Are there any soft rubber joints that can be used with a RAM mount instead of the extreamly hard plastic/rubber RAM joints? Is there anyone using a RAM mount for their GPS on their KLR650. I am rather concerned for the GPS as the RAM mount seems to be hard as a rock and looks like it will let all the single cylinder vibrations pass right through, or will it dumpen the vibes just enough not to damage the GPS? I already broke my ETrex on the KLR with the garmins bike mount, and I'd hate to loose my GPSMAP 60Cx to the vibrations of my KLR.
The Garmin bike mount is crap, it is for bicycles, not recommended. The RAM mount is good, but don't expect any vibration dampening. I went through two eTrex's that self-destructed due to vibration using the RAM mount, the last one a few hours into last years Paris-Dacre ride :cry: The Garmin 60CX is better built, but it might also be shaken to death. I don't have the best answer except the big dolar mounts which may or may not work.
I've used the RAM mount with my Etrex Legend on my KLR for over 3 years with no problem. Just started using the same mount (different cradle) with my 60Cx and don't expect any problems. However the Garmin "x" series just came out in Jan '06 and use a new chipset from SiRF so we'll just have to see how they perform. Garmin, and GPS Central, have excellent warranty programs and service so I'd suggest you thrash it as hard as you can as soon as you can
I rode with a guy on DRZ in the states with a Quest recently. His would go into 'aquiring satelittes' for long periods of time. My old trusty GPSV with a ram mount on my paint shaker worked without probs.
I had this problem a couple of times where it loses satellite signals in a clear open space and didn't seem able to reacquire them. I solve it by powering the GPS off and back on, and it immediately gets a lock on the signals. I think it's a "processor hangup" issue rather than vibrations.
I have a 60C with a Ram arm and a Tortech base ($120 for the Tourtech). I have been riding with these for about 2 year on my KLR with no problems. This includes some tough terain through West Virginia and thousands of km's on the highway with nobbies. If it can take that kind of vibration it can take anything. The Tourtech mount has extra vibration dampening. I was also told not to put the Ram arm in a straight configuration but rather have it bent so the arm and GPS mount are in an "L" shape. This made sense to me so that is how I have mine. Supposedly it helps absorb some of the vibration and jolts. I have also heard to attach the Ram mount to the top of the fork bolts as this helps with vibration (I have not tried this).
Paulsden is on the right track Where hand how you mount the RAM mount will make a great difference in the amount of vibration passed to the unit. Find the spot on your handle bars/bar mounts that already has the least amount of vibration, then try several differnt positions for the unit and see which one seem to transmit the least amount of vibration. Also tighten the balls down just tight enought that the unit will not move when you are riding around, this will allow more movement in the joint of the RAM mount that will absorb more of the vibration. This may not leave the unit in the absolute best spot on your bike but I am sure that you can find a "sweet spot" somewhere near where you wanted to mount it.
Thanks for the input. So far my gps survived 2 hours on a ram mount made up of two ram arms joined together. But I'll need to try diferent mounting locations on the handle bar as well as angles of the ram arms and see if that will help, since the gps was shaking pretty badly when I was riding on a gravel road, or maby it was just me and the bike that was shaking In any case the mount is flexible and there is about 0.5cm that the gps can travel. BTW, what is usually the least vibrating portion of the handlebars?
peter 650, Usually the center, or as close to the bar clamps as possible. If you can get one of those big aluminum eaves trough spikes, or something similar, run the bike up to somewhere in normal riding rpm range and then just lay the spike on the metal of the bars, if there is vibration there it will almost sing even though you might not detect it with your eyes or even fingers. You can do this to measure the amount of vibration that is being passed to the gps unit. Although this will not measure the amount of vibration you are getting from the tires/road but I think engine would be the worst culprit for vibration.
When I first got my 60C the unit shut off with the least bit of vibration. I sent it back to Garmin (trust me, it was with great trepidation doing this) and they discovered that the leads to the battery were too loosely connected (not enough pressure on the ends of the battery) and affixed small dense foam pads under the terminals. I have never had a problem since. It turns out that the battery was disconecting periodically from the unti and that is why it shut down. I have done some hard riding since, some of it unintentionally, and my 60C has never shut down since.
