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SW Motech GPS Mount -- loose screws

4K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  maccaoz 
#1 ·
I lost a couple of screws on the highway today. (yeah, I know, normal day) This is a reminder to torque stuff down that you add to your bike and add thread locker where you think it will help.

Saved the Garmin 665 at least -- gotta look at the sunny side of life.
 
#2 ·
Sorry to hear that. I haven't had problems with mine but I tend to overtighten things rather than the other way around.

When it is on, are you finding a lot of movement on the mount? I'm actually a bit disappointed with it - hoping it would be more solid on gravel roads. It can make the GPS impossible to read.

Pete
 
#3 ·
I lost one of the main mounting screws on my SW mount on my WV trip! Some zip ties from the tool tube and all was well. Not impressed with how shaky the mount is either. I may have to invent something to fix that....
 
#4 ·
You can't use thread locker on a well nut and ever expect to get it off again. I have no problem with mine. Are you talking about the well nut screws or something at the top?
 
#8 ·
It is not where the well nuts go. The SW Motech mount comes with a removable mounting station that has a slide/clip attachment to the main steel bracket. The mounting station has two main bolts that hold it to the bracket, one on each side. I lost one of those, I suspect that is what the others have lost. This removeable mount has rubber grommets in the fastening system, and while they may help with vibrations like those from the engine it doesn't help the considerable movement the bracket has over even broken asphalt. On gravel roads it is hard to see the GPS.

There may be some movement caused by the bracket to well nut attachment, and some may just be the bracket flexing.

While I am complaining, the only useful purpose the removable mount would serve would be for someone using a battery only operated GPS or phone, or one with a quick disconnect power cable that could be tied off when not used. The Zumo has two screws that hold the power cable to the Garmin mount and for sure not worth the effort to remove them......
 
#5 ·
The same thing happened with my SW Motech GPS Mount one of the screws worked loose and fell out and I only noticed when I went to press something and the whole thing moved. Luckily the other screw was still in but was loose. Managed to found another screw that fitted and Loctite and that did the job. Seems a strange design as all the weight of the GPS and when this is bouncing up and down in not surprising these nuts are being worked loose all the time so loctite definitely needed mine has stayed tight for nearly 17,000 hard km but at 14,000 all 4 screws holding the windscreen as well as the GPS mount where loose same reason the bouncing of the GPS been some hard miles but tightened these and loctite and this seems to be holding. It was a nice Canadian Mountie who when looking at the whole thing nearly came of in his hand. I had not notices as again the weight of the GPS was keeping everything place and the nuts are well buried so cannot fall out. Think I overtightened when doing them as small hairline cracks have a peered around the screw holes so will need to keep an eye on this. So in short I think that there are some fundamental flaws in the SW Motech GPS Holder however I do like where it positioned so gonna live with the flaws
 
#6 ·
I'm puzzled. I have a SW-Motech GPS mount too on my 2012 DL650. It attaches behind the windshield mounts, right? With screws that go through the windshield and the bracket before going into the bike? How did that come loose to the point of losing screws without you noticing that your windshield was now rattling as you ride?

dean10's post in particular worries me, he says he screwed it in to the point of somewhat cracking the shield and it's still a problem for him? And in fact, it was the tension of the weight of the GPS unit pulling down on the bracket that was keeping it place?!

What are the GPS units you guys are running with? I have an iPhone bracket and an iPhone that I use as a GPS, maybe that is much lighter.
 
#7 ·
i have the Uber touratech mount for my V and i use a gpsmap 478--a beast of a unit. i complained to touratech that it didn't really offer much in the was of vibration dampening even though it is billed as such. also, it tends to rotate downward on bumpy roads. i thought about propping it up with something but that "something" would be pressing on the dashboard of the V and it doesn't appear to be too stiff. so, i live with it...
 
#9 ·
I tightened those side screws after they loosened up once and haven't gone back. I almost forgot about the quick disconnect feature. I never use it. Even if I didn't have the power lead screwed in, there is no reason I can see to take off the mount for my Zumo 550 and leave the power plus speaker output lines dangling. The mount stays on when the GPS comes off.

 
#10 ·
Just to clarify the first screws that came loose where either side on the GPS Mount where you can adjust the angle of the GPS. I have Zumo 660 which is quite heavy and when you are on rough roads it bounces quite a lot so you can imagine these 2 screws either side have lot of movement on them but loctite has cured this issues. The second instance was the 4 screws that hold both the screen and the GPS frame with the GPS on you can also imagine that on rough roads this also takes a hammering with the weight of the GPS pulling this forward and down you see no movement in the screen until you push in opposite direction and that is when you notice the screws are loose or that how it worked for me loctite has also solved this issue as well as bit over tightening by yours truly which caused the hairline cracks I was talking about. So I would advice a quick check of all the nuts and a bit of loctite and careful when tightening the 4 screws that hold the screen and you are good to go so non issue if you know about it.
 
#12 ·
Went out for a run around Loch Ness yesterday and got the floppy GPS mount syndrome :shocked:

Right-hand (as sat on the bike looking forward) was the most undone, about three turns I guess. Bike's toolkit tightened it up for the rest of the ride back home. Just put a spring washer underneath the left and right-hand tilt bolts this morning.
 
#13 ·
I had those 2 screws loosen up on a rough dirt/tar road last Sunday.They had come loose before so this time were tight,still one was about to abandon ship.The Zumo finished the trip in the tank bag.
Now I have some anti vibration blocks & locktight,and I will be checking it often:mrgreen:
Spring washers didn't help.
 
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