Motorcycle License Plate Bracket

A short motorcycle number plate holder, usually called a tail tidy, replaces the long plastic bracket fitted to almost every stock bike and leaves a clean rear end with the wheel on show. Here you will find tail tidies from Puig and Rizoma, each designed for a specific model and range of years, plus a few universal options. Before choosing yours, it helps to know what a roadworthiness test looks at, because that is the question riders ask most.

The stock bracket is long for two reasons: the manufacturer designs it to work in every market and also uses it as a mudguard. With a short one, the bike looks lighter and more compact, the tail is uncluttered and the plate sits closer to the wheel. In return, you need to look after the light, indicators and spray, as explained below.

What the rear end has to meet

Inspectors do not look at the bracket as a part, but at how the bike looks with it fitted:

• The number plate is held firmly, without vibrating, readable from behind and at the required angle, never bent or trimmed.
• An approved white plate light illuminates it at night.
• The bike keeps its red rear reflector.
• The rear indicators can still be seen from behind and keep the minimum spacing between them.

Does a tail tidy need to be approved?

The short answer is that the bracket itself carries no type approval of its own, unlike a headlight or an exhaust, so there is no approval number to look for on it. What matters is the lighting: the plate light, reflector and indicators must all carry their approval marking. If they do and the plate sits where it should, the change rarely causes trouble at the Spanish ITV, the MOT, the TÜV or their equivalents. If the holder moves the plate to the side of the wheel, check with your local test centre first, as the rules and their interpretation vary from country to country.

Puig and Rizoma: two ways to tidy the tail

The Puig tail tidies are the most straightforward choice: one per model, in black, for nakeds, sports and adventure bikes, and for maxi-scooters such as the TMAX, X-ADV, Forza 750 or ADV 350. Among the most popular are those for the Ninja 650 and Z650, MT-07, CB650R and YZF-R125. There is also a universal model for bikes without their own version.

Rizoma takes several approaches. The Fox is the classic tail tidy under the seat unit, for bikes such as the MT-07, 790 Duke, Pan America or R 1300 GS; the Outside Street and Side Arm move the plate beside the rear wheel on bikes such as the R nineT, Diavel or Scrambler; the Americana comes in EU or USA versions, depending on the plate format, for the Road Glide and Street Glide, and there are models for the Vespa GTS and Primavera. You will find them all among the Rizoma plate holders.

When fitting it, check these

• Wiring: the plate light and indicators connect to the bike's loom, and you often need to extend or reroute cables inside the tail.
• Indicators: if the stock bracket carried the originals, you can refit them or swap them for more compact motorcycle indicators. If you switch to LED, some bikes need a resistor or relay to stop hyper-flashing.
• Spray: without the long stock mudguard, the rear tyre throws water and dirt at the tail and the passenger's back. A rear hugger close to the wheel solves it without spoiling the lines.
• Plate fixings: use the ones in the kit or bolts with wide washers and a rubber spacer, so the plate does not crack with vibration.
• Year and version: the tail unit changes between generations, so the same model can take different part numbers. If you are unsure which one fits yours, ask us on the chat before ordering.