Installing Garmin Zumo R1 Radar - any suggestions on where to run the wire?

[OverHillAndDale]

I have been gifted a Garmin Zumo R1 Radar system (new product). It will let you know when someone is in your blind spot and close behind you. I really like this idea in that my old stiff neck doesn’t swivel as far as it used to, and I have this feature on my car and it works very well.

Installation for the front components will be easy, my only issue is mounting the radar component, which will mount just above the license plate. I don’t want to run the wire where it will have to be tacked down, and the only option I can see is to drill a 1/2” hole behind the license plate (the wire is slimmer than that, but the connector on the end of the cord is 1/2”). Suggestions?

Garmin zūmo™ R1 Radar | Rearview & Blindspot Motorcycle Radar

zumo R1 Radar is a rearview and blind spot motorcycle radar with external lights, audio alerts and full-screen radar display when paired with your phone or zūmo XT2.

www.garmin.com

 

[jzeiler]

I would just run the wire along the top case and mount the radar at the base of the top case. It really does not need to be at the license plate. Double stick foam tape is your best bet for mounting.

 

[RayBJ]

FWIW, there's nothing behind the plate area but a lot of air and the tire. You can use a split grommet if you feel the need to seal the hole.

 

[pegasus1300]

drill the hole to accommodate the connector and a split rubber gromet that also fits tight around the wire This will give you a good-looking installation and protect the wire insulation as well. I would go behind the license plate and run the wire along the path that the license plate light wire runs in.

 

[OverHillAndDale]

Thanks all. I like the idea of the split grommet, and that is how I’ll install it. Pics will follow once I’m finished, as well as my evaluation of the product.

 

[OverHillAndDale]

I finished the installation of the Garmin R1 radar system on my 2020 Spyder RT. I used a split grommet as was suggested, and that was definitely the way to mount the rear radar hardware.

I have some specific reasons for needing it and (spoiler alert) I love it. First, I’m a long term T1 diabetic, and I leave my blood sugar display on my phone. This rules out me using BRP Connect which takes control of my phone display. I use a Garmin XT2 GPS which replaces a lot of the functionality of BRP Connect.

Next, I have a spinal condition which limits my neck rotation. I always turn my head before I change lanes, but the radar provides me a notice when someone is in my blind spot which saves me the trouble of looking if the radar warns me my blind spot is occupied.

The radar was fairly simple to install. There is the radar sensor itself which I mounted at the bottom of my license place. The wire from this device splits in two, one side with a red wire and a black wire for power, and the other connects to the front display units. I mounted the display units on my handlebars underneath a RAM ball that was mounted there for other purposes.

Each of the display units will glow amber if there is a car on that sides’ blind spot, and will glow red when a car is tailgating you. There is also a display of the traffic around you that can be directed to the XT2 GPS or to a cell phone. The display shows cars behind you as grey when they’re not in a threatening location, as amber if they are in your blind spot, and as red if they are tailgating you. Just eyeballing it, my guess is it can detect cars as far as 100 yards behind you, and the display has shown as many as 6 or 7 cars. It can also differentiate between trucks, cars, and motorcycles.

Many folks have told me that this is overkill for a motorcycle, but a safety feature only needs to save your life once to be worth it.

 

[EdMat]

Next, I have a spinal condition which limits my neck rotation. I always turn my head before I change lanes, but the radar provides me a notice when someone is in my blind spot which saves me the trouble of looking if the radar warns me my blind spot is occupied.
Many folks have told me that this is overkill for a motorcycle, but a safety feature only needs to save your life once to be worth it.

That right there would make it worth it. Looking forward to a full ride report after hundreds of miles.

 

[AmigoJack]

I have been gifted a Garmin Zumo R1 Radar system (new product). It will let you know when someone is in your blind spot and close behind you. I really like this idea in that my old stiff neck doesn’t swivel as far as it used to, and I have this feature on my car and it works very well.

Installation for the front components will be easy, my only issue is mounting the radar component, which will mount just above the license plate. I don’t want to run the wire where it will have to be tacked down, and the only option I can see is to drill a 1/2” hole behind the license plate (the wire is slimmer than that, but the connector on the end of the cord is 1/2”). Suggestions?

Garmin zūmo™ R1 Radar | Rearview & Blindspot Motorcycle Radar

zumo R1 Radar is a rearview and blind spot motorcycle radar with external lights, audio alerts and full-screen radar display when paired with your phone or zūmo XT2.

www.garmin.com

If it is a radar, does it need to be in the open? Can it go in the trunk?

 

[racoon]

I found the installation instructions on the Garmin website.
One of the options is to mount it to the license plate bracket, but there's also a surface mount option.
So maybe mount it to the rear of the top case?

As for the hole for the wiring, visit your local hardware store and look for the nuts and bolts aisle, and see if they have rubber grommets.
I'd look for one about 3/4" in diameter with a small hole in the center (big enough for the wire). Then slice it from the hole to the outside edge.
Drill the hole big enough the connector to pass through, pass the connector through the hole. Then slide the slice in the grommet around the wire and then install the grommet in the hole, with the slice towards the bottom of the hole.

Hopefully that explanation makes sense.