Valentine One Stealth installation ( ST1100 )

[KoTAOW]

The *premier* placement for your Valentine One radar detector is as follows. This technique is for non-ABS models only... you ABS pilots will have to find other arrangements due to the paucity of available space in the cowling area.

Remove the windscreen and the black plastic valance. Remove the four Phillips-head screws retaining the gray dash panel immediately behind the instrument panel.

The Valentine is wrapped in a thin layer of foam or inner-tube rubber, and is affixed upon the top of the white headlamp housing, toward the *left* side of the housing (as you face the bike). You will need to slightly file down some of the white plastic ridges on the housing in order to lay the V1 nice and flat. Ensure your power connections are good, run your circuit out to your remote audio and remote visual display, and button everything back up.

ADVANTAGES:

   1. The unit is now hidden from prying eyes, and in a weatherproof environment. No more worrying about the unit during rain storms. No more worrying about the unit while paying for fuel or leaving the bike unattended. This is a key advantage to placing the V1 here.

   2. While you have lost the laser detection ability (which is no big loss), you experience virtually NO degradation in signal detection performance either from the front and rear. Placing the detector under the nose cowling is undesired because the presence of the engine will block signals from behind, which negates one of the most useful and critical features of the V1, it's 360-degree coverage.

   3. Place of the radar antenna as HIGH up off the ground is absolutely critical. Even ONE INCH extra height placement can make the difference in the units ability to alert your *early enough* to avoid a citation. I can not stress this enough. HEIGHT IS EVERYTHING. Placement of the V1 above the headlamp housing using the method described is as "high" as you can get and still retain a weatherproof, stealth mounting.

   4. Using the remote audio and remote video display allows for full use of the V1 just as if it were sitting right on your dash. For commuting Virginia pilots, you are kinda regulated to audio only to avoid any uncomfortable questioning from The Man, but, hey....

DISADVANTAGES:

   1. The method essentially prevents use of the V1 in your other vehicles. It is too painful to frequently remove/replace tupperware just to use it in your cage. The V1 thus becomes a dedicated ECM component for your ST1100.

   2. You must purchase the remote audio and remote video in order to retain complete V1 functionality.

Credit Alan Barbic for this ingenious concept of placement. This mounting method has been tested and proven under the extreme endurance conditions of the Iron Butt Rally. If you desire a stealthy, weatherproof, theft-proof placement of your Valentine One, this mounting method is for you.

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Originally posted by Warchild on www.st-riders.com which is now only available in archives. 

Valentine web page here:  http://www.valentine1.com/

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Comment by Adam Koczarski:  The rear looking sensor can't see anything behind the bike when mounted this way. Not good when CHIPs officers are coming up from behind you!

Comment by Whitster: There is enough aperture off the rear quarters through the openings the heads protrude from to get plenty of signal. No lidar though.