revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Post New Year, too cold, wet, icy etc to head out and enjoy so it's about this time of year I generally set about tinkering with things.

Ever since modding the rear end a couple of winters ago I've been a bit meh regards the Lucas style rear light that came with the tail tidy I fitted.
It kind of floats out in mid air and sits at an odd angle.
It also did not have a clear section for the numberplate light, but the LEDs are white inside so back then I cut out a small section from the bottom and glued in a clear plastic 'lens' I made from a cassette case, most on here will have no problem remembering them.
I'd picked up a simple round retro rear light for peanuts last summer, it was less than a tenner, worth a punt.
I could mount this atop the mudguard and then the number plate could be shifted up to cover the Lucas light mounting and fitting a bit more snuggly under the rear mudguard.

Cheap it was so I swapped out the supplied nuts and bolts for some stainless hex head and nylock parts, used some stainless and black nylon washers to secure it to the mudguard.
Also cut a small section of some 3mm rubber sheet I had left over from making a mudguard extension for under the seat a few years back. Placed this between the light and the mudguard to help with vibrations.
I also needed to cut a small section of aluminium tubing to sit in the middle of the mounting bracket. When clamping the light in place onto the mounting bracket, the thin walled counter bracket on the light simply deformed so would not clamp tight. This short section of tube fits in the gap to give the clamp something to resist the nut and bolt deforming the bracket so it can be tightened up. Without this I'm 100% certain it would not be possible to get it tight enough to stop it rotating.
I still want to build up the courage to take an angle grinder to the rear subframe and fit a hoop, but as I said before I don't have the resources for that. There are a couple of kits available that I could buy that a are more shed build friendly, but they all include the seat, lights etc and cost a fortune with the cheapest £799.
Then in the end, yes I'd have the chopped rear, but it would be a serious chunk of change and not really be a one off cheap and cheerful mod like all of the other things I have done.

So for now I'll head into the 2026 riding season with a slight change in the look, and still the itch to keep tinkering.

Will it pass MOT without the number-plate illuminated?

(I only really ask because you made a point of having that, then seem to have constructed a system without it...)

Rockburner wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 4:21 pm Will it pass MOT without the number-plate illuminated?

(I only really ask because you made a point of having that, then seem to have constructed a system without it...)

I forgot to mention that bit.

I have a tiny rubber encased 12v LED array that now sticks on the lip of the rear mudguard just above the plate.

TBH I am not sure it will stay stuck, so plan B is to make something to fix it to, then slot it between the mudguard and the number plate bracket.
Fortunately we had a 3D printer arrive yesterday, my sons and I all chipped in with some Christmas money to buy one.
Dust of the CAD skills and draft up something to suit, try and repeat until something works.
Watch this space.

Loving this build and it's ethos.

Maybe you could find a local fabricator who could bend a tube and weld it in for you?

I'm sure there's a 'beard oil premium' tax on pre-bent loops you see online.

ajlog wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 4:30 pm

Rockburner wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 4:21 pm Will it pass MOT without the number-plate illuminated?

(I only really ask because you made a point of having that, then seem to have constructed a system without it...)

I forgot to mention that bit.

I have a tiny rubber encased 12v LED array that now sticks on the lip of the rear mudguard just above the plate.

TBH I am not sure it will stay stuck, so plan B is to make something to fix it to, then slot it between the mudguard and the number plate bracket.
Fortunately we had a 3D printer arrive yesterday, my sons and I all chipped in with some Christmas money to buy one.
Dust of the CAD skills and draft up something to suit, try and repeat until something works.
Watch this space.

If you didn't know, you can get LED bolts which are ideal for number plate purposes. i used them on my Harley when i relocated the number plate.

https://tinyurl.com/3bhcpv3u

Taipan wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 8:44 pm
If you didn't know, you can get LED bolts which are ideal for number plate purposes. i used them on my Harley when i relocated the number plate.

https://tinyurl.com/3bhcpv3u

Ooh! Neat.

I think I might have a non-number plate use for a few of them.

Such a cool bike. I have a bit of a hankering after a scrambler XE....

tricol wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 8:51 am Such a cool bike. I have a bit of a hankering after a scrambler XE....

I have one …
Brilliant bike for the real world

The chain guard was one of the first things that I removed from the bike, a standard black plastic thing.

It’s run like that for the past 5 years and 4 MOTs with no problems. I have always assumed that because I have also removed the rear foot pegs and not fitted the separate rear seat a chain guard is not needed to pass.

However there is always the fling of chain lube upward that the guard stops.

There’s a few out there available from about £80 up to over £100, then I saw this one on AliExpress for less than £30.
I liked the design, it was simple and clean looking.

When it arrived I was initially disappointed that the one delivered was embellished with the Triumph logo, then when fitting it I did not like the line and length of it.
But It did give me a good template to have a pop at making something myself.

Taking the main connection points and offsets of the AliExpress one I thought that a single flat bar of Aluminium would be enough to make my own version.

Armed with a 1m strip of 30x3mm flatbar, a pop rivet gun and my tool bag I had a go at knocking up something today.
Took a couple of hours and I’m happy with the reult, certainly looks a better fit than the ALiExpress job.
Then I gave the bike a good wash and sat back to admire my work, considering it was less than £20 including me needing to buy a pop rivet gun.

ajlog wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2026 6:05 pm The chain guard was one of the first things that I removed from the bike, a standard black plastic thing.

It’s run like that for the past 5 years and 4 MOTs with no problems. I have always assumed that because I have also removed the rear foot pegs and not fitted the separate rear seat a chain guard is not needed to pass.

However there is always the fling of chain lube upward that the guard stops.

There’s a few out there available from about £80 up to over £100, then I saw this one on AliExpress for less than £30.
I liked the design, it was simple and clean looking.

When it arrived I was initially disappointed that the one delivered was embellished with the Triumph logo, then when fitting it I did not like the line and length of it.

IMG_3064.jpeg

But It did give me a good template to have a pop at making something myself.

Taking the main connection points and offsets of the AliExpress one I thought that a single flat bar of Aluminium would be enough to make my own version.

Armed with a 1m strip of 30x3mm flatbar, a pop rivet gun and my tool bag I had a go at knocking up something today.

IMG_3167.jpeg

Took a couple of hours and I’m happy with the reult, certainly looks a better fit than the ALiExpress job.

IMG_3170.jpeg

Then I gave the bike a good wash and sat back to admire my work, considering it was less than £20 including me needing to buy a pop rivet gun.

IMG_3177.jpeg

Good work!

Thank you for reaffirming my pledge never to buy a single thing from that tat bazaar! That's possibly one of the nastiest cheapest things I've ever seen.

You're not allowed to make bike parts unless they're held together with JB Weld!

Time for a quick check over and to make it a bit more respectable for its MOT.

Swapped the tail pipes for the fully stamped V&H can.



Then fit the original plate complete with sticky on reflector.


All working as it should so hopefully no issues and another years ticket.

In an effort to keep up with the serious restorations and modding being brilliantly reported on in this section, I’ve done some further serious mods.

I found some silicon rubber grommets that perfectly fit the 4 bolt holes in that funny black plastic ledge at the back of the bike.
It’s a small job but fixes something that has been a bugbear of mine for ages.
Being soft silicon rubber they fit really snuggly and have remained in place for the past 100 miles, and stop water / bits a pieces getting trapped.

Good result for less than £5 and a full 2 minutes work.