JohnRtl
New member
Many thanks for all of the suggestions - all of which look to be very workable, but having the Satnav low down would be a last resort for me - so I've been investigating a few things in order to provide sockets for heated jackets; power and video cable routing for my Innovv K7 cameras and recorder; Satnav wiring; GPS (Zumo XT2) and handlebar controller wiring (I have a 2021 RT Limited).
The Satnav was the last thing to do, and here is the result.
First - A Rider's Eye View
And a Side View of the RAM ball mount without the Zumo fitted.
The cable that can be seen runs down to a tiny gap between the fairing and the mirror housing. There is plenty of room in the area under the fairing behind the screen, and it emerges behind the lower left speaker and into the quite large void in front of the speaker and behind the left hand side black panel. The wires from the handlebar controller are easily fed down the cable loop for the left hand controls and they too emerge into the same gap.
I used some very strong 'Mammoth' double sided tape. I've used it before for camera mounts and it was still holding things firmly. The Tape remained flexible and although I could not pull the tape off, it was possible to slowly roll it off - encouraging it with thumb pressure. I have no thumb prints left, but it came off cleanly.
The tape was secured to the bottom of the ram ball mount. I cut an plate from some aluminium sheet and that was stuck to the underside of the thick grey plastic console fairing. This is made of a quite thick, flexible plastic - it's about 5mm thick.
The bolts hold it all together, but they are not clamping the ram ball mount particularly tightly, the nuts have a Nylock insert so they don't need to be very tight, just snug. The aluminium plate will spread the load of the nuts and washers. The double sided tap will act as a cushion and keep everything from moving. The 4 bolts just stop it from ever coming unstuck!
Holes in the fairing? What if I want to sell it ? That's easy - I sell it with the RAM ball in place. I've had 4 Honda Pan Europeans and I have parted company with all of them with a RAM ball mounted.
I need to experiment with the position. The short arm doesn't give a great deal of movement between the console fairing on which it is mounted, and the screen in its full range of movement. The left hand edge of the XT2 also extends beyond the outer edge of the screen. I think a longer arm will cure that, but it might vibrate a little more.
The handlebar controller - I was uncertain as to how much cable I would have left - so I mounted it close to the centre. In fact, there was plenty left, so I have room to adjust that position.
The biggest problem encountered was removing the screen mechanism. The screen came off very easily and reveals a very sturdy cast alloy mounting bracket that is hinged on three hollow brass pivot rods/tubes. The inside is threaded and there is a bolt screwed into the rod from each side. That brass tube is not supposed to be tightly clamped, but it was. It must have been putting a fair bit of strain on the electric motor.
The screws came out OK - they clearly had thread locking compound on them, but the brass rods would not shift. I had to draw them out. Ask if you want to know how, but it took a while. The problem was that the alloy hole through which the brass bolt passes was corroded. White aluminium oxide powder. The brass cleaned up OK and the holes were reamed out with an 8mm drill bit inserted all the way through and twisted between thumb and finger. Needless to say, these were greased on reassembly. I think there was a plastic sleeve in one hole, so I used a silicone grease.
- 
Above right - Drawing out the brass bush with a 5mm bolt, a 5mm nut and some large hex nut spacers to allow the bush to pass through the centre. The white powder on the photo is there from the Aluminium Oxide corrosion.
Left image - the longer central bush which connects to the main motorised lifting arm - cleaned up and partially inserted.
I've installed electrics for this, heated jackets, and for front and rear video cameras, and took loads of photos. Just ask.
The Satnav was the last thing to do, and here is the result.
First - A Rider's Eye View
And a Side View of the RAM ball mount without the Zumo fitted.
The cable that can be seen runs down to a tiny gap between the fairing and the mirror housing. There is plenty of room in the area under the fairing behind the screen, and it emerges behind the lower left speaker and into the quite large void in front of the speaker and behind the left hand side black panel. The wires from the handlebar controller are easily fed down the cable loop for the left hand controls and they too emerge into the same gap.
I used some very strong 'Mammoth' double sided tape. I've used it before for camera mounts and it was still holding things firmly. The Tape remained flexible and although I could not pull the tape off, it was possible to slowly roll it off - encouraging it with thumb pressure. I have no thumb prints left, but it came off cleanly.
The tape was secured to the bottom of the ram ball mount. I cut an plate from some aluminium sheet and that was stuck to the underside of the thick grey plastic console fairing. This is made of a quite thick, flexible plastic - it's about 5mm thick.
The bolts hold it all together, but they are not clamping the ram ball mount particularly tightly, the nuts have a Nylock insert so they don't need to be very tight, just snug. The aluminium plate will spread the load of the nuts and washers. The double sided tap will act as a cushion and keep everything from moving. The 4 bolts just stop it from ever coming unstuck!
Holes in the fairing? What if I want to sell it ? That's easy - I sell it with the RAM ball in place. I've had 4 Honda Pan Europeans and I have parted company with all of them with a RAM ball mounted.
I need to experiment with the position. The short arm doesn't give a great deal of movement between the console fairing on which it is mounted, and the screen in its full range of movement. The left hand edge of the XT2 also extends beyond the outer edge of the screen. I think a longer arm will cure that, but it might vibrate a little more.
The handlebar controller - I was uncertain as to how much cable I would have left - so I mounted it close to the centre. In fact, there was plenty left, so I have room to adjust that position.
The biggest problem encountered was removing the screen mechanism. The screen came off very easily and reveals a very sturdy cast alloy mounting bracket that is hinged on three hollow brass pivot rods/tubes. The inside is threaded and there is a bolt screwed into the rod from each side. That brass tube is not supposed to be tightly clamped, but it was. It must have been putting a fair bit of strain on the electric motor.
The screws came out OK - they clearly had thread locking compound on them, but the brass rods would not shift. I had to draw them out. Ask if you want to know how, but it took a while. The problem was that the alloy hole through which the brass bolt passes was corroded. White aluminium oxide powder. The brass cleaned up OK and the holes were reamed out with an 8mm drill bit inserted all the way through and twisted between thumb and finger. Needless to say, these were greased on reassembly. I think there was a plastic sleeve in one hole, so I used a silicone grease.
- Above right - Drawing out the brass bush with a 5mm bolt, a 5mm nut and some large hex nut spacers to allow the bush to pass through the centre. The white powder on the photo is there from the Aluminium Oxide corrosion.
Left image - the longer central bush which connects to the main motorised lifting arm - cleaned up and partially inserted.
I've installed electrics for this, heated jackets, and for front and rear video cameras, and took loads of photos. Just ask.
