Vin plate

[rgn]

Hi, I saw the add here and thought I would ask the question.  CLicked the link but nothing happened...

Do Kudos do engraving onto aluminium?  I'm doing an engine rebuild and chassis resto on a Honda 1982 CB1000RB for a friend of mine.  At some point during the process) the vin-compliance plate has been lost... (not by myself...lol.)  

There is absolutely no problem proving the bike and all it's components belong to the owner, who has had it registered in his name previously, and It could be registered with out the plate.  But it would wipe 10k off it's value.

What I am asking is this:

Is there a process available that would allow for a replica-duplicate to be made-etched via laser process?  We are going to have to first find an original and have a cad drawing made.  As I said there is not a gram of doubt regarding the authenticity's of the problem my friend Martin has here, otherwise I wouldn't have a thing to do with it.  Any feed back would be appreciated, and any documentation can be provided.  Cheers.  

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Yes - with my fingers crossed.  Here's the story:

Putting an image on metal - assuming you want the plate on metal - takes a marking compound called "Cermark" which is lasered onto the surface.  Some metals don't accept the Cermark very well, but most do okay (and that's the "fingers crossed" caveat).  What color is the base material, and what color printing do you need?  I hope you'll say bare metal and black, respectively.

So with that said -- what I'll need is a photo or image of the one you want copied.  I might be able to use some Corel Draw tricks to remove the existing VIN and insert the one you want.

Let me know, hey?

PS  What link didn't work?  I couldn't find one, but if there's a dud -- I'll get it going again.  Thanks for the information.

[rgn]

Hi, SSS, I didn't realise that Kudos was your company.  The link that I clicked on was the banner for Kudos Engraving at the bottom of the page, but it didn't take me anywhere (not sure if it meant to? )

Thanks btw for this fantastic LSR forum, it's doing my head in, the amount of information and experience that is on here in the way of racers and engineers.  

I guess I should do an intro, but not very good at that sort of stuff, just hope I don't annoy to many people too much.  I'm definitely planning on next years Lake Gardiner event here in Australia if weather permits.  My friend Greg has a stack of old 125cc GP stuff left over from his gp race team days, and we figure to start with, the smaller the bikes, the less trouble we will probably get into...lol.  

The vin plate is a thin gauge aluminium that will be eventually rolled to suit the frame.  Black paint and the bare ally is how they are (should be?) finished.  As the CB1100rb is a very rare homologation beast (probably only a few more than 20 in the country) I will have to track down an owner of one of the corresponding forum that will help with the duplication.  The numbers could be stamped, but more than likely laser etched.

I guess in some terms that the process would be similar to making a circuit board, where the surface is etched where the paint will stick, the numbers might be a little trickier, but as I mentioned we need to find an example of the original.  Some Honda plates look like the numbers are made up of individual dots.

Here is a photo of one of my Bimota plates to give you an idea.  Of course what honda produce will be different, but it gives you an idea.  Thanks   Any input will be greatly appreciated.  Regards.
Ralph.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Ralph:

The banner ad at the bottom of this page is just that -- an ad, NOT a link.  When you put the cursor on a link you'll see the little hand/finger.  On an ad the cursor does not change.

As for the VIN plate -- I'd take a bit of the appropriate metal and coat it completely with the Cermark and then laser the text and other art.  ALL will turn out black.  In your example the individual stuff has been stamped in -- and we can't do that - nor use a diamond scribe to make it look the same.  But if doing it all the same is okay -- yes, we can do it.  You'll need to get me a flat close image/photo.  For instance, the one you're sent as your example is at an angle and is darker near the top - than at the bottom.

Let me know.

[grumm441]

Hey Ralph
I have a CB1100R in storage, unfortunately it's not a B and it's a grey import so it has a green compliance plate
However, I believe Spook, on the DLRA forum has an  Australian delivery CB1100RB
you should also look at this which is from the English Police and it gives you an idea about the correct fonts for the numbers and letters
http://www.acu.org.uk/uploaded/documents/Buying-Secondhand---A-Racer%27s-Guide-v2.pdf

Failing all of that, you could email Honda MPE and see if they could help
G

[rgn]

Okay, thanks for help so far.

I have seen Spook on the DLRA forum so might pm him and see if he is happy to help with an image, there is a chance that the plate is common to other Honda imported at the time, that being the case a sample could be found perhaps.

Slim, are yes I see about the banner!... are you saying that the plate would end up completely black without the contrasting aluminium?

[salt27]

Hey Ralph
I have a CB1100R in storage,
G

It would probably take less room to list the bikes Grumm doesn't own than the ones he does own.

[maguromic]

This link on the HMAB has a very nice "how to" on etching ID tags.  I used this method to make a tag for my M/T motor and it came out perfect.  Tony

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=540911&highlight=etching+plate

[rgn]

It would probably take less room to list the bikes Grumm doesn't own than the ones he does own.

Grumm would probably like my shed then!  Grumm, I see you are in Preston, home of Australia's oldest, (and my) Road Race club





I'm going to have to make a space for a liner build at some time  That's home btw!

Thanks for the links!

[grumm441]

I like the look of that CB1100R motor on the bench in the background
VIN plate looks common but they have different approval numbers for different models
I don't know how you work in there with all that space
G

[Dr Goggles]

oh oh.....the light on top of my computer just started turning and flashing orange.

we've got a live one.

Hey Ralph
I have a CB1100R in storage,
G

It would probably take less room to list the bikes Grumm doesn't own than the ones he does own.

One day there will be a 3D representation of Grumm's bike knowledge that will look like that shot below, but you won't be able to see any floor space and it will disappear into the distance without any sign of walls.

It's easier to just assume he knows EVERYTHING.

[rgn]

I like the look of that CB1100R motor on the bench in the background

My, what good eyes you have! lol.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

A mind more attuned to the real world than is mine - has reminded me that the authorities would almost certainly look askance on anyone (me, especially) making a good copy of a VIN plate.  I'd thought passingly of that issue - but wanted to show off the technical prowess of Kudos Laser Engraving.  No, I won't make one for you -- sorry to have led you down the path, but prudence dictates that I step out of the discussion.

For the sake of that, though -- we can take bare aluminum and affix the letters/numbers/image, in black, to that bare Al.  I cannot do the die stamping - or the process that'd look the same (diamond drag scribing).

There you have it -- my disclaimer that I'm not going to make V I N plates for you or anyone.  Further deponent sayeth not.

[rgn]

That's okay SSS, I'm not asking you to do anything you are not comfortable doing.  The bike has been registered in the owners name before-previously and it can be issued another plate by the police.  It just devalues the bike, as this one is one of the few Australian delivered and complianced machines.  

As far as I'm aware there is no law saying that it illegal to duplicate one here in Australia? .lol.  It's just (rightly) illegal to steal someone else's property.  There is nothing illegal or improper going on, the plate has been lost after it was removed for painting.  Dodge annoying more than anything else.  Thanks for the insight into the processes anyway.  Cheers.

[rgn]

oh oh.....the light on top of my computer just started turning and flashing orange.

Laughed...      Yourself and Grumm should drop over for a drink some time.   On the other side of the shed is a little engineering-sheet-metal shop.  I'm quite happy to help local racers where and when I can.

One day there will be a 3D representation of Grumm's bike knowledge that will look like that shot below, but you won't be able to see any floor space and it will disappear into the distance without any sign of walls.

I gave this some thought... some surrealist scenes... motorcycles, locomotives and vanishing horizons, then unfortunately my head exploded.  Most is gathered up now, though the cat posed a problem all the way up that tree.