Rallye navigation bracket photo thread

I'll echo this- I have all three popular options- F2R, TT, and MD. The F2R is, to me, superior, even if money were no object (it's actually the cheapest option, also).

Back to the thread:

Here is a photo of Octavio Valle's bike getting ready for the 2010 Dakar. It uses a kit from Honda Europe (the older one). This is a combination of new parts, Mecasystem parts, and KTM parts (headlights from 660 rally). The front subframe itself is pretty stout and hard to break. The bolt system to the frame concerned me because the bolts go nearly directly backward, so the stress on them is in the plane of the threads, not perpendicular as is ideal. It tends to bend the bolts and loosen as the bike vibrates, I think. Also, the roadbook reader in this setup is too close to the rider to easily read standing up. Ideally, it should be lower, maybe further forward and point more upward, depending on the rider's size and riding style.

fun fun
Charlie

Slightly of topic but is there a cheeper unit than the ICO trip computer?
It scared me when I saw the price of them.

I've been happy with the Trailtech Vector- it has all the functions you need for roadbook navigation, plus alot of others. You can get an optional thumb switch for $25. It has held up well for me. If I were doing the Dakar, I'd probably go with an ICO as it is the "standard" and replacement parts, etc. would be easier to find, but for my usual use, the Vector has been great.

I have a vector with the optional thumb switch but haven't used it yet (only got it last week and the bike isn't finished yet).

The only nav rallye that I can see myself doing is the Condo 750 (2 day rallye) so I didn't want to spend that much on an ICO, and I'd be so far at the back I could just follow everyone elses tracks

I thought the vector would be sufficient but thought I'd ask some people who would know.

Thanks.

Charlie and others with rally experience. Is the weight on the bars really bad? Is it worth the extra work and fabrication to make a bracket that bolts to the steering stem? Thanks!

After a full day of racing when you are tired, it's very nice to be relieved of that extra pendulum effect when going through ruts and sand. And of course, if you don't have it to begin with you will have less strain on your upper body. If you run a full rally setup theres a couple of kgs up high where you don't want it pulling at the bars.

But if you are running a Acerbis type rb-holder and a Vector there is no need imho.

WORD!!

I've run lots and lots of rally routes with a handlebar-mounted setup. I don't notice the extra weight on the bars much. Generally, a handlebar-mounted setup will be lighter and simpler than a frame-mounted setup. So, that means a lighter bike overall, which is never bad. Mostly, I'm too cheap and lazy to build a frame-mounted setup for my XR, and I don't see any real need to. If I were to run another big rally, I'd take the XR with handlebar clamps, F2R, and one ICO. We ran 8 bikes with this setup in our last Rally School without a hitch. In my book, simpler is better. (And, when others are prepping their bikes, you can be out riding.)

fun fun
Charlie

Mike Shirley's setup:

^ VERY nice K.I.S.S. system

another style:

Oh, please. If you´re goin to pick on eachother, use pm.
Don´t spoil a good thread!

The bike clearly handles better with weight off the handlebars, but IMO, that's not actually very important, unless you're actually trying to win something. Most of rally riding is avoiding mistakes and drama, not maximizing the performance of the bike.

The handlebarmount does seem to make life a bit more difficult for me in the deep sand

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm building up my 690 and it's one of those decisions you only need to make if you can afford the Nav bracket/fairing and I'm not certain I can so, the decision has been made even easier now

I will say that I was a victim off the Farkle disease in the past and loaded my handle bars with all kinds of crap that I really didn't need. Once I slimmed down, the bike handled better and I was less distracted. Sounds like not everyone has the same opinion about the weight though. Maybe a Carbon fiber roll chart holder would be a good product for someone to make and have it come with an integrated clamp and ICO holder

Inmates:

I run Charlie's set up pictured above.

Some feedback on the bar mount nav set up. It works great, once assembled and getting the wiring harness organized it's an easy unit to install and remove when I'm not riding roll chart routes.

To me the "pendulum effect" of the mass of the nav gear acts in a similar way to a steering stabilizer. Most of us run a stabilizer of some sort.

Just a thought, I'm sure there is a counterpoint I may not be considering.

I just saw some footage of the Rally Sardegna, that is currently in progress.

Everybody uses handlebar mounted brackets to suort the roadbook/ICO, probably because it is more an roadbook navigated enduro than a desert race, but what suporised me is that at 2:00 you see a KTM, that uses only ONE bracket to support the nav.gear.

http://youtu.be/Bdb2eF9wau0

IMO it's all about trying to stay as fresh as possible to avoid mistakes during rallies and removing weight from the bars does just that to me. I've run both setups and removing the junk helped me stay fresh for a lot longer and keep the pace up.

But if you can keep the weight near the steering stem of the forks, it will of course cause less drag in the steering. It will make for difficult reading of the instruments though and I'm way too tall for such a setup during fast rallies.

But for enduro type races with RB, I use a simple plastic rb-holder on the bars. But they are rarely about navigation, more about getting around to the various special sections.