I've yet to see a reasonably objective review of the Whistler Cruisader, so I thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in. All my comparisons are made to the escort X50 which I consider a pretty good radar detector! The bike it's for is a Honda CBR '05 F4i

Out of the box, the Cruisader looks like a nice piece of kit. The antennae looks quite durable had should easily mount inside the front fairing or just underneath it. I intend to mount the LED somewhere where it shines right in my eyes, but I doubt that it would be noticeable in bright daylight! The main display unit will be a much more difficult installation. None of the hardware supplied will work for the F4i. It seems to be more designed for "cruiser" handlebars than for sport bike "clip ons". I'm sure I'll figure something out, but it won't be easy! The display is nice, but I doubt that it will be readable in daylight. The "in-helmet" display works remarkably well, although I haven't installed it yet so I don't know how I will like it actually riding.

I've been driving around with the unit set up on the dash of my car for a couple of weeks now, so I have a little insight on it's operation. I've also been running it alongside my escort (I know, a radar testers taboo!) Here's what I've found after a recent road trip from Vancouver B.C. to Seattle:

Generally speaking, The Cruisader seems to be a bit less sensitive than the Escort. It reacted to false alarms on X and K bands later and stopped earlier than the Escort. All settings were on Highway. When the Whistler is put on City 1 it is quite a bit quieter in the city that the Escort on City. On the trip to Seattle, they each had 16 X falses. The Escort had 8 K falses while the Cruisader had only 4. Interestingly, quite a few falses that registered as K on the Escort were reported as X on the Cruisader! I don't know what the impact would be if the x band were defeated on the Cruisader. The Cruisader had 2 Ka falses, while the Escort had none. There were no Laser falses.
Unfortunately, I didn't come across any radar traps or those speed warning signs. The only thing I found was a possible interstate trap while I was off the highway at a cloverleaf "on ramp" (off axis). The Escort went crazy on the K band (24.150) the whole time while the Cruisader just had a few blips. The Cruisader reacts appropriately to my "Highway Zapper" which triggers radar detectors on X band.

On the whole, I don't think the Cruisader is as good a detector as the Escort, But there's no way I'm gonna have a portable on my bike. The detector must be permanently installed, weatherproof, concealed (to police and thiefs) and have easily noticeable alerts. The Cruisader has all these attributes except the last one. In general, I don't think that visual alerts work as well as audible ones! The dash LED won't be that useful. I'll have to wait until I install the helmet display, but I think that it will work better (but I'm not sure about sunglasses). I'm going to contact the radar screamer people and see if it will work with the Cruisader. as I think that this might be the best warning. I'm not sure if the Cruisader uses proprietary circuitry for it's "add on voice module" or if it's just a speaker.

Unfortunately, I still haven't accomplished the "acid test" - ie real radar, or at least a speed warning sign. After all, that's what it's really all about! I will keep you posted when I have done the complete install and have some real radar results to post.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has mounted the display on a sports bike. Also, if anyone knows if you can just attach an ear-piece or speaker to the output jack please let me know.

 

Yeah, you can attach an earpiece to most of the detectors. I think the portables can be better, so long as you remember to remove them after use. The Escort Solo S2 is definitely the best for this purpose. With detectors, you get what you pay for; the 8500/X50 and the Valentine One are by far the best detectors on the market. I wouldn't waste my money on a cheaper detector.

 

The whistler is a bit different from others in that the "auxillaryoutput jack"can be configured for either an LED or a "voice module" I don't think it's a simple earphone jack.

Completely off topic, It's a shame this post got moved to the boonies where no-one will see it. I don't think it's any more "off-topic" than someone asking for a: "custom map for a PCIII for their 2 brothers slip-on" for the gazillionth time! We all ride F4i's, and most of us speed, so I think that it's a useful topic. Just my 2 cents worth!

 

i love my escort passport x50...best $200 on ebay ive ever spent, best radar detector for the money! Saved me at least 5 times in the year and a half that ive had it.Wouldnt trade it for anything.

 

I agree the Escort is a great radar detector. How have you got it mounted to the bike? Do you put an earphone in your helmet?

 

http://www.radardetector.net/

They used to have a H.A.R.D system that awas pretty cool. But that is one of the best places you will find info out about radar detectors.

The ones with battery are worse than the others because they go into a sleep mode and it picks up alittle bit later than the rest. And don't buy Rocky mountain radar detectors they are a piece of junk and the company is a joke.

 

Believe me, I've been all over that site! Radar avoidance is a verycomplicated issue. Fact is, there are no really good solutions for those who need it the most - sport bikes! The h.a.r.d. system has many problems, not the least of which is the cheezy unit on the helmet which isn't waterproof! The whistler came with a helmet display which actually (to my surprise) works very well, and the transmitter is built right in to the main unit. Now, if the unit just picks up radar it will be well worth it. Getting the alarm out to a sportbike rider going very fast with all the wind noise and the need for total concentration is no easy task! The cheetah system seems nice, but a bit too complicated (as well as expensive). Audio alerts are always better and less distracting than visual, and I think the "radar screamer" is a nice option. I hate wires to the helmet - they are a distraction as well as a pain in the *** every time you get off the bike.

Sometimes, when you get pulled over for speeding by a cop who is also a biker, he'll let you off with a warning. Not likely, though, if you have a big honking radar detector mounted on a stem mounton the bike. That's the main reason I want it built in and hidden!

Hopefully, I'll hit a radar trap in the next few days, and they I'll know if the unit is any good. I'll keep you posted.