Radar detectors - good idea?

[HDave]

Anyone use a detector? What kind, wired, cordless, etc.

and is it a worth while investment?

Thanks

[towneh]

escort 8500 x50 (wired) various sources claim that the cordless units don't perform as well.... it has certainly been a worthy investment for moi !!! i also use the Screamer peizo to get my attention.
.02
Hayabusa Henry

[Bueller]

Everytime I've gotten a ticket, cage and bike I haven't had mine with me.
BTW Henry were did you get the screamer, buy it or build it?

[«TigerTamer»]

escort 8500 x50 (wired) various sources claim that the cordless units don't perform as well.... it has certainly been a worthy investment for moi !!! i also use the Screamer peizo to get my attention.
.02
Hayabusa Henry

Did you get the kit to mount it to the windscreen? How did you mount it? I'm looking into getting either the x50 or the Bel xr65

[towneh]

i got all my goods (detector, mount, screamer) as a bundle at http://www.radarbusters.com/default.asp it would be easy to build the screamer (almost as easy as a TRE...). my mount is a double platform (gps and detector) that is stem-inserted into the center of the triple tree. i am seriously considering the windshield mount myself because it makes for easy access for the key and outta the way when i fuel up with my double-high tank bag.... valentine systems are popular
my.02
Hayabago Henry

[swademaster]

I use a Whistler. It was a cheaper one but it seems to work fine. I used a headphone speaker for the earpiece. Here is a pic of how I mounted mine.

[johnthemick]

I just put one on my bike, had one in my car for 10yrs and never got a ticket with it and it has saved me 100s of times. I got the mount from motorcycleradar.com, it mounts to the brake or clutch lever bolts.

I also ordered the power unit for the Escort 2500.

Hopefully, I will have it all working tonight.

My recommendation would be to go with either an Escort or Valentine1. Vastly fewer falses and superior advanced warning.

[swademaster]

The reason I went with a cheaper one was because I didn't want it to get ruined if I get caught in the rain or it manages to fell off going down the road.

[towneh]

The reason I went with a cheaper one was because I didn't want it to get ruined if I get caught in the rain or it manages to fell off going down the road.

I understand your thinking; i chose to go with velcro attached units with tethers. my gps is waterproof and i put a saran "shower cap" on the radar detector. Escort is the best with the POP technology.

henry the yellow sub commander!

[Fly boy]

escort 8500 x50 (wired) various sources claim that the cordless units don't perform as well.... it has certainly been a worthy investment for moi !!! i also use the Screamer peizo to get my attention.
.02
Hayabusa Henry

screamer = ???


I thought about getting one, do you guys use head phones to listen for the bleeps?

[towneh]

the Screamer has three modes of operation that can be selected with a small toggle switch.

1. silent--pretty useful when you approach a patrol car that you've seen or at the pumps when you power-up the detector (usual self-test)

2. normal--in town use or slower speeds

3. loud--on the highway with higher speeds

I can hear the loud at 130mph while wearing earplugs!!!

my ears are filled with earplugs or gel earbud headphones.

[Fly boy]

How do the old, wal-mart, 60 dollar radar detecters work?

not looking to spend 250 on one

[Bueller]

Ya get what you pay for. New radar technology requires new detectors. I've got the $300 Escort Solo S2 and a Arapahoe sheriff was pointing a gun directly at me (was not speeding) and the detector didn't go off. So they have something new out.
Had the same happen in denver at a school zone were they just stand there shooting and waving people over, and my Beltronics didn't make a peep. It is a 2 year old and has laser but it didn't see what they were using.

[Fly boy]

Ya get what you pay for. New radar technology requires new detectors. I've got the $300 Escort Solo S2 and a Arapahoe sheriff was pointing a gun directly at me (was not speeding) and the detector didn't go off. So they have something new out.
Had the same happen in denver at a school zone were they just stand there shooting and waving people over, and my Beltronics didn't make a peep. It is a 2 year old and has laser but it didn't see what they were using.

that sucks... don't think I will be getting one then

[Artnshel]

I use a V1 and bought the HARD thing. It works well but uses batteries when I forget to turn it off.

[PharmerKyle]

How do the old, wal-mart, 60 dollar radar detecters work?

not looking to spend 250 on one

They're great at registering the "your speed is" wagons on the side of the road

I got a ticket about a year ago and was using a Beltronics. I got pinged mid-corner by an unmarked- not a good place to grab some brake. It's still a useful thing and has saved me too many times to mention, but "on a long enough time line..."

[FZRguy]

Here's a link to HARD...a wireless, LED warning light mounted inside your helmet.

http://www.motorcycleradar.com/products_pg2_4.htm#HARD

[«TigerTamer»]

I looked at that, but it was just too expensive. I ordered this instead.

http://www.aerostich.com/product.php...cat=336&page=1

[eric]

I love my V1 - it's saved me more then I can count.....

[KooLaid]

I gotta Silver Bullet that I use in my truck and bike (at night though). It's got the wireless option but the siren is too quiet to hear on the bike. I haven't REALLY gotten use of it here in colorado since I haven't ran across too many speed traps yet, but in california, that thing RAWKED! Paid I think... $180 or so.

[ArrShixer]

Does any of your guys dectors work in the canyons? Thats where I seem to get pulled over the most, in mid corner with some jake coming the other way. Pop radar is sucky...

[«TigerTamer»]

Mine seems to work just fine in the canyons. You do have to remember that radar waves fan out and bounce all over the place, so in a tight canyon they don't have as much room to fan out so can be harder to pick up. When you do pick them up, you are usually much closer to the PO then if you were in a wide open area. In my experience, the detector usually goes off when it picks up someone in front of me getting tagged, in a canyon thats alot harder to pick up. I still prefer to have it.

[johnthemick]

I have one, an Escort with an earbud. It works very well in a speed trap environment. It has worked well in the canyons too. I find myself much more conscious of my speed with one and actually cruise a little slower in anticipation of it going off and having to grab brake. So, that, in its self is a good thing.

Escorts have different tones for X, K, Ka and Laser, so you can usually ignore the X band stuff as that is usually an automatic door.

Laser though, it just tells you that you are about to get pulled over.

[«TigerTamer»]

I have one, an Escort with an earbud. It works very well in a speed trap environment. It has worked well in the canyons too. I find myself much more conscious of my speed with one and actually cruise a little slower in anticipation of it going off and having to grab brake. So, that, in its self is a good thing.

Escorts have different tones for X, K, Ka and Laser, so you can usually ignore the X band stuff as that is usually an automatic door.

Laser though, it just tells you that you are about to get pulled over.

I agree, except that now that I have the detector, I find myself riding faster NOT paying attention to my speed, so if you some idiot on a blue Triumph doin a stoppie, you know the radar detector just went off in my ear