adventurelounger said:
Couple of quick questions as I'm checking out the parts, Dallara. Thanks in advance for your insight and help.
For the TechMount (which you seem to have placed more or less dead-center on your bars): does this setup obscure the dash view? Or can you see over and past the GPS to the tach/speedo?
As for the Eastern Beaver wiring set up:
When I look at the pictures and read the EB instructions, it has a blue PosiTap switching lead. But if I understand, that plug on the relay (which comes supplied with a little screw-hole mount) gets connected directly into an open accessory plug on the bike (I have the OEM grip heaters, so assume one plug will be free)? Does the Eastern Beaver plug mate directly with that? And do you just cut off (or fold and tape up) the unused PosiTap lead?
As far as connecting the Zumo power cord to the 3CS goes (apologies for asking this without the Zumo & all its assorted crap in hand): do you have to cut the end of the Garmin power cord (if it already has some kind of terminal or plug) and wire-on one of those loose plastic plug-clips from the EB kit, in order to "plug it in?" Assume it makes no difference which one of the 3 different fused leads you use, since it's just a GPS?
Finally, in digging into the other EB options...
1) Did you go with the "all sealed connector" version, or the standard one?
2) Did you use the "Easy Mount Tree Clip" for the fuse holder? Or just sort of stuff it in somewhere?
3) Did you choose to weather proof the relay with the shrink-wrap?
Sorry if all of this sounds remedial. I've installed pigtails on batteries and put in brake-light flashers, but this will be a "level two" project for me! Again, many thanks in advance.
Regarding the TechMount...
No, as you can clearly see from the picture below, the Garmin Zumo 350LM on the TechMount does not in anyway obscure the view of the instruments. I have it set up where when I am in my seated riding position the Garmin GPS appears in my line of sight just below the bike's instrument cluster, so whenever I glance down at the instruments I get a view of the GPs screen, too.
And placing the GPS on the TechMount on the bars makes it much, much easier to reach for any programming, route changes, etc. than if it were mounted up above the instruments near the windscreen. I have had my GPs mounted both ways (I once used an SW Motech GPS mount up by the windscreen), and I far prefer it on the TechMount on the handlebars. It also does not in any way interfere with my "Bags Connection" tank bag, and I still have a clear view of the GPS screen over the front edge of the tank bag when I have it mounted.
There is *NO* Posi-Tap lead on my Eastern Beaver "3 Circuit Solution" set-up. I know it shows one in the picture above, but the one Jim sent me had the plug on it there that plugs into the bike's own accessory plug (mine went to the Yamaha driving light plug), so the whole rig was truly *plug-and-play*. There is no Posi-Tap lead to "cut off (or fold and tape up)".
Regarding the Garmin Zump power leads... The Eastern Beaver 3CS kit comes with your choice of plugs to mount to the end of your various accessories, and I simply cut the ends of the Garmin harness, mounted the pins for the plugs on the ends of the wires, and then inserted the pins into the proper plugs. This makes removing or changing any accessories quick, easy, and again, *plug-and-play*.
As for the rest of your questions...
1. - Regarding the plugs - I used the plugs Jim sent me at the time with the 3CS kit. I was one of the first in the world to get one of these kits, and it came with some plain, black plastic male-female plugs that look like a lot of the connectors on many Jap bikes. They had flat, spade type "pins" for the wire leads.
2. - I have no idea what a "Easy Mount Tree Clip" is. I mounted the fuse block part with some velcro, and zip-tied the relay to a place on the factory panel that holds several relays.
3. - No, I did not do any special weatherproofing of any kind, other than using silicone dielectric grease on all my connections. I have not had any trouble of any kind with any of the accessories, connections, etc. in the tens of thousands of miles I have all this mounted, and everything works great. That said, I have been a mechanic of one kind or another almost all my life, and I do take great care in mounting and assembling the farkles on my bikes. Just take your time and do good work. That's all it takes.
Trust me, this is not rocket science. Don't make it any more complex or complicated than necessary. This is simple, easy, basic stuff. Be patient, follow the instructions, and make good connections and you're golden.
Hope this helps.
Dallara
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