Front Plate Completed - Yippie
Posted: 03:03 pm May 11 2005
For what it is worth.
I finished my front plate and I have to say it turned out quite nice (bragging I know but sometimes excitement takes over). I can take pictures if anyone is interested.
What I did was to purchase a 96-02 KX125 Acerbis front plate. It didn't fit perfect and I didn't like the extensions that went down the fork so I was off to modification land. First thing was to remove the extensions. I did this with a right angle cutter and got the cuts fairly close. I then took some tin snips and got it closer. I finally used some files and filed it to the the curvature molded into the bottom of the front plate. The Acerbis molding was not the same on both sides (it was off a little) but I got it close enough that the eyeball is fooled. I then sanded and finally polished the cuts with some polishing compound I have in the garage. Plastic modification complete.
The plate will mount up using the hole molded into the top but it didn't fit quite right against the bike. I made a 1" spacer out of some teflon rod and used a lathe to get it the right diameter and to drill a hole through the middle. I then found a stainless bolt at the local Ace Hardware store to accomocdate the extra length required (got to love those small hardware stores).
The last item was how to attach the the bottom. I thought about wire tying the plate bottom attachment brackets (this is where the Acerbis front plate does not match up to anything on the KDX) to something on the bike but wanted to do something a little sturdier and interchangeable with the KDX plate. I found some thin gauge stainless sheets and cut them 5/8" wide. I then bent them at a right angle about 1 3/4". I drilled a hole that lined up with the front fender attachment points. I then measured the difference between the front plate bracket and the top of the front fender (about 7/16") and made another right angle bend to form a Z-bracket. This I then bolted this to the attachment point on the bottom of the Acerbis plate. I finally slid the other side of the homemade Z-bracket inbetween the front fender and the place where the bolt that holds the fender on. I reused the bolts that hold the fender on and screwed them in from below the front fender.
A nice solid mounting for the front MX style plate that looks stock. I will have to bend the brake cable guides a little bit but this should be real easy. I know I know, way too much work to put into a number plate and someone who has too much time on their hands.
Ordered the Maier rear fender from Monkeybutts on Monday so I should be seeing this sometime.
I will also be replacing the stock odometer with a trailtech computer and have a question. What did you use to plug up the hole that the cable goes into down at the wheel?
Thanks to all for the help on getting the right plate to begin with.
Mark
I finished my front plate and I have to say it turned out quite nice (bragging I know but sometimes excitement takes over). I can take pictures if anyone is interested.
What I did was to purchase a 96-02 KX125 Acerbis front plate. It didn't fit perfect and I didn't like the extensions that went down the fork so I was off to modification land. First thing was to remove the extensions. I did this with a right angle cutter and got the cuts fairly close. I then took some tin snips and got it closer. I finally used some files and filed it to the the curvature molded into the bottom of the front plate. The Acerbis molding was not the same on both sides (it was off a little) but I got it close enough that the eyeball is fooled. I then sanded and finally polished the cuts with some polishing compound I have in the garage. Plastic modification complete.
The plate will mount up using the hole molded into the top but it didn't fit quite right against the bike. I made a 1" spacer out of some teflon rod and used a lathe to get it the right diameter and to drill a hole through the middle. I then found a stainless bolt at the local Ace Hardware store to accomocdate the extra length required (got to love those small hardware stores).
The last item was how to attach the the bottom. I thought about wire tying the plate bottom attachment brackets (this is where the Acerbis front plate does not match up to anything on the KDX) to something on the bike but wanted to do something a little sturdier and interchangeable with the KDX plate. I found some thin gauge stainless sheets and cut them 5/8" wide. I then bent them at a right angle about 1 3/4". I drilled a hole that lined up with the front fender attachment points. I then measured the difference between the front plate bracket and the top of the front fender (about 7/16") and made another right angle bend to form a Z-bracket. This I then bolted this to the attachment point on the bottom of the Acerbis plate. I finally slid the other side of the homemade Z-bracket inbetween the front fender and the place where the bolt that holds the fender on. I reused the bolts that hold the fender on and screwed them in from below the front fender.
A nice solid mounting for the front MX style plate that looks stock. I will have to bend the brake cable guides a little bit but this should be real easy. I know I know, way too much work to put into a number plate and someone who has too much time on their hands.
Ordered the Maier rear fender from Monkeybutts on Monday so I should be seeing this sometime.
I will also be replacing the stock odometer with a trailtech computer and have a question. What did you use to plug up the hole that the cable goes into down at the wheel?
Thanks to all for the help on getting the right plate to begin with.
Mark
