Anyone out there got any experience with radar dectectors on motorcycles? I got a cool mount that came with my new bike and a bunch of points on my license left over from my old bike so I guess I'm in the market.

 

I've run a radar detector for at least 15 years using the standard suction cup mount on my wind screen supplemented with a peelnstick velco foam damper block. Only in cold weather does one of the suction cups sometimes come loose but the damper block always holds it. I hard wired it to a hot lead & ground on the back of the instrument cluster through a mini-ATC inline fuse.

As far as RD units, I know there are better ones out there but I go with a cheap (less than $80) Cobra unit that has an earphone jack. I ran a lead from the jack to small female jack velcro'd to the left middle of the tank to which I plug a cheap mono Radio Shack ear bud sercured to my helmet and velcro'd to the lining next to my ear. To keep the ear bud wire from blowing around, I split a small rubber tube and glued it around the wire at the right length and the rubber tube/wire clips into a small, painted telephone clip double-sided taped to the top of the tank behind the gas filler. A little bit funky but it is automatic for me to hook up and it is efficient & effective. I also have the radar unit in a zip-lock freezer bag. In all the years (knock on plastic), no one has ever bothered (i.e., ripped off) the installation. The RD has saved my bacon more times than I can count and it also signals for emergency vehicles & construction zone emitters.

 

I am looking into the Whistler3500 w/ in-helmet display. I have a friend that has his mounted under his fairing on a VFR. I am going to try the same install using the same mount as the horn (keeping the horn), and finding a good place to mount the helmet display head. He has his mounted on his fairing under his handlegrip. The Hawk's fairing is obstructed by the grip.
But I am still researching my options.

 

Under the steering head at the horn is IMHO not a good spot. First, its tight & obstructed by the fairing and forks, second its subject to weather & road debris, etc.. I don't know how big the 3500 is but the Whistler Cruisader with free wireless helmet display (seems to be only a warning led) at http://www.buyradardetectors.com/pro...cruisader.aspx seems like a easier, better fit. Whats also neat about it is that it displays system voltage & ambient temperature. If I had the bucks, I'd go for something like it.

 

I think that is the one I am looking for. I didn't know that the Cruisader came with the little receiver that I would mount under the fairing. It is about 3"L x 1.5"W. Everywhere I look it doesn't show the receiver with the digital display unit.
Yes the wireless unit is a led light, but for me I feel it is a grab the brake and ask questions later. That is why I was looking at my options, but after looking at you link I think it does come with the display unit. Thanks for your help skokievtr. you have helped me. I hope it is helping joe6pack with his quest for the right unit.

 

I hope it is helping joe6pack with his quest for the right unit. Wow, what a great resorce this site is, thanks guys. I had no idea that remote and multi-piece units such as the Cruisader were available - this is going to take more research than I thought.

The guy I bought my VTR from threw in a radar/camera mount that sticks into the steerer tube where the plastic plug normally sits in the middle of the upper tripple clamp, and my thought was to just velcro an automotive style unit to that. I haven't yet figured out how to post a photo here yet or I would. Anyway, the platform sits under the windscreen and is protected from the weather and it seems a standard automotive unit should velcro right to it. Would the Cobra unit Skokie describes be adversely effected by being mounted to a metal (in this case steel) platform? Are the bastards using lasers now? As I am a commercial driver, accurate state-of-the-art detection is essential to my continuing to ride motorcycles, so I seem to have some homework to do. Thanks for the posts.

 

use the heads up sportvue with the detector it rocks. I have used it for 2 years now.