Radar Detector?

[200cs]

I am thinking of getting one. Just wondering what you all are using and how you mounted it. BTW, I am not interested in spending a fortune. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[Patriot]

I use the motorcycle specific, weatherproof Adaptiv TPX with both assessories - visual LED alert, and wireless audio alert speaker in my helmet. Talking about $450 investment there.

Best radar detector on the market bar none IMHO is the Escort Passport 9500ix which is about $500.

Others really like the Valentine One which also gives you information about where the radar beam is coming from

All my detectors mount by industrial strength velcro onto the top of the front brake master cylinder.

See my pics clicky below in my signature if interested

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[Cdogman]

Best radar detector is when the red lights come on above the LEO's head.. You know for sure he has you.

My 350.00 POS is useless.. Had it two of the last three times I got a ticket..

Save your money and pay attention.. That will save you tickets..

YMMV

 

[Geezer]

I believe that most of us use either a Valentine One or Escort 8500. Mine is the Excort 8500 X50. It is not waterproof so I made a plastic shield to keep the big drops off of it, but I used a plastic sandwich bag for a couple of years and it worked fine.

I mounted mine on a dash shelf and wired the sound through an AmpliRider to speakers in my helmet. If you are only listening to one device you don't need the AmpliRider, but you do need speakers or ear buds to hear the detector go off. That means that you need a detector that has an audio out jack. Many do not have this feature.

 

[Fred W]

Following forum member Squeezer's tip, I just recently bought a refurbished Escort Passport 8500 directly from Escort for $150 on eBay. I've had a chance to use it in the cage and it seems to work as advertised. Not too many false alarms (most are X band and you can turn off that band if you want) and most of the local yokel cops around here seem to just ride around with their K or Ka radar in constant on.

The Staties are a bit more saavy and wait in the median in stealth mode until they eyeball you going too fast and then hit you with the instant on Ka. If traffic is light and you don't have any rabbits running the gauntlet for you, you'll be bagged no matter what unit you are running.

The good news is those same savvy Staties tend to stay out on the Interstates, where I am generally not.

I will be using a Ram ball mount (the U-bolt one that came with my Zumo) and have ordered 2 Ram Power Plates (magnetic cradles), one for the RAM mount on the bike and one for the dash of the car.

 

[ShawnKing]

I use the motorcycle specific, weatherproof Adaptiv TPX with both assessories - visual LED alert, and wireless audio alert speaker in my helmet.

Do you like it? I've just gotten one for review but haven't set it up - still looking for a mount that matches up with my RAM Mounts...

 

[mmonroe]

I have a Valentine 1. I simply use velcro to mount it on top of the clutch reservoir. Works perfectly. I can easily remove it while riding should I need to stow it away in my tank bag. I use the industrial type of velcro in color=black that you can get at Home Depot and whatnot. In fact, the velcro works so well, I use it to hold the detector on all of my bikes.

 

[Fred W]

I have a Valentine 1. I simply use velcro to mount it on top of the clutch reservoir. Works perfectly. I can easily remove it while riding should I need to stow it away in my tank bag. I use the industrial type of velcro in color=black that you can get at Home Depot and whatnot. In fact, the velcro works so well, I use it to hold the detector on all of my bikes.

How do you remove the power and headphone cables when underway?

And why would you do that, unless you happen to be in Virginia or DC? I guess if it starts raining...?

I thought of doing the same thing, which is why I got the magnetic Power Plate. But the cords would compound the difficulty.

 

[TruWrecks]

I have a V1 with the concealed display. I keep the V1 in the map pocket of my tank bag. The remote display is on the dash. The power chord is tucked under the edge on the fuel tank when it's not plugged in.

The best thing you can do is pay attention to all of your surroundings while you ride. That alone will greatly reduce you chances of a ticket.

 

[Fred W]

That is without a doubt. In many regards...

Sunday was a warm-ish day (for New England) and I got out and logged a few hours of saddle time. Part of that on some nice 55mph posted two lane that just begs for higher speeds. I had just finished passing a couple of cars in a wide open double yellow spot in Bradford (no idea why it's double yellow) and around the next bend ahead comes a sedan with a ski rack on top.

Slow, slow, slow down, says my Spidey Sense (SS). The pass was made at ~75-80 and there was no broken yellow anywhere in sight. As you may have guessed, that weren't no ski rack. It was one of those new fangled low profile light bars all the LEOs seem to favor these days. Whew...

A few miles down the road, following some car at tediously slow pace, being all cool and listening to my jams, car decides art the last minute to exit right into a gas station. I had already spied another car sitting at the station exit attempting to take a left to go the opposite way. I realized the car in front of me was running a complete screen between me and the exiting driver, so SS kicks in again, and I slow way down and move left. Finally granny in the K-car saw me and put the binders on at the last possible second. Another close escape. One that could have hurt more than my wallet.

Then I'm in the home stretch down Rte 3A in Litchfield. Another pass of a slow poke cager, this one on the dotted yellow, but significantly above the ridiculous posted speed limit. On coming car? Another of those g-damn ski racks. Another LEO. Another barely escaped citation.

Now can you guess why I am so anxious to get that RD mounted up? But it won't reduce the need for total vigilance. (see Point #2)

 

[HaulinAshe]

The Radar Detector is another tool in your defensive arsenal.

I run the Escort 8500 X50 Blue. It hates water, especially rain (pH). I actually pack a spare RD, if that tells you anything about how I feel about RDs.

If you are not going to wire the audio to your helmet, or use some other type of alert system, don't bother with one. By the time it gets your attention you are toast.

As mentioned already, Ka-band instant-on Highway Patrol will nail you if you are hanging out. RD is not a guarantee, just another tool. Ooops!, already said that.

 

[Patriot]

I use the motorcycle specific, weatherproof Adaptiv TPX with both assessories - visual LED alert, and wireless audio alert speaker in my helmet.

Do you like it? I've just gotten one for review but haven't set it up - still looking for a mount that matches up with my RAM Mounts...

I do; now I'm not a big time speedery, but have my moments - it's good enough for the money and alert options plus weatherproof

It's not the most "low count of false alarms" or "most sensitive to real LEO radar/lazer" detector, but I like the advantage of weatherproof and audio/visual alerts.

I think the Valentine and the Passport 9500ix are better RD's, but they are designed for the interior of cars - I'd have a 9500ix is I drove a Porsche or something...

 

[Ignacio]

I think the Valentine and the Passport 9500ix are better RD's, but they are designed for the interior of cars - I'd have a 9500ix is I drove a Porsche or something...

Concur about the quality of them with the V1 being far superior because the directional arrows.

But for about $25 you can buy cheap tupperware from Legal Speeding and make them water proof on the FJR. Or at waterproof my last 60,000+ miles including an Iron Butt Rally, other rallies, hurricane remnants, and sundry frog stranglers.

Also, this topic has been talked about many times on the forum.

 

[RadioHowie]

Any of you doinks ever consider this.....

"Don't exceed the posted?"

 

[SkooterG]

I have had my 8500 X50 for 4+ years now. (Don't need no stinking arrows!)

It has gotten wet, with no issues other than one time it stopped working for an hour or two until it dried out (It got REALLY wet that time). Of course it IS behind my windscreen (RAM brake resevoir mount with magnetic Power Plate) and shielded from quite a bit of the weather when moving 50+.

If it's really coming down, I unplug both wires (easy-peasy Fred) and put it in my tankbag which is right there. Takes about 5-10 seconds while underway. If it's raining THAT hard, I either A) won't be going fast enough to need it, or B) The flatshoes ain't gonna want to be getting out of there cars to write a ticket. (They're like the wicked witch of the east don't you know, and melt when in contact with too much water.)

I don't use a cover because I like to be able to reach up and hit the 'mute' button on the radar detector. I could not live without that mute button to shut off the occasional long duration false alert.

 

[SkooterG]

Any of you doinks ever consider this.....
"Don't exceed the posted?"

This is FJRForum you twit.

It aint' RadioHowie's old fart knitting network. Or better yet, your bike demolition service!

(I know. A low blow. I couldn't help myself)

 

[Beamer Reamer]

This is along the lines of a religious thing with everyone having fervent beliefs and not many of us willing to change them. Having said that, I use the a Beltronics RX65 and it just rocks.

- I get warned many turns ahead of the bogey and visually see the LEO to know it was real

- It worked rear facing. Just this past week it alerted to a cycle LEO easing along just a bit faster than traffic that came up behind me (only cause I slowed down)

- I get very few false signals and only on x band which I largely discount anyway.

- Very highly rated detector

- Works perfectly with my Starcom and a 36A cable. You must have tones to the helmet

- Mute button is big and very handy from my brake reservoir mounting place.

Only downside is that it does not work well in the water proof covers due to the audio out placement. I am working on that now.

I don't get directional arrows, but that is only a matter of curiosity for me since I am slowing down regardless and may or may not want to look at the arrows.

 

[Ignacio]

Any of you doinks ever consider this.....
"Don't exceed the posted?"

Pick one:

1. I don't even know why we have speedos that register more than 75 anyway. I need 145 hp to get to that speed quickly....but no more. That rumor the FJR can go faster....is purely a myth.
2. I use it as a device to survey the economy. Juridictions with laser and Ka tend to have better economies than those with K.....or X.
3. I don't use it to speed....I always go at or below the limit....but use it to make sure to make sure I slow to 10 below the speed limit.....avoid the possibility of having a misunderstanding with a LEO.
4. Sure I considered it! Just about as long as the small number at the very bottom of the forum everytime you click on View New Posts......0.8091 seconds.
5. One word....Nevada.

I have had my 8500 X50 for 4+ years now. (Don't need no stinking arrows!)

At the risk of knowing that your FJR nominal has a slightly larger Delta V than mine.....how many ticket have you had with the 8500? Is it 1 or less like me and my V1? I can't say for sure, but if I didn't have the arrows I'm pretty confident I'd be 3+.

 

[Fred W]

- Works perfectly with my Starcom and a 36A cable. You must have tones to the helmet

Aw crap. You just reminded me that I am gong to have to get another isolated cable. For some reason I was thinking that I could just plug any old cable in there. I know better than that.

Thanks... :blink: