Post by mcoffey on Jan 17, 2020 21:44:15 GMT
This five minute (five second?) project is so simple I hesitate even to call it a "mod." Maybe more of a crafts project. Anyway, I enjoy listening to podcasts while I scoot around, but I wanted a way to be able to play/pause without removing my hands from the handle bars or taking my eyes off the road. A quick search on eBay found this bluetooth remote control. When I purchased it two days ago, it was $9.99 shipped, but it has gone up to about $12 since. Search around and you will find many similar products at similar price points. You may save a dollar or two buying direct from China, if you are not in a hurry.
Anyway, my first plan was to attach it in the space to the left of the throttle, and I got so far as to cut out a round piece of 1/8" plywood and attached that to the handlebar with a zip tie. It was only then that I discovered that the included adhesive disc wouldn't adhere to wood. Then I realized that the remote control was perfectly sized to sit on top of the unused black bezel right above the display, and the adhesive holds to that perfectly. Should you ever need to remove it, I suggest slicing through the adhesive with dental floss. You'll ruin the adhesive but the bezel and the remote control should be unharmed, and you can just cut a new disc from double sided tape.
The last thing I did was to add a self-adhesive foam bumper (I think from Ikea) on top of the play/pause button. These things are sold to go under pots and other bric-a-brac to keep them from scratching other surfaces around the house. But they also serve admirably as a "home" button to help you orient your thumb over the control without looking at it. Otherwise, as the remote is totally flat and featureless, you can't tell what you are pressing without looking, and it would be very easy and annoying to press skip, adjust volume, etc.
Et voila. Now I can keep my phone in my jacket pocket, listen to my podcasts, and cruise the mean streets of Palo Alto without taking my eyes off the road or my hands off the controls.
