I considered the mount on a RAM ball between the bars option very hard. It seemed like the perfect place - juts below the instrument panel and apparently directly in front.
But then I tried it out with a dummy satnav (OK - it was a bit of card stuck on a bent metal rod secured to my tank bag mount). And for me, it just did not work. I'm 6'4" and struggle to see the standard indicator bulbs on the dash - the small hood gets in the line of vision. The glance down takes my eyes off the road for too long - the glance down, the re-focus and read/observe takes far too long. I don't mean time, I mean the distance that the bike covers before my eyes are lifted back up to the road.
So I got the drill out.
View attachment 252092
Here is where mine is mounted. That is my old 660. The 590 mounts in the same place.Not in direct line of sight, but it is in my peripheral vision. It takes less of a glance to be able to absorb what it says on the screen, and what is ahead is still in my field of vision. The mount is a RAM ball mount bolted through the plastic shelf with two holes. The RAM is mounted on a thick rubber sheet, cut to size. Underneath has a circular rubber sheet and a sturdy piece of Aluminium sheet cut to size to spread the load. I won't bore you with the details, but I can dig them out if you want. I've had this arrangement on all of my Pans and it has never been a problem selling them. I just leave the RAM ball on the bike and the buyer sees a really useful RAM ball mount, and not two holes drilled into the fairing ! Positioning of the mount is crucial though - get it wrong and the screen will close down on the satnav.
For a while I still looked jealously at people who had the Migsel mount - but the more I thought about it, I decided that I prefer it mounted to the left. I think I'd probably put it on the right if I drove on the right hand side of the road.
Speaking of Migsel - there is an alternative available at Bike Quip which looks neat and tidy and I think mounts directly onto the existing fairing holes on the top shelf.
Fits ALL ST1300s. Stylish design - curved surfaces match the existing lines of your ST1300 Anodised Black - reduced glare and reflections CNC Engineered from a single, Aluminium billet Optimum positioning for your gadgets - directly within your line of sight Protected from the elements (by your...
www.st1300-accessories.co.uk
I think
@Uncle Phil may spot the location of my ST1300 in the photo. If not there is a handy lat/long display on the satnav !!
