Replacement for Cassette Player

During this past December I had opprotunity to work at the Jacob Javits Center in the Yamaha booth as part of our STAR Touring group. The STAR Touring booth was located right between the 2 Ventures and the VSTAR 250/650. While there I talked to many possible future Venture owners about the bike. And everyone one of them spoke of the embarrassment of the cassette deck. So I decided that their had to be something better (MP3/ SAT Radio / Nav) than that old deck. On Venture site, someone had removed the Cassette player and replaced it with a glove box. So I decided that something was definately possible. I saw another user had replaced theirs with a Graphic EQ, but still thought something more useful. So I began to search. One criteria I was trying to maintain was not to modify the external portions of the fairing and if all possible retain the door to the cassette deck.

The dimensions - are tiny. Now I found an MP3 player (Sansa) this would fit. Problem is I would only get about 4 hours out of the battery and it had no car power offered to it. Tried to see if any GPS would fit, no luck (smallest is a Garmin - 2.2" X 5"). Then I found it - a Satellite Radio - the AGT - Sportscaster - 1.6" High - 4.75" Wide. Now it still took quite a bit of modifications - but it works. I tried to make it look as factory as possible. Also at the same time - made a modifcation to my Hoppnel pouch to move my TomTom 720 to sit dead center (like the Gold Wing). This is also wired into the Aux. Now I have MP3, Bluetooth Phone and Spoke Navigation working in conjuction with the SAT Radio (via a splitter). Now - is it a perfect solution - probably not. Is it a better solution - I think so.

Thought I would share it with you all.

Stu

Very nice job. I like it. I may do something similar with the Sirius. I'm not 100% happy with the equalizer that I installed. It works fine but no GREAT improvement.

Looks Great!!

But did you meen for your bike to be RED:rotf:

Just kiddin..... nice work!!

Nice set up for sure......but if I did that I'd be the the one to ruin everything by slopping gasoline over everything!

You know Stu,

For some time now I have felt the location of the cassett player would be a perfect place to mount a set of small round guages (water temp, oil pressure, amp or volt and possibly a small tach). I think you might have room for a tach and a guage on either side, where you would probably end up taking the door off and making a guage blank on both sides of the fairing to give the assembly the most support.

But from what you said about the glove box, I guess there is no adverse effect from just removing the cassett player, right? But would we loose the internal MP3 plug?

Interesting,

Rick

Rick,

You do not loose the auxillary input. It just unplugs inside the fairing and you connect their instead.

This tape deck thing, way hasn't yamaha stepped up the plate and do something different.

I know for a fact, hit a bump, the deck goes to Error.

I had the XM , it only worked for 4 hours, no way to recharge it.

are there mini CD players out there?

I'm up for a change. not to mention new speakers

I'm not sure what you mean about the XM only going 4 hours. I did have one that was a portable but even it had an adapter for 12 volt power. My others were all hard wired. I now use Sirius and also an IPOD. Both have adapters so they are powered from the bike.

Correct Freebird - I hardwired the XM. The MP3 player I have also would fit (barely too), however no way to charge it or realistically replace the music. I also checked Sirus - but could not find a radio as small as the Sportscaster.

The actual inside dimensions are 1 3/4" by 4 7/8" however it narrows slightly smaller in the front due to the over-engineered flip front door - of which their are two latches and a gear mechanism (for the slow open ??) and a spring.

Rick, if you can find gauges with an od of 1.6" or less - you could get two - maybe three - or maybe - a nice alternative - A digital tack and volt meter - both really needed as well?

Like I said - most pragmatic solution - rebuild the box - and come up with an alternative to the door gear latch mechanism.

Stu

Yeah Stu,

I don't know what I was thinking about when I said three. I just got back from a short ride where I realized that this space could only support two guages. However you are right about the possibility of using digital guages if you could find the right ones. I was thinking round to better complement the speedometer.

Rick

I just finished replacing my old cassette player on my 2007 RSV with the Pyrimid Graphic Equalizer and I must say I couldn't have done it without the great instructions on this forum. It looks good and works good too. It took me about 14 hours from start to finish. Of course I got side tracked a lot as usual when trying to find tools and things that I haven't used in years but it got done. I will say there is one thing not mentioned in the article. I had to grind off 2 small ears on each side of the equalizer (about 1/8") so it would fit into the face plate, but other than the instructions were great. I made a few substitutions by using electrical tape to wrap the outer case instead of shipping tape and I used a electric coping saw to cut out the face plate. It is a great idea though and it is something that I am actually using.

Thanks

Gary

I just finished replacing my old cassette player on my 2007 RSV with the Pyrimid Graphic Equalizer and I must say I couldn't have done it without the great instructions on this forum. It looks good and works good too. It took me about 14 hours from start to finish. Of course I got side tracked a lot as usual when trying to find tools and things that I haven't used in years but it got done. I will say there is one thing not mentioned in the article. I had to grind off 2 small ears on each side of the equalizer (about 1/8") so it would fit into the face plate, but other than the instructions were great. I made a few substitutions by using electrical tape to wrap the outer case instead of shipping tape and I used a electric coping saw to cut out the face plate. It is a great idea though and it is something that I am actually using.

 

Thanks

Gary

Pictures?

Now it still took quite a bit of modifications

What modifications did you have to do? Wife has been asking for XM/Sirius lately and thinking about it for a x-mas present. Might just get 2 receivers.

The dimensions - are tiny. Now I found an MP3 player (Sansa) this would fit. Problem is I would only get about 4 hours out of the battery and it had no car power offered to it.

What Sansa model are you referring to????

I have a C250 that I power using a 12V to USB converter and use a second USB cable I got from SanDisk to power it as it has a proprietary plug on it...

Thats the same one - and I found the same cable. There are 2 revs of this product - the older ones can only take a 2 Gig mini SD card max. The later versions can take an 8 Gig SD mini card (10 GB total). The power cable on the end is a bit large but you could fit it in the space.

This thing looks pretty cool - not sure of the faceplate dimensions - but could remove the cover and mount this - then wire it in - gives Sirus and IPOD / Aux in Interface. I like the compass module too. Would be neat to intgrate - take the cassette out and simply have this chrome face plate. The radio is a bit redundant.

http://www.dragonflycycleconcepts.com/kenwoodspecs.htm

Stu

This thing looks pretty cool - not sure of the faceplate dimensions - but could remove the cover and mount this - then wire it in - gives Sirus and IPOD / Aux in Interface. I like the compass module too. Would be neat to intgrate - take the cassette out and simply have this chrome face plate. The radio is a bit redundant.

 

http://www.dragonflycycleconcepts.com/kenwoodspecs.htm

 

Stu

She does look pretty good!

http://www.dragonflycycleconcepts.com/images/products/lcdstereo/6x9SpeakerSaddlebagTrio2.jpg