Radar detectors

[Sean_Burke]

Probably the best is a Valentine V1, but they are pricy.



Plan on spending as much for the detector, mount, etc. as you would on a top of the line helmet. Something a bit more than $500 (the detectors are $400 alone).

[brickl]

Most people say the Escort 8500 or a Valentine One are the tops. Both will necessitate rigging power if you don't have a normal 12v outlet.



I had (stolen from my jeep w/ my GPS unit, yeeha) an Escort 8500 and it was a big, big step up from the el cheapos I had before. Much more accurate, dependable, and confidence inspiring.



Instead of mounting the thing to a hardpoint I velcro'd the escort to the top of my Givi T409 7 liter tank bag. Worked well, and the small givi is perfect for packing the detector up with those day trip essentials like chain lube, small tire kit, pressure gage, Brut by Faberge, cell phone, and bail money.

[maladg]

I'm quite embarrassed to report that I put >30K miles/yr in a cage (sorry). Several yrs ago, I bought a cordless Escort thinking I could use it in the car or bike. Not worth the $$ on anything but X band.

My observations are on the last gen. No info on current gen other than the std buzz that comes with the Valentines.

Bottom line - don't bother with cordless...maybe some Morons have had better luck..

[Buzglyd]

Car and Driver conducts a thorough test every year and the V1 always comes out on top. The Escort 8500 typically takes second place quite a ways back.



The key to C and D's test is that the detectors are bought off the shelf and not sent to them by the manufacturers. This way they know the detectors aren't juiced up for the test.



The V1 is the only detector that tells you from which direction the radar is coming.



I ride too slow to need one but I'd buy the V1.

[Winger4Life]

Valentine One is consistantly rated the highest, unless the test is paid for by Escort or Bell.



I just got a mount for my GoldWing and now feel safe cruising at 100mph. V1 is numba vun!

[Buzglyd]

What do you do when you park to keep people from lifting it?

[SuperBill]

I have an Escort 8500 that I use on two motorcycles – a Honda VTR 1000 SuperHawk and an old BMW RT Airhead. I’ve been using radar detectors since the early 1980’s and this is the best I’ve had. I highly recommend it – it has excellent range and gives minimal false alarms.



(By the way, I only use the detector to let me know when IÂ’m being exposed to dangerous microwave radiation. Speeding is against the law.)



I use the optional hardwire "Smartcord" on both bikes with the remote indicators mounted adjacent to the speedometers. The detector is mounted inside a tankbag on the SuperHawk and in a fairing pocket in my BMW. Audio from the jack on the Escort is routed through the AutoComm intercom on the BMW and directly to my helmet headset when IÂ’m on the SuperHawk. The telephone-style plug on the Smartcord (which supplies power to the detector and a signal to the remote indicator) goes directly to the detector on the BMW and goes to a double-female plug near steering head on the Superhawk. A second cord (coiled) goes from the double-female plug on the Superhawk to the detector in the tankbag This lets me easily disconnect the power and take the bag off for gas without having to open the bag and disconnect the detector.



The audio is a must! The more you need a radar detector, the less you need to have your eyes anywhere but the road! The setup I have works great through the intercom speakers in my full-face helmet with or without earplugs. I have a riding buddy that uses a cheap Radio Shack earplug that also gives excellent results. On the 8500, different radar bands give different audio signals, and the strength of the signal is indicated by the repetition rate of the audio signal.



The placement of the detector inside the fiberglass fairing or inside the top of the tankbag does not seem to adversely affect radar detection (I use the same unit in my cage with similar results), and out-of-sight is a nice stealth setup for places like New York State where detectors are illegal (or anywhere else you donÂ’t want to advertise your radar detection intentions). Unfortunately, since laser light wonÂ’t penetrate fiberglass or Cordura, this setup defeats the laser detection capability of the unit. (If anybody cares, itÂ’s my opinion that laser beams have so little scatter that the only thing a laser detector does is let you know that you just got a ticket.)



And just so you know, if you speed, radar detector or no, sooner or later you'll get a ticket. Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine (and the insurance premiums)!

[pngkanaka]

The K40 is a nice unit and guys in my area are having them stealth mounted to their bikes.

http://www.k40.com/Products/Radar/Un...gleRemote.html

[seruzawa]

Check out what your local police agencies are using first. Many have switched to Laser speed guns.



There are Laser detecters on the market. But the problem is that the detector only goes off when you are being painted by the Laser gun and so it's too late.

[ckirk]

FWIW, I own both a Valentine V1 & an Escort 8500. Both are high quality and both have essentially equal detecting performance capabilities based on my many thousands of miles of side by side comparison in three different cages. I rate them both highly but for my riding & driving style the V1 remains in the cages & the Escort 8500 is used on the bikes. As I put over 25k miles annually on my Ducs & Dual Sport stuff as well as about 40k on the cages each year in my home range of the wide open spaces of NW Wyoming & Northern Idaho, I need detectors to help keep my license intact.



Which one is best for your bike depends to some degree on what bike you own as that will determine where & how the detector is mounted. Price & size are also factors, as the V1 is relatively heavy & bulky & the addition of an earphone adapter adds about $45.00 to its price as well as adding additional bulk. If the detector can be mounted where the front face is visible and bulk is not an issue then the signal direction arrows of the V1 give it the nod as the directional arrows are a god sent.



If compactness & ease of mounting is an critical and/or the unit is mounted outside a direct line of sight then I'd go with the Escort. The Escort is light & compact & also has a built in earphone jack which is a big plus.



Both detectors give off unique audible warnings for x band, k band & laser signals. The ability to differentiate instantly which signal the detector is receiving is critical ..... so I always run with an earpiece wired to the detector. Some folks use earphones mounted in their helmets & are happy with them. For my riding of quick sport, sport/touring, and dual sport bikes with minimal wind protection ..... I always wear earplugs & the earphones don't cut it. After much trial and error I've found that the Etymotic ER-6 <http://www.etymotic.com/> , although expensive, is the best earpiece on the market as it serves as an earplug as well as earphone; giving hearing protection as well as letting me hear the radar warnings. The downside of the earpiece is that the wires are a PITA ; and are always getting in the way; so on occasion I will run using the Helmet Assisted Radar Detection (H.A.R.D.) system.

<http://www.legalspeeding.com/product.htm> . This system sets off a radio signaled wireless heads-up LED mounted in/on the helmet. It is effective but unfortunately requires one to look at the detector to determine what signal (x band, k band or laser) you're being painted with.



I could go on but that's probably enough onfo for now ....... If you are interested I can elaborate further.



Best - Chris