Ideas for Zumo Mounting on 1200GS Adventure

[Grey Beard]

Hi

I have a 2008 Adventure and just bought a Zumo 660. Will try and connect it to the CAN-BUS socket behind the handlebars if I can find it (and my local BMW dealer has the socket kit).

I am looking for ideas on how to mount the Zumo. The handlebar fitting looks straightforward, but I think I have seen pictures where the Zumo is mounted on one of the windscreen horizontal bars. I think that would be a better option for me.

The supplied 'U' clamp looks too big - being designed for the handlebars. Can I still use it, or do I need to buy one of these alu block devices at approximately £50 and then shape it to fit properly?

Any pictures would be useful, plus reasons for choosing your chosen mounting point.

I have looked through through the posts here, but didn't see exactly what I am looking for. Apologies if I missed it.

I just wasted a bit of time tying to charge the Zumo from the mains adaptor using the micro USB socket on the bike cradle. Now realise I need to use the USB socket beside the battery. The Garmin manual is delightfully vague, but I later saw it covered in a thread here.

Grey Beard

 

[Goose]

Originally I mounted my 660 on the windscreen bar - found 2 issues however -

- 1stly the unit vibrated a lot (take a rid with the bike and check the movement you have up front)
- 2ndly I found that to reach the unit (music, answer phone etc) I had to reach way forward, which changed my balance and any cross-movement with my arm seemed downright dangerous...........

changed the mounting to the lefthand side on the handlebar.

- Vibration gone or at the very least minimal
- does not interfere or obstruct my instrumentation
- easy to operate and reach with the left hand.... and if there was a hazard, the minimal movement of my hand from the screen to the grip does not affect balance or riding at all.

I'd recommend the latter position..

 

[Grey Beard]

Originally I mounted my 660 on the windscreen bar - found 2 issues however -

- 1stly the unit vibrated a lot (take a rid with the bike and check the movement you have up front)
- 2ndly I found that to reach the unit (music, answer phone etc) I had to reach way forward, which changed my balance and any cross-movement with my arm seemed downright dangerous...........

changed the mounting to the lefthand side on the handlebar.

- Vibration gone or at the very least minimal
- does not interfere or obstruct my instrumentation
- easy to operate and reach with the left hand.... and if there was a hazard, the minimal movement of my hand from the screen to the grip does not affect balance or riding at all.

I'd recommend the latter position..

Thanks GoosePilot

I wondered about vibration also. It's just my eyesight close up is poor (presbyopia) so it's difficult to read things close up without reading glasses. Long distance vision great with contacts though.

Thanks again.

Grey Beard

 

[Beemerman59]

Not a 660 answer but my experience with a 550 may be of use. I first mounted the Zumo on the upper windscreen brace with the U clamp but the vibration was dreadfull and made it unreadable. I then bought one of the BMW Zumo mounts which also fits the upper brace and that was rock solid and worked well but made it very difficult to lock the Zumo with the security key. So, I took the Touratech lockable mount off my other bike and bought one of the £50 Aldis mounts off Ebay and married the two together, again fitting this to the upper brace. This works perfecty now. Its rock steady, I can get the position just right so I can see the clocks but have the Zumo in a good line of sight. For me its easy to reach as I have long arms and I'm 6'3".

 

[FERRET]

Ive mounted mine on the crossbar of the screen using the BMW mount (about£45), mine doesnt suffer from vibration (2010 model), I chose this location so that i dont have to move my vision too far from the road ahead when looking at it.
To be honest if i have to adjust the sat nav whilst riding its safer to pull over

 

[Jacal]

Ive mounted mine on the crossbar of the screen using the BMW mount (about£45), mine doesnt suffer from vibration (2010 model), I chose this location so that i dont have to move my vision too far from the road ahead when looking at it.
To be honest if i have to adjust the sat nav whilst riding its safer to pull over

+1 Zumo 660, BMW Mount, in the same place, rock solid!

 

[Bigdave]

Very Low Cost 660 Mount

Hi Mate,
I made this mount originaly for my 2810 but this year updated to a 660 and it works just as well.

You need to buy a twin pack of 15mm pipe brackets from B&Q (£4.00) a bit of tube and some 5mm set screws.

Paint the bracket silver, cut the tube into 4 x 13mm lenths and mount! The holes line up perfectly with the Garmin Mount.

Pictures below. There is no vibration because Garmin have built in some rubber dampers where the screws go threw the plastic.

 

[MIKE R]

I used one of these, although mine is silver!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-BMW-R1200...66?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item19c13b4d2a

No vibration but I seem to recall I had to change the screws that mount the Garmin to the bracket. I think that the screws supplied were longer for the Zumo 550. I informed the vendor at the time, and he may now have taken this into account.

Mike

 

[NLC]

I have a GS and just mounted a 660 with the TT mount and GPS bar. I found out the hard way that the TT bar is 12mm and the BMW is about 16mm so don't mix and match. The TT bracket has damping on the bracket and it locks the unit to the bike in case you get petrol. Moreover if you drop the bike the GPS will stay in the bracket. Also you are able to cant the TT bar whereas you can't with the BMW. Word of warning the BMW screws on the headstock are painted into the frame and are a b*tch to get out. Make sure you take packing knife to break the paint seal otherwise you run the risk of striping the screws.

 

[Bobster]

Sat Nav Mount

Had a look how Big Dave mounted his Sat Nav at Welland a couple of weeks ago. It was brilliant! Looked neat and very effective.

 

[Gundog]

550 and touratwat mount...perfect

 

[ghiribizzo]

I have basically same as Phil above but with my 660 in a Touratart mount. GPS dead centre in front of you and up as high as possible.
It'll wobble on bumpy bits but the rubber dampers mean it's not shaking the electronics to pieces.

 

[Gizmo]

I recently changed my BMW Nav 3 for a Zumo 660. Did'nt like the supplied RAM mount with the 660 so I recycled the clamp mount that came with the Nav3 and made up some spacers like big dave did.
Job done and no bothers with it.

 

[Grey Beard]

Wow, thanks for all the ideas and pictures. Very helpful.

I was in the 'local' BMW dealer this morning and he recommended the BMW alu mount - surprised it was cheaper than in the UK So I ordered one and also the CAN-BUS connector, but there seems to be same (lack of) availability problem here as has been reported on the UK posts.

I like Big Dave's mounting. Must look what sort of pipe brackets my local DIY shed has. Nice and simple but does the job.

That looks like a nice picture of Glencoe by Phil, complete with snow and it's usual weather!

Grey Beard

 

[the lost soul]

Nice one dave....A trip to BnQ and sorted my new mount
Looks sweet and solid!!
Cheers Dude

 

[MikeG]

Further adventures with B&Q pipe clips

My solution for my GS (not GSA) is a variation on the B&Q pipeclips previously posted. I have the BMW accessory bar fitted so the 12mm U clamps which came with my Touratech mount wouldn't fit, so got a set of 15mm pipeclamps from B&Q (£6.38) included wall fittings - which also lined up on the mounting holes for a Touratech mount. I included some spacers (tap washers) to make the whole assembly clear the screen and give space for the key. The original brass screws were discarded and replaced with Stainless and locknuts. I haven't bothered painting it because it looks OK as it is - and it's cold in the garage . . . The screen on the bike is the Givi Aeroflow - which is a revelation.

 

[Toad]

Works perfectly

660 with the Touratech lockable mount. Fit and forget, and no vibrations.

 

[Wapping]

Clamped it on using the kit in box.

Has worked fine over 20,000 miles.

 

[Wrinkly]

BIG DAVE,
Brilliant idea,just mounted mine with a slight variation.
Where Bigdave has cut 13mm lengths of tube,I used 4 3/8 tap washers to go over each bolt, just needed to make the holes slightly bigger,which I did using a solder iron and trimmed the excess off with a craft knife.
Now mounted completely on rubber and totally vibration free,and very tidy.

Total cost £7.33.

Bigdave, I owe you a beer.

Many thanks,

Steve

 

[Andy Davies]

I have a MotorradConcepts mount above the clocks on my 1200 where I intend to put the 660.
Can I fix a TT mount to it by bolting through the Garmin/TT mount holes holes?(I know the Garmin mount will bolt straight on). Plenty of pictures of the front of a TT mount, haven't seen one of the back yet! Can anyone oblige?

Andy