DIY Resilient GPS Mount
 

At times I find myself riding in some particularly rough territory.

I have had no end of problems successfully mounting a GPS to the dedicated instrument bar of my Tenere. No matter what mount I chose, or how much loctite I applied to the bolts, it would eventually start slipping and ultimately droop down over the instruments....PITA!!!

A dedicated Touratech mount may have solved the problem.....BUT...at a cost !!! (Last time I checked there wasn't a lot of change out of $AU300..!!).

Did a bit of a scratch around my shed and came across some rubber resilient mountings. This started the Engineering juices flowing, and I was soon on the hunt for something more substantial to grip the bar to prevent slipping.
Settled on a M10 SS Cable Clip..... Not a very good fit initially, but a few strokes with a round file and a bit of lapping using emery cloth wrapped around the bar itself, soon ended up with a perfect fit. The Clip and U-Bolt are made of 316 Stainless Steel. The U-Bolt is M10...Substantial enough to allow sufficient tightening to ensure a firm grip.

Bought some M6 and M10 Nyloc nuts and washers from the same place I got the clip....Now all that was required was to source a Ram Rectangular Mount (3" x 2") and to make up a mounting from 3mm aluminium plate to suit.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e..._15-35-14.jpeg

The Ram mount arrived this morning and it was soon buttoned up. Happy to say that it worked out perfectly. The GPS is now sitting high enough to no longer obscure the Tenere's instrumentation and in the correct eyeline position for easy navigation.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e..._15-35-52.jpeg

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e..._15-36-22.jpeg

Final cost was circa $AU 50.....

Very nice, i wish i had the skill and tools to make my own metal parts

That's a good mod....looks like a much better position for the Nav. I shall blatantly copy you if that's OK Seahorse. ..? ! Steve

Go for it Steve....You should be able to source most of the bits on eBay. If you want any additional info ....ask away.

The Ram Mount base is reasonably thick. You will need to ensure the thread on your resilient mounts are long enough for the nylon nuts to grip.

The overall dimensions I used, worked well for clearance of both instruments and front screen.

I will be doing a solid ride this coming weekend, with plenty of rough sections. Hopefully give it a genuine test for "Proof of Concept".

So far the standard ram mount that came with my zumo has staid put. Just shortened it a bit to keep it of the fairing and it is also just an U arround like yours. But really like your damping. I'll probably make something similar if/when mine gets loose.

http://www.tenere.dk/forumnew/uploads/119/IMG_0378.JPG

And with the scottoiler below and a dark puig screen

http://www.tenere.dk/forumnew/uploads/119/IMG_0504.JPG

Picture of the rammount to the left

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/attachme...ounting-zu.jpg

Hi Seahorse,
I have similar anti-vibration plate waiting to be mounted. Can you, please, tell me are you satisfied with that piece? Effective?
Thanks.

At the moment I am happy with how this project has turned out. I have tried as hard as I can to move the mount manually and it has resisted all efforts.

Also tried to limit the amount of leverage imparted by the ram mountings and GPS (Zumo 390LM) by keeping everything tucked in and as short as possible.

Vibration is the biggest enemy on a big single, along with hard hits over rocky terrain. Basically the instrument bar on the XT660Z is just too small in diameter at 12mm to be able to impart enough friction on the Ram clamp and others makes I have tried..

We also need to be aware that by going too far, we may put undue stress on the instrument bar. I have heard reports of these bars cracking and breaking when overloaded with GPS, Road Books etc

If this current arrangement fails for any reason I will consider fitting a roll pin through the bar and clamp arrangement.

Hoping to give it a baptism of fire this coming weekend....will report my findings

OK...Have taken the bike out on two "serious' rides recently, and am pleased to report that the mount performed flawlessly.

The GPS does move a little due to the nature of the resilient mounts, but the movement is "softer" than when using Ram ball mounts alone.

The Garmin Zumo 390 now sits in the perfect position for operation and ease of navigation.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...t/P3090651.jpg

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...t/P3090652.jpg