Stuff that works

[OB_ROR]

A Valentine One radar detector mounts very nicely inside the fairing on the right side, above the ram air box and looking out through the plastic above the turn signal. There's a lateral bolt in there for a headlight substructure, which i used to mount a 3-inch aluminum bar fore-and-aft above the inside edge of the ram air box. Then it was simple to strap the V1 to the bar with wire ties.

The remote display velcros on top of the clutch master cylinder and the remote audio unit sits inside the rear seat storage area. I lead an earphone jack lead from there under the front seat and out where seat and gas tank meet. A Radio Shack earphone without is ear retainer clip fits nicely inside the padding of my Arai and volume is great.

It's been great for 2,500 miles, including ride from LA up the coast to Oregon and back.

Luggage was TourMaster's new Cortech series - saddlebags, tailbag which clips to saddlebags, and tank bag. Plenty of room, easy to mount on top of or under the rear seat (will mount under the tail cone), and secure at 120. (I know that's way slow, but I was breaking it in.)

 

[OB_KawAbuser]

Try mounting the remote display on top of the tach/speedo housing with the funky hard plastic velcro supplied from Valentine.Pull off the windscreen and run the phone wire down the drain hole, crimp on a new end and your in business.The remote display will be better protected from the elements and you can see it right throught the top of the windshield with your eyes still on the road.

Where I live it is illegal to use a radar detector so this also serves to hide it a little better as well.

Are you interested in a remote laser sensor setup for your Valentine (front and back)?

 

[Guest]

Hey ROR.....two questions for you.

1) Have you ever tried a Radar Jammer? I'm getting ready to order one real soon (out of frustration with detectors). I have a Radar detector, but the two problems I have found are, I can't see/hear it (pain in the butt to wire the leads for headphones etc.), and Instant-on Radar. The detectors are useless against it. It was the Instant-on Radar that got me this last time.

2) Second question, were did you get saddlebags for the Busa?

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Busa_Owner: I've used a jammer for 4 years now...100,000 miles of commuting. I ALWAYS speed. The jammer works perfectly. The cops get a garbled reading (radar or laser) of either 4 mph or 306mph...neither of which is helpful to their cause in court. A detector alone is useless...it's only informative, not preventive. One caution: jammers are uni-directional. You can still get nailed from the rear.

 

[Guest]

Dirty Pete...Thanks for the input. I knew Radar detectors did only that and when it counts it's too late. That's why I just bought a Sprit Radar jammer(mail order 2 weeks to get here). I hope it's not junk. It says it emits an FM signal back with the Radar signal. What kind do you use?

Unfortunately there's only one way to put it to the test. Apparently you have...100,000 miles worth.

 

[OB_gixerbike1]

could you guy's let me know where i could buy a jammer?I am forever running from the damn cops, it gets a little old after a while.
Thanks
Tommy

 

[OB_ROR]

Busa-Owner

I got the luggage from my dealer, Suzuki of Van Nuys (great dealer and they had 5 Busas on the floor last Saturday). Tour Master has a web site with dealer list (www.tourmaster.com).

No experience with a jammer.

I did encounter some sort of pulsing radar used by CHP in N. California (but not in S. Calif where old-fashioned K band was in use) that the V1 didn't hear until about 1/4 mi away, which wasn't enough of a warning, but I was being a model citizen at the moment. A anyway. A couple guys on ZX-11s who had blasted by at about 100 a little earlier were examining the contents of their wallets as an officer looked on.

 

[Guest]

This is my kind of topic! I just might have a jammer laying around gathering dust and I just might sell it. Unlike the type Busa_Owner is buying mine is an active jammer. The type Busa_Owner is buying is referred to as a passive jammer and when tested by independent publications they've been useless. The active jammer I *might* have is large and contains a transmitter. The downside is that it only covers X,K band. The new KA band used in some areas now covers a wide spectrum and no active jammers have been developed for KA yet.

V1 : I use my V1 in my 2 cars and my Busa since at $400 a pop for the main unit alone I haven't purchased a single unit for each vehicle. Therefore I elected to mount my V1 directly to the windscreen with the front half sitting directly on top of the instrument cluster above the clock for stability. I used the windshield suction cups. Then I added the remote audio adaptor. Both the main unit and the audio adaptor are connected to the V1 dual power adaptor under the front seat by the battery. I ran the main unit's power cord under the bodywork/fuel tank and it is always left in place. The remote audio adaptor is also always wired and ready. I mount the remote audio adaptor box itself in the front of my helmet. It is small and not only has a speaker but also provides remote control function of the main unit. I'm considering adding some helmet speakers and mounting the remote audio adaptor on the bike but my current setup is working fine and I'm in no hurry. I always wear earplugs and I could NOT hear the main unit's audio before adding the remote audio adaptor. I only have to unplug one cord from the main unit (telephone wire connector) to move the main unit to my cars which are already hardwired and setup for the V1 main unit.
V1 - DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT.
http://www.valentineone.com
Around here I wouldn't ride a bicycle without a V1 strapped on somewhere!

Instant On - Number one enemy here. Rarely used by the locals but almost always used by the State HWP. EXTREMELY DEADLY at night since you can't identify patrol unit by sight. During the day there are various tactics which can be used in defense with the foremost being visual identification of any/all vehicles you approach. Secondly using traffic/other vehicles as cover. Most importantly is to have a receiver which is sensative enough to detect low power emmissions of instant on being fired at vehicles AHEAD of you BEFORE you reach the radar's range. I could go on and on here as the methods of defense are numerous but this is a good starting point. Laser is a another can of worms but isn't used in my area. Plus we have no requirements for front license tags on our cars here which makes it very difficult for laser operators.
There are some good products on the market for use against laser but most involve masking the front tag which wouldn't help on a Busa anyway.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Busa_Owner and Gixxerbike: I will get you the brand name of my jammer and give it to you tomorrow. It's in my car and my car's at home where it ought to be because I came to work on my Bus like I ought to.

Even when I give you the name it might be tough to source it because I ordered it from a mail order place who long ago delisted it and can't tell me where they got it. I wanted a second one so I wouldn't have to switch it from car to bike to car. I'll look the product over thoroughly for more clues as to who the manufacturer is. If anyone has a source for any brand of active jammer, I'd appreciate hearing about it as I'd like to do a tidy, permanent installation on the bike this winter.

Todd's right. An active jammer is best. My jammer constantly emits its jamming signal, which has a functionality check button to make it audible or silent.

I only put it on the bike when I'm using a tank bag. The jammer sits on Velcro under a map in the map window at the top of the tank bag (Technic). The power wire exits the tank bag at the bottom front and goes into a 12 volt plug I've fastened to the bottom of the front fairing. This location gives the jammer clear line of sight through the windshield AND hides it from cops...even under close inspection.

Now my only problem is disciplining myself to put the tank bag on for those rides where I don't intend to put anything in it. A bare tank is so much more aesthetically pleasing. But not quite as pleasing as riding right through a 3 cruiser radar trap at 30 over the speed limit.

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Busa_owner and Gixxerbike:

The name on the jammer is PHAZER. I cannot get at any info that might be on the bottom of the unit because I have epoxied Velcro onto the bottom in order to stick it piggy back onto my Bel radar detector, which is in turn Velcro'd onto the dash of the car.

This weekend, I will search my product manuals file to see if I kept the one for the Phazer jammer. Then I will be able to tell you the manufacturers' name and perhaps we can find out (assuming they're still in business) where they sell the things.

Check in Monday. Ride safe this weekend!

 

[OB_terra1]

Regarding jammer experience -- I have put about 50,000 miles on eight bikes while living in five different states. Always above the speed limit, stopped on highways for speeding three times, small town speed traps two more, NEVER picked up on radar. No jammer. So much for proof.

I think I've read that the commercial versions, like Phazer, don't do anything useful -- car magazine review of a few years back. I also know an electronics engineer who wired up his NSX with jamming capability that definitely works. So it can be done, but possibly not with a simple FM device.

 

[Guest]

The Air Force makes a paint that does not allow Doppler type radar to bounce back. I always wondered how it would work on a bike.

Paul

 

[OB_FalconDriver]

Hate to tell you all this, but for any of you who have gone out to buy Phazer radar jammers or any other passive jammer, you've wasted your money. I'm an avionics technician in the Air Force and also a proud owner of the 'Bus, and have been looking for a foolproof way to defend my bike (and myself) from the cops. First of all, for anyone who has been told that an FM signal will disrupt radar, beat up the guy who lied to you. If that was the case most cities just a few radio stations will render radar useless, since they broadcast such a strong signal. Passive jammers are about the same - the only thing that will confuse a radar is another false radar signal. Passive jammers only send out harmless other types of signals, none of which make a difference.

About the only thing that will truly work is an active jammer that constantly sends out radar signals. If you're able to find a true active radar jammer on the market, please let me know. I'd love to own one, but they are VERY illegal and seemingly impossible to find. I do have a tip on a foolproof way to stump the cops though. Seems the Air Force has an ALQ-79 radar found in F-15s and 16s which will stop any cop radar invented or ever will be invented.
Only problem it's powerful enough the blow up their radar unit right in their car, along with any other electronic device that sends signals (i.e. radios). Tryin' to build one for my 'Bus, but the damn dish is a little bulky Have tested this theory nd probed to be true though. Seems some boring Air Force cops decided to run radar on a F-16 taking off and got zapped. Turned the unit in the day after because it wouldn't work anymore

 

[Guest]

I've heard similiar stories from Air Force personel in the past. Seems the RF countermeaseures used by military aircraft are so powerful in wattage output they overload the front end of police radar receivers and POOF - they're toast. A token act of justice if you ask me! As I posted earlier I *might* have an active X/K band jammer for sell. One thing worth noting about it: it sets off other radar detectors like mad.

 

[OB_hiabuser]

not that i know about it, but (wink) jammer's inc sells radar units and jammers. both passive and active. by the way, passive jammers definately don't work. bought one and the next day got a ticket for 70 in a 55. returned it back the next week. sorry, can't remember where jammers is located. will try and find the credit card rec't to get info. if i find it, i'll let you know. they have all kinds of radar prevention stuff. car and truck bras with ram, detectors of every sort, jammers, license plate covers that disrupts any opportunity of getting pics, license plate frames that deflect laser at weird angles, etc, etc.
later
mike

 

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Busa_owner and Gixxerbike:

Found the manual! Seems some experts are trashing the Phazer, but here's the info anyway:

Rocky Mountain Radar, 6469 Donophan Drive, El Paso, TX 79932 (915) 587-0307 fax (915) 587-6408.

I was wrong about the Phazer being active. The manual says it's a "reflective receiver." So I don't know why it has a test circuit with a speaker. It definitely puts out a constant signal.

Anyhoo...I have a hard time believing that raw luck has protected me through 100,000 miles of high speed commuting. I mean ZERO radar tickets from the front! And I've driven through lots of radar traps. Also, 80% of that 100,000 has been done in CAR, not a motorcycle. Cars have big radar profiles. When I got the Phazer, I stopped getting tickets, and that's good enough for me.

Sound to me like the whole subject is rife with witchcraft. Until the day I get a ticket from the front, my Phazer jammer stays on my broomstick!

 

[OB_FalconDriver]

Since this seems to be such a hot topic, I talked to a couple of coworkers today to (hopefully) help you all out. We all seem to be in agreement that you all need to **WATCH OUT** when buying what is being advertised as an active jammer. Like I said in my earlier post active radar units are illegal because they violate FCC regs, so the chances of coming across a true active jammer seems slim. I did find out something interesting though. A jammer that sends out a continuous FM signal can be labeled as an active jammer, although FM signals do nothing to police radar. So if you've got a line on a true active jammer proceed cautiously - most of them seem to be alot of hype

 

[OB_Mr Bear]

FalconDriver, are you an F-16 guy? You sound like you know your poop. If you are ever thinking about moving to the civilian world, I know a couple of people in the commercial aircraft biz who would be good contacts for someone with avionics background.

Just something for you to keep in mind. Good riding!