Radar Detector

[tonypil]

Has anyone ever installed a radar detector on their Gold Wing dashboard? Where do you hardwire the power cord? (my cigarette socket already has a double USB for my phone and GPS)

[roundabout]

All radar detectors are worthless with today's laser guns the police use. I wouldn't waste my money on one.

[USNRider]

I don't have a radar detector but wiring is wiring. You could add a 12v line to the same wires the cig lighter gets its power from and install a power port. Maybe use a heated jacket style power port so its not so large, then wire up the detector cable with the same. If you wanted the install to be a little cleaner you could consider putting the power jack on the bike as a flush mounted version somewhere then you could just plug the detector into the bike when your using it. When your not the only thing visible would be the rubber plug that goes over the power jack and it wouldn't be an eyesore. Heck, you could even put the pack on your bars if the detector is mounted on a ram mount, then you would only need a short pigtail for the detector itself.

[Captain Roadsmith]

Make sure you know the voltage of the detector (it may not be 12vdc) before you cut off the cigarette lighter plug and hard wire it to the bike. Some electronics have the cigarette lighter plug that's aslo a transformer from 12v to whatever the device needs.

[tonypil]

Thanks for your comments. I have used radar detectors on my cars for years, because I don't want to jeopardize my CDL, and have escaped most speeding tickets by heeding early bounced signals, including laser. Now that I am spending more time on long rides through Wisconsin speed traps (RDs are illegal in WI, so I don't want to use a RAM mount or other obvious thing), I want the same protection. I was thinking of installing the detector directly on the dashboard with 3M fasteners and running the flat power cord behind the windshield to some switched point, so it turns off when I put the Wing in the garage at night, like my GPS. I also want to plug the audio output into my BikeMP3 unit in the trunk, so it interrupts Fleetwood Mac or Pink Floyd with an audible over the headset. I'll run the double male 3.5mm wire under the seat to the trunk, and I could also tap into the wiring harness there. I was just wondering where the best 12v switched power point was near the dashboard. I have a 9 foot power cord, so I could tap under the seat, but I just don't know the electronics of this bike yet. Thanks, Tony

[Pizza Man]

I use mine in Wisconsin all the time. They are legal here except in Commercial vehicles
I put mine on the dash of my motorcycle, or van or pickup truck

[tonypil]

Hi, Pizza Man. I use my car radar detector in WI all the time, too. Did you hard wire yours, and where?

[Pizza Man]

I have a pigtail that I plug into the socket in the left fairing pocket. Then plug my GPS and RD into that. I don't worry about my cell phone as I charge it every day.

[530ktm]

All radar detectors are worthless with today's laser guns the police use. I wouldn't waste my money on one.

I agree with this. The only way they will help out is if you are in the back of a pack of cars and the vehicles in front get pinged as that will send the signal to you that you need to take action. If you are cruising in the front or by yourself and the LEO beams you then the only good it will do is let you know that you are screwed.

[clayusmcret]

I agree with this. The only way they will help out is if you are in the back of a pack of cars and the vehicles in front get pinged as that will send the signal to you that you need to take action. If you are cruising in the front or by yourself and the LEO beams you then the only good it will do is let you know that you are screwed.

I have one in the truck. At no time do I ever assume my radar detector is keeping me from getting a ticket. It does, however, let me know when revenue generation authorities are trolling with their radar on (even with a family full of law enforcement I can't consider them police officers in this situation).

And not everyone lives where laser is the primary means of speed detection, if used at all. "The use of lidar varies from state to state. As an example police in Hawaii use laser exclusively. Florida is split 50/50, with most local police departments using laser and highway patrol officers using radar. In Pennsylvania, police laser guns are not used at all." This may be old info, but probably not far off the mark. So if they're moving and trolling, they're not using laser.

[Tiny Tim]

[tonypil]

Hello again. Well, I learned that radar detectors are only illegal in Wisconsin for commercial vehicles. I'm right on the border and half of my driving is in the dairy state and now I can stop worrying about getting stopped for having one. I don't want to plug another wire into the only socket I have, so I guess I'll just tap into my fused battery tender line until I have the time to take off some Tupperware and find a switched place to plug in. I already buried the wire 2/3 of the way, so I can live with this for a while. Thanks for all the input.

As far as radar detector usefulness, they work as a warning device most of the time, if you pay attention to the pattern. K and Ka bounce so much, you should get a warning, if you pay attention. They also work for me in northern Illinois because most of the local LEOs are lazy and ride around with them on all the time, so it tells me that it's probably OK to ride through an amber, if the intersection is clear and I don't hear anything on the RD. I agree that lidar is a killer, but as Clay pointed out, lidar can't be used if the the LEO is moving, only in a speed trap. If I'm riding out in the open on a highway, I always ride within 5mph of the speed limit. However, we ran into several small towns in Wisconsin coming home from WingDing in Madison last month, where the local government lowered the speed limits 5-10 MPH for the holiday week. I downloaded updated maps to my GPS right before WingDing, so I knew that there was an inconsistency. Sure enough, there was a local cop within a few hundred feet of the new sign. What a coincidence! None of us got stopped, but that's when I decided to get a radar detector for the Wing

[kniterider]

On I-95 several state agencies use the moving radar option to "troll" for the road blockers. Drug runners pay another driver to purposely run hard in front of them to flush out the rookie officers on interdiction duty.. That allows the actual mules to roll on by unscathed. But we have adapted.. Plus we now know we have to have a bomb dog and a cds dog search a suspected vehicle. The runners have started planting ieds in their stashes to destroy the evidence and cause enough confusion to allow them to escape on foot

[alabamawing]

I use a Escort 9500ix and it has paid for it's self over and aver again.

[orangecrate]

Radar detectors have got me out of a ticket many times. It is just about learning how they work and optimizing their use. For sure if you are out alone and get hit with a laser, your goose is cooked. But even there you can pick up scatter if you are riding in a pack. I suspect that a number of people have never had a really good one and believe the cop-hype they hear. It is like spy vs. spy. Obviously, if your running a hundred mph you're gonna get nailed.

[Rocky]

Just got back from a 3700 mile trip to Dallas. my cobra detector saved my bacon about 6 times warning me of stationary radar ahead. Twice in NM it warned me of instant on Laser. I drop my speed so fast when they did a re-shoot I was below 5 over and neither bugged me.

My unit talks to my Iphone who mutes the radio in my helmet when I get an alert..

Say what you want about detectors but yes they do work. I love the hwy patrol who try and be sneaky by turning them on/off while patrolling.


The detector/charger plugs into the lighter plug I installed in the right pocket and has an extra UBS port for my phone to charge while I am riding.

[tonypil]

Thanks, Rocky. I like your setup. It looks nice and clean. What is the source for the mounting shelf that you use for all three and are you happy with the setup?
One of these days, I'll go Bluetooth all the way so these devices can, at least, talk to each other and maybe to me.
Tony

[Rocky]

I made the shelf myself. .090 Aluminum cut to fit the curvature of the shield. The brackets are made from Delrin.

I seen another farkle shelf from my Buddy Quickdraw here. http://www.firecreekacc.com/farkleshelf.htm

My design mounts to the top dash visor, via being screwed from under the dash. This holds the shelf firmly in place and I can raise the shield if I want and the shelf stays in the same place.

When riding down the road nothing vibrates at all. and everything is right in my line of sight.

My GPS is tied to the intercom via a Kennedy cell set.
As I said the Radar detector talks to the phone via Bluetooth and the phone talk to the intercom via a Y-adapter under the left pocket where my Ipod rests in a foam block for vibration.

I have a remote holder I made for the ipod.

[Bucfan11]

I've been thinking about a radar detector...two questions.
1- Is there a certain detector you recommend?
2- Do they make one that is weather proof?

I assume if it starts raining, you simply unplug it and put it your glove box.

[twodogs1800]

I've been thinking about a radar detector...two questions.
1- Is there a certain detector you recommend?
2- Do they make one that is weather proof?

I assume if it starts raining, you simply unplug it and put it your glove box.

This one is designed just for motorcycles. Dont know how well it works. http://www.adaptivtechnologies.com/g...radar-detector