License plate bracket - WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? - have to vent

[r12r-don]

Got my license plate yesterday from the dealer. Put the plate on using the provided wing nuts and reflector bolts.

Holy cow!!!

Who designed that bracket? No chance of me popping that plate on and off to park in NYC. I needed needle nose pliers to hold the wing nut in place while I screwed the bolt in. I have thin fingers and still couldn't get them into that spot.

THEN I dropped one of the wing nuts into the bracket. So plate had to come off and had to undo two bolts to swing the bracket out and get the wing nut.

Who would have thought putting the plate on would be such a task.

Maybe I'm just missing the correct way to do it.

[celticus]

I can't tell you the proper way to do it. As I recall mine was also a pain .

Mark

[mogu83]

And I thought it was just me.

Well if that's the only problem I have with it, then it's OK with me.

[jlr12r]

I also dropped the nut into the bracket and had to take it apart to retrieve in order to retrieve it. I just attached the plate using the bottom holes only.

[r12r-don]

the only reason I didn't just use the bottom holes...well...two reasons

1 - I'm pig headed but don't tell my wife I admit it.
2 - I didn't want it hanging down so low

[dviolagis]

took me over an hour to do. Dropped the wing not 3 times in the hole. Had to take everything apart...but finally got it mounted

[deilenberger]

After dropping the wing nut into the hole about 6 times, and disassembling it 6 times and reassembling it 6 times - I got smart(er).

I took small metric allen bolts - and installed them from the back, used nuts on the front to hold them in place. I then put the plate on, and used locking nuts to hold the plate on.

Whoever designed it WAS an idiot - but I noticed the GS uses the same rear plastic bit - with a metal bracket in the front, with easy access to the bolt holes. I just went through RealOEM and can't find the metal bracket -but it would fit the R just fine..

[r12r-don]

Okay - since BMW engineering is so awesome everywhere else on the bike. We have to assume the new guy did the license plate bracket. Sorry new guy, YOU'RE FIRED!!!!

[Kiwi60]

Got my license plate yesterday from the dealer. Put the plate on using the provided wing nuts and reflector bolts.

Holy cow!!!

Who designed that bracket? No chance of me popping that plate on and off to park in NYC...

Why wasn't the license plate mounted when you bought the bike? Or is this some kind of additional license plate needed for parking in NYC? I don't get it. Do you have a pic?

[r12r-don]

I bought it in NY and live across the river in Hoboken, NJ. So the NY dealer had to give me an in-transit plate while they waited for my NJ plate processing to finish. They handled it all for me but there was a lag time. My NJ plates just came through this week. Hence the shifting around of plates.

The whole parking in NYC thing is if you pop your plate off or cover your bike (and plate), they don't ticket your bike. Unwritten and widely used courtesy. It is a nice option to not have to take your cover all the time and just pop your plate off.

I'll look into some other screw options to give me this option.

[celticus]

DON , TtHAT SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA. I think I'll give it a try.
Mark

[r12r-don]

Obviously parking in absolutely obnoxious places will draw unwanted attention. I can't vouch for what will happen then.

I've parked up against buildings on wide sidewalks. In NYPD only parking areas (not near the police stations), no parking zones just off of 5th avenue in the middle of a weekday. Been there, done that.

Tried to be lazy one day and didn't cover or pop the plate - test positive - got a ticket in 30 minutes flat. Removed ticket, covered bike - no more tickets.

Best of luck.

[bajones238]

Pirates' Lair sell a license plate bracket kit for the K1200S, which fits the R1200R also. The bracket has captive nuts for the license plate screws, eliminating the need for the wingnuts and making putting on the plate much simpler.