I installed a Garmin StreetPilot GPS. I chose this unit because it has
a very large, clear dispaly, it has excellent backlighting for use in almost any
lighting conditions, and it supports memory cartridges allowing me to carry
detail maps for many locations at once. There is also a color version of
this GPS, which I'd like to upgrade to at some point in time.
A primary requirement for my GPS mount was that the GPS must quickly and easily move between the car and the bike. I considered using the swivel mount included with the StreetPilot, but decided that I was not satisfied that it would stand up to vibration and weather. The Touratech brackets look fantastic, but it would be a royal pain to remove the GPS from the bike and put it back in the car.
I found what I feel to be an ideal solution. The R-A-M ball mounting
system is rock-solid, and used for
aviation as well as automotive
applications. First, I positioned the base on the steering he
ad.
Because of the plastic cap there, I shimmed the base with some folded paper to
get it level.
I turned the base around until I was able to get three of the mounting holes
lined up with the metal, to get a good solid fit. Make sure it's far
enough back so that it doesn't interfere with the key! I then used a #7
pilot bit to mark the spot for three holes, removed the bracket, and drilled the
holes to about 5/8" depth. I followed up with a 1/4"x20 tap,
cutting threads until the tap bottomed out.
I
used stainless steel cap screws, with stainless washers under the topmost screw
(as shown to the right). The washers shim the bracket so that it's level.
I
have both a long and short arm for my GPS, so I can mount it in just
about any position. Without a tank bag, I mount it pretty low, so that it
doesn't interfere with my view of the "Idiot Lights". With the
tank bag on the bike, I ca
n set it so that it hugs the top of the bag, taking a
minimum of space.
Wiring is run from the left handlebar, and makes it's way back to the auxiliary fuse panel in the tail.