Hitchcocks Forum

I have on my 2009 ELECTRA a rear number plate that is 7x5 with 50mm letters/numerals ECT, on my CGT there is a monster plate that is 91/2x63/4 with 64mm letters/numerals, the smaller plate is much neater and tidier and I will change to a 7x5 plate, but on consulting government leaflet INF 104 it states that m/c rear plates should have 64mm letters/numerals in two lines but does not state the size of plate?. My Electra passes Mot,s I have never been pulled up by plod on the road, so I would be interested to hear if anybody out there in RE land has had any issues regarding their rear n/plate.

Characters must be 64mm tall
n Characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be
44mm wide
n The character stroke (the thickness of the black print)
must be 10mm
n The space between characters must be 10mm
n The space between the age identifier and the random
letters must be 30mm
n The margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate
must be at least 11mm
n Vertical space between the age identifier and the
random numbers must be 13mm



I have just copied this from the GOVERNMENT Direct Gov website as an example: There's lots more stuff on there so do check what is relevant for yourself.

As far as I can see, there's nothing about the actual size of the plate, rather the margin... the space from the letters to the outside edge. Perhaps, therefore, if you have a number with a number one (1) in it, or a couple of one's, that would enable it all to be smaller?
That's how I understand it; does anyone know any better?
Good luck, Chris

To comply with the allowed font, type spacing and border, the minimum is 9"x7".

Some folks have a large MoT plate and a small plate. Depends where you are, Wilts will nick you, TVP not so much bothered.

a frend had a letter through the post saying his number plate was under size and they would take the matter up,

he wrote back saying if it was that small how did they read it to get my address ,,,,

the other point is as we are still in the EU the foreign plates are much smaller so theres the logic!!

i have two number plates one for MOT the other for the rest of the year ,,,,, that on all my bikes ,,,,,,,,,, rebel ,,, i know !!!

Chris spelled it out. If you have narrow letters you can have a legitimate plate that is smaller than normal but if you have a "W" you're stuffed. The standard plate is about 9x7 to accommodate "double-width letters". The people that will pull you up on 50mm letters are your local constabulary, they generally consider that they have better things to do than haul a biker in over a perfectly legible but small number plate, but then there's the jobsworth...

If you were too walk down the road were I live in Muswell Hill nearly every car has an illegal number plate letters or numbers too close inappropriate spaces or gaps in wrong place even black & silver plates on brand new cars. The law seem to turn a blind eye when its a flash car. But you do it on a bike and you get a stop within hours.

I have 8x6 'show plates' on my 1999 Bullet and other late '70s bikes. They're just slightly undersized black letters/numbers on a reflective yellow background. They've all passed MOTs with these plates, and I've been nicked for speeding (38mph on a dual carriageway...) as the camera spotted the number. Perhaps if you get a grumpy Plod it could be used against you?

I did the Beamish this weekend (or rather the Beamish did me) and it was hard to find any bike with a legal plate. Certainly mine wasn't.

I live in Central London, but travel widely. Slo Poke's plate is 6" x 4.5" (black and silver) and I've never had a problem - neither MOT nor the fuzz.



But, maybe I'm just lucky.