How To: Install a Speed Twin Tail Tidy
If there is one eyesore prevalent on all new motorcycles, it’s the black plastic piece protruding from the rear fender. A legally mandated middle finger to motorcycle designers and buyers alike worldwide. Fortunately for us there is no shortage of aftermarket options. They all offer different value propositions of course, so which one is right for you and your bike? For me and my Triumph Speed Twin, I chose the Evotech Performance Tail Tidy.
Cut to the Chase
Pros:
Sturdy construction
Beautiful finish
Reuses factory lighting
Cons:
Time consuming installation
Two bolts were too long
This unit retails in the US for $125 or in the UK, where the company is based, £95. Really, what could be more British than the name Tail Tidy? Other companies such as Brogue, Motone, and British Customs offer theirs for about $10 less while the Italians at Rizoma price theirs at a whopping (no surprise) $233. I will say this for the British Customs kit, it is a very simple solution. It retains the bulk of the Triumph pieces and looks like the easiest installation possible for this bike. It is made specifically for US plates, so if that sounds appealing to you, definitely check out their product. While Rizoma’s solution does tuck the plate closer to the fender, the light sticks up oddly and the large collection of parts seems like a less well thought out solution than Evotech’s. The Motone Tail Tidy gives a similar finished appearance to the Evotech unit but uses multiple components to do so.
Getting back to the Evotech unit, let’s take a look at what we get for our dollars/pounds. The bulk of the unit is a single piece of CNC cut aluminum. A handful of bends ensure it follows the contours of the fender, places the plate at a 45 degree angle, and maintains the factory light’s orientation to the plate. Threaded bosses are pressed in to this 5mm thick sheet and correspond perfectly with the factory locations. Its design is both simpler and sturdier than the factory’s amalgamation of molded plastic, long bolts, and loose metal sleeves. Other parts include a machined spacer which resides between the main piece and the light and a pair of slotted plates which allow the fitment of a variety of plate sizes. All of these parts are beautifully powder coated with a textured satin black similar to many other parts of the bike lending the appearance of something the Triumph factory would have created had they more freedom from bureaucrats and bean counters.
Check out the video above for step-by-step instruction on the installation so you know what you’re in for. You can also find the faux pencil drawing pictorial instructions from Evotech, but in my not so humble opinion the video explains it better.
