I finally upgraded from my antique Garmin GPS V (no snickering) and purchased a Garmin Nuvi 2450LM for use on my motorcycle. No, it’s not waterproof, but I will either get a waterproof box or pull it when I ride into rain. Since research showed the smart plan is to get new technology every few years, I wanted the most economical Garmin GPS I could get that would still allow the import of up to 100 routes and 1000 waypoints. The 2450 was as low as I could go and I got one for $157.
I purchased a Ram Mount from Express Mounts for attaching the GPS to my motorcycle handlebar. The 2450 snaps back into the frame after passing back across a roller at the center top. It’s impressive how firmly mounted the GPS is in the Ram Mount. No worries about the GPS falling out on the road.
The 2450 meant going from a less than 2 ¾” display to a full 5” display so I looked forward to the first test ride with great anticipation. It was like going from a postage stamp monitor to a full LCD mounted on my handlebars. I took the motorcycle out on a sunny day and couldn’t see a thing on the display. Back to the drawing board.
After a lot of time spent researching screen films and various hoods I decided they were all over-priced and no guarantee of solving the problem and wanted a DIY option that wouldn’t break my heart if it didn’t work.
I didn’t want a soft hood (fabric) so I started racking my brain for a light weight plastic that would be cheap and flexible enough to bend and force into the small gap between the Ram Mount and the GPS. I found one DIY post where a guy used a DVD case, but the gap between the Ram Mount and my 2450 would never accommodate plastic that thick.
It finally hit me – a flexible binder cover was the correct weight. I went to Walmart and found just what I wanted – a black plastic opaque binder. Make sure the binder is not translucent. Hold it up to the light and verify you can’t see your hand through it. Total cost: $1.87.
I measured the GPS and made a pattern from craft paper. I used a rotary cutter and a straight edge, but the plastic could just as easily be cut with scissors.
The most important issue was finding a way to accommodate the roller that holds the GPS so I cut 1” slits to make a tab in the plastic. The tab has to be forced under the roller that holds the GPS. Less than 1” slits and the top of the hood is forced down blocking the view of the screen.
I folded the plastic at the top corners of the GPS and then forced the sides into the small gap between the GPS and the Ram Mount. That was it. I was ready for a test ride.
I left fully expecting the thing to get ripped off by the wind before I got out of the neighborhood. I ride a BMW F650GS with very little wind protection. The GPS, mount, and hood would pretty much be hanging out taking the full brunt of the wind.
I went for a 685 mile trip and the hood stayed in place even at highway speeds and in wind gusts. I would check every once in a while and make sure it wasn’t being pushed forward.
Best thing? It blocked the sunlight so I could clearly see the GPS display. I found it’s very important to have the GPS pointed squarely at your eyes to avoid glare in bright sunlight.
Yes, the plastic bows up a little on each side of the top roller, but it doesn’t allow light in to decrease visibility of the screen and apparently doesn’t catch enough wind to pull it off.
Since the binder cover has enough plastic to make 4 hoods I plan to make a backup hood to pack on the motorcycle in case the hood fails or gets blown off. It’s not like it will take a whole lot of space to slip in somewhere.
It will take you longer to go to Walmart and get the binder than it will to cut the hood out and put it on the GPS. 4 hoods for $1.87? Seems like a deal to me.
As far as the 2450 – the touch screen worked great with gloves on my hands. I do think I’ll apply a screen protector to prevent scratching. Now I just need to learn how to use the new GPS 🙂