[surajdh]

Hey Guys,

I have done some searching on this subject on Team-Bhp but didn’t see any. So here goes... I just wanted to know why motorcycles in India need front number plates and the ones abroad don’t?

With all the new motorcycles released in India which are production motorcycles abroad, for example the Yamaha R15 & 16 looks terrible with the front number plates sticking out at front with all the ugly brackets and stems. With High capacity motorcycles like the Yamaha R1 & Suzuki Hayabusa’s selling in India I pity the owners flaunting them with an ugly number plate in front. I'm sure our good traffic enforcement friends would like to make some quick monetary wins nabbing motorcycle owners with modified number plates.

Oh by the way I have tried my best to conceal my front number plates without breaking any law or number plate standards.

Let me know your thoughts...


Cheers.

[jeepster]

I think front number plates are required. If not, why will Hero Honda/Bajaj/TVS waste their money on plates & increase their prices?!

I agree, many of the newer bikes don't have a proper place for the front number plate,
like Honda Activa/imported superbikes.

We just have to stick numbers on the front mud guard.

[rranjith_kum]

Originally Posted by surajdh

With all the new motorcycles released in India which are production motorcycles abroad, for example the Yamaha R15 & 16 looks terrible with the front number plates sticking out at front with all the ugly brackets and stems.

You know it almost took me a week to decide about my front number plates, after so much discussion and thought I put up one but still I m not convinced, some day I feel like ripping that off and driving without any

[YamahaBoy]

I guess thats why its called India specific number plates . They should be better and aesthetically designed else they look like a bloody scar sticking out of the bike like in the FZ.

@rranjith_kum - i can definitely relate to how u feel man.

Cheers!!!

[sudharma]

I am at present in the UAE and as per the regulations here motor bikes needs only one number Plate at the Rear.

As you can see from the pics of my bikes, the front Number plates are mounted on the front mudguards.Every 5 years when I take the vehicles for fitness renewal, The Inspectors insists on a number plate below the head lighr and eventually I end up with 3 number plates at least for a day.

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[darklord]

I dont think that having no front number plates is a good idea in India especially with a huge number of bikes on road compared to foreign countries and rampant crimes using bikes. But I agree with your view that higher capacity/better designed bikes lose their looks with a front number plate. Probably, those bikes should be allowed, by law, to use designer/fancy number plates?

[tsk1979]

Motorcycles?
In many places abroad, even cars do not need front number plates.
As far as India is concerned, one use of front number plate is to come on the photographic radar/lidar when you are caught overspeeding

[garry.brant]

the radars for overspeeds are not only in India, they catch overspeeding vehicles in England too but they dont need front number plates.
I think its useless.

[tsk1979]

They way to catch is different in US. There the cop car radars you, then chases you and makes you stop.
Here they have a radar car which clicks pic, when 1-2kms ahead there is a checkpost where they radio the number which comes in the photograph.
With no front number plate, they cannot radio.
However this is just one use.
Front numberplate law existed in India even before radars.
Many US states also have compulsory front number plates

[AlokSriva]

Bumping this very old thread because of a peculiar situation I have found myself to be in today.

I went to my dealer this afternoon to get new registration plates (HSRP) affixed on my bike. Rear plates were fixed without any problem but there is no way by which the front plate can be fixed on the bike. Sales guy mentioned that I can have number stickered on the bumper/fender or for that matter, forget about it altogether.

I am not comfortable with either option because of obvious reason - violation of traffic law/rule. Since HSRPs are a must, I can't have numbers stickered . Also, law requires having both front and rear plates, therefore, can't forget about it either

At the same time, I am wondering what the interpretation of this rule would be in case of CBUs? Except for India and Singapore (I read somewhere while researching), no other country has a requirement of front plates on bikes, and therefore, bikes manufactured for English//European/American markets don't have a provision in the first place for a front plate..

I am not sure if this would be correct analogy, but CBUs (above a certain cc) are exempt from homologation requirements in India. On lines similar to exemption from a sari-guard, is an exemption from donning front plates permissible?

Till the time a way out is identified, I plan to carry front plate in my bag whenever bike is on the road. I have no inclination of putting any dumb bracket/contraption on the bike to support front plates - unless push becomes a shove.

Suggestions/input solicited..

[Majumdarda]

The only justification I can think about the usage of the Front number plate is for the cops to either identify a non state vehicle or looking for a particular vehicle approaching a particular section.

But then the former is pretty much used for taking bribes than anything else. With regards to the later, with the amount of road traffic and fast speeding moving vehicles, combined with the pollution on dusty roads, I think its both risky to wait for a particular 2 wheeler and somewhat impossible to catch too.

In fact the front number plate for some new 2 wheeler are fixed at such an odd angle (from the factory itself), that one has to probably bent down on knees to catch a glimpse. Add this scenario to a fast moving zipping vehicle, and I am sure, rear is the one we all will be looking for, considering the zero success factor in catching the correct number otherwise.

For me, it just spoils the look. Yes it looks good on Bajaj, Vespa. Priya with the broad front face, but not on motorcycles at least. Not on my Bullet at the least.

[dkaile]

Bumping a old thread, but I see no provision to install Front HSRP provided by the company namely BMW in the new motorcycle I have purchased viz. R1250 GS Adventure (MY 2020), which has been built to International standards (EEC/ECE standards). It is supposed to be a CBU and as per the recent amendment dated 13-09-2018 vide GSR 870 E in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 by the government, 500 motorcycles imported under this rule annually have no need for homologation.

So does that mean that, I, by law am exempt to ride this motorcycle without the front HSRP?

Attaching the said Gazette Notification.
registration of vehicles.pdf

Cheers...

[aargee]

Because in India, there're always some genius debaters in front of tea shop reading news from 1984, that political virtuoso in the saloon who knows everything about running a country (except for being prime minister), that unbiased, unprejudiced, virtuous sunbather always besides wine shop, somehow or other have their pineal gland activated knows through ESP as which oncoming vehicle is about to commit an offence and/or crime.

So govt relies on such dopamined minds to capture the number plates through the eyes of such creative creatures to report the incident later!!

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by aargee

Because in India, there're always some genius debaters in front of tea shop reading news from 1984, that political virtuoso in the saloon who knows everything about running a country (except for being prime minister), that unbiased, unprejudiced, virtuous sunbather always besides wine shop, somehow or other have their pineal gland activated knows through ESP as which oncoming vehicle is about to commit an offence and/or crime.

So govt relies on such dopamined minds to capture the number plates through the eyes of such creative creatures to report the incident later!!

Well we have geniuses who have proposed covering more than 50% of the rear wheel plus a back rest for the rider, why are we even surprised? I am not even talking the hideous barbecue grills we have to live with. Welcome to the Banana republic.

[RohanDheman]

Originally Posted by dkaile

So does that mean that, I, by law am exempt to ride this motorcycle without the front HSRP?

Attaching the said Gazette Notification.

Attachment 2041217

Legally, yes- there is no need for homologation of the said vehicles (which should include the changes like number plate mount and the saree guard) but practically speaking- no cop would listen to you with this reasoning even if you hand over the gazette copy.

I faced so much harassment in NCR this year and that i have removed the sticker numbers and used the original plate frame (that cant be used once the windscreen is installed on the bike) in a modified form to put a metal front plate.

For the sake of convenience while touring, i would suggest that you speak with BMW if they have some plate mount in stock that can be fitted to your bike without issues and use that to put the number plates.

Pics below of my bike

The original frame:



The jugaad I had to do to ride peacefully,



Ride Safe and congratulations on the GS!

Rohan