Let’s be honest: motorcycle owners are rarely ever shy about the need to customise their bikes. And in a country like Australia where every technical aspect of a motorcycle, from its frame and fork lengths to the shape and location of its fuel tank and exhaust pipes, is expected to comply with prevailing design rules, any opportunity has to be taken to push the boundaries of customisation.
This is precisely the case with adventure and enduro bike number plate holders. Aussie riders have howled for decades about the unsightly stock fender holders that their bikes are outfitted with, leaving even the most dedicated design purists scratching their heads. The solution, however, is as simple as swapping the OE holder for a stylish fender tidy. This isn’t just a good looking switch though, it’s also design rule compliant; that makes the fender tidy the kind of custom part that even purists don’t mind being introduced to.
Tail Tidies are the Champions of Convenience and Compliance
Let’s face it: you don’t have to be a design expert to know most number plate holders are generally no more functional than they are fashionable. Their size and position leaves them largely ineffective, which is why bike owners look to premium quality aftermarket tail tidies to improve the look and functionality of their number holders.
Tidies are the perfect replacement for bulky, unattractive OE rear fenders that integrate your number plate, tail lights, and stone protection into a single, aerodynamic assembly; and they’re custom fitted to ensure they fit your bike as well, or better than their OE equivalents.
Perhaps the most notable trait of the highest quality motorcycle number plate holders sold in Australia is that they’re also manufactured in Australia. These CNC machined tail tidies are cut from corrosion resistant 2.5mm aluminium stock, and are designed especially for the widest selection of the most popular adventure and enduro bikes sold in Australia, including:
- Suzuki DR650s and DRZ400s;
- Yamaha XTZ690s, T700 Teneres, and WR450s and 250Fs;
- Honda CRF300Ls and 300 Rallys, CRF250Ls and 450Ls, and XL750 Transalps.
With a choice of either polished, powdercoated, or Plascoat® finishes, motorbike number plate holders swap out effortlessly with your bike’s stock mounts, and wire up easily using all your OE fittings and connectors. And together with their smart, streamlined appearance, they offer a range of convenient technical advantages that can save you money while safety satisfying all the necessary compliance criteria.
Aftermarket Tail Tidy Advantages That Your Pocket Can Appreciate
Although it’s not difficult to embrace the powerful aesthetic that an aftermarket motorcycle number plate holder offers, these easy-to-install replacements also feature a range of performance-minded benefits that every rider can appreciate, including:
- A noticeable reduction in weight. A tail tidy’s lightweight, 3-piece alloy construction helps improve fuel consumption and handling.
- Improved visibility. By eliminating your archaic OE rear facia, aftermarket motorcycle license plate holders allow you to increase the visibility of your turn signals.
- Making the switch to LEDs. When you replace your motorcycle license plate holder, it’s also the ideal time to replace the globes in your indicators, brake, and plate lights with long life LEDs.
Ultimately, there aren’t any downsides to installing a fender eliminator, a tail tidy, or any other type of fender conversion kit. And with their superior fit and form, they’re guaranteed to give your bike a clean, confident appearance that’s custom, but still compliant.
Tidies Make the Compromise Between Custom and Compliance
While the decision to replace an OE motorbike number plate holder would ordinarily be one of the most casual improvements imaginable, ADR (Australian Design Rule) compliance weighs heavily when it comes to the installation and placement of external paneling.
ADR 42/00 is very specific about the length of rear fenders, while ADR 19 is equally straightforward about the placement of tail lamps, brake lamps, and reflectors. Individual state inspection criteria also has an impact on tail tidy compliance, the failure of which could potentially leave you defected if you get pulled over in a roadworthiness inspection.
The latest version of ADR 42/00 does away with mandatory fender length requirements, giving the superior design attributes of customs aftermarket motorcycle tail tidies the opportunity to shine when it comes to:
- Increasing road safety. A redesigned adventure or enduro number plate holder does a markedly better job of shielding pedestrians and other vehicles from stones, road debris, and tail spray than stock rear fenders.
- Improving lamp placement. Aftermarket plate holders are able to make optimal use of the viewing angles, spacing, and height of brake lamps, indicators, and number plate lighting that’s required by ADR 19.
- Favourably correction of plate placement. Tail tidies satisfy ADR 42/00 requirements for plate height, as well as 45° side and rearward visibility, but without relying on a chunky, awkwardly shaped OE fender.
The fact is, a properly engineered tail tidy is going to satisfy all the relevant ADR requirements, while still giving your bike a sleek, personal look that you can’t ignore. You can even buy matching tail racks and front fender braces for full front to back, wheel coverage that’s completely custom, and 100% compliant.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, as long as OEs continue manufacturing oversized rear fenders to meet the broadest range of compliance requirements, bike owners are guaranteed to continue replacing them. Fortunately for Australian owners though, aftermarket manufacturers are aware of what it takes to keep riders and the public safe; that’s how they’re able to keep the variety of design rule compliant tidies so high.
With premium quality aftermarket tidies, Australia adventure and enduro motorcycle owners never have to worry about needing to choose between customisation and compliance. Even the design purists can appreciate the possibility of having both.