Ram-mounts & Tuesday Bike Nights

Ram-Mounts for Camcorder or Garmin GPS:

I have an older Garmin Nuvi automotive GPS which I downgraded for bike use. No, it is not waterproof and I have been moving it back and forth between the bike and the car. I have been using bungee cords to temporarily mount it in position but it is a nuisance as it keeps shifting. As mentioned before on a previous post I use cling wrap when it threatens to rain. With fresh cling wrap it is easy to view and the touch screen still works. I would have purchased dedicated mounts a long time ago but there are no stores in town (that I know of) that physically carry these mounts and I didn't want to order the wrong thing on-line. Last Friday I went to a few websites and ordered some components. On Tuesday, at work my package arrived.



I rushed home and opened the box and this was inside



I ordered a Nuvi cradle, another mount, and a longer extention piece



As you can see the extension is a lot longer than the standard one and still clamps onto the same ball mounts. It was always a problem mounting my camera (or GPS) on the scooter, as the windshield is fixed and the handlebars move. It is less of a problem on the SV650 as the windshield and headlight both move with the handlebars.



With the shorter extension the camera hits the windshield when you turn right. On my SV the handlebars are "exposed" and you can mount a "U-clamp" virtually anywhere along its width. The scooter has more plastic panels and there is no where to mount anything so last year I purchased a Ram-Mount brake reservoir mounting plate. As you can see in the above photo I mounted it with the ball on the left and the short arm hits the windshield.



The left mirror also gets in the way. I got the bright idea (bright ideas don't come very often) to change the direction of the mounting plate so that the ball is on the right side



Now I can mount the GPS and view it more easily. If I detach the short arm, and replace it with the longer arm, I am able to mount my camcorder in a position which just clears the windshield which is okay with me. It is waterproof and shock resistant so being exposed to the high speed that my SV is capable of should be of no concern. The next job will be to reroute the wiring/power to come from the dash, but that will require some panels to be removed.


TUESDAY Bike Nights @ 5th Gear, Richmond, BC

With my little GPS/Camcorder Ram-Mount project completed I decided to put the scoot to bed and bring out the SV650 and ride down to Richmond for Bike Night. This event is held every 2 weeks during the summer and they are also BBQing hamburgers (donations for charity)



I arrived late around 8:30p and when I got there I noticed Mark (Scooby) on his Majesty with his friends who were just leaving on a ride. There were bikes parked everywhere



There were more bikes around the back



The BBQ smelled yummy and had a continuous line-up of riders waiting for their hamburgers



I was tempted to purchase a hamburger too, but I was late since I already had dinner at home and I am trying very hard to keep the lbs off



It's very hard to control yourself from eating when you can smell the BBQ



There seemed to be a lot of bikes here tonight. I lost count as some had already left, but I am thinking around 60 bikes or more. It was very well attended



Bikes in every direction. This was in the parking lot of 5TH Gear, a dual sport dealer in Richmond, BC. They also sponsored the live music



Live music always adds to the ambiance at any event.



While it is close to 9pm it is still daylight



Oh, what do you know, an image of my mighty Suzuki SV650



It was great to see other riders having a good time, socializing and having a meal. Thank you to 5th Gear, Richmond for hosting this event every 2 weeks during the summer



And here is a glimpse of some members of the "Flying Swan Hot Chicks" leaving for the evening.