A few years ago I was stopped by a couple of traffic cops who had followed me for a bit so I was expecting the pull. Their first question “Is this your car?” Then “Could you confirm your name and address” Obviously they were confirming the match on the data they already had on the car, but then they wanted to stop and search, and because I admitted when asked that I had had a pint (singular, and not somethings my number tend to do these days anyway - how times change!) they made me wait while they got a test kit brought out from the station. To cut a long story short, a couple of weeks later I was driving up Falmer Hill near Brighton and a car overtook me at silly speeds given the freezing freezing fog and black ice, but before I could finish thing what a twit he was the coppers chasing him (lights but no siren) tried to do the same thing - adverse camber and black ice did their thing and within a couple of seconds they are through the hedge and upside down in a field having taken lumps of verge with them. I parked in a lay by and run back to them, and find them okay but still hanging in their harnesses... Me (peering in through their window at ground level) “Is this YOUR car sir?” Copper 1 “Oh Fuck off!” Me (starting to walk away) “Righty o then!” Copper 2 “No don’t fuck off, we’re going to need a witness statement....” Back on topic.... Having your initials is pointless since nobody else on the road knows your name. If the plate is tied in to the vehicle model then people may appreciate it. However... On a bike the old 6 digit numbers fit better and since nobody knows your initials anyway....
I’ve got a private plate on my speed triple, with my initials. And I don’t care what anybody else thinks. It’s my choice, all those who are whining are probably jealous.
If having no a private plate floats your boat that s fine. It’s a question of personal taste and finances. It’s not a bad thing but hardly essential.
In terms of finances, a private plate is a bargain. You can spend £300-400 on a reg plate, then transfer it from bike to bike. Or spend £1000s on bling for your bike, which you can’t transfer to your next bike.
I have £100. If I spend it on a private plate, it warms my heart. If I spend it on heated grips, it warms my hands. Which improves my enjoyment of my bike more when the weather is shitty.....?
My brother in law bought a plate several years ago it was nothing particularly special N9 and his initials. He paid £250 for it. Some years later he decided to sell it and got £2500 for it.
Bit late to join but what the hell. I’ve been lucky to have a plate spelling my five letter foreign surname PERFECTLY without a single modification. I’m not going to put it on here for the reason the name is so unique I would be easy to find as anything on the net kicks back at some point. It was never issued till two years ago as I thought why not and may be I should have bought it years ago. There are around five matching surnames in the uk so there is possibly very little demand for it but it’s readable and I could not make it any better matching no matter how much one wants to spend on one.
Been meaning to post this for a while now but couldn’t find this picture Now if you’re sitting comfortably...then I’ll begin This is me (on the right) and an old friend of mine called Alan We are somewhere down beside Skegness Bare with me...I’ll get to the number plate soon The bike in the picture is a Dene made in Newcastle A mutual friend of ours called Eric who lives in the USA but is originally from the north east of England is a descendant of someone who was involved in the manufacture of Dene motorcycles The old fellow who owned this bike sadly had passed away and his old lady had it up for sale complete with side car I’ve put a link underneath to an article I found (hope it works) and it says that their is only 3 left in existence Two here in England and one in the USA Well I know that this is the one in America because we crated it up and sent it to Eric along with a BSA bantam which was in a box in bits for his son to cut his teeth on Now for the number plate bit The bike had number plate GB 38 or 38 GB Because the bike was going to America the registration was put up for sale and ended up paying for the bike and the shipping costs and any taxes with change left over https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-motorcycle-pioneer-honoured-tyne-11811487.amp
Wife bought this for my GSXR750. Having traded this in for the 2017 Tiger Sport the number was take. Off and put on retention, and is for sale so if anyone knows someone.........
Still on the subject of personalized number plates, but only by luck, in 1998 when l bought my second ever brand new bike (it was a Honda VFR800fix) from a dealer in Leyland he used the DVLA in Preston to get his plates & for some reason they were issuing VFR at the time....pure luck!!! Mine was R852 VFR which was nice, BUT, here's the strange twist in this tale. Last night we went down to the local Steak & Ale bar for prime rib & drinkies, & there's a display of plates from all over the World there, & one of them was .......................R325 VFR!!!! Spooky or what???
