how crowded is your cockpit?

Yarz

Joined
Jul 20, 2023
Messages
18
Location
western PA
would you mind sharing a photo of your ST cockpit, taken from behind the handlebars? You rally riders and IBR vets, especially, how are you mounting aux light switches, multiple GPS devices, radar detectors, phones, volt meters, EZPass holders, etc.... I'm starting to farkle my first new-to-me ST1300 and learning that there ain't much room up there for devices once you take into account the space needed for raising the fuel tank, handlebars on lock-to-lock turns, raising/lowering the windshield, etc... I'm curious how and where devices are getting placed.
 
On the top (horizontal) surface above the instrument panel, there are two fasteners. Someone manufactured an aluminum bar bent to fit the mild curvature and mounted 3 ram balls on the bar, which was secured with screws thru these fastener holes. After that fellow disappeared, various iterations of this have surfaced, including a printed version made of plastic. There is a thread that tells you how to make one yourself - it is pretty simple. While I think the original spacing of the RAM balls was too close for 3 devices, I did manage to mount my GPS on one and my phone on the other. Of course, there are RAM balls mounted on the clutch and brake reservoir covers and someone machined a bar w/ mounts to fit between the handlebars for additional RAM mounts.
 
SMSW said:
someone machined a bar w/ mounts to fit between the handlebars for additional RAM mounts.
Click to expand...

THIS bar I would like to see. Any idea where a photo hides of it? Is it anchored to the tops of the clutch and brake reservoir plates? I created a flat but vertical bar to reach across the open space between the throttle and the left grip, anchored by the bolts holding the brake and clutch assemblies to the handlebars. But when I started to attach my 550, I realized I could no longer lift the tank. If I redesign to hold the 550 up higher so the tank clears, then the potential for the shelf over the instrument cluster becomes unavailable.
 
Yarz said:
THIS bar I would like to see. Any idea where a photo hides of it? Is it anchored to the tops of the clutch and brake reservoir plates? I created a flat but vertical bar to reach across the open space between the throttle and the left grip, anchored by the bolts holding the brake and clutch assemblies to the handlebars. But when I started to attach my 550, I realized I could no longer lift the tank. If I redesign to hold the 550 up higher so the tank clears, then the potential for the shelf over the instrument cluster becomes unavailable.
Click to expand...
It was RBIS- Ram Ball Installation System.
It was originally made by a member of this forum who posted the build on this forum.
The idea was later taken up and manufactured by member of this forum who was also a vendor. His business and the RBIS that he sold are both defunct.

The information to make your own is still on this site. Have a look through the below post that I previously made. That post and the links in it should be everything that you need.
Dash Mount For Ram Ball
 
These are the Migsel ones you can buy. Folks have reported the holes are slightly off.

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There's also a thread here about a DIY version using aluminum flat bar.


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Folks also mount onto the clutch / brake covers using a RAM ball mount, to the bars, to a between the handlebars (if your bike is equipped for that...) and there are mounts for the sides of the speedo cluster.



51sJ3U4UEkL._AC_SL1000_.jpg51JCe2WiwxL._AC_SL1000_.jpgIMG_1878.JPG20200304_130229.jpg
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Mine looked like this for 110,000 miles.

Nsq7fty.jpg


Then it looked like this (2018 FJR) for 38,500 miles

iTcp2Dr.jpg


now it looks like this. (2021 NC 750) for the last 32,000 miles

FA6UfuL.jpg


heck I still use paper maps
 
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Here's a couple of ideas that I used on all 3 of my ST and both of my FJRs. Pictures are of my FJR, but the ideas are applicable.

First, you can get RAM mounts that replace the back brackets (on the handlebars just inside of the grips) that hold your clutch and brake assemblies in place. It's a solid mount and you can put whatever you want on the RAM balls.

Here's looking from the left side.
Stock RAM mount left.jpg

Here's looking from the right side. On my FJRs I needed the supplied spacers, I don't recall needing them on any of my STs but they come in the RAM kit in any case.
(Also, I just noticed, you can see a mounting plate on the brake reservoir, discussed next.)
Stock RAM mount right.jpg

Inexpensive as well.
Screen Shot 2023-07-28 at 5.20.54 PM.png Screen Shot 2023-07-28 at 5.21.35 PM.png




Second, you can cut mounting plates out of something easy to work with (mine are some kind of hard plastic I got at ACE hardware). Cut to shape as needed for whatever you want to put on them. Drill holes to match the bolt locations on top of your brake and/or clutch fluid reservoirs and replace the two mounting bolts with ones a bit longer to account for the thickness of whatever material you make the mounting plates out of. Bolt them on. The first set I made, I was real detail oriented and tapered the bolt holes for flush mounting, but . . . didn't do that this time as I had these bolts on hand using them saved a trip back to ACE. The bolt heads aren't in the way, so . . . maybe I'll get around to redoing it in the future. Yeah, sure!

Clutch Resevoir Mount.jpg


Any questions, let me know.
Both these ideas provide solid mounting points. Have fun farkling!
Shuey
 
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Obo said:
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Click to expand...
I got to say without being insulting but how in the heck you see the road? Do you have a heads up display in your helmet that shows the road realtime?

Sorry I couldn't help myself. If it works for you that is all that counts. Right?
 
As above, the original Migsel dash mount is the schnitzel, and I lucked out and found one here in the For Sale area. Mine is an original, and seems someone else now makes them and the holes may be off.
Mine's almost perfect, but the outside 2 holes aren't threaded the same as the center one. As it's aluminum, shouldn't be too hard to drill and tap these.
It's easy to add a Powerlet charger or similar, right below the fairing pockets, or a switch for lights or other little switches.
If I really want to farkle up, I have a GoldWing switch pod I'll put on, particularly for the McCruise I expect to add eventually.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
Y'all just pipe down already, huh?
 
Yarz said:
THIS bar I would like to see. Any idea where a photo hides of it? Is it anchored to the tops of the clutch and brake reservoir plates?
Click to expand...
Sorry, the photo is probably in the farkles forum and goes back at least 5 years. The guy who made it had two vertical uprights that bolted to a couple of the handlebar bolts. A horizontal bar (cylindrical) then spanned these uprights. From what I remember, removing the assembly would be necessary to lift the tank. But, how often do you lift said tank?

MCL once made an aluminum plate that replaced the plastic center piece (between the handle bars). This aluminum cover had a hole for a ram ball or a powerlet (this was centered over the steering axis). I have a 2nd hand milling machine from Harbor Fright (the smallest one they sell) and I made one for my bike. It worked perfectly but was sold with the bike.
 
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