Should I be a cheeky bugger?

[Suitor_Stu]

Okay, some of you may be aware I own an Indian Royal Enfield on an '02 plate. I have owned it from about 70odd kms to it's current 7000odd kms. It used to look like this when it was all nice and clean.;

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/4000238099_ae7d2eac31.jpg

A quick summation of these bikes is that they are not your average 'retro' bikes like the current Triumph Bonneville (ie classic styling with modern running gear) but an almost carbon copy of the bikes your granda would have ridden bar a handful of metric bolts and 12v electrics (with indicators). They are so convincing in fact that you regularly get folks stopping you in the street asking you the age of the bike, even the old boys who 'used to have one of them' are hard pushed to tell them apart. Anyway, back to my original point, I am in the process of getting my Ennie back to being road legal again after about 9months of not being used and as ever I can't help but modifying a few things..

It's always been a want of mine to essentially restore the bike to it's 'original' factory settings (i.e. 1950s) to a point. I've done most of the mechanical things, so now I'm doing a few of the cosmetic things. One of these is giving the old gent a new/old style numberplate which has basically involved removing the existing yellow number and cleaning up the mounting board underneath where I'll stick some lettering.

I know this is entirely illegal (and I'll be keeping the yellow one for sticking back on when I feel necessary) so I kinda though since I'm here should I be cheeky and jiggle about with the lettering set-up too? The plate should read SR02 HCH, but I figured if I set it up as SR0 2HCH it looks a bit more old fashioned - and that if I'm doing something illegal I may as well do it properly! Think the plate suits the spacing better on standard, but can't help but think the 3 then 4 approach just looks that wee bit more old...Here's a few photos for comparison, what's your opinions on the matter?

Reg 1 (standard) https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4645652917_28e51be84f.jpg Reg 2 https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3366/4645641161_c9ebd1032f.jpg

Cheers, Stu

[Frost]

1

[Damon]

I think I actually prefer the top one. Looks less messy

[Frost]

Also:

Vehicles manufactured before 1st January 1973 are allowed to display traditional style 'black and white' plates i.e. white, silver, or grey characters on a black plate.

So as an 02 bike thats illegal and will fail an MOT. You might get away with it as the bike is of a classic style.

[Ste]

Black plate with white/silver lettering on a 2002 vehicle... are you a drug dealer?

Of the two I'd say reg 1 is better, mainly because I think you'd be more likely to be pulled over for having reg 2. The digits are too big on reg 2, the digits in the bottom row are too close together and it looks wrong IMO. Would look better with a proper pressed aluminum plate (like this) made rather using than stick on letters and numbers, especially if you're trying to make it look 1950s style, whatever layout you decide on for the lettering I reckon it'll look better with an aluminum plate.

[G]

Had you considered just buying an older plate?
Then I'd expect less likely to get done for it too.

[supZ]

both look naff imo
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[Suitor_Stu]

Yeah I think I'm gona go for the first option.

Thanks for your concern guys but I am fully aware that it is not legal (as I stated in my first post) so I'll be keeping the original yellow one for mots and longer trips. To be fair though a passing po-po would have to know that they did make them after '73 cause by the look and sound its not like any modern machine thus I'm not too worried about getting pulled for it alone...

Also with regard to the pressed metal stuff, I am wanting to go for the more vintage millitary look a-la the BSA below which is just White stuck on the green. My next step is to spray the exhaust matte black too.

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/2727511595_3febf68dbd.jpg?v=0

[chris-red]

I'm in the minority it seem I prefer the 2nd one.
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