dpcars tail chop tyre clearance

[Gizmo]

Has anyone managed to knock a number plate off with a DP cars tail unit fitted? put mine on yesterday and it looks like wheel can contact bracket under full compression, its difficult to gauge exactly though but i don't want to find out it does catch at the wrong time

[Dave G]

DPcars have got something on their website about this Gizmo, on page 2 of the bit dealing with the tailchop kit. I ignored this bit as I dont think it applied to mine and I've had no issues since it was fitted.

dp vehicle home

cut'n paste...

'A note on tire clearance, since someone asked - I had adjusted the spring preload on my bike for about 1-1/8" static sag at the rear (about 7/8" travel on the shock) and with that the rear wheel has 2-1/8" clearance to the bracket with me on the bike. As-delivered the bike had nearly 2" of static sag with me on it (180 lbs) which would only leave 1-1/4" of clearance. This I'd consider a bit tight. So if you get one of these brackets I'd highly recommend setting the rear preload to about 1" static sag, which is the generally recommended number for sportbikes. If additional clearance is wanted without increasing preload, the shock itself is adjustable for length so that's another option. Interestingly, the front is set up for only 1/4" static sag (I checked the other two Ducs and they're even less, at about 1/8") while some sources, like this Sport Rider article, seem to recommend around an inch at the front as well. Hmm...'

[Gizmo]

Hmm, wish I'd seen that before buying it Dave I run at least 30mm sag usually about 35mm and to get 25mm I'd have the preload cranked on to 30mm of spring compression thats more than the spring can handle. I need to reduce shock length to take into account the 42 tooth sprocket so that'll make it worse, No way I'm going to make me bike unstable exiting corners just to have a tail chop, guess I'm going to have to have it copied and correctly made with a bracket that spaces it out further

[Dave G]

You might be able to adapt it by spacing the numberplate bracket backwards slightly using simple spacers,though it might leave the light looking a bit 'embedded'.
I'm still looking around at alternative taillights and will probably have to make up a bracket or 'box' type mount to replace the upside down OE light, I have seen a few decent bits that might work and have seen a bracket arrangement for it I rather liked-though it beyond my skills to make myself. As long as it looks in keeping with the rest of the bike I'd be happy with it.

So far the DPcars unit is the most elegant solution I've found, the Fleda and Wasp type of solutions work fine but to my eye are fighting against the overall style of the bikes and I'd rather see something that has echos of the past style from which these bikes are drawn.

[shivertown1]

Gizmo, make up a new thicker spacer for the single mounting point, this will kick the number plate out , I ride with my missus on the back sometimes and have never had a clearance issue since doing this mod to mine

[juneja]

(tried deleting, didn't read thread properly)