As the bikes sit quite low on my rack, the lights are fully visible, however my registration is obscured. Do I have to have a regular “long and skinny” plate or is a motorbike style plate likely to be acceptable?

The lettering on bike number plates is smaller than that required for cars and other vehicles, so you might struggle to fit your car reg on one.

I don’t follow Druidh’s logic. Motorcycle plates carry the same number of characters as car plates so you could fit your letters and numbers on but you would be contravening the regs regarding minimum sizing of the characters for a car.

There is also the small matter of having to have the plate illuminated – as your car has a full MoT as opposed to a daylight one then I assume the full illuminations for the vehicle are required at all times, whether they are actually in use or not.

I would also question whether an approved plate maker would produce an illegal plate for you (you have to show the registration doc to get one made up).

The lettering on bike number plates is smaller than that required for cars and other vehicles, so you might struggle to fit your car reg on one.

Well yeah obviously I assume the lettering is smaller, but then if it’s visible over x amount of yards on a bike then it mustn’t be far off…

oliverd1981 – Member

Well yeah obviously I assume the lettering is smaller, but then if it’s visible over x amount of yards on a bike then it mustn’t be far off…But it would be illegal. Which might not matter until there’s an accident and the insurance company do some digging in order to avoid paying out…..

Lets be realistic, shall we?
How many people do you see with bikes obscuring plates & lights?
Lots.

If Mr Plod sees you’ve made at least some effort to recify this, he’s a LOT less likely to pull you, isn’t he?

But it would be illegal. Which might not matter until there’s an accident and the insurance company do some digging in order to avoid paying out…..

Well with a rack fixed direct to the tow hitch, with no lighting board, running close to the “nose weight” limit I’m already in the middle of a lot of grey areas. A bike plate just seems less likely to get damaged.

Whats wrong with using a trailerboard?

In the grand scheme of things, several K’s worht of bikes, £200 towbar, £150 bike rack, a £20 board is peanuts.

I just had a regular long and skinny made up and tied it onto the outermost bike.

Lightboard is the way to go, lights & numberplate sorted in a nice legal way – bungie to the rear-most bike. Easy 🙂

I don’t have the electrics in for a lightboard. (don’t want the car looking like some kind of caravanner has been using it!) I have considered putting a couple of reflectors on the rack as a concession. towbar was £80, rack was £90 🙂

I don’t have the electrics in for a lightboard. (don’t want the car looking like some kind of caravanner has been using it!) I have considered putting a couple of reflectors on the rack as a concession. towbar was £80, rack was £90

We had a lighting socket fitted inside the boot, which cost about £100. It lives inside a side panel so is completely hidden when not in use.

solved it – 4×4 rear plate, big lettering but but not as flappy. 🙂

look at number plate sellers on ebay, much cheaper and you don’t have to show your documents.

rasnos – £100 to fit a socket? that is outrageous, £50 would be expensive!