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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | I've been looking at license plate frame options for Nessy (2009 Arlen Ness Vision - #150). I really like the lay-down look AND the curved look. So after some research I decided to purchase a Kuryakyn 9182 Universal LED curved license plate mount (eBay - $99.00 delivered to my door). Much to my surprise and delight the hole pattern on the mount matches the Vision - except you have to modify the mount with a couple of cuts and bends. Here are some pictures: The bike with the mounted plate 
Here is the bracket as I was starting my cuts. You can see that I simply cut and "L" shape that allowed me to bend the cut part down to fit the Vision. 
Here is the cut bracked mounted with the new light pigtails showing. I had to remove the panel to get to the wires and I modified the new pigtail by cutting off some of the width to simply plug into the stock Vision female plug and taped them up real good. I ran the wires past the clear lense and there was enough space to not need a hole for the wires. The mount is SOLID, even with the cuts and bend. 
Here is the finished project. I like how it tightly hugs the Vision tail and curves to fit the contour! 
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Good look
I have a cheap digital camera and ever time I work on the bike I take photos in case some one here needs to see something
But like to look back at what I have done and how pretty the vision is.
Good job JS5Owner |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | And rotten motorcycle cops are going to see this as 'legal' ??? Not where I live .... |
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Tourer
Posts: 523
seattle, wa | Good job. It looks great! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Love the mod. Just ordered one for myself.
Don, sorry to hear you live in such a backward and repressive country. You should move! LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Edited by MaddMAx2u 2011-11-16 2:43 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | How would it fit with a trunk on the Vision? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 804
Perry Hall, MD | I like the look, but am concerned that it covers the tag light which most (if not all) states will require to illuminate the tag. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | MaddMAx2u - 2011-11-16 12:41 PM Love the mod. Just ordered one for myself. Don, sorry to hear you live in such a backward and repressive country. You should move! LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL Ain't 'my' country that I worry about. Most of my riding is in Washington/Oregon - the WEST ! And it's SongFan's NAZI cops I worry about - like the one who got me last summer speeding on an Indian Reservation near Anacortes, WA . Our RCMP are much more gentlemanly than that prick. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 752
Broken Arrow, OK | lennyb - 2011-11-16 4:44 PM
I like the look, but am concerned that it covers the tag light which most (if not all) states will require to illuminate the tag.I'm pretty sure that's one of the purposes, to cover that. His mod has the LED light built in to the frame. You can see his connections in the 3rd pic.
Nice mod |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 804
Perry Hall, MD | okie vision - 2011-11-16 6:28 PM
... His mod has the LED light built in to the frame. You can see his connections in the 3rd pic.
Thanks for pointing it out - I definitely need to be more observant. Now I really like it.
Edited by lennyb 2011-11-16 5:51 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | Here are some pics taken outside... The plate has LEDs and is really nice. I don't think there will be any "legal" hassles... but then again I live in Cali and you never know! I think this would have no problems with the trunk installed as you can see it doesn't protrude into the space of the "filler" panel. 
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Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | That looks good. Nice work.
For those worried about legality, the Arlen Ness frame is stands upright. The plate is sandwiched in between a chrome backplate and a chrome front frame. It looks much better than the stock tin can. (I like the laydown look a bit better though) |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 11
| Nice work, I'm going to have to get one. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 96
Princeton, IL | You did a great job. I love to see people modify things to make them look better and function even better. Again, good job! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | Thanks fellow riders for the nice comments. It is the collective wisdom of these boards that helps me make good decisions for what I want, learn, know, or do. I LOVE my Nessy. Got her in April of this year - after she sat on a dealers floor for 2! I've got 8k on her thus far. My goal is to put more miles on my bike than my SUV. So far, I'm achieving my goal! <grin> |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Jeff, just did the license plate mod and love the look. Question. The LED light seems awfully bright to me. It seems to wash out some of the tail light. Does it seem too bright to you? Does anyone know of any easy way to reduce the brightness of the LED lights??
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Tourer
Posts: 337
san antonio, tx | MaddMAx2u - 2011-12-27 5:38 AM
Jeff, just did the license plate mod and love the look. Question. The LED light seems awfully bright to me. It seems to wash out some of the tail light. Does it seem too bright to you? Does anyone know of any easy way to reduce the brightness of the LED lights??
I like that look and I think I'm going to add it to my list.
To reduce the glare of the LEDs, try adding a resistor. You can go to Radio Shack and buy a pack of about 100 resisters of various values. Just try different values until you find one that gives you the intensity you want.
Is the glare due to the angle? LEDs have very specific light spread characteristics. Maybe you could put some paint on the top of the LEDs to reduce the light shooting towards the rear without reducing the light that actually illuminates the plate. Some of your wifes fingernail polish, or a little bottle of plastic model paint would work.
You could also very lightly scuff the LED with some very fine sand paper to diffuse the light and not make it so "laser" like.
You could replace the led with one that has a lower output. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | MaddMAx2u - 2011-12-27 5:38 AM Jeff, just did the license plate mod and love the look. Question. The LED light seems awfully bright to me. It seems to wash out some of the tail light. Does it seem too bright to you? Does anyone know of any easy way to reduce the brightness of the LED lights?? MaddMAx2u - I guess it doesn't look too bright to me and I typically don't ride much a night. If anything, the brightness would help people to see you... I love the look and I'm now trying to figure out a personalized plate to put in it! I think the laydown + curved really fits the scupltured look of the Vision. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Thanks cchristo, the resistor idea sounds best. And while my Dad was an electrical engineer I know nothing! so, where do you put the resistor. I assume you have the positive pole wire running thru it? And once you find the right resistor and solder it in place do you just shrink wrap it?
As for the brightness, I think it has a lot to do with the angle AND the brightness of the bank of LED's. I wish the LED's were on the bottom, but...... So I think the resistor idea will work. Confirm placement and I'll let you know how it goes!
THANKS!
Edited by MaddMAx2u 2011-12-27 10:47 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 337
san antonio, tx | Without knowing the led specs, I can't really tell you what resistance value is going to work, but a bag of 1/4 watt resistors are pretty cheap so you can experiment.
Just put the resistor in line with the hot wire (probably red). If you have enough wire, it's probably easiest to cut the lead at least a couple of inches from any connectors. Before you actually solder, slide some heat shrink tubing on the wire and slide it as far away from the solder joint as you can so that it doesn't shrink from the soldering.
If you can't slide one piece of tubing far enough away, you can try cutting the tubing in half and sliding it away from both ends of the resistor. Once your done soldering you can shrink one piece of it then slide the other piece down, making sure you have some overlap.
Good luck! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 880
Orlando, FL | Thanks CC. I'm going to wait a week or so and make sure they are 2 bright at night. I'll keep ya posted. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 231
Desert Hot Springs (Palm Springs area), CA | MaddMAx2u - 2011-12-27 4:03 PM Thanks CC. I'm going to wait a week or so and make sure they are 2 bright at night. I'll keep ya posted. A real quick idea, that I'll try if needed, is to use a small bit of aluminum tape (not duct tape, but also used for duct work). As it is chrome looking, it would be hidden up in the LED area and you could block of several of the LEDs to give the amount of light needed. Just a quick idea... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 216
Danville, CA | Nice work!!! Damn another mod on my list...  |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 612
| Wonder if that curved plate frame comes in black....
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 10
| Looks like my wish list just grew! Thanks for the idea great look |
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DIY laydown & curved license plate
