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Radar detectors, anyone?

max955

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Given that I have used my Defensive Driving for the year and any tickets I get from this point on will go on my record, raising my insurance rates, it occurs to me that a radar detector might be a worthwhile investment. Ah, but which one? I'll be damned if I can figure a good place to mount the sucker, or in my evening of perusing the internet can find one that might have a prayer of surviving the rigors of two-wheeled travel. Anyone out there been down this road and have success stories?
:help:
Roger
 
Re: radar choices

Check here: http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~lists/archive/vfr/

Enter the subject radar detector or accessory mounting bracket. You should come up with quite a bit of stuff. There's quite a few guys on the VFR list who know what to get and not to get. I've also seen mounts in the Aerostich catalog. The May 2003 issue of Motorcyclist has a little blurb on the Valentine 1 and the H.A.R.D. system. Nice stuff, but expensive. If I keep getting tickets, I may need to look into it... :angel:
 
Radar Detector

Hello......

I have used a Passport 8500 for about two years in my truck and off and on, on the bike. I now use it primarily on the bike. I bought a "Stemstand". They can be purchased at www/stemstand.com. It works well and for a year I used a ear bud. What sucks was I could not ride with ear plugs. I recently bought a HARD unit for my helment and I am still getting used to it but I like it. It is all visual and no audio but it is cordless and works well.

The radar helps unless you get an instant on. But it has saved me numourous times and now I would never ride without it.

My two cents.......

Bill
 
Went with a Bel 975R

Well, after a few days of reading test reports, looking up product specs, and trawling through message boards, I finally decided to get a Bel 975R radar detector. It's a remote model, with a radar antenna and two laser sensors that wire in to a control box, which you can place where ever. I was just about sold on the Passport 8500, but then I fabbed a model of the unit out of cardboard and started looking for places on the bike to put it, and came up empty. I could drill through my windscreen to mount it, or get a stem stand that would put it right between me and the spedo, and that's about it. Mounting it in the fairing also crossed my mind, but then I would lose all the display features and the laser reception ability (such as it is, anyway). So, I found the Bel remote unit and it looked like the answer to the problem. The control box is tiny, 6 cm by 7 cm by 1.5 cm, and will fit perfectly in a little hollow between my wind screen and dash where it will be out of the way of everything. I plan on mounting the radar antenna behind the front fairing, and the laser sensors pretty much where ever I can find room for them. The tests I've seen pretty much say you're hosed if the 5-oh is using lidar, so I'm not going to go to extravagant lengths to get good positioning for the laser sensors.

I'll post a follow-up when the unit arives and I'm able to get it installed on the bike. Hopefully, it will keep me from getting popped again while not paying attention. That will be good enough.
 
Hate to tell you this but bad choice, take it back. Valentine 1 or Escort, the rest aren't the greatest. And the V1 wins because it's perm'ly upgradeable. I use it with the H.A.R.D. system (www.legalspeeding.com) and use a Saeng Mount, no tickets in 2 years and that is at very illegal speeds mostly :-D
 
I've already decided to send it back. I was out riding and actually looked at where the control head was going to mount, and realize I never look there when I'm riding. So, I'm asking for an RMA and am going to exchange it for a Passport or V1 and HARD setup. That helmet mounted led warning just can't be beat. Besides, who wants to ride looking down at the top of your dash the whole time?
 
$160 for the HARD system? ouch. Of course, I guess if you're shelling out 4 bills for a V1, what's another 160? :P
 
Thank & I'm a slow newbie, I'm saving all SORTS of money by enjoying just doing the speed limit :).
 
CycleRadar.com is running a special. You get an Escort8500 and HARD system for $440. Not too bad. I just sent back the Bel 975 today, and they'll credit me the price toward the package. If it keeps me just once from getting popped because i wasn't paying attention to the speed (read: doing the usual thing where I'm looking at the traffic and road side scenery), then it will pay for itself.
 
If you decide not to get the V1, then you can save a little money instead of getting the HARD set up and go with the Screamer.

http://www.motorcycleradar.com/

It's $100 and works with the V1 the 8500, and the new SOLO 2. I can hear the thing going off at 165 MPH. The package deal they have for the 8500 with the Screamer is $373.95. Not a bad deal.

Myself, the V1 was the only consderation. The only catch, is to work with the Screamer, you have to spend $50 for the remote audio attachment, which brings it up to the almost the same price as the HARD system.

I will say this, the set up I have has saved me a small fortune in speeding tickets! :chug:
 
If you've just gotta have a detector, don't waste the money on the Valentine. Better to get the less expensive Passport. That way you have some money left to pay for the ticket. :lol:

I work traffic for a living. It's amazing how many times V1 owners don't believe you got them and the detector never went off. It's funny to give them a demo and show how ineffective a detector really is. They don't seem to find the humor though. The claims made by Valentine are GREATLY over-exaggerated.

And don't believe the claims about picking up LIDAR. If the detector goes off you're already caught.

Myself, I'll stick to the speed limit or slightly over. I can neither afford a ticket financially or career-wise.
 
Passport8500 and H.A.R.D. System Report

The Passport8500 and HARD system came in on Monday, and after a few days of use I'm now ready to give some initial impressions.

First, the straight wire kit that Escort provides with the unit makes install a breeze, especially if you're like me and already have a wire run from your battery for other accessories, like a pair of Fiam horns. I tapped into the power wire, snaked the cord through the stuff behind the headlights, then out through the small gap between the front fairing and the windscreen. I tied the extra cord up, secured my wiring run, and that was that.

The transmitter for the HARD system is pretty small, and the manufacturer provides enough velcro to mount both the transmitter and receiver. I used half of the velcro stuff to mount the transmitter on the bottom of the radar detector so it would be out of the way and have minimal impact on the appearance of the unit.

I used the supplied suction cup bracket to secure the radar detector to the windscreen just above the dash such that the unit sags a bit and uses it's bottom edge and the transmitter to help steady it when the going gets bumpy. I'd rather the unit didn't have any sag, but the angle of the wind screen is such that I can't get rid of the sag without pointing the unit at the ground two feet in front of the bike. I had my doubts as to how this was going to work, but when I actually got on the road it worked pretty darn well.

The receiver and LED I mounted on the inside of my helmet. I used the rest of the velcro to mount the receiver on the inside front edge of the helmet. The position I chose is near my mouth, to the right of center against the cheek pad. I ran the lead for the LED under the right cheek pad and positioned the LED such that it rest about an inch from my face and just at the ede of my peripheral vision. Looking straight ahead from inside the helmet, I am just barely aware of the LED until a signal from the transmitter switches it on. This set up works great during the day, but at night I have found the LED is too bright, and move it completely out of my vision range. The LED washes the whole inside of the helmet with red light when it kicks on at night, so even though I cannot see the LED itself when it switches on, it's still more than obvious when it has been activated.

The big question, though, is how good a job it does of saving your butt from a speeding ticket. Well, after only a few days it's probably too soon to draw definitive conclusions, but so far the count is two times when the setup warned me with enough time to save me, and three times when it did not. I was traveling at legal speeds when all five of these confirmed encounters with the five-oh occured, so no failures to warn cost me a speeding ticket. But it does seem to prove a very valueable point: a radar detector is not a magic speeding ticket deflector shield. If the cop knows what he's doing, he's going to get your *** whether you have a detection system or not. Yeah, we all say we know that, but when you actually have the detector in front of you and it starts going crazy for no apparent reason while you're just riding along minding your own business, the point gets driven home real fast. Another interesting point is that so far every confirmed cop the detector sniffed out saw fit to clock me. Every single one. Even when there were cars just up the road moving faster than me, they apparently waited for me to come into range and then lit me up. Sobering.

In addition to the five encounters I had with known cops, there were a number of times when the detector alerted me to K and Ka signals but I could not find the source. Since I cannot confirm whether the detector would have saved me or only told me that I was busted, I can only offer them as a side note. Again, I was traveling at legal speeds every time so any failures to detect cost me nothing, but that point about the detector not being a speeding ticket deflector shield raises it's ugly head again.

So that's it for now, ladies and germs. I'll issue another report after a couple of weeks and let you know how the setup holds up and give an updated count of cop encounters. Stay upright, all.
 
Re: Passport8500 and H.A.R.D. System Report

max955 said:
there were a number of times when the detector alerted me to K and Ka signals but I could not find the source.

Check the area for a McDonalds or Jack in the Crack. Both company's headsets will activate radar detectors.

Go figure. They probably operate at 49mhz and they'll set them off pretty frequently.
 
I kinda figured that's what was going on. The McDonalds by my house sets off the K alert every time I pass by.
 
>> a radar detector might be a worthwhile investment. Ah, but which one? I'll be damned if I can figure a good place to mount the sucker, <<

For a mount, go to the following:
http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/product.asp?Item=SBRM

As to the radar, myself and many motorcyclists use the Valentine One (http://www.valentineone.com/ ). I run it to a very small amp I got at Cyclecomm then to speakers I have mounted in my helmet. You can also use a device hooked to it called the screamer that will allow you to hear it without headsets. The V1 has a very good reputation and I love the fact that it will tell you from what direction the radar signal is coming from. It keeps the LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) from surprising you from behnd. I've had one for 3 years on my ST1100 and plan on installing a mount for it on my VFR soon.

Now, a radar detector helps but it certainly doesn't mean you can drop your gaurd. You still have to monitor the traffic around you for LEOs. Many use instant-on radar and laser (the V1 will pick up Laser). By the time you hear instant on or laser you're nailed. Also, they can still come up behind, match you speed and give you a ticket without ever turning on a radar.
 
Hello friends
As it is true that if u are the only person on the road and your detector goes off, u are probably nabbed, But what u are counting on is the detector "seeing" the radar when the "man" lights up a car several hundred yards ahead.
I have 2 bikes and one is REALLY loud, i can see leo sitting up the road abit and hearing me coming and just let others pass by untill i come into range, but my other bike is stock piped so he would not hear me untill i was close to him so he would just lite up the next vehicle coming, hence i would get a detection.
Later all and stay safe
Michael Hansen
 
Howdy Michael,

:tab Nice to see you finally got logged into the site. Welcome aboard, hope to see more of you. Any chance you and the missus might make it up for the maintenance day next weekend? Looks like we are going to have a decent crowd unless the weather totally craps out on us. We'll be doing some tires, chains, installing helibars, brake bleeding, etc,... You're welcome to come up and just hangout even if you don't have to do anything with the bike. An extra pair of hands always comes in handy ;-)

Adios,
 
Hello friends
Can't make it scott, i am coming around to working weekends now, friday-monday next week, sposed to be off this week monday-thursday but i have a feeling i will have to work one graveyard in the middle somewhere, it's never my first day off or the last, just in the middle to really mess up your system.
will have to catch the next one.
Just a note. The v-max group is having thier kerville ride the weekend of april 16, 17,18. any and all are welcome. also june 11,12,13, the v-max has a big rally in eaureka springs ark, at the same time the fz1 groups is having a rally at deals gap, i am going to this one, a couple v-max dudes are coming over from ark monday to meet-up with me to run the dragon a time or two.
talk with u later
Michael Hansen
laporte Tx usa
 
I've had the V1 for almost six years now and its definitely worth the extra $$$. Not only does it false less, but the patented arrow system that tells you where the signal is coming from is worth its weight in gold.
Instead of slowing for every warning you can determine if it is a theat or not AND know where to look.

I got my first motorcycle ticket (after 15 years of street riding) this fall in the hill country. (Courtesy of officer "dirty" Sanchez :angryfir: ) SO I've decided to install a mount for my V1 on the Futura.

Sportbike mount http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/product.asp?Item=SBRM

Radar screemer http://www.motorcycleradar.com/radar_screamer.htm

Another option I considered (but decided not to pursue because of the V1's performance).: http://www.radarbusters.com/products/whistler/3400.asp
 
Robert,

:tab Have you considered the H.A.R.D. setup? I think that is what it is called.It has a small LED light inside your helmet that is triggered by a wireless transmitter that connects to the detector. Bill Bray (bbray) has one and really likes it. Driving through town, the screamer might get a little annoying I would think. Anyway, I haven't tried any of the stuff as I have never run with a detector. Just lucky so far I guess.

Adios,
 
10-95 said:
Myself, I'll stick to the speed limit or slightly over. I can neither afford a ticket financially or career-wise.

I have always ridden just a few mph faster than the traffic. So that I am overtaking most cars as opposed to being passed. This has always felt like the safest way to ride. Normally, this does not cause me to get tickets either.

The other day, I am riding along, just barely passing the cars in the right lane, when I crest a hill and there is a DPS officer in the left lane. I do not hit the brakes but change lanes to the right and pass him. He had to be going 10-15 mph less than I was by the way I came up on him over the overpass.

As I pass him he pulls in behind me and writes me a ticket for 71 in a 60. I asked him if I appeared to be driving dangerously in anyway, after I already had my ticket. He said that it doesn't matter, I broke the law, I got a ticket.

As far as I am concerned, that sucks. I will pay my ticket, and go on down the road. What are you going to do?
 
He said that it doesn't matter, I broke the law, I got a ticket.

:tab This is what rubs me the wrong way. Speeding laws are what is known as "Strict liability". What this means is that intent or anything else that might justify speeding is no excuse. You speed, you break the law, period. That in an of itself is not so bad. What sucks is how it is not applied even handedly.

:tab Of course, if you never speed, then it really doesn't matter does it? ;-) Application of the law depends on the subjective moods of the officers. So many people get away with speeding on a regular basis. Now I've never met a single person that did not think that if everyone else is doing it and not getting in trouble, then there is no reason why I should be getting in trouble for doing it as well. However, there just is no way short of full blown road blocks to ticket every single vehicle that is speeding. You can imagine the griping if everyone got stopped and ticketed!! The political uproar would be deafening. So we are left with what we have, seemingly random ticketing.

:tab I used to drive an old panel van. I cannot tell you how many times I was in the slow lane, being passed by everyone, but still speeding myself, and I was the one pulled over almost every single time. :angryfir: I would think to myself, "This is not fair!!" But to be fair, I was speeding and I got the ticket for that offence. Everyone else just got lucky. Remember being a kid and griping at your parents, "But everyone else is doing it!?" Of course that was immediately followed by, "If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you do that too?" The point is that just because everyone else is doing it, that does not mean there aren't going to be consequences. :wink:

:tab Whether or not you are being safe is irrelevant. It is interesting though that on the freeways in Texas, there is a slower speed limit for trucks because of their lack of stopping and handling ability compared to other smaller vehicles. So why not a slightly faster speed limit for bikes because of their superior stopping and handling ability? Like you said, about 5mph faster than the flow of traffic is generally safer than hanging out in blind spots and having to worry about lots of cars coming up on you from behind.

Adios,
 
Tourmeister said:
However, there just is no way short of full blown road blocks to ticket every single vehicle that is speeding. You can imagine the griping if everyone got stopped and ticketed!! The political uproar would be deafening. So we are left with what we have, seemingly random ticketing.

Maybe speed cameras like they have in Germany or Australia. Though I hope I never live to see the day that gets implemented here.

Which reminds me of a funny commercial that many of you have probably seen:

http://www.spelletjesgarnaal.be/screens/Dude/Movies/zx6_500.mpg
 
:tab That is pretty durn funny! Can you imagine a commercial here in the states with the "fook you" in it!?

:tab I once heard something about a GPS system where all vehicles are tracked and their location compared to a map detailing the speed limits for all locatins. Vehicles would automatically be regulated to the max speed limit. I would also imagine that LEO would insist that there be a way for them to tap into the system and force a vehicle to stop. This would certainly put a dent in shows like COPS! :lol: We'd see a lot more shows with LEO huffing and puffing on foot chasing perps over fences and through yards, hehe.

Adios,
 
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