Modern Vespa

So, my Garmin i2 has been shutting down on me. Hmm, sez I, the cigarette lighter jack behind the dash must have worked loose. I remove the wind and bug screens, take the electrical tape off the plug, and pieces of plug fall out. The cigarette lighter plug has broken the plastic end (where most plugs have a metal screw-on collar to hold the tip in place, this had only a cheap plastic press-tab, now cracked).

Hmm, thinks I, even though I specifically recommend against doing this on Modern Vespa , I'll just hard-wire it and so not have to deal with it ever coming loose on me again. Snip snip snip solder solder solder shrink shrink, power on.

Pop! Poof! And smoke pours out of the GPS.

Did you know that mini-USB plugs are 5 volts, not 12? I did. Well, except for while I was doing this, anyway.

The real punchline to this is that I did exactly the same thing five years ago on my Honda Shadow, zapping a Garmin iQue Palm Pilot GPS (which cost a whole lot more) .

Since the i2 has been long-discontinued, I was able to find one used for $65, so not too much damage except to my pride. Meanwhile, I've got the Zumo back on, blocking my turn signal and tilt lock lights.

thanks for posting that tonight Jeff. it did light up my nite.

If it will make you feel better ( me doing something stooopid too today)
I will try to cheer you up.
When we recently put the Giannelli exhaust on my bike, it was a bit crooked, so I went back in ( unsupervised--NEVER should do that) and straightened it up. But, it appears, ( in fact the evidence is damning) that I did not TIGHTEN it all up ENOUGH, and today, luckily, 2 blocks from home, it worked itself loose. Immediately, I sensed there was something WAY wrong, as I was suddenly riding a Harley with straight pipes--or so it seemed, if I were to believe my ears ( hey! That Giannelli finally has kicked in!).

I pulled into the driveway, and my neighbor walked up almost immediately and said--"I thought your pipes were too loud!"--so we put them back on, and really tightly this time. I will keep an eye on it now--oh yeah!

But, I have been all up and down the highway the last few days at 75 mph, and could easily have lost the pipe ( no doubt run over by the following car if that had happened) then I would have had to have the bike towed home-adding insult to injury--YIKES!

Oh, glad things worked out as it did! Sorry though,for your mess! But it will not go to waste, as i need to wire up my GPS, and will not do as you have done! Maybe.

Doh!

Bummer, Jeff! Call the cost tuition and say you learned a lesson, and you only needed the course twice!

a piaggio part? or something else?

Actually, it is a lesson that everyone can learn. It was close to 100 degrees, I wanted not only to fix the GPS but also put that little handle back on my new fuel door (prompted by the latest thread (of hundreds on the subject, in typical MV fashion) because even with the new door it still takes pushing and prying to pop it) and this time I wanted to grind down the handle ends to match the curve in the door, I didn't get home until after 6 and night was falling and I was just trying to do too much. On a different day, cooler heads would have prevailed (literally) and I would have stopped and thought through what I was about to do.

mjm50, of course I know what that is: that thing you refuse to make a million of and sell on MV!

Man, sorry to hear that.

FYI, All USB power is 5v, not only mini.

Wayne B

It's a new one. Let me know if you want it.

No I don't. Should I?

Not trying to confuse you. It was a statement, not a question. It only applies to 500s with a Givi wind screen. It is for attaching electronic gadgets above the dashboard and behind the windshield. the perfect place for a Garmin ZUMO.

Thanks. At least I now know. As an aside, I use the sat-nav on my Nokia 5800 with the cellphone in the pocket of my textile jacket bluetoothed to my Scala headset. I find that I only need voice directions and don't miss not having a map in front of me. Just my $0.02. 8)

I do the same. My Zumo has a speedometer screen that I use while I recieve bluetooth directions. I am glad I can adjust the settings to MPH.
Having the map up on challenging winding roads is very helpful on blind curves.

I find it very nice to have that map to glance at too, at least you have an idea of which way the road is turning over the next hill.

OT but kinda along the GPS notification idea. I just went for a ride in a coworker's 2011 Prius (you may recall that my GF and I own an older Prius and Highlander Hybrid). He has the in-dash GPS system.

I noticed that he has the same "tunnel" just below the windshield as my GF's older car with speed and basic driving information, but while I was watching, some other data popped up hanging in space (actually, projected onto a transparent panel; but it looks like it is hanging in space).

"How cool! You have a heads-up display! Does it give GPS information?"

Sadly, his answer was no. Toyota missed a great opportunity here, the HUD could easily have projected stuff like lane-change arrows, upcoming turn arrows and time or distance to turn almost in the driver's line-of-sight. As it is, it displays some little animations about gas mileage, which is certainly gee-whiz and perhaps even useful, but not really giving information the driver can genuinely use and improve the driving experience.