Z1OwnersClub GB

HI All,what style of number plate would have been fitted to a 1975 bike i guess you cant fit the black metal type? would it have been the yellow metal ones with raised lettering or by then were they plastic?does any one know were i can get some authentic ones made up? Cheers Paul j...

hi Paul, it was the yellow metal with raised black letters type. think the plastic ones came in late 70's. ive just bought one from framptons, very good plate, £25 inc postage. very nice job done.

Thanks mick,checked out their website they look just the ticket Cheers Paulj.

Hi Paul

If you want something a little different, contact Tipper Vintage Plates.

They'll do a small pressed aluminium yellow black version which used to be specified for road legal trial bikes. Characters and plate are smaller than standard but still legal tender.
Looks great on a Zed - shows off that lovely rear fender.

Perspex plates arrived on the scene mid '76 and really became common place on Z900's & Z1000's especially from daytona m/c's. 1975 z1B was pressed ally plate with Black lettering on yellow background.

booldy hell, did they dogs? you got me. i was sure it was later, the mists of time may have warped my memory. no

Yep agree perspex rear plates were intoduced from the N reg bikes however it was a cross over period and some dealers were still fitting pressed plates on the P reg bikes, heres a pic of my second Z1B that the dealer had even still fitted a front pressed plate too.

Note this is also when the first plastic nut & bolt fixings arrived on the scene for use with these "new" wipe clean plates doing away with the metal nuts and bolts the alloy plates used. I seem to remember that some dealers even rivetted the alloy plates on.

On this subject:

When were front number plates no longer needed on UK registered bikes? I seem to recall road test pics from bike magazines of a Z1 (73) with a front number plate mounted over the clocks. A Rickman Z1 had a curved sticker number plate on the front of the fairing!

There's another thing, if you are restoring a GB registered Z1 (72,73,74?) should you fit a front number plate in the interests of authenticity? Just a thought for 9.26 am................

I notice that your obviously late model Z1B has a Z900 seat ?

Am I correct there as pic may be playing tricks !

tail lift your eyesight is perfect
yep its got a Z900 seat fitted, its seems crazy now but back then you wanted to modernize your bike to make it look up to date and this is what I did. Top marks to you sir!