Gps Navigation System Motorcycle Customizing Mounting a Gps Motorcycle Wiring
To most hard core riders, the idea of putting a GPS device on a bike in the first place is just short of blasphemy. To many, the whole point of riding on the open road is the fun of getting there, not the fastest or most efficient route. Not knowing where you are is part of the fun of going on a trip that is long enough that you would use a navigation device. That being said, there are people that want them on their motorcycles, along with speakers, a radio, heated seats and all the other things that basically turn your motorcycle into a car missing a couple of wheels.
Before you get into anything that is complicated you need to figure out a couple of things. One, if it is a voice command GPS, how are you going to hear it when you are riding. Second, where can you put it so that you can see it without having to take your eyes off the road for any longer than necessary. There is a very good reason that motorcycle "dashboards" are very basic and compact. You want everything to be where you can see it with just a quick glance down.
If you have a GPS that is made specifically for your bike (or any bike) it will probably come with the necessary mounting equipment. If it is a regular off the shelf version then you are going to have to do some modifications to make it work. Find a place that meets the requirements, a good starting point would be near the speedometer or tachometer. They are already placed so that they can easily be seen when you need to look.
Now that you have the placement, go ahead and figure out how you are going to mount it. Remember, motorcycles vibrate a lot more than cars do. Depending on the style of bike, the vibration can be pretty intense (if your butt gets numb from riding, you better make sure the mount is very secure). The ways to mount it are as varied as your imagination can come up with. It can be something as simple as Gorilla Glue and Velcro straps to actually screwing brackets into the unit to go around part of the bike. If this is your method of choice, make sure that the screws are short enough that they are not completely penetrating the plastic covering over the unit. This could mess up the electronics as well as make it completely non weatherproof.
Now that you know where you want it to be, and how you are going to put it there (although you should not have installed it yet), you need to work on getting power to it. While some are 6 volt, many bikes work on a 12 volt system. This works in your favor. Most GPS systems are made for cars and they work on 12 volts as well. If you find that there is a mismatch, you will have to get some sort of a power converter so that it will work properly. It may not seem like much but there is a world of difference in a 6 volt and 12 volt system.
If you have the huge bike with all the bells and whistles, you job will be very easy. You will probably have an adapter to plug the GPS into. They use to be called cigarette lighters but since that has gone out of fashion, they are known by names such as 12 volt power outlet. If this is the case, all you have to do is plug in the GPS and then proceed to attach it to the motorcycle.
If you are riding a bike that doesn't have all the comforts of home, things are going to get a little bit more tricky. You will have to wire the GPS into the electrical system. As a cautionary statement, if you don't know about motorcycle electronics, have someone that does do this for you. You are going to have to wire the device into the fuse box so that if there is a short you are only out a fuse and not an entire GPS system. Make sure that you are using the correct amperage for the fuse and that you have a solid ground.
Once this is accomplished, finish installing the device in the manner that you have chosen. One important thing that many people will forget is that loose wires on a motorcycle are dangerous and will jerk things off the bike. Use clamps, zip ties, or even tape to make sure that the wiring is routed along the frame. For cosmetic purposes, many people will want it to be hidden. You can put it into the plastic sleeve that covers that rest of the wiring so that it looks like it belonged on the bike all along.
As stated earlier, a GPS navigation device and a motorcycle do not go together. That is the very beauty of the motorcycle culture. To each their own. Do your thing, stay safe, and have fun.
