XT coming next week

[twowheelstom]

oh i see, that sling stays there all the time, see I warned you that I had an idiot question lol

[rbentnail]

The sling is just an oddly shaped rubber band. You clip the XT into the cradle and then stretch the corners of the sling over the corners of the XT. To remove the XT you slip the corners of the sling off the corners of the XT and then release the XT from the cradle. The sling remains in place between the ball mount and the cradle.

As sensitive as the XT is to barely touching and rain mist, you don't find the rubber band affecting it?

[Peobody]

As sensitive as the XT is to barely touching and rain mist, you don't find the rubber band affecting it?

I haven't been on a ride yet but I turned the bike on to power up the XT and briefly tested its screen response. All seemed normal.

Edit: Thinking about this further, the XT has about a 3/16" black space around the outside of its display area. I don't know if that space is responsive to touch but the rubber of the sling can be positioned to not intrude beyond that space and still have a secure grip on the XT.

[twowheelstom]

sorry but I do have another idiot question for you, why is the sling necessary? I mean i've read comments from others before that said the XT is held securely in the cradle, is the sling band an extra level of security? any reports of the XT falling out of the cradle without the sling or other means of holding it?

[Peobody]

Many have stated that the XT is secure and I have not seen any reports about it coming loose but someone asked about security in the event of a bump the release latch. That led to the suggestions of a lock, a tether, and this sling as options for security against accidental release. As previously said, many people do not experience a reassuring click when the XT is mounted. This leaves a sense of unease even the XT is securely in place. I am one of those people so I welcome the peace of mind the sling will give me.

[danham]

The sling is just an oddly shaped rubber band. You clip the XT into the cradle and then stretch the corners of the sling over the corners of the XT. To remove the XT you slip the corners of the sling off the corners of the XT and then release the XT from the cradle. The sling remains in place between the ball mount and the cradle.

As sensitive as the XT is to barely touching and rain mist, you don't find the rubber band affecting it?

I have put many thousands of miles on my XT and sling setup, some of it over roads that shook my fillings, and in rain, and the sling has never interfered with XT operation in any way. It barely "intrudes" on the screen at all.

-dan

[danham]

sorry but I do have another idiot question for you, why is the sling necessary? I mean i've read comments from others before that said the XT is held securely in the cradle, is the sling band an extra level of security? any reports of the XT falling out of the cradle without the sling or other means of holding it?

Here is why I bought a pack of slings:

1. very very cheap insurance. Yes, some have had the XT pop out. Faulty mount? Rider error? Who knows, but it is a costly accident.
2. my XT clicks nicely and I pull on it gently to test that it is engaged, but on very rough roads, will it stay that way?
3. if for any reason the mount system fails, I will not see the XT doing expensive cartwheels in my mirror.
4. if my aging brain forgets to double check a firm click-in, I've got another layer of safety engaged.

-dan

[danham]

Somewhere midway through this discussion @danham posted about the Silicone Sling by Tackform as a method of securing the XT in place. Well, I received mine this morning and had one installed within 5 minutes. I am really impressed. I think he exaggerated when it said "The extra 2 seconds required to hook them up..." though. I takes me 3 seconds. I didn't try it with gloves on though.

Thanks again @danham.

Tackform Sling2.png

My pleasure. Glad you find it useful. As for installation time, I first hooked mine up in warm weather, so maybe your fingers (and the sling rubber) were cold?

-dan

[jfheath]

I think they are a good solution. I keep thinking about getting one, but then don't.

I always check that my XT is secure as soon as I have put it in. I can't see any way that it can come out no matter how rough the ride.
Mine has never come out....

...and I am aware that is the statement that everyone will make. I think the fitment is sound. I think the potential for catching the clip when tightening the ram ball mount is pretty high though. One day when the two of us make that mistake, mine will be bouncing down the tarmac. Yours will be bouncing secure in its braces.

But then I think, well - how many times have I felt like throwing this thing down the road myself ?

But I don't feel like that any more - I can now make it behave as I want, - more or less - so I'll be keeping it. So I'd better get it a set of braces.

[twowheelstom]

if I have the XT cables connected to battery, and I want to leave the XT in the cradle and turn off the bike, how do you shut off the XT completely from battery power? (not a sleep mode shutoff), press and hold the XT power button for 5 seconds? does that do it?