Guage Mount

If I remember correctly this ignition tach/temp guage mount was built by a local Star rider who has passed away. I'd heard of them, but had never seen one. I kinda like it. Anyone have a different story on the thing. These pics are the only I've ever seen. I tried to buy this set but the bike seller said no way Jose'....

Yes, his name was Robert and he was a long time member of the Venture Touring Society, don't know if he was a Star member or not. Nice product.

I actually have one sitting on my shelf in the garage that I have never installed. I went with the gauges from Ponch. Have thought about using it for some other things...maybe a clock and something else but haven't done so.

I just have the housing, no gauges in it. Robert sold it with your choice of gauges or just the pod that you could install your own gauges in.

He was a good man and was taken from us by cancer several years ago.

That would be nice with a tach and clock, looks like you could go bigger on the tach too...

Someone advertized a couple of these last year as new old stock. I was lucky enough to pick one up with the tach and volt meter. I really like the larger tach and am very happy with it.

If someone has access to a small thermoformer, it shouldn't take that much to make them if they had one for a pattern. Just a thought.

That would be nice with a tach and clock, looks like you could go bigger on the tach too...

Tach and engine temp. I picked up one of those LED combo batt monotor thing-a-ma-bob-stick guages with volts, clock and, air temp, etc. that's going somewhere on the dash display or handle bar....

I remembered seeing this on Alberta Clippers scoot, and it looked great! He had said that he had made his own pod, maybe you could see if he has a mold, or some info that would help you out. here is his thread about it.

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33963

Brian

I thought I remembered from a prior thread that the guy who made these had a patent on them, and that the patent is still in force. If so, you could only make one for yourself, and not for resale.

Tach and engine temp. I picked up one of those LED combo batt monotor thing-a-ma-bob-stick guages with volts, clock and, air temp, etc. that's going somewhere on the dash display or handle bar....

I did a set of ponch gauges and they look good but I sure would love a tach, but 250.00 for a brake mount baron is a bit high, still I'm searching my options.

I know a good mold injector, been doing all his life I going to send what pictures are here and see what he can do..

I thought I remembered from a prior thread that the guy who made these had a patent on them, and that the patent is still in force. If so, you could only make one for yourself, and not for resale.

Not sure how anyone could patent a gauge mount. Maybe a brand name but not the mount. Otherwise every dash in the world would have to pay royalities...... I think?? And since it's prioritized to fit the Star Venture Yamaha it would probably fall under a Yamaha blanket design patent.... I think??

Not sure how anyone could patent a gauge mount. Maybe a brand name but not the mount. Otherwise every dash in the world would have to pay royalities...... I think?? And since it's prioritized to fit the Star Venture Yamaha it would probably fall under a Yamaha blanket design patent.... I think??

Same way you wopuld patent a ram mount,etc......I think?? Just sayin:think:

Same way you wopuld patent a ram mount,etc......I think?? Just sayin:think:

Are RAM mounts patented??? OR is the name registered. Compression ball lock type gimble systems were around long before RAM came on the scene.

I really don't know. I do know i would pay good $$ for one of those mounts though.

I had thought of buying an A pillar pod mount from the local Auto Zone and hacking it up and fabricating it on to my ignition cover but never got around to it. This thread has renewed my interest in the idea. Primarily I'm interested in tach and water temp or voltmeter. Maybe this spring I'll get going on it...

Well folks, I know that Robert DID have a patent on these pods. After he passed away, his wife eventually sold the remaining inventory and sold the patents that he had. Robert had several other products also. I know he had a tank bib and a windshield and he also had an air filter relocation kit. I don't remember the exact details but it used pod filters to relocate the air filters and he made storage compartments that installed where the existing filters are. He was a great guy. I met him a couple of times at the VDaze Rallies that are held by the Motorcycle Touring Association (previously the Venture Touring Society).

Now the thing about patents is that they are very easy to obtain. It's not that difficult to get a patent on just about anything you can imagine. The difficult part is DEFENDING that patent should anybody ever copy your product and you end up going to court. It is fairly easy to have a patent thrown out. Being the first person to patent a product does not mean that you have a good patent. If you end up going to court to defend it, all somebody has to do is show that the product was designed before you obtained your patent. The product never even had to be manufactured or patented. If you can show artwork, design notes, just about anything and can validate that the drawings were done before the patent was issued, that patent will be thrown out.

I know this because I have been involved in a couple of such cases all the way through the court cases. I worked for a company that designed and manufactured automated electroplating equipment. We had a patented shielding system that would improve the current distribution and create a more even distribution of copper and tin on circuit boards. When a competitor copied our shielding system, we took them to court to defend our patent. It turns out there there was some artwork discovered in Japan that was done many years ago that was essentially the same design as our shielding system. It was never produced nor patented but just the fact that it existed was enough to invalidate our patent and we lost the case.

So, the pods were patented but first of all, it would be a matter of whether or not the person with the patent cares about spending thousands of dollars to defend it in court and then it would be a matter of whether it could be successfully defended. I have my doubts that it could be.

I had thought of buying an A pillar pod mount from the local Auto Zone and hacking it up and fabricating it on to my ignition cover but never got around to it. This thread has renewed my interest in the idea. Primarily I'm interested in tach and water temp or voltmeter. Maybe this spring I'll get going on it...

I just picked up an ignition cover off Ebay for a pitance and thought I'd mess around with it. A little Schedule 40 here, and a little bondo there.......

So, the pods were patented but first of all, it would be a matter of whether or not the person with the patent cares about spending thousands of dollars to defend it in court and then it would be a matter of whether it could be successfully defended. I have my doubts that it could be.

Thanks for the patent insight Don. I wonder who originally bought the patents and remaining stock from Bob's widow?? He or she might still have the molds too.

I don't remember exactly but it was either an individual or a group of people at the Venturers site. Maybe one of our members who is also a member over there can find out.

The company that I work for now does extensive vacuum forming and injection molding. Our primary product is dimensional letters for sign companies but we could easily vacuum mold these also. I suppose they could also be injection molded but the tooling gets expensive. I don't know if they would be interested in doing it though and have my doubts that they would. I know that they would not do it in violation of a patent though.

I just picked up an ignition cover off Ebay for a pitance and thought I'd mess around with it. A little Schedule 40 here, and a little bondo there.......