I origonally had my GPS mounted in the Stem. Really disliked it moving on turns and the rubber mount was always coming loose. Thanks to all the people who had treaded this path before I wanted to try mounting to the Tank Bolts. So yesterday while at the International Motorcycle Show I purchased the parts I needed to make the swap. Now I just need to get the wiring done. I want to add a fuse panel under the seat but haven't got that far yet. Maybe on one of our warm weekends coming up (I hope it warms up). (1x) RAM - B-231Z (2x) 6mm 1.0 x 40mm Lg (Lowes) (already had the GPS mounting hardware and long stem) I had to grind down a little of the RAM bracket to clear the tank seam.
Looks cool. I'm not seeing any wires headed to your GPS, does it not have a power adapter? If so and your going to wire it in make sure to leave some extra so you can put it from where you have it and/or the stem if the situation demands. Gotta love RAM, they have something for everything.
How much battery life do you get when its not wired up? I have an older Magellen and it only gets 55-56 minutes if its not plugged in. I'm looking for something in the three to four hour range, and yours looks sweet. How big is that screen; 3 by 5?
jasonsmith Not wired yet. I keep looking for best spot for fuse panel and never get around to installing. Scubalong Garmin Nuvi 765T. I have to travel through the Triangle of NC (auto travel) alot and it routes based on traffic delays (limited larger cities). billysastard 3 hours is about it, sometimes can get 4 but never plan on it lasting that long. If I leave it in the car cradle the battery drains, due to no power on outlet). Biggest problem is I always manage to not charge it before riding the motorcycle. Unit is 3x5 with the screen measuring 2.25 x 3.87.
I use a Garmin GPSMap 60Csx and it runs on 2 AA batteries that I can get at least 4 -5 hours on a pair of Energizers. You can also plug it directly into your bike's battery for constinous power. It worked very well on the 4,000 mile trip to Phoenix last year and didn't have any problems in the rain or extreme heat. I think it is a great all-around handheld GPS and the City Navigator software works very well on it.
That's exactly how I mounted mine on my 99. Mine is a Garmin 60C. I also flush mounted a waterproof 12 jack (cigarette lighter receptical) on the left side of the fairing to plug it in with a coil 12 volt cord. Works great and the 12 volts can be used for other things like a small compressor to fill up a low tire or a charger for cellphones, etc.
good job. Hope that you don't plan on putting a steering dampner on it, because that is exactly where it goes.
For charging, you can use a mini-usb car charger and just add extra leads to hard wire it. Something like a charger for a Motorola RAZR cell phone will work. Very economical approach; I found them at my local flea market for $4. Just opened up the cigarette adapter plug end, and added leads to the + and - while retaining the overcharge protection circuit board and built in fuse! However, plugging in a USB charger to a Nuvi will send the Nuvi into "computer connect mode". Once it's finished entering that mode, unplug the USB cable and then plug it back in when the screen reads "Loading Maps...". You will now have the unit charging AND be able to use it. For traffic information however, I believe the traffic receiver antenna is part of the OEM charging cable. If this is the case, and you want traffic info, you'll have to get an OEM cable (or aftermarket replacement, much cheaper). Good luck with the wiring - mount looks great! Nice job!
