike though. Unless it's spring assisted and there's enough wind pressure at the back to fold it upwards.

On some LARGE bikes you could reverse everywhere really, really fast, would it work then?? :Pokey: :killingme

[Lou Girardin]

On some LARGE bikes you could reverse everywhere really, really fast, would it work then?? :Pokey: :killingme

Try it. Your bike's Italian, so it's got 5 reverse gears.

[Monsterbishi]

the resolution on a speed camera would surely be good enough under enhancement to read the rego label. prefer to take no chances and just not have anything in view.

and just bought the new door lock motors at lunchtime... ahh, roll on home time :Punk:

There isin't a high speed camera on this planet that can get the sort of resolution you'd need to get the rego label details...

[Mongoose]

Try it. Your bike's Italian, so it's got 5 reverse gears.


Just as well the factory puts the gear sack in back to front then, huh? :shake: :yeah:

[Lou Girardin]

Just as well the factory puts the gear sack in back to front then, huh? :shake: :yeah:

Only on Monday bikes.

[TygerTung]

I had a front plate on a car that folded back under wind pressure, not much use on a bike though. Unless it's spring assisted and there's enough wind pressure at the back to fold it upwards.

Wow! Thats a really good idea!

I should fit one of those on my 2L Turbo Cordia Cage! This thing is a rocket!

[gman]

what you need is a solenoid that just pushes a rod when powered... then a spring to return it... Gman has some ideas, and when he stops being a lazy prick we'll finish it :shake:
when you get your ass up here on ya bike ill bloody make it......seems you an barbie spend more time together

shakeob....sob...

[gman]

using an electric door locker from a cage is the right track.hinge the top of the plate and use a small cable to pull the plate up and use a coil spring to help return the plate down.use removable pins on the cable for w.o.f purposes and a three way rocker switch.i beleive if earth is using the middle pin then two power wires for in and out on the switch would go on either out side pins on the three way rocker switch.simple really and only took me two mins to work out.....

next please....take two asprin and ring me later.........

[Blakamin]

yeah...ok... friggin barbie van!!!

I'll get up that way oneday... but it'll be during the week knowing my luck (or lack of it)

[Timber020]

I thought such an honourable and educational thread was worth bumping back to the top.

My idea-get a wof holder and have it mounted on the plate on a radio control type servo that turns the tag 90 degrees that covers a centre letter or is out of the way.

OR

have the plate hinged from the top and a big nut in the centre of the plate. Behind the plate have a electro magnet holding the plate down via the steel nut. Now when the plate hinges up, have a second electro magnet that catches the nut when its in the up postion. Have a switch that puts power to the normal position magnet or the hidden position magnet. If your on a mission, turn the hidden plate magnet on, wind will push the plate up and its locked and hidden. Once you go below warp speed, you turn the lower magnet on, lower speed and your carefully weighted plate at below 90 kmph drops back into place. PRESTO!

[avgas]

And if that machine aint a in line 4 1000cc sports bike, what prey tell would be???
a 150, two stroke single ;P ....... worked for me

[rc_36_rider]

Wow! Thats a really good idea!

I should fit one of those on my 2L Turbo Cordia Cage! This thing is a rocket!
mate if you thik thats a rocket you aint ridden a real bike

[rc_36_rider]

just hing the plate at the bottom and have a catch to release it you aint gonna want to put it up till your well hidden anyway

[Monsterbishi]

Gotta love resurrecting dead posts... Anyway, my thought on the matter, since I'm mid-way through wiring up a guys rally car, you could use one of the stepper motors that cars use to control the flaps inside the aircon system, it has two poles, apply voltage one way, it whirs along to one position, reverse them, and they go the opposite direction, the motor has a rod that it swings in a 90 degree arc, with plenty of geared torque to fight wind resitance.

[sAsLEX]

i know of one person on a NC30 whos WOF normally sits horizontal just above the plate, but the constant V vibes have shaken it down to coever the centre two letters where the extra friction of the raised letters has stopped loosening anymore!

[justsomeguy]

I think Ixion or someone here suggested going to a car wreckers and picking up the assembly from cars that have pop-up lights then customising the brackets to suit.

[Ixion]

I think Ixion or someone here suggested going to a car wreckers and picking up the assembly from cars that have pop-up lights then customising the brackets to suit.


Yeah, was me. Little solenoidy shafty thing. Like on Honda Prelude headlamps. Goes back n forth, heaps of grunt to tilt a plate, just wire it up with a two way switch. Bit of piano hinge along the top of the plate, and connect the tilt solenoid to the bottom of the plate, angled back (bit of #8 wire would do the job OK, leave enough flex to accomdate the arc )

[bugjuice]

I think Ixion or someone here suggested going to a car wreckers and picking up the assembly from cars that have pop-up lights then customising the brackets to suit.
a unit for popup headlights would be huge for a bike and add so much weight.. go down to a radio control model shop, and look for a small servo. Mount it in the boot, then with wire/cable and some creativity, mount it to the plate so that it folds up. easy, fairly cheap, clean and light

[froggyfrenchman]

have made something like this with choke cable. peice of piss

[zeRax]

anyone finished anything yet?

[betti]

yeah here....


http://www.mannsmotorsports.com/fastags/


bit pricey though

[Timber020]

That fastag is cool, what would make it even better is to have a printed sticker type plate that would show when the usual plate is hidden, that way the *555ers would give a rego and give the cops something to look for, not just a speeding bike with no plate.

[madboy]

anyone finished anything yet?Nah, I bought a faster bike. Ran around with no plate at all for a few weeks, but fuel consumption and paranoia went up exponentially... i kept annihilating every commodore i saw, which got a bit tiresome after a while.

I keep meaning to, but... Don't worry, as soon as I get busted big time I'll curse myself for procrastinating and suddenly find the time to do it!!

[Mattyc]

u could use a servo, from an rc car, they are about 20$ from Ace hobby, up to about 35 elsewhere, 3 wires, 1 ground, one up, one down, wire up a toggle switch, center is off, up = up , down = down, would need a reasonably long servo arm, but easilly made, could be mounted anywhere and activated by pushrod from an r/c plane (any hobby shop), may need something to drop the voltage, as im not sure if the servos can handle 12v, ive used up to 7.2 through a servo. the standard servos have about 1-2kg of torque, i think you can get up to 11kg for RC, or something silly, but the servos are a lot bigger

Could use a central locking motor, but they dont have a lot of travel... could get around that tho, a cantilever or something

[texmo]

$20 for a new door lock motor from Ripco, or you can buy 4 from Dickies for $48... wonder if i should do one for the car while I'm at it?!

Its not Ripco its R.E.P.C.O. (rip every poor cunt off)

[bugjuice]

Its not Ripco its R.E.P.C.O. (rip every poor cunt off)
lol.. wondered what that meant..


fuk it, I've decided to make one. If I get round to it, I'll post up what I did. I just now have to decide which way it folds. Should it go backwards, so that it's vertical, just under the tail light (so you'd see the rego better officer..), or fold it forward, so that it all tucks under the tail? Just have to figure out how the indicators remain in the same place..
A pic of my bike, to refresh memories... (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14555)

[Damon]

have made something like this with choke cable. peice of piss

Froggy's got the right idea, my mate put one on his RGV250, attach the choke cable to the bars and run it down to the bottom of your hinged plate, when the choke is pulled out it holds the plate so i can be seen, push the choke in and it pushes the cable to flip the plate up, nice and easy, quickly removed or hidden when the 5-0 arrive (had to do it after a bin) and costs naf all.

[madboy]

A pic of my bike, to refresh memories... (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=14555)Any excuse to post another picture of it, aye??

[avgas]

Do they still do the canonball run from aucks to welly's round jan?
Also CRC 556 and some dirt does a charm to any plate......or own a two stroke :doobey: :banana: :blip:

[Gremlin]

I just now have to decide which way it folds. Should it go backwards, so that it's vertical, just under the tail light (so you'd see the rego better officer..), or fold it forward, so that it all tucks under the tail?
Do you do lots of wheelies?? Just think about all the positions the bike might be in when in *stealth* mode, and which way will make the plate the least visible.

Any excuse for posting pics aye?? Not complaining :msn-wink:

[bugjuice]

Any excuse to post another picture of it, aye??


Do you do lots of wheelies?? Just think about all the positions the bike might be in when in *stealth* mode, and which way will make the plate the least visible.

Any excuse for posting pics aye?? Not complaining :msn-wink:
yup to both of ya :msn-wink:

I do me best at wheelies, but no way that good at scraping the ground, if that's what you're implying. I'm a couple of years from that yet..

[flash]

quick question....
how much trouble to you get in with the law if you try and make a runner and hide your plate while doing so?
how much would the fee be?

[madboy]

quick question....
how much trouble to you get in with the law if you try and make a runner and hide your plate while doing so?
how much would the fee be?I think after the dangerous/reckless driving and failing to stop charges, ensuing fines and disq that obstructing the plate would be the least of your worries.

Last time I got busted for failing to stop (in a cage) it was $350 plus $120 court costs and 35 demerits. Time before was failing to stop, reckless driving and driving while disq - 15 months disq (on top of 3 I was already on), 3 months PD. Which was a real bummer, cos I then had to buy a new cage.

[Gremlin]

I do me best at wheelies, but no way that good at scraping the ground, if that's what you're implying. I'm a couple of years from that yet..
No, I was thinking, when the bike is up (wheelie), can the plate be seen from behind. ie, all very good to hide it, but if the bike rises or falls (stoppie) and makes the plate seen it would defeat the purpose.

From that, probably best for the plate to flip so that the numbers are down, but depends on the angle it would sit at. With those bikes, the undertail is at such an angle it may still be readable.

But then I can't find out coz my bike doesn't have a flash undertail...

[bugjuice]

No, I was thinking, when the bike is up (wheelie), can the plate be seen from behind. ie, all very good to hide it, but if the bike rises or falls (stoppie) and makes the plate seen it would defeat the purpose.

From that, probably best for the plate to flip so that the numbers are down, but depends on the angle it would sit at. With those bikes, the undertail is at such an angle it may still be readable.

But then I can't find out coz my bike doesn't have a flash undertail...
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=17360&page=3
scroll down to post 41.. I have another idea which I'll sketch out later to see if it works..

[placidfemme]

Here you go guys:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=36700877