grw
BMWNUT
Background Info
I really liked having a radio/CD player on my '03 H-D Road Glide. Unfortunately H-D switched over the radios during the 2003 model year from upgradeable (add headset, etc.) to non-upgradeable so I was stuck with the fairing speakers and they were useless at anything over 45 mph. Even at full volume music was almost inaudible over the wind noise. Add a full face helmet and earplugs and the system was useless. The H-D radio did have a 3.5mm aux input jack on the faceplate which I occasionally plugged an iPod into.
Based on my experience with the H-D system when I bought an R12RT I chose one without an audio system. While the RT is much quieter at speed than the Road Glide I still didn't think the radio would be all that useful at highway speeds. In addition the radio is an expensive option and BMW has a mixed record with in-bike sound systems. I'm thinking back to the K100LT and original R1100RT models whose radio options had a reputation for lousy sound.
Another factor that made me decide against the factory radio was my feeling that optical disc based music on a motorcycle doesn't make a lot of sense. It's a dirty and harsh environment and frankly CDs don't hold that much music. I have found that loading up music into a MP3 player is a lot more convenient than burning custom CDs. The capacity of MP3 players is almost unlimited and they are generally immune to skipping on rough roads. Since I carry a laptop on long trips I can reload the MP3 player and even buy new music and load it during a trip.
This past winter I purchased a used Garmin Streetpilot III GPS unit and installed a RAM mount on it using Touratech's long bolt and spacer kit (see here). Years ago I bought a Valentine 1 radar/laser detector which I always planned to install on a bike. I purchased a Ztechnic TechMount at BMWOR at the open house this spring with the V1 in mind.
Finally I decided to put together a system that would integrate an iPod, the Garmin, the V1, and possibly a XM Satellite Radio in the future.
Planning
The glove box/radio compartment on the R12RT is enormous and weather tight. It's even reachable with a gloved hand while riding and is nicely designed so that the lid stays open. It can be locked at night.
After some research I decided on MixIt2 audio amplifier and signal mixer. The MixIt2 has a couple of features that made it ideal for my project. It has an integrated line filter to reduce vehicle ignition system noise. It has four inputs (exactly the number I needed) and one of the inputs can override the other three (perfect for the Garmin's spoken directions). Two of the inputs are stereo (iPod and future XM receiver) and two are mono (Garmin and V1). Finally the MixIt2 is made by an MOA member.
I sketched out the connections between the devices and the MixIt and realized that I needed a special 2.5mm to 3.5mm patch cord to connect the Garmin to the MixIt2. MixIt Products supplied the special patch cord. The MixIt also comes with stereo patch cords which would handle the iPod and V1.
I also needed an extension cable for the output of the system and some way to listen to the sound. I decided on a pair of Etymotic ER-6 earphones. I had previously done some experiments with a set of Sony earphones and my iPod and liked the results. Helmet speakers suffer to some extent from wind noise interference and attenuation from ear plugs. The ER-6 block noise and deliver sound and so offered the possibility of killing two birds with one stone (with apologies to PETA).
The MixIt2 can be powered using a cigarette lighter adapter (supplied). I also found a cigarette lighter to USB power adaptor (1A) on-line and ordered it (about $10 with shipping from USBGeek. They also sell a 2A model but for the iPod 1A is plenty. This would allow me to leave the iPod on all the time and the cable connecting the iPod with the adapter would also serve to connect the iPod to my laptop when required.
I stopped by Fry's Electronics and picked up two cigarette lighter sockets and the 3.5mm extension cord I needed. I still had the original four wire RJ-11 cords that came with my V1. They are needed to connect the V1 hard-wire power adaptor to the remote audio controller and the V1 to the audio controller. The audio controller has a headphone socket that would allow me to connect the V1 audio to the MixIt2.
In addition to being roomy the glove box also has a pre-made opening in the bottom fitted with a heavy rubber filler. This would give me a way to route the wiring for all the devices and maintain a mostly sealed compartment for the electronics. There is also a drain hole (just in case).
The Procedure
First the glove box has to be removed from the bike. To do this remove the tank bag rails, right upper fairing panel, the glove box lid, and right lower fairing panel/engine shroud. The procedure for this is in the shop manual. Carefully disconnect the temperature probe wire from the probe on the lower fairing panel.
The box itself can then be removed from the space next to the gas tank. It takes a bit of jockeying to remove it but it's just a tight fit. All this assumes you don't have a factory radio. If you do the instructions for removing it are beyond the scope of this description.
Access to the inside of the box is gained by removing the square flat lid. Once opened you have access to all the space inside the box.
I decided to use dual-lock and Velcro to attach the components to the inside surface of the glove box. The dual-lock was leftover from a Laminar Lip install on my Road Glide. The Velcro came from the local Ace Hardware store. I laid the box down on it's back and positioned the devices until I had an arrangement that fit and would expose the controls for adjustment during riding.
I positioned the dual-lock and Velcro on the devices first and then attached their mates peeled off the backing and positioned them as per my experiment. The adhesives have to cure for a day or so to reach most of their bonding strength. I set the box aside and worked on the cigarette lighter power sockets and the on-bike wiring for the radar detector.
Electrical
In March I had BMWOR in Eugene install a Centech AP-1 fuse sub-panel on the RT which was used to provide power to the rider and passenger accessory outlets, the Garmin GPS, and the Stebel air horn. The Centech has five fuses for eight connections at it's lug-less terminals. I used one for the Valentine's power point (see photo) and one for the cigarette lighter sockets that would be installed in the glove box.
A sharp knife made an "X" in the rubber plug at the bottom of the glove box. The plan was to push the cables through this opening. It worked. I was able to pre-route all the wires through the plug in preparation for hooking up the devices and routing wires around the bike.
It's important to leave enough slack in the wiring so that the glove box can be positioned for installation and possible future removal. I wound up bundling the excess wire under the box and zip tying the bundles to the frame. This can easily be undone to remove the box in the future (to add XM radio at some point).
I went back and positioned the MixIt2, iPod Shuffle, and Valentine remote audio controller on the dual-lock and Velcro. Originally I called MixIt and asked about removing the belt clip so I could position the MixIt2 on it's back. However after further reflection it made more sense to attach the unit by its front. This positioned the sockets conveniently for interconnection and leaves the battery compartment lid accessible. And it preserves the clip for future re-purposing.
Then I started installing patch cords. I secured the patch cords with self adhesive zip tie anchors (bought at Radio Shack).
Finally I secured the cigarette socket for the MixIt power adapter (the USB adapter still has not arrived).
NOTE: I did not provide any way to switch the power with the bike's ignition. Had I wanted to do so I could have hooked up a relay to kill power to the Valentine and MixIt when the bike was turned off. However these devices draw little power and it was just as easy to turn them off manually. Plus if I want to listen to music while stopped I'd have to leave the ignition on.
Reassembly
In preparation for reinstalling the glove box into the bike the access cover has to be reinstalled. Don't forget to seat the rubber plug with the wires first. Then wires have to be routed and secured. Best to work from the destination back towards the glove box to better manage the slack.
I routed the Garmin cable along existing harnesses securing with zip ties as I went. The process is then repeated for the Valentine. The iPod wiring is all internal to the glove box.
Carefully position the glove box and the wiring to avoid pinching the wires as you reinstall the box. Once the box is in place finalize the wiring back to the fuse panel being attentive to avoiding heat sources and securing the wires to insure they don't tangle or rub. Gather up the slack at the area under the glove box and secure it.
Here we see the glove box seated in it's correct position after the wiring is completed.
Before securing the box attach headphones or earplugs and verify that the system still operates correctly. Power the V1, iPod, and Garmin up, turn on the MixIt2, and finally test each source and the priority override. Once everything is working reassembly is the reverse of dis-assembly.
Be sure to secure the audio socket someplace convenient. I zip tied it to the tank bag rail in such a way that the tank bag can still be installed. This is easy to reach, provides enough slack to allow me to dismount without unplugging.
Verify that the volume knob on the mixer is in a good position when seated on the bike. If not reposition as required. Also verify that the controls on the iPod and the V1 audio controller can be reached as required, too. The dual lock is a little less flexible than Velcro but a lot more secure. I used Velcro for the MixIt to provide the most flexible positioning. As it turned out the knob is easy to reach and I don't need to reach the V1 control box very often (I can power it off with the knob on the V1 itself. The iPod location allows me to pause/play fairly quickly if needed.
I don't recommend fussing with this stuff while underway. Better to stop and make the adjustments. I wanted it to be possible to adjust underway but my feeling after my test ride is that while possible it's not recommended (except for quick volume adjustments).
My test ride proved that the ER-6 ear phones provide plenty of wind/road noise isolation and good quality sound. I will still carry ear plugs for days when I don't want to bother with music or directions but I won't miss them when I'm using the sound system.
The Garmin properly muted the music and radar detector. After the Garmin stopped speaking the music returned after a delay of a second or two.
The amplifier was reasonably quiet. The only noise came through from the Garmin's sound which had a faint buzz to it. This faded when the Garmin stopped speaking and the MixIt brought the gain on the other inputs back up. Occasionally I could detect some hum when I touched the volume knob. This stopped as soon as I released the control.
But Is It Low Cost?
Total costs for this system turned out to be reasonable. I already owned the iPod Shuffle, Garmin GPS, and the V1. I had the RAM mount arm from my old eMap mount and had to buy a hard mount point bracket and attachment for the GPS cradle.
Here's my cost overview:
- Garmin Mono Audio Cable $10
- 3.5mm extension cords (2) $10
- Cigarette Lighter Sockets (2) $5
- Velcro patches $3
- Dual Lock dots (3) $1
- MixIt2 Audio Amp/Mixer $179
- Zip Tie Mounting Points (1 package) $2.50
- USB Power Adaptor $10
- Etymotic ER-6 Ear Phones $90
So is this really a low cost audio system? I guess it depends on what you compare it to. The factory system costs around $1400. It has slick controls on the fairing dash but no headset capability out of the box.
The other alternatives would be a Autocom, Baehr, or J&M system. All of these would cost from 1 to 3 times the total cost of this system just for the master unit. On the plus side these other solutions would provide support for a microphone and for use of cell phones in addition to listen only sources.
This system can only support four inputs whereas some of the spendier alternatives can handle more inputs and include an intercom capability. The lack of intercom support is probably the biggest drawback. OTOH most of my long rides are solo these days. This system likewise provides no support for bike to bike communication. Clearly spending more can buy you more functionality.
If your needs are simple but not so simple that you can just plug a single source into headphones or ear phones then this approach might work for you. If you need intercom and bike-to-bike you should probably look elsewhere.
