GPS Help: Where to Mount?

[art miller]

The most excellent RamBone built by 08FJRforme:


That Bambone could do some severe damage to ************ it you ever happen to get tossed forward unexpectedly!!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Rambone on mine in combination with MV Motorad Riser plate.

 

[Fred W]

I too had (still have) a RamBone for the GPS anchor. Used it for a long time on my 1st Gen with the longest (5" I think) Ram Arm and it was perfection.

But on my 3rd Gen, once I installed a HeliBar Bridge Riser the RamBone, she don't a fit no mo'.

Ordered and installed a threaded Ram ball into the provided hole in the bridge and that is generally where I mount the GPS from with one of the mid-sized (3" I think?) Ram Arms. But it is not ideal.

In my opinion, that location is a bit too low, as it makes you look down too far, and opens you up to all kinds of unhealthy crashing carnage by taking your eyes too far off the road. But, unlike on my old 1st Gen, the longer Ram arm on the 3rd Gen causes the GPS to block the instruments.

I also have a threaded ball in the left side mirror mount hole, and I have experimented with mounting the zumo up on the left handle bar. It is a better place, re: keeping some peripheral vision forward on the road, but it is sort of clumsy in some other way. You have to be careful how you position it or it will foul the windshield at full handlebar turn (in parking lots etc.) and the afore mentioned vibration can be a problem on a longer than the shortest arm length.

For me, the gold standard is how I have my GPS mount (same GPS, extra mount) on my old 2004 Suzuki ManStrom. I have the "Strombone" mount on that which puts the GPS up centered behind the non-electric windshield, but well above the instruments. It meant running some custom audio and power cablkes through the inside of the faring to prevent having lots of dangling cables in front of the instruments, but that seems a small and easily surmountable concession. (photo was taken before I routed those custom cables)

Photographic evidence:

For years now, I have tried to envision a way to get my FJR's GPS mount up in that same general area, even to the point of considering drilling mounting holes in the windshield itself, but have not come up with a good fix to date.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I had mine up there on an N-Line shelf, but the vibes in the middle were too much to be able to see anything on the GPS.

How mine appears on the ride sitting on the rambone.

 

[Fred W]

You're on the wrong side of the road, mate!

PS - That's about where mine sits on the RamBone on my 3rd Gen. Better than anything else... but still maybe not optimum.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I'm on the side of the road they'd let me ride on. Construction has the right lane closed, mobile stop lights control the traffic so only one direction gets to go at a time. Not much room to the left for passing as you can see.

 

[Fred W]

I know. Just kiddin'.

Pretty damn fine looking country there though...

 

[RJAMT]

You guys are talking about having your eyes off the road too much if the gps isn't directly in your vision. I only glance at mine occasionally. I can listen to the directions so no need to stare at the screen. If I need to plan a new route I pull over and do it. I guess I just don't get what you find so captivating.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I do the same. Actually, I don't even listen. I usually know most of my route and I look down and see that I've got 30 miles till my next turn, so I know I don't need to look for a long while. Then I look at what the upcoming turn is and start looking at signs and not the GPS usually. It's there to assist me in navigating, not to completely take over. That said, if I'm in heavy traffic, I certainly don't want to take my eyes off the crazies for too long.

 

[Fred W]

You guys are talking about having your eyes off the road too much if the gps isn't directly in your vision. I only glance at mine occasionally. I can listen to the directions so no need to stare at the screen. If I need to plan a new route I pull over and do it. I guess I just don't get what you find so captivating.

The pertinent question is: How much is too much? How much of your safety are you willing to concede?

I too listen to the GPS audio prompts. I always have the GPS wired into my helmet headset. But I still glance at the screen now and then to get navigational information. How far to the next turn? What does the road do over that next rise? Where can I find gas? etc.

I would say that any time you shift your focus from the road far enough to lose peripheral context, even if only occasionally, or for a fraction of a second, you are decreasing your margin of safety. Ideally, when you shift your focus to anything else, be it the mirrors, the instrument panel, or your GPS, you want to maintain a peripheral view of the road ahead.

 

[PapaUtah]

I killed my first Zumo by mounting it on a MCL reservoir mount. The new Zumo sits on a RAM mount I installed on my MV Motorad riser plate. Vibrations are nil in that location. I could actually feel the high speed vibes in the reservoir mount while on the road. Vibes are reduced by 80% in the new location.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I too listen to the GPS audio prompts. I always have the GPS wired into my helmet headset.

Geez, after my last trip and the fight we had on Day 2, she'd have really pissed me off if she'd been babbling in my ear about how I need to make a u-turn for miles and miles on end.

 

[rbentnail]

I too listen to the GPS audio prompts. I always have the GPS wired into my helmet headset.

Geez, after my last trip and the fight we had on Day 2, she'd have really pissed me off if she'd been babbling in my ear about how I need to make a u-turn for miles and miles on end.

No doubt. I'm usually familiar enough with my route that the gps is informational as described by others. I'm an mp3/earbuds guy so when I feel the need to have gps audio I just plug into it instead of the mp3, usually just in crowded urban areas.

In the ideal world Fred is right to consider how long, what distance, etc. we allow ourselves to stare away from the task at hand- operating a motor vehicle. There's always options, pick what works for you.

I do have a suggestion for the ultra-anal: swap mirrors. No, not the FZ ones. Put the right one one the left side and the left on the right side. Then you won't have to look away from directly ahead to see what's behind you

.

 

[LKLD]

Most of the time, I know where I'm heading and how to get there, and use the GPS for ETA only. When traveling, I use it for reference regarding 'distance to turn' and and a preview of the road ahead. I may occasionally use it for gas/hotel/restaurant locations, and will search while riding, but that is using the tap-look up-tap-look up method. The Rambone has this in the perfect spot....for me.

 

[Bounce]

Old pic but still useful for concepts.

 

[DennisJ]

RamBone after trying both the clutch reservoir and left handlebar mirror mount. Vibration was noticeable and eventually killed the USB power connection I think. Also didn't like having to shift my focus from the road to the GPS. Have the GPS mounted on a RamBone now. Now vibration that I can discern but still a shift in focus from the road to the GPS which bothers me. I keep thinking that a Heads Up display on the windshield would be neat but the cost quickly kills that thought. I will try a longer mount arm to see if I can get the GPS in my peripheral vision without obscuring the instruments, especially the speedometer as it is awfully easy to cruise along at extralegal speeds and not really notice it if there is little or no traffic.

 

[AHAMAY]

RamBone after trying both the clutch reservoir and left handlebar mirror mount. Vibration was noticeable and eventually killed the USB power connection I think. Also didn't like having to shift my focus from the road to the GPS. Have the GPS mounted on a RamBone now. Now vibration that I can discern but still a shift in focus from the road to the GPS which bothers me. I keep thinking that a Heads Up display on the windshield would be neat but the cost quickly kills that thought. I will try a longer mount arm to see if I can get the GPS in my peripheral vision without obscuring the instruments, especially the speedometer as it is awfully easy to cruise along at extralegal speeds and not really notice it if there is little or no traffic.

Yep. RamBone for me as well. Does a great job and very neat. I've combined it with a Kradellock so nobody can (easily) knock off my GPS.