After some thought. Change of direction.....

Onahi

The Equalizer
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I purchased the Italian XT mount adapter that fits directly into the BMW Nav cradle. After exchanging some ideas on here, I decided to remove the whole lot. I was unaware of the simplicity and accessibility of the Sat Nav Cable and plug.
I unplugged it, cut all the zip cables and took it off. Now fitted the Garmin XT 12mm bar mount. and fed the cables exactly how it was back to the plug. Looks like a factory fitting. Why ? I kept looking at the monstrosity of the mount. This new set up is so much cleaner, simpler and lighter. OK, it doesn't lock. But I can live with that, the same As I had over the last 20 odd years.

What I needed to purchase :

BMW OE plug lead - £19.00
Garmin XT 12mm mount - £19.00

Jobs a good'n

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If Im honest, Security of the Sat Nav hasnt ever bothered me. There are many items on my bike when touring that are not secure. Roll bag, Tank bag, side bags.... I very rarely leave the bike out of sight, and If I do, I take it off. Or have a mate stay with it. I can live without the security. And, if they really want it, seceurity may put them off, or slow them down ?
 
When I tried to connect my XT to my hexhead using the BMW OE plug lead up near the headstock - it would constantly flatten my battery, as if the bike was never powering it down.
I also bought a touratech mount but may go back to just using the garmin mount as there is nothing secure about the TT mount and it looks a bit of a carbuncle (it also vibrates more than the minimal garmin mount) - you can just take off with an allen key in 30 seconds.
Those TFT displays make my old clocks look positively prehistoric !
 
When I tried to connect my XT to my hexhead using the BMW OE plug lead up near the headstock - it would constantly flatten my battery, as if the bike was never powering it down.
I also bought a touratech mount but may go back to just using the garmin mount as there is nothing secure about the TT mount and it looks a bit of a carbuncle (it also vibrates more than the minimal garmin mount) - you can just take off with an allen key in 30 seconds.
Those TFT displays make my old clocks look positively prehistoric !

That's another point I noticed. With the adapter, There was a very faint vibrations, that made, now and then, the screen look blurred. It was going to happen, with all that bulk. With this simple set up. Its reduced the weight by 80%, its further back too. Ill keep an eye on the battery as I use it.
 
As with Onahi, I don’t buy into all this security for a sat nav stuff. Given the number of bods who leave their helmets dangling in their bike whilst they wander off, many have their priorities wrong. For anyone who remembers the small security screw on the 550; that was something you only ever did once.

Anyway, never forget the pound of butter in the fridge.
 
I am going a slightly different route to Onahi.

On my 850 GSA I plan on retaining the BMW whirlywheel controlled cradle on the handlebar clamp. Into this I am going to put the BMW cradle conversion, allowing me to charge / control my iPhone when running routes. The BMW cradle conversion I picked up today from BMW at Battersea.

Onto the BMW ‘Emergency services’ crossbar thing (that I also picked up from BMW Battersea today) I will mount my XT. I won’t have the whirlywheel control of the XT but that doesn’t bother me too much.

I will then have two separate methods of navigation, so I can chose to use either, neither or both. In between will be the small size TFT screen.
 
You mean the BMW Connected cradle ?
I did look at that. However, Id rather a stand alone Sat Nav. For several reasons. What's the idea for having Two seperate Navs ? Will you get another TFT for the same reasons ? Another TFT screen possibly under the original TFT ?
 
You mean the BMW Connected cradle?

That’s the one.

I did look at that. However, Id rather a stand alone Sat Nav. For several reasons. What's the idea for having Two seperate Navs ? Will you get another TFT for the same reasons ? Another TFT screen possibly under the original TFT ?

I too like a separate GPS. Having the two means I can get more used to using the BMW Connected app and the Garmin Drive app, at the same time as running the XT, which (as a Garmin device) I am now pretty familiar with. I can use both or either if I want to or I can turn them all off. I can also charge my phone at the same time, though I can do that in my tank bag anyway.

No, I won’t need a second TFT screen. I have enough to get used to already.
 
An alternative mount for the XT, or anything else really, and it's very well designed and made

://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00FZWLDEK?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Surprisingly Amazon is cheaper than even SW-Motech.
 


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