Three Steps Ahead With The Best Motorcycle Radar Detector
Ahead of the pack with the best motorcycle radar detectors to control speeding and screen out false alarms.
If you ride a motorcycle, it’s very likely that you’ve taken it out for a ride and found yourself going waaaay above the speed limit at some point. You twist the throttle and get lost riding down an empty highway or along a curvy mountain road.
Then one day you’re too late seeing that highway patrolman. You look down at your speedometer and your heart sinks. I know that feeling way to well, which is why I’ve put in some effort to help us both identify the best motorcycle radar detector.
So, what to do? You can vow to slow down, but speeding isn’t always intentional. Sometimes you’re just not paying as close attention to your speed as you are to the ride itself. That’s exactly why I mounted a motorcycle radar detector on my bike this weekend – and if you don’t trust me, give this a read.
Everybody knows I’m a gear head who loves my gadgets like motorcycle GPS trackers, so it’s no surprise that when I decided I needed a motorcycle radar detector, I researched just about every one available. It was pretty easy to narrow down my search to what I believe are the top five detectors, offering the best features and receiving high marks in independent reviews.
While any of these detectors would likely serve your purpose, one stood out as a clear winner to me. The criteria I used to compare the detectors included which bands were covered, ability to screen out false alarms, type of indicator, user- and glove-friendly design, and type of mount.
Summary: Best Motorcycle Radar Detectors
A quick look at the top radar detectors for motorcycle riders.
Top Choice: Adaptiv Technologies Tpx 3. 0 Radar Detector
This radar detector has to be the seen as the best detector specifically designed for motorcycle use. It is fully featured and will keep those pesky speeding tickets far away.
Reviews: Best Motorcycle Radar Detectors
Stay ahead of the field with in-depth reviews of the best motorcycle radar detectors.
Adaptiv Technologies TPX Pro Motorcycle Radar/Laser Detector
This radar detector has to be the seen as the best detector specifically designed for motorcycle use. It is fully featured and will keep those pesky speeding tickets far away.
The TPX 2.0's big brother. This radar detector is designed specifically for motorcycles and thus can withstand the vibrations, shock and water that comes with riding a motorcycle.
Unlike the 2.0, this radar detector comes with a GPS and database which is updated monthly (for free). The oversized buttons make it easy to use, even with your gloves... It is fully featured and can detect all the radar and lidar bands effectively - Definitely the best radar detector for motorcycle use. It's small size also makes this a great hidden motorcycle radar detector.
- Weather and shock proof
- Great visual and audio alerts
- Large, back-lit buttons are easy to push
- Specifically designed for motorcycles
- GPS Support
Radenso XP Radar Detector
This is probably the best radar detector under $400 with impressive sensitivity to police radar, even in a K-band polluted environment.
This is an excellent mid-range unit with a lot of features for less than $400. Many reviewers consider this to be one of the quietest radar detectors out there because of its ability to accurately filter out false alerts. It has optional X, K, and Ka sensitivity reduction at low speeds and is fully customizable. This makes the Radenso XP one of the best radar detectors on the market.
There’s a beginner mode which allows you to get up and running quickly, but the expert mode allows you to unlock a huge array of options. And Radenso offers free lifetime database and firmware updates.
- GPS Lockout
- BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) filtering
- Bright display is easy to read but not overbearing at night
- Shorter range than other radar detectors
- No motorcycle-specific mount
- Not waterproof
- No easy way to power unit on bike
Escort RedLine Radar Detector
While the Escort RedLine may not filter out all the bank alarm systems, home security signals, and garage door openers you might encounter in town, its ability to detect signals as far away as fourteen miles makes it the best detector out on the open road.
This is one of the most sensitive radar detectors on the market and provides the longest range for every signal out there. It includes full X, K, and Superwide radar capability and front and rear laser detection. The Safety Warning System is one of my favorite features, alerting users to highway maintenance and construction, weather hazards, and slow-moving vehicles.
The TotalShield RF Technology makes the RedLine all but invisible to radar detector detectors.
- Detects radar and laser signals as far as 14 miles away.
- Superior Hill/Corner detection
- Full band detection
- Safety Warning System
- Detector is heavy, causing mounting hardware to fail.
- Detector is “chatty”—filtering system is suboptimal.
- No motorcycle-specific mount
- Not waterproof
- No easy way to power unit on bike
Escort Passport Long Range Radar Detector
This is the best overall performer of the five and does offer a headphone jack and 12V power cord.
The Escort Passport 9500IX is the best overall performer of the five radar detectors I selected and comes closest to a good fit for use on motorcycles of any of the detectors designed for cars. Although it doesn't come with a specific mount, these can be purchased, and this detector can be powered by your motorcycle, and includes a headphone jack.
It offers red light and speed camera detection as well as radar and LIDAR, and picks up POP bursts better than any of the other detectors here. Its best feature is the built-in GPS which works with an Autolearn function to identify and suppress false alerts. Sometimes, however, the Autolearn function gets a little carried away and treats real police radar as a false alert.
- GPS
- Automatically adjusts sensitivity based on speed
- Headphone jack allows you to use the Passport on your motorcycle
- Power cord plugs into 12V port
- Not waterproof
- Expensive
Adaptiv Technologies TPX 2.0 Radar Detector
The Adaptiv Technologies TPX 2.0 Radar/Laser Detector is the best budget plug-and-play option for motorcycles.
The TPX 2.0 is the a radar detector designed specifically for motorcycle use. It is weatherproof and connects directly to your battery with heavy-duty weatherproof cables. The motorcycle-specific mounting system allows you to easily remove the TPX when you park your bike? The TPX radar detector has five top-mounted buttons which are easy to locate and press even when you’re wearing gloves, and the buttons are backlit, which improves nighttime operation. The LCD display is located on top of the unit and angled upward, making it easier for the rider to check alerts with a quick glance.
- Weather and shock proof
- Great visual alert add-on
- Large, back-lit buttons
- Motorcycle-specific mounts
- No GPS
Types of Detectors and How They Work
Now that we covered the motorcycle radar detector reviews, let’s understand exactly how these devices work.
Two main types of speed detection devices exist today: RADAR which use radio waves, and LIDAR which use light waves. Both work similarly, aiming a beam of radio waves or light waves toward a moving object and detecting speed based on how long it takes for the radio or light waves to bounce off the selected object and be received by the detector.
Radar detectors are still the most common detectors in use, but LIDAR detectors are far faster and more difficult to pick up because of the focused beam of light emitted. Most radar detectors today detect both radio and LIDAR waves.
How Radar Guns Are Used
Let’s take a look at the different classes of radar guns:
Constant On
Easiest to detect by a radar detector, as a constant signal is emitted like a calling card from the gun.
Instant On
Challenging to detect, and only detectable if your detector picks up the radio signal being shot toward a vehicle near you. With Instant On, the officer waits until the last second to fire the gun toward a selected target, allowing no time to pick up the signal, so if you’re at the front of the line, you’re toast.
Quick Trigger
Similar to Instant On, but the officer turns the gun on and off quickly. Quick Trigger is difficult to detect in the same way that Instant On is, and again, if you’re at the front of the line? Well, see above.
Pop
Transmits a pulse of radio waves every 67 milliseconds making it almost impossible to detect; but, information derived from a POP burst is non-evident and cannot be used alone to issue a citation.
Typical Bands Used
X-Band
Easy to detect as far away as 2-4 miles.
Range: 10.5 – 10.55 GHz
K-Band
Detectable from 1/4 to 2 miles away.
Range: 24.05 – 24.25 GHz.
Ka-Band
Most commonly used band for law enforcement. Includes Ka Wide-Band and Ka Super Wide-Band.
Range: 34.2 to 35.2 GHz.
Things to Consider
Mounting Options
Mounting a radar detector intended for a car to your bike can be a challenge as the most common option is a suction cup mount designed to be attached to a car’s windshield. Even if you wanted to attach something to your bike using a suction cup, it’s likely that the bike’s vibration would cause the eventual loss of suction in the cup and the loss of that nice little gadget that was attached. This is a particular watch out if you’re looking for a radar detector for motorcycle helmet. Make sure your mount is secure.
Power
As mentioned above, mounting the radar detector can be a big problem if the detector of your choice isn’t really designed for a bike. But even if it isn’t easy, it wouldn’t require a engineering degree to build or DIY your own makeshift mount.
What might require a bit more knowledge and technical know-how, would be powering your radar detector. Radar detectors designed predominantly for cars can require a complex setup, whereas bike-specific radar detectors can plug directly into your 12V power supply which makes them much more suitable for your biking needs.
Alarm Type(s)
Both audible and visual alarms are available on each of the five units I’ve selected. Some detectors have alarms that tell you which band is being picked up, and indicate the general direction of the source with arrows. The best detectors will allow you to filter out false alerts either manually or, best-case, auto-magically.
Keep in mind that visual alarms may require you to take your eyes off the road in order to determine the type of alert and transmission location; and audible alarms may or may not be loud enough to hear over the rumbling of your speeding steed.
The best radar detector for motorcycles will have some means of transmitting a visual alert in your periphery, or an audible alert in your helmet. Some also come with a headphone jack so you can easily plug a set of standard earphones into the detector.
Ease of Use
If you wear gloves while riding (ATGATT), you’re going to want large buttons on your detector. And regardless of what you wear, you’re going to want to be able to see the radar detector’s screen without having to contort your body unnecessarily. Ease of use also goes to whether the detector is pretty much plug-and-play, or you need a PhD to set it up. Some radar detectors would challenge even the greatest minds.
Sensitivity
The best radar detector for motorcycles allow you to adjust the sensitivity. If you’re riding down the highway, you’re going to want to be alerted to pretty much any signal out there.
If you’re riding down the main strip in town though, you’re probably going to want to crank that sensitivity way down, since all kinds of signals are being transmitted from things like automatic door openers and proximity alarms on that car in the lane next to you.
False Alert Filtering
Along with the ability to adjust your radar detector’s sensitivity, it’s also nice to have the ability to filter out false alerts. The best motorcycle radar detector will store each alert, and after three exposures to the same signal in the same spot, the detector will filter out that particular alert so you won’t be bothered by it anymore.
Price
Radar detectors range anywhere from less than $100 to well over $2000. All the units I’ve selected are between $250 and $600. One can argue that the cost of even the more expensive models is insignificant relative to the expense and hassle of multiple speeding tickets, associated court costs, and increased insurance rates.
Motorcycle-Specific Considerations
When it comes to radar detectors for motorcycles, the options on the market can be overwhelming. When I did my research finding the most appropriate one for my hog, I found a number of important considerations regarding motorcycle specific considerations.
Before you head out to pick up your new toy and attach your radar detector on your motorcycle, consider these important points to think about.
- Is there a motorcycle-specific mount, or will you be cobbling something together with duct tape and twist ties?
- Is a wiring harness available to direct-connect the detector to your bike, or can you plug it in to an auxiliary USB or 12V port mounted on your bike?
- Is the radar detector waterproof?
- Can you set up the detector to send audio alerts to your helmet?
Last Checkpoint: The Best Motorcycle Radar Detectors
Two of the five radar detectors fell off the list pretty quickly once I took a serious look at them and considered how they’d work on my motorcycle. The Adaptiv Technologies TPX models and the Escort Passport 9500IX were really the only two contenders for the title of best motorcycle radar detector.
While I was sorely tempted by the superior functionality of the Passport, I chose the TPX 3.0 because it has adequate functionality and is designed with motorcycles in mind. I’ve since had the detector set up and installed on my bike and was off on a ride in less than an hour, with a bit more peace of mind.
If you haven’t looked at the Valentine 1 radar with the H.A.R.D helmet led display and transmitter you really should . I found it very hard to take this seriously when I didn’t even hear a mention of either on this post
It sounds like you have a bit of a project on your hands with your Superbyke RSP 125R. It’s great that you’re willing to put in the work to get it running again, and it sounds like you’re already thinking through some potential solutions to the issues you’re encountering.
Regarding the electric start not working, it’s possible that the previous owner may have damaged something in the electrical system when they crashed the bike. Without being able to see the bike in person, it’s hard to say for sure what the problem is, but some things you could check include:
The wiring and connections to the starter motor and battery terminals, to make sure they are clean and secure
The starter relay and starter solenoid, which could be faulty
The starter motor itself, which may need to be replaced if it’s sounding like a dying cat
As for the key not turning to the fourth position, it’s possible that there is a problem with the ignition switch. You may need to take a closer look at that and see if it can be repaired or replaced.
Regarding the kick start lever being blocked by the wide footpeg, you could try to find a replacement footpeg that is the correct size and shape for your bike. You can usually find them online or at a local motorcycle parts store.
As for the combo of neutral + clutch to allow the key to turn into that 4th position, it could be specific to this particular bike, it’s worth checking the manual or asking the manufacturer or a professional mechanic.
All in all, it sounds like you’re up for a bit of a challenge with this bike, but with some time and effort, you should be able to get it running again. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!