Mirror Mounted Garmin GPS

[dnktng]

I've been trying to find a clean & simple (1 piece) mount for a Garmin GPS. And there is an existed tapped hole in clutch lever mount. So I took an old 60's Honda lever with a big ball on the end and made it into a Garmin GPS mount.

The ball had to be reduced down from 21mm to 17mm diameter.
The threaded hole is 10mm X1.25, a standard mirror thread but not a standard thread size anywhere else.
Added jam nut from old Honda mirror.

Not sure I'll keep it. Maybe paint it black. It doesn't vibrate or interfere with fairing mounted mirror view. A disadvantage is that it is exposed to wind, bugs, rain....but it was cheap and it works.

 

[DirtFlier]

The GPS mount in one of your photos appears identical to what came with my Nuvi 500 as part of the "car dash mount."

Just so you'll know that ball socket in the back of the car mount can't stand much vibration or shock of any significance. Mounted on the dash of my Accord, the Nuvi has fallen several time without damage but falling from a moving motorcycle will be quite a different matter. I have a RAM brand cradle for my Nuvi 500 and it cradles the entire unit plus has a locking tab on top. Additionally, the RAM balls are made of a hard rubber to absorb vibration because GPS units can freeze-up from vibration which I learned when I hard mounted an older Garmin to my mountain bicycle!

 

[silverdevil]

go to motor cycle larry site, they have what you want for under $12
a ram ball that mounts in the mirror hole by the clutch, it has the 10mm by 1.25 pitch
go to http://www.MCL OUT OF BUSINESS - DO NOT ORDER/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=42

 

[dnktng]

go to motor cycle larry site, they have what you want for under $12
a ram ball that mounts in the mirror hole by the clutch, it has the 10mm by 1.25 pitch
go to http://www.MCL OUT OF BUSINESS - DO NOT ORDER/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=42

I have the mirror mount Ram Ball from MCL. I'm just trying to make a 1 piece garmin ball mount, MCL doesn't have that. With the MCL Ram Ball an additional Ram arm is needed, a 2nd ram ball on a plate, & adapter plate with Garmin ball. I'm trying to eliminate 3 extra pieces.

My 1 piece works ok, but it isn't exactly what I had envisioned. It's taller than I wanted because I was running out of 10mm diameter shaft to thread. I think painting it black may look better also. But it is an idea & option that may work for others. I'm not sold on mine yet either and may end up using the MCL-ram-ball route.

My ball socket has never failed and dropped the GPS. In the car, the suction cup always quits on me and drops the GPS, but the ball joint has always been good.

 

[spacetiger]

+1 on Dirtflier's advise.

My GPS has come loose too in the car, - but it detaches from the windshield. My GPS for the bike is one that holds it all the way around and is mounted to a RAM ball. With the additional linkage, you can position it to be out of the air flow. If nothing else, it will have less bugs on the back end to clean off.

But nice work to make the GPS holder. I don't know how you reduced the size of the ball.

Jerry

 

[charlie b]

You might go to the RAM site. They have a ton more options than MCL does for mounting things.

I got a simple one and mounted it to the fairing just above the dashboard. Trimmed it a bit to fit and then added a couple of screws just to make sure it won't come off.

http://www.ram-mount.com/CatalogRes...82065080045049056048045071049085/Default.aspx

Or for a list of generic bases

http://www.ram-mount.com/EmptyPages/COMPONENTS/BCOMPONENTS/tabid/1556/Default.aspx

I have second for my phone (Droid 2) that is on the clutch lever. Got the ball made for a 10mm screw and put it on the lever base. Then std RAM arm and adaptor for the phone mount.

I like having the GPS up higher in my field of view. I don't usually fiddle with it when riding to that position is good. The phone I don't need to look at a lot so being on the handlebar is fine.

charlie