New bike new farkles

[mdisher]

If you have a Gen3:

Show me where you mounted your:

- Clearwater Dimmer (or any other aux light switch/dimmer)

- Voltmeter

- USB outlet

- How's your GPS mounted? Bars or between them (Had my Phone on my left bar, GPS between but for vibration reasons I think I'm going to switch that)

+ any other electrical farkles.

 

[ice_station_zebra]

I have a Gen 2

 

[Cyclepath]

Hey mdisher, both on my [previous] Gen1, and now on my newer Gen3, I am using a handmade aluminum plate to span both the hydraulic master cylinders (clutch on left, front brake on right) and mounting USB power convertors + a RAM ball with my large Android GPS tablet hanging off it. Just replaced the M4 screws (2 sets of 2) holding those hydraulic covers with slightly longer ones, and voila' - a fairly solid mountpoint available across the handlebars (and away from my tankbag).

No pics for you right now, but I could offer that up perhaps this weekend.

 

[Brodie]

 

[escapefjrtist]

GPS: MCL Ram ball nut and powered from the glove box.

Skene controller on the LR4s so can't help with dimmer. 

USB: use Battery Tender brand USB adapter plugged into BT SAE plug.

Other stuff: Dual powerlet plug-ins at seat release and heated gear coax direct to battery.

~G

 

[mdisher]

What Brodie Said...    Useless w/o pics.

My 06 was heavily farkled and rally ready, only thing missing was an Aux Tank.  I think I'm leaving it that way (or rolling it back to stock for resale).  My rally days are mostly behind me past the MD2020/Co-Void, I think.

06 has:

• Aftermarket heated grips (Honda) in punched into the factory heated grip controller spot.
  
• Both Clearwater Glendas and some big *** HID's hanging from the mirrors, with weather proof on/off pushbuttons, plus the glenda dimmer also in that left side panel.
  
• Volt meter above the battery in the right panel.
  
• Some loud *** horns, with relay
  
• + ValetineOne on the right brake reservoir
  
• Garmin GPS on a techmount on the center triple tree bolt.
  
• Phone on an X mount on the clutch side
  
• Heated Gear Tail
  
•  Battery Tender, also powered my tank bag when on the move.
  
• Fuze-block to tie it all together.
  
• Hyperlights on the back for brake visibility.
  
• Russel Day Long
  

I'm only doing about half that on the new bike:

• GPS/Phone Mount (swapping, left bar for GPS, center for phone).
  
• Darla lights (unclear where to mount the dimmer)
  
• Going with dual purpose batter tender USB.Voltmeter, to power the phone when needed.
  
• PDM60 for power distribution for Darlas and Heated liner
  
• Hyperlights
  
• Horn, but not one that requires a separate harness and relay.
  
•  
  

I had dual powerlet plugs by the seat latch but never used those, like ever.  Found them inconvenient for anything other than an air compressor, and I can use my battery tender for cord for that.

Post pics...

 

[mcatrophy]

If you have a Gen3:

Show me where you mounted your:

...

- Voltmeter

...

- How's your GPS mounted? Bars or between them (Had my Phone on my left bar, GPS between but for vibration reasons I think I'm going to switch that)

...

Satnav mount: I've used two positions, between the bars and mounted on the left bar, either will work equally well on a Gen 2 or a Gen 3.

Between the bars:

(Click on any image for larger view)

Rider's view                                     Bracket

 

Advantages: Simple bracket (made from some sheet duraluminium), central.

Disadvantages: Accessing ignition key awkward, viewing with a tank-bag mounted requires a bit of a neck stretch, touching its screen also awkward.

This uses the two cover screws - I used slightly longer ones than the the originals to allow for the thickness of the aluminium sheet and washers (with washers under the sheet to prevent it from rubbing on the paintwork as well as above). The bracket was bent to an angle to make the satnav directly face me.

On left handlebar:

Rider's view                                     Convoluted bracketry

 

Advantages: Although off centre, very easy to see, doesn't get in the way of anything nor does anything get in its way, easy to touch its screen.

Disadvantages: More complex bracket arrangement, needed a tabbed washer fabricating to prevent rotation about the fixing screw. And easy to touch its screen, all too inviting when one should be concentrating on the road.

This uses the screw thread in the gear-change switch on my Gen 3 AS (AE in the USA) - 10mm, 1.25mm pitch). I believe there is a similar threaded hole in the clutch lever mount on the inferior standard clutch model. The actual bracketry is a couple of slightly modified Tomtom-supplied brackets which by pure chance gave a good position for my Tomtom, perfect viewing angle, gauges not hidden at all, doesn't interfere with the screen at any position of screen or handlebars. This also holds my heated vest controller/voltmeter, visible below the Tomtom in the left-hand pic. I am sure you could purchase suitable brackets to use that threaded mounting hole.

Just to add I have had no vibration issues with either mount on any of four FJRs.

 

[BkerChuck]

At work right now so no pics but to answer your questions best I can;

I had my GPS on a techmount stem mount that replaces the steering stem nut but have recently moved it to a dash shelf I got second hand from a forum member. I'm finding I like that a whole lot better. I've also moved my phone mount to the dash shelf making it more visible when in riding position. Clearwater dimmer I mounted using 3M duo lock tape inside my glovebox. I found that I rarely if ever used the dimmer when it was on my 2007 but you must have one with the Clearwater lights so inside the glovebox it went. It's not that difficulet to pop open that lid and I have the knob very near the top so I can use it if I ever decided I need to. USB outlet is inside my tankbag, a Cortech magnetic bag that I like a lot. I power the tankbag from my battery tender lead. When I pull the bag off I just unplug it and tuck the cords under the tankbag. Hard to properly describe but the bag itself has a sot of pouch between the magnetic mount and the bag. They're zipped together on the long sides leaving a "tunnel" under the bag so it works.No voltage meter at this time.

 

[BigOgre]

I'm in agreement with Chuck about rarely using the dimmer for my Clearwaters.  They come on full with High beams otherwise stay at partial power that I'm comfortable with.  After doing a nice mounting job of the dimmer on my Gen 1 this time I simply zip-tied it to the harness coming up the stem along with the GPS bundle and everything else.  It's still easy to get to but I haven't touched it since.

Re. reservoir mounting plate, Garauld here makes a nice plate designed for a radar detector but it could also work well for other uses.  With a little extra dual-lock I've found it makes a great place on the right bar for my heated gear's wireless controller but could also envision other stuff there too.

 

[lnewlf]

full power all the time for the Clearwaters....especially daytime low beams...meebee, just meebee get the attention of a gum cracking, makeup applying, texting, blonde.[ to be fair, ball bearing cagers too]

 

[Cyclepath]

Ok Brodie - I understand your frustration.

Best I can do right now is mark up a couple pics taken on road trips (while piloting my old Gen1) last fall.  I've tried to point out the elements in these pics, think they should make sense.

Google album revealing evolution of mounting for custom Android tablet-based GPS - pics on top with captions reveal the flat aluminum bracket spanning the bars...

And:

• yes, as I've documented at length a couple times here in the past, this non-cell network solution works nicely, even in mountains / remote areas
  
• yes, it does block the bottom ~ 1/3 of the instrument cluster, but after using this for about 2 years, can say it's pretty easy to just move my head ()
  

Hope that helps, cheers!

 

[mdisher]

Chuck is right, I don't ever really dim the clear-waters I have on my O6 either. 

Glove box is a great idea, then I don't have to start poking holes in covers or fairings.

I've opted for the battery tender usb/voltmeter so I don't have to perma-mount that either.

-=MD