GPS Mount

Hey everyone
I'd like to be able to mount my GPS to my handlebars for longer rides. The mounts from Garmin are all pretty expensive. Has anyone built a DIY GPS mount for their bars and is there a way to recharge a GPS using the bikes battery?

I bought a "Ram Mount" from amazon that I like pretty well.

www.amazon.com/Cradle-Holder-Universal-X...3&keywords=ram+mount

nickleo373 wrote: Hey everyone
I'd like to be able to mount my GPS to my handlebars for longer rides. The mounts from Garmin are all pretty expensive. Has anyone built a DIY GPS mount for their bars and is there a way to recharge a GPS using the bikes battery?

I have a Garmin Zumo 550. That navigator has a electronic cradle into which the Zumo mounts. That cradle then needs to be mounted to the bike. I have bought several cradles and mounted them to my bike handle bars using various methods. Two of them may interest you. First is the mount I made for my KZ1000P7. Here is a photo.



On my Kz1000P7 the handlebar clamp had open factory drilled and tapped holes. I just used a small piece of steel bent to the proper viewing angle. I also added some Teflon spacers so I could get the tank off the bike without removing the bracket. After I did a a few test drives to make sure the angle was correct, I spray painted the steel.

On my gl1500 goldwing I made a similar bracket but attached it to the clutch handle. A slightly more complicated piece of bent steal but the same concept. I removed the clutch handle clamp screws, bought longer ones along with some standoffs to fit in the holes. Again after getting all the angles bent correctly, I spray panted all the steel parts. Here is a pic.



If you don't have a cradle like that of the Zumo 550, you could just epoxy Velcro to your navigator and the added steel plate.

I recommend rustoleum hammered finish spray paint. It is almost impossible to screw up the paint job.

I also recommend that you hook up the audio to your helmet. If your navigator has bluetooth you could add bluetooth headsets to your helmet. If you have an audio jack on your navigator could wire this into standard helmet headsets.

You are likely saying I don't need audio I will just look at the navigator from time to time. If you try this you will have your eyes off the road more often and you will miss all the turns you navigator is telling you to make so you will be recalculated into never never land. With the audio hooked up you will never look at your navigator until it says something like "turn left ahead in 1 mile."

Finally always remember that just because you have your navigator on you can't turn your brain off. You will still need to make navigation decisions based on road conditions and construction.

I just tuck my Garmin, on its beanbag stand, under the bullet fairing. I've attached a small bungie (yellow) to either side of the fairing... and it wraps around the shaft of the beanbag base.



I also installed a power adapter (cig lighter type)... so I can run the GPS and charge my phone at the same time. I only do this while running.