Rick's GPS Above the Dash GPS Mount

[RichlandRick]

Yes, its 2010 and we are still going strong....The GPS Mounts are in stock and available now.

The GPS mount with ball is currently $60 + a charge for postage and envelope.  Postage and envelope is $5 for US, $7 for Canada and Mexico, and $11 international.  

http://strom.selfip.net/Fotke/albums/Moto/Misc/GPS/ZUMO/mount/IMG_2633.jpg

http://strom.selfip.net/Fotke/albums/Moto/Misc/GPS/ZUMO/mount/IMG_2634.jpg

See posts below for pictures of the mount installed on bikes.

[RichlandRick]

I was actaully thinking of not making the GPS mount after filling existing orders.  (Even though I said production was discontinued several riders ordered anyway.)  The problem was that the units required a lot time to produce and was difficult to powdercoat.  The commercial unit is machined from a single piece of aluminum (very time consuming).  My 1st design was easier to produce, but still time consuming. 

Sometimes the solution to a problem is so simple that you have to wonder how you didn't figure it out before. 
The outer posts that go into the slots  of the stock windshield mount can be machined seperately.  This saves material and time.  My first unit used this concept, it works fine.  However, the chosen ram ball had a 3/8 x 16, 7/16" long male stud that required leaving a post in the middle.  For esthetics the hole needed to not penetrate the plate completely.   This required a blind hole threaded to it's bottom.  Do-able, but a PITA.  This also meant that 1/4" of material had to be machined out of the middle of the piece.  The bottom line is that design was more producable than the commercial offering, but still required a great deal of metal to be machined away. 

The solution I came to this moring is to use a ram ball with female threads.  Duh!!!!

This allows the 1/4" plate to be made fo 1/4" material from the start.  The risers that go in the slots can be machined from stock of the appropriate thickness.  By adding a single flush mount stainless socket head screw from the front the ram ball is supported through the plate.  This is a much stronger and more producable solution than the commercial offering or my first design.

I will include ram balls with at least the first production.  Still $60, but effectively cheaper since you don't have to buy and pay for shipping a ram ball.

I'm actually kinda excited about this project.

[SideForce]

I'm actually kinda excited about this project.

And I'm please you are excited about his project, and I look forward to seeing your
latest rendition.

I do hope you decide to continue offering this product.  It's the best set up I've seen to
mount the GPS unit.  Didn't consider using anything else.

[RichlandRick]

Yes, just like my first design.  Apparently some Madstad brackets have the holes already drilled and some need two more holes drilled, but that's all that is necessary. 

[zippy]

hi rick
any chance of some pics of the finished unit ,does the unit have to be power coated or can it be left in its natural state pics of both would be great
many thnaks jason

[Donunder]

Rick I've just come home from our annual VStrom gathering. It involved over 4000 miles of riding over a wide variety of road conditions, including long stretches of atrocious pot-holed and patched asphalt, which provided a good test of your products fitted to my bike.

The GPS mount worked faultlessly.  No sign of cracking or fatigue whatever. The only problem I had was with the weight of the Zumo. The angle at which the Ram ball presents itself from your bracket does not allow for the Ram connecting bracket to be mounted vertically and it has to lean slightly towards the rider. This places the weighty Zumo unit at such an angle that the Ram connecting bracket cannot support the Zumo's weight no matter how tightly you do up the adjusting butterfly. Consequently it tends to droop after a time and I fixed this, not prettily but effectively, with the use of the old faithful zip ties up to the Madstads. A more permanent fix may be to make up an alloy connecting bracket that can be tightened more firmly and I'll get on to this shortly.

The rear wheel spacers and mirror wideners I've had for some time now and wouldn't be without them.
I've posted something on the fork brace in that thread.

[RichlandRick]

All GPS mounts currently on order will be shipped this coming week end or sooner.  I expect to have several on hand beyond the handful or so currently on order.  Pictures to be posted tomorrow.

Rick

[zippy]

hi rick  ,i have been waiting with crossed fingers for the this to happen can you put  me down for a brace and a gps mount it will be good to see tomorrow    what size will be the ram ball be ??will this be included if with first orders (hope so )
cheers jason

[RichlandRick]

The ram balls I'm currently including are 1".  I have 7 currently beyond those on already spoken for that come with balls.

[SideForce]

The GPS mount arrived on Saturday, completed the mounting today.

Having only seen pictures of the original design, and receiving the newer
version, I am impressed.  The mount is simple, well made with an excellent
fit and finish.  Everything went together as designed.

The mount is simple and in it's simplicity, very strong.  Here are a few pictures.

Thank you Rick for a marvelous product!

[RichlandRick]

 

The button head socket screws I originally ordered and had staged ready to go turned out to be a little short, so I sent Sidiforce some socket head screws to get him by until the stainless button screws arrived.  The single 5/16 center bolt in the picture is an example of a button head scew.  The replacements should be here Wednesday.  Meanwhile all the othe parts are staged ready to go.

My apologies for the delay.

Rick

[SideForce]

No worries on my part Rick!  The mount works great!  Made a run just north of Yosemite yesterday and was faithfully guided the whole way by my smartly perched GPS.

Thanks for the product, the idea, the service, the communication, et al.

[RichlandRick]

I was just reminded the thread doesn't mention a price.  The GPS mount with ball is currently $60 + a charge for postage and envelope.  Postage and envelope is $5 for US, $7 for Canada and Mexico, and $11 international.  

Mr. Weldon sir, I will endevour to clean up my thread (i.e., replace it wit a new one) as soon as I have pictures of my GPS mount with its shiny new button head screws.

[RichlandRick]

All GPS mounts ordered to date were mailed today along with Sidiforce's new bolts.  Guy's please post some pics when you get them installed.

Note, the mount is designed to bolt into the stock threaded holes that the windshield mount bolts screw into.  If you want to use the secret unofficial unauthorized windshield mounting position with the upper bolts holes of the mount expsoed to get the windshield higher you are on your own.  I can't even imagine how you might do it (e.g., M6 nylock nuts, see pictures of Sidiforce's mount).

Note:  I can not endorse these unauthorized mounting positions because they will of course result in grave bodily harm, death, or legal action.  Seems to work for me though, but don't you do it. 

[SideForce]

In fear of not being eligible for any warranty, implied, alluded, disavowed, etc.  I returned my windscreen to the previous factory setting, along with the installed GPS mount, complete with new button head bolts.  The screen position is not too bad for me and I feel better just knowing I am not in violation of some skewed perception of rightness.  Honest, I do.

Here are a few pictures of the completed project, featuring Rick's Above Dash GPS Mount.









 

[ib]

For us that use GPS on every ride and especially with the short Suzuki Sports screen, this is a must. Thanks Rick! 

[RichlandRick]

Wow, I really need to clean this thread up.

The GPS Mount (which includes the ram ball) is $60

Shipping via US postal first class mail is + 7.00 (to cover envolope and postage via 1st class mail) within the US, + $11.00 Canada, Mexico, and Australia, otherwise + $15.00 outside North America (to cover international envelope and postage).   

Pay via Paypal to rickhughes805@hotmail.com. In the comments section of the Paypal payment specify GPS Mount.

[Vuduchld]

Will it work with a Madstad windshield mounting bracket?

[RichlandRick]

Yes, it will work with a Madstad.

[ib]

Will it work with a Madstad windshield mounting bracket?

Yep, it works fine:

[chrislayer]

will it work with a Cee Bailey's at the lowest position currently.

[RichlandRick]

It should work with the Cee Bailey's fine.  I'm think I meet need to make a different plate for use with in the lower and lowest position.  I wouldn't mind making a version for the lower positions.

[dakota65]

 

+1 for the mount AND for Rick's customer service. I ordered the mount on Friday night, it shipped Saturday, and was on my bike Monday afternoon. Fit and finish were as advertised; bolted up with no problem. It's the second farkle I've purchased from Rick--the first were the mirror extenders. Thanks, Rick, and keep up the good work. I can't wait to see what you think of next.

Marc

 

[mrbreeze]

Very interesting GPS mount. I have a new Cee Baileys windshield mounted in the lowest position - will it work with that? Also how do you get power to the GPS? Sorry if this has already been discussed and I overlooked it.

thanks

[RichlandRick]

I really really hope I'm not adding any confusion with this respone.

The current mount uses the upper two sets of holes on the cowling behind the plastic windshield carrier.  If your windshield is mounted so that these upper two bolt holes are available, then yes it will work with your set-up.  If your carrier is mounted so that these upper two pairs of holes on the fairing are above the top of the plastic carrier, then the existing design will not work.  The problem is clearance for the ram ball above the top of the fairing.  

However, only one simple part needs to change to allow it to be used in the lowest possible position.  I will make this my project for the coming week end and post pictures.    

Regarding the power supply, I suggest a powerlet socket mounted on a shelf http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,6020.0.html 

[mrbreeze]

great - I will wait and see what you come up with this weekend

[RichlandRick]

It's a "no-go" on the lowest possible windshield position.  The limitation is the bolt pattern on the cowling.  The span between the second from the bottom pairs of holes and the the third pair of holes is different than from the first and second, and third and forth pairs of holes

So the mount will work in the top position.  I have heard of some renagade unsavory types using the mount in the super secret (with locknuts on the upper GPS mount bolts), and double super secret positions (with locknuts on both pairs of GPS mount bolts).  I of course can not recommend this practice since it varies from Suzuki's original intent, but it works for me.  

[h@iml]

For us that use GPS on every ride and especially with the short Suzuki Sports screen, this is a must. Thanks Rick! 

Don't know which setting is this.. Don't think it's the lowest either.
Anyone can

[ib]

Don't know which setting is this.. Don't think it's the lowest either.
Anyone can

I don't know either, and the bike is mine  Why is this important? You can use Ricks mount in many different configurations. I currently use MadStad bracket and his mount and I'm very pleased 

[gravelrash]

Have you used the sat nav since you mounted it ? . The reason i ask is i made a mount that held my sat nav in the same position and it bounced so bad i could hardly read it had to remove it in the end because i thought it was going to bounce out of the mount.Moved it to between the handle bars and it was fine .