I always like accessories that do not alter the bike (unless they are performance parts that replace something or have no other choice).
When it came time to look for a location to mount my GPS on my ZX-14 I decided to use the steering column hole. The area above it is not really used for anything and does create any conflicts.
So I put a stock of aluminum in my lathe and turned a spindle. I machined groves in the spindle to accept rubber O-rings. The O-rings make the fit snug and perfect. They also prevent metal on metal contact and offer a small degree of dampening. The stock I used had a large enough initial diameter that I was able to create a top shoulder. The shoulder prevents the spindle from sinking down, an end stop if you will. I placed a larger O-ring under this shoulder, again to prevent metal on metal contact and offer dampening. At the top of the spindle I welded a small aluminum plate, drilled to match the size of GPS mounting base. The mount is easy to install, just slide it in. It stays in place, does not move or twist.
Photo of Spindle
Photo of Spindle w/ O-rings
Photo of Spindle & GPS mount 1
Photo of Spindle & GPS mount 2
Photo on bike 1
Photo on bike 2
The GPS shown is a Garmin Quest 1. I did not intend keeping it very long as I wanted to upgrade (Garmin stopped supporting the Quest 1 & 2 and I wanted a bigger screen and touch screen). I finally bought the Garmin Zumo. I trimmed the top aluminum plate to match the new GPS mount closer and painted the top plate black.
Thanks for looking,
Spyglass
* Last updated by: spyglass on 7/3/2012 @ 1:25 PM *