I just ordered a Valentine One Radar Detector, should arrive in a few days. I am looking for some feed back from riders who run radar detectors. Primarily mounting. The 02’ 955i does not have much area around the gauges & I fear that if I stick it to the windscreen, I will not be able to see my gauges.
Any info is welcome.
Thanks, HardCharger
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I also have a valentine one radar detector. I mainly use mine in my car, but I do want to mount it on my 02 Daytona. I have had mine for several months and I am very impressed with it.
I would like to use my V1 on my bike. To hook it up, all you need is 12 volts and a ground. Problem is finding a proper mount. I would like something to mount it to the windscreen.
I have had a few ideas, but this morning I am going to go and get some hook & loop material & try sticking the Valentine on top of the Brake Fluid Reservoir.
That's the stuff. Here in the US the name "VELCRO" (tm) is trade marked & I could be sued via our over marketed lawyers for using the name on any simular product that is not the "VELCRO" (tm) brand.
Actually, I just was not sure of the spelling...
- HardCharger
PS. Southern California has 1 Lawyer for every 10 people. Where as Japan has like (I could be very wrong.) one for every 9000.
Well, as the Valentine detects radar from behind as well in front, if you were to mount it on the tank your body would effectively block the rear facing antenna.
Secondly, it is best that the front antenna to have a clear "view" ahead. Radar (radio) waves can be reflected by metal, whereas the plastic body work presents less of a problem.
As to hearing the signal, I purchased the audio controller to allow the use of an earphone.
And lastly, it is easier to clean the sticky residue from the Brake Fluid Res. Cap than it would be to mar the beautiful paint.
My installation is nearly complete. I will give a full report after a week of commuting.
I used a cordless Bell with an earphone jack built into it. I made a flat aluminum plate with a bracket riveted to it that alows me to mount it to the upper clutch lever assy. mounting bolt. I mount the detector to the plate with part of a thick o-ring I cut and pull through two appropriately (the width of the detector) spaced holes and put a knot on each end to get the right tension when I slide the detector under the o ring on the plate. This way I know the detector is securily mounted, is easy to remove(with velcro I find it sometimes sticks too good and you end up pulling the whole thing off as the clue isn't strong enough) and up above the clutch lever is easy to see and receives a good signal. It would be in a similar, slightly lower position than mounting it on the brake fluid reservoir but on the left side of course. I've used this setup for a couple of years with no problems and much success in avoiding tickets (most of the time!).
Good luck to all who use the detectors, but my ticket came from a state trooper who, after he stopped me, bragged about how he targeted me and waited for me to hit a speed he felt like nailing me for (84/55). He proudly admitted that he saw me coming down an interstate on-ramp, slid into my blind spot and paced me. My dumb fault for not looking better as I entered.
Ben, bad luck mate. I rode to the office this morning, about 60 miles with the detector mounted on top of my tank bag. Apart from poor rear protection, I was able to detect a patrol car.
Mind you, I did see him first and I think he used the radar 'just to check my speed'. But the system works and I'm going to make it permanent feature of the bike.
All I need to do is machine a holder for the brake resevoir cap and I'll be laughing.
Just out of curiosity, what do you do if the detector picks up a signal? Do you automatically hit the brakes every time? Or do you look for the source first - which seems to defeat the object.
Well I have been using my Valentine for a week. I can't say that I have avoided a ticket yet, but I can say that I know were all of the automatic door openers are on my way to work! ;-)
So far so good. I mounted my Valentine Detector on the brake fluid res. (Good rearward detection.) using Velcro, the remote display is Velcroed to the top of the speedo assembly, & the remote audio unit I velcroed to my right frame slider shaft. The whole she-bang looks pretty good & the Velcro is quite secure.
I highly recommend getting the remote display as it is tiny, & can mount nearly anywhere. Being near the top of the tachometer, it is very visible, whereas the display on the detector in its current (Best) mounting, requires a ‘look down’ so you may not notice a warning.
I really do not expect the Detector to save me on a congested freeway as the troopers typically just pick & choose from many a pray, but it should help fine speed traps like on Pacific Coast Hwy where a cop on a bike is parked in a driveway zapping all that go by. Or on the great highway stretches out here in the west. Years ago using a cheap detector, I got a warning from miles away across a valley in Nevada that really saved me as I was doing about 110. I slowed down to find miles later the trooper writing a ticket to one of the only other cars on the road.
Next week, I will be doing a tour, so I will post an update then,
Basically, the first thing you look for is a gas station, the motorway services use radar to open the doors and they always activate the detector.
But, with experience you can spot (and hear in the car) the frequency alarms that relate to a patrol car. It must be said though, that with laser, they can get from 1 mile away and once the alarm sounds they've got your speed.
[British law does state that to convict on the evidence the officer operating the speed detection device MUST first acertain your speed above the limit and then get a second reading to prosecute on.]
Well.my Valentine One detector just broke today. I have had it for two months and it just quit working. I called them and they said it would be a 2-3 day turn around.
I was heading south from the Sierra’s on HWY 14, doing a "Safe & Reasonable speed for the conditions" that also was higher than the posted maximum. ;-) This section of road has a series of elevation changes, where you crest a hill, drop down into a depression then back up again in pattern about a mile long.
So there I was & I noticed a blip in the ka band. slowed down to 65 mph. for about 1.5 miles. Then just as I was cresting the next rise, voila! Mr. CHP! My detector went nuts. He splashed me big time with his radar with no time to react!!!
If I not had my little Valentine One, I would be paying about $300 + increased insurance right about now.
In a nutshell, it paid for itself this past weekend.
I just picked up the newest issue of Sport Rider (October 2002) and they talk about a new product from Stem Stand. They offer several different versions of the thing in several anodized colors. It can be mounted into your steering stem, clamped onto your handlebar, or attached to a mirror mount. Prices start at $55.00US and you can find them at:
This thread has inspired me to try my radar detector on my bike, but I have no idea how to get power. Any links, book recommendations, tips, etc. very much appreciated.
Power is not really a problem. The Valentine One came with very good installation instructions & hardware, including one of those easy splice connectors that do not even require you to strip the hot wire.
I took my power from the red wire in the wire harness running from the key switch to the right side of the frame, under the carbon fiber cover on my CE.
The red wire that I hooked up to is connected to key/on side of the switch, therefore, power off when key is on, Off when... well off.
Mark, I used to have a '97 Daytona, but I do not remember how it was wired. & I am use that the wiring harnes is different from my CE. However, it is really easy to find the right wire with mult-meter or hot wire probe. The probe is just an ice pick with a light bulb & a wire attached. Every motorcyclist should have one in their toolbox & cost less then a Tenner.
I was in Daytona this year and ran acrossed a booth for a guy that sell Valetines, I think....and some other detector. The cool thing was that he had a wireless LED warning light on a plastic wire that you permanantly mounted in your helmet. When it lights up you can see it out of the corner of your eye. It allowed you alot of flexability to where you could mount your detector. He also had some realy cool mounting hardware that allowed you to conceal the detector very well but allowed for good forward reception. It was pretty trick. I got some info on it and I can not find it. I'll keep looking and post the info if I can find it.
Yep, the guy had his helmet there with the light mounted in it and he had some front fairings that had his mounting kits on them. The light in the helmet was very small and out of the way but was also easy to see. It was damn cool. The prices for the detectors and kits were pretty high but they were high quality detectors. I will make a serious effort to find the info this weekend. If it turns up I will let you guys know.
It has peaked my interest again. VERY cool stuff. Go to:
I will be buying this item. I just dropped a chunk of cash on a bicycle, so it may be a month or so before I get it. when I do I will do a product eval for everyone.
Denis, I have a background in electronics so I agree the hardware is cheap. But the same can be said about that nice CE you ride. The cost is not in the materials, but in the research, design, testing of the product. If anyone could do it, everyone would. $150.00 is a bit steep, but not too bad as a per unit cost. If the chaps at LEGAL SPEEDING had a big production run of say 50,000 units then the cost would be like $20.00. But I guess they have only sold a few hundred, as I had to find out about the product via Larry rather than a magazine ad.
If it helps save me from another ticket, it will be paid for in double. I have found that using earphones is too awkward with the wire flipping about in the wind, & they hurt my ear as well.
I didnt see the mounting hardware or pics of the fairings that he had at his booth. Maybe they scrapped them. Maybe they were just for people to see how many more options they have for places to mount the detectors with the wireless alert in the helmet. From what I can recall almost all of them were concealed. He had 4 front fairings from 4 different bikes. There were rectangular slots cut in the fairing with a clear plastic lense to protect the detector from bugs, or it was mounted behind the windsheild. The detector was actualy mounted in a box. It pretty much looked like it was part of the normal dash set up. The wires were all concealed. If you didnt know what you were looking for, some of the mounts were very hard to pick out. Anyone could do it with a little imagination and planning.
