I Made A GPS Mount

[Chunks]

I installed a MadStad wind shield bracket and lost my GPS mount so I made one today. It started out life as an 8" strap. I ground the edges round, measured and drilled all of the holes, filed everything down, painted it and installed it. I used 4 flat washers under either side (between the back side of my bracket and the top side of the MadStad) to give a little room for the nuts on the bottom of the bracket to clear the dash. It's ugly, but it only cost me 4 bucks including the washers and cap screws.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/K4XA/Radio/DSC03420.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/K4XA/Radio/DSC03421.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/K4XA/Radio/DSC03426.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a28/K4XA/Radio/DSC03430.jpg

[mad max]

Nice job. Thanks for the pics and the idea.

[klong]

I used 4 flat washers under either side (between the back side of my bracket and the top side of the MadStad) to give a little room for the nuts on the bottom of the bracket to clear the dash.

My local independent hardware store carries chrome spacers in different lengths and diameters; might help you out a little instead of using multiple washers.

KevinL

[bmah]

I see that great minds think a like! I came up with the same solution. Mine is a 7"x3" truss support that I cut down to 5 3/4". I found that it flexed a lot with the zumo mounted to it, so, I have added two layers of fiberglass to one side of the mount. It is a lot stiffer now than before. I'll be giving it a test ride today.

[boomslanger]

I have unexpectedly come into a bonus that was paid in the form of any items I wanted to the value of the bonus (to save paying nearly half in tax). Amongst the items I ordered was a Zumo. I am just about to go on a long trip to Queensland from southern NSW and need to mount the Zumo ASAP.

This solution seems perfect but there are no dimensions for the bracket given in the post. Is there any chance I could get a drawing with the dimensions or just a list of the dimensions? Thanks in advance, this would really help me get the Zumo mounted in the time I have available.

[Cheff]

Good JOB MAN! I like it, if I had not spent the money on the SW-Motech mount I would be doing the same right now. Your mount puts the GPS in just about the same place, and its the perfect place.

[Ogre_FL]

I made one of similar design/concept recently too.
I cut mine from a 1/4" aluminum plate and added a little holder thingy for the cables when the GPS is not installed (which is most of the time, commuting)

I found the aluminum flexes much less than steel.


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a217/Oger/10-28-06%20Strom/Picture001.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a217/Oger/10-28-06%20Strom/Picture004.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a217/Oger/10-28-06%20Strom/Picture008.jpg

I used the stock windshield bracket as the template to lay out the holes for mounting.
But here is the basic plate dimensions.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a217/Oger/10-28-06%20Strom/ramplate.jpg

[boomslanger]

Thanks for supplying the drawing. There is an engineering place next to where I work and they will do it cheap for me as long as they don't have to have the bike to do the measurements etc.

Very neat design.

[boomslanger]

OK I just noticed how you mounted the RAM ball screwing it into your mount. Does it come off the bar mount? I had a look but could not unscrew it.

[Ogre_FL]

I bought a separate ball as I was going for a very clean design.
I think it was about 11 bucks :confused:

RAM-B-309-3U

http://www.ram-mount.com/cataloglarge/RAMB3093.jpg

[boomslanger]

Thanks. I looked it up and couldn't get that ball in Oz but got just a plain ball part number RAM-B-260U (http://65.102.174.116/rammount/productdetail.aspx?partnumber=RAM-B-260U&searchTerm=RAM-B-260&item=1).

The thread is the standard camera thread.

Just to check, all your measurements are in inches correct?

[Ogre_FL]

That ball should work, so long as you can get a wrench on it to sock it down tight. I also suggest a star type lock washer.

Yea all my dimensions are in inches.

I just thought of this:
Keep in mind that I have mine mounted in the upper most position.
If you have yours in the lower or middle, measure the distance between the screw/bolt holes and add that to the height so you have longer legs that hang down over the lower mounting holes.

[boomslanger]

Just one more question before I get the bracket made up (with 4" legs). You state 1/4" aluminium plate. Is this correct because that seems rather thick to me and in your pics it doesn't look like 1/4"?

It might be me now being fully metricised (it took nearly 40 years) but looking at the conversion, 6.35mm does seem rather thick.

[Ogre_FL]

I'm glad you questioned that.

I thought I had put 1/4" on the N/C file for the guys to cut it,
but I put "cut from as thin a stock as possible" :rolleyes:

I just threw a scale on it and it actually measures 1/8" thick,
I had no idea we even had that thin of material around here :confused:

[zed88]

I made a shelf today. Sorry for the crappy pics. I used some bar stock, and then a aluminum plate for the shelf. It was quite a bit of work, but I'm pleased with how it came out. Both sides are drilled so that I can add RAM mounts (one for gps, one for blackberry) and the center is for the radar detector (and eventually I'll get one that integrates into a communications system).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/zed88/bike/shelf/09-12-07_2006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/zed88/bike/shelf/09-12-07_2008.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/zed88/bike/shelf/09-12-07_2030.jpg

[boomslanger]

OK I finally got it done and am fairly happy except for the shoddy job the metal fabricators did, but it was a cheap job done through a friend so I can't get it redone. It was pretty rough and I had to spend a bit of time filing the edges smooth before getting it powder coated. As you can see they didn't put in the inside curves along with the very rough edges and nicks.

One change I have made since mounting the GPS is to move the ball to the outside, that is facing forwards instead of back toward the rider. The shorter tube on the ball I purchased allowed this whilst still easily clearing the windsceen. This puts the GPS directly over the fairing shelf instead of hanging over the instruments. Looks neater and I find the GPS is less in your face and distracting being a little further away.

Thanks for the design, it is good and I'll revisit it with a better quality produced plate, and slightly thicker, I think 3mm (1/8 inch) is just a bit too thin and has some flex. 4mm would have been better.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/ecko93/IMG_0684_resize.jpg
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/ecko93/IMG_0681_resize.jpg
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/ecko93/IMG_0679_resize.jpg