FJRiders.com

I have a Spot 2 device and on my most recent trip noticed it did not record about half of my trip. I contacted support and they stated it needed to be in clear open sky and the spot symbol pointed to the skys above. I have used this many times and usually put it in my riding jacket as I want it on me if I so depart the bike unexpectedly.

So with that said where do you place your spot device and have you just mounted to the bike somewhere?

Thanks

In my opinion, if I should ever come to need it, I want
it on my person. My bike can't call for help.

I have mine in the map pocket on top of the tank bag.

Are you sure about it only recording half your trip? The reason I ask that is if you have a fairly large trip the settings on the page and only display a percentage of the locations. I also assuming you are using "Spotwalla" and not "find me spot".

To answer your question mine has been in the tank bag, in the top box, mounted on the left hand mirror mount or even at the steering stem. All have worked well!

Mine usually lives on a RAM mount on the clutch side of my bars. But I have used it in my tank bag on both my FJR and on my CRFL. Hell, I left it on in track mode one night stuffed in my saddlebag. Looking at my spot the next day looked like I was doing the Indy 500 in the parking lot.

All that being said, I've had dropouts when heavily overcast, in major cities (buildings) and one weird spot just south of town where it consistently loses it's marbles.

On my right shoulder. If the time ever comes when I might need it, I want it on ME, not the bike. No telling were the bike might be.

I wore mine on my right sleeve for a while, but it eventually got annoying, so I moved it to a RAM mount on the right handlebar. It works well most of the time, but it still misses long stretches of road if I am riding on the wrong side of a mountain.

Mine is on me. On my mesh jacket, I took the pouch and stitched it to the left side just below my collar bone. Always seems to launch the pings fine there. On my Olympia jacket, I use the Spot pouch on the arm band, left arm.

Same as mentioned above - the reason I have it is in case things go bad. Both wrecks I had, the bike ended up over a hundred or more feet away. First one I could not move, so there is no way I could have punched the SOS button if I needed it.

I had an older Spot (slightly bigger), and although I get the idea of having it on my person so it's accessible in an emergency, I always wondered what damage it might have done in a get-off. I imagined broken bones because it got caught between my body and the pavement, or something else harder than me. Probably a little irrational, but it was on my mind, so the spot was on a RAM ball at the head of my tank. Of course, now it's in a drawer, so no help but...

I built an aluminum tray that bolts onto the brake reservoir using extended bolts for the reservoir cover. Painted it black to appear stock. I have a velcro patch on the bottom of the Spot and a velcro strap on each end just to make sure it never leaves me.

There are advantages and disadvantages either way.

Mine stays on a RAM mount on the bars because it's easier to use it how I want it there. Also, if I leave the bike I'd prefer not to land on something hard.

It's a regularly asked question, there is not "right" answer.

If you have a severe accident where you are immobilized due to life threatening injuries, and your spot is on the bike, you will be separated from it and will not be able to use it at the time you need it most.

I'm still working through this..mine is in my tankbag...which would fail in the above scenario.

If you have your SPOT mounted on your bike (like I do) and you crash (like I did) your SPOT will go flying. Good luck reaching it or even finding it when you really need it.

Your choice.


Canadian FJR

I have been down a couple of times. Seems I always land on something that is attached to me. Keys first time and wallet the last time. Leaves a really nasty bruise, long lasting effects and some damage to the item. In the end, you just have to judge the risk you are willing to take, be separated from it or risk damage to yourself and the device. I keep mine mounted to the bike in one of the ram mounts. Maybe better on me, maybe not. Still, better to have it than to not have it at all for those trips where you are in the middle of nowhere.

Ummmmmm, if you come off your bike, chances are, a SPOT is not the hardest thing your body is going to hit. A SPOT is fragile enough that it will break or squish when it really comes down to it. If you hit the ground hard enough to break bones, they're going to break whether there is a SPOT attached to you or not. The arm band mounts have enough movement that I think the SPOT would rotate before it caused anything to break anyway. Having it connected to the bike during a get off is absolutely useless.

Like I said .... there isn't a "right" answer

I read yesterday that hitting the SOS button can cost you $60,000...... the Help button is free but it only sends a user-defined canned message. How does one get found if the SPOT is on you or off you, unless the SOS button is hit..... assuming you have no cell service and your cell phone is within reach...... you have to rely on your tracking friends to notice you're missing and send somebody to get you...... maybe you send them multiple Help messages (work that out in advance with your tracking friends?).... anyway, you have to be able to hit buttons and you can only do that if you can reach your device. I'm thinking of switching to arm band now.

HotRodZilla wrote:A SPOT is fragile enough that it will break or squish when it really comes down to it.

Exactly. There is no right answer.

I decided to order one last night. Wifey worries about me too much

Since purchasing my Spot this year I have kept it mounted to my bike with a Ram ball mount. Its easy, convenient and in plain view so I remember to turn it on or off.

When I look back and reflecting on my last two accidents, this mounting location would have failed me and my ability to access or actvate the Spot.

In the first of my two instances, I low sided my FZ1 traveling 225' from the first git off to where I and the FZ1 come to rest. My ram mounted GPS was lost in the tumble and slide and I would expect the same from my Ram mounted Spot. In my last accident I hit a deer with my Tenere folding my forks back, stopping the front wheel slamming me and the bike down instantly. After spitting me off in a heap, the bike popped back up and ghost rode with out me for nearly 600 feet before running out of momentum and tipping over in the ditch.

Reflecting back on both wrecks tells my Spot would have been lost or with the bike hundreds of feet away. I need to reconsider my Spot location and find a location attached and available to me.