Motorcycle GPS?

blue1000rr · 03-04-2008, 3:38 PM

does anyone have a gps they use on their bike? or know of one that works well. i am going on a few long trips this year and have a bad memory when it comes to directions

ddawgnd · 03-04-2008, 5:50 PM

I may be new here but isn't there an electronics section somewhere in here?

Anyways, when I went on my recent snowboarding trip we used a TomTom...and I do believe they just released one made for motorcycles as well!

blue1000rr · 03-04-2008, 8:17 PM

i looked at it but dont want to shell out $650 for a gps that will probably get broken or stolen

AWDXTCY · 03-04-2008, 9:08 PM

The only GPS i know of made specifically for motorcycles thats waterproof, is a garmen, its about 900 bucks also...

Bigtoe · 03-04-2008, 9:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWDXTCY

The only GPS i know of made specifically for motorcycles thats waterproof, is a garmen, its about 900 bucks also...

The Garmin quest is no where near that price. I have one on my VTX. I use it to go where I have no freakin clue where I'm going. Or if I ride navigating by the Sun, I use it to get home. I like it alot. I take it off everytime I stop. It's not a bike one by any means. The Zuma (sp) is bigger and is more user friendly from what I hear. When on my CBR I plan to have my quest in my pocket if I need it only. You definitely want a motorcycle specific GPS. You never know when you will hit rain.

AWDXTCY · 03-04-2008, 11:20 PM

well, i guess best buy had it mis-priced...or it could have been a different unit but im sure it was a garmen...

ddawgnd · 03-05-2008, 5:45 PM

Looking on the internet I found these prices:
Quest-364.95
Quest 2-559.95
Street Pilot 2820-999.99
Zumo 450-699.99
Zumo 550-899.99

Not sure if you've already found these but they are all garmins. I was personally looking at the Quest 2 as it is ready to use out of the box AND it's a nice compact size.

blue1000rr · 03-05-2008, 10:31 PM

thanks for the info

CBR929RE · 03-05-2008, 11:01 PM

I have a Garmin 2720 (2820 is the newer version). got it on ebay reconditioned by garmin for $300. $50 for some RAMmounts and the power chord later and its great on the bike. its a little big but its made rugged so it can be used on a motorycle.

slickwill · 03-06-2008, 10:05 AM

I think I would enjoy having a GPS but I think I would end up dying because of it.

TattooedGQ · 03-06-2008, 10:38 AM

question for the guys that acutally use these things. Can you hear the voice when riding, or is there a head set? I know in my car I barely look at my GPS except when it tells me a turn is coming up, so hearing the audible alerts is fairly important, imo. thanks.

CBR929RE · 03-06-2008, 3:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slickwill

I think I would enjoy having a GPS but I think I would end up dying because of it.

because mine is mounted on the handlebar its low enough that when I'm riding its completely out of my view. I have to actually look down at it for a second.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TattooedGQ

question for the guys that acutally use these things. Can you hear the voice when riding, or is there a head set? I know in my car I barely look at my GPS except when it tells me a turn is coming up, so hearing the audible alerts is fairly important, imo. thanks.

well I've never actually used mine to give me directions anywhere so its not a problem for me. but the Garmin 2720 (and others in that line) don't have built in speakers, its built into the power cable. On the motorcycle power cable there's an audio jack. you plug your own earbuds into it so you can hear the directions inside your helmet.

TattooedGQ · 03-06-2008, 4:08 PM

Hmm, Interesting concept, So i'm assuming you had to add a power port and the wont run on the internal battery?

jhonda41 · 03-06-2008, 6:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TattooedGQ

Hmm, Interesting concept, So i'm assuming you had to add a power port and the wont run on the internal battery?

If you dont feel like shelling out the bigger bucks... most of the riders I know in this area have a Garmin Quest or Quest II. It was rumored to be available refurbed for as little as $250 at one point. I've used it as well and was quite pleased. Pretty easy to set up, mounts are available locally (FARKLEMASTERS.COM ::: UNIQUE AND CUSTOM SPORT TOURING ACCESSORIES) and are small but viewable. I only know of one person who has used the voice guidance, but he as since moved up to the zuma(IIRC) and dislikes the bluetooth interface.

Once you get used to looking down every once in a while its not that bad. Besides, it doubles as a true speedometer.

-jh

TattooedGQ · 03-06-2008, 6:41 PM

I have a TomTom one, and and extra mount, I was thinking about modding an old windscreen and strapping the thing in ther like crazy. I have to take a look at those quests though...thanks JH

CBR929RE · 03-06-2008, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TattooedGQ

Hmm, Interesting concept, So i'm assuming you had to add a power port and the wont run on the internal battery?

nope the 2720 and 2820 don't have internal batteries. they have to be hooked up to an external power source. mine is wired from the battery up to the right handlebar. they are also made with a glove friendly screen. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=135
also check out www.ram-mount.com for mounting solutions.

lanbrown · 03-09-2008, 7:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWDXTCY

The only GPS i know of made specifically for motorcycles thats waterproof, is a garmen, its about 900 bucks also...

TomTom has one called the "Rider".

-Z- · 03-10-2008, 4:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lanbrown

TomTom has one called the "Rider".

Yeah, it comes with a bluetooth earpiece that you're supposed to wear inside your helmet so you can hear the voice directions it gives you.

marius · 03-10-2008, 8:12 AM

i bought myself the garmin quest.what i like about it it comes with two brackets one for the car and one for the bike.it has a feature built for your helmet which you just plug in.and it is splash proof and i did some riding in the rain already with it and it still works.i had mine for about two years and when i picked up a problem with it on the antenna (The little flap)they exchange for me for a new one even though its guarentee already expired.rather spend a couple of bucks more and know you get the service.i really recommend garmin.

DDMGraphix · 04-25-2008, 1:42 PM

My concept of GPS on a Bike. I installed a $699 GPS in my 2002 Lincoln... Great some times.. but honestly its not teh best resource.. for the low price I thoughts about getting a Tom Tom.. but there are a few things you are goign to want to take into considertaion which I never thought about until I installed a 20GB MP3/DVD player on my bike.. I can hear mine caus eI installed a 100W amp.. But anyway... Take thes things into account
-Vibreation
-Weather
-Noise and Laws
-Theft
-Location

slickwill · 04-25-2008, 2:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDMGraphix

Take thes things into account
-Vibreation
-Weather
-Noise and Laws
-Theft
-Location

The Garmin Zumo is made specifically for bikes and is built to handle all those things.

Amazon.com: Garmin Zumo 550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Motorcycle Navigator: Electronics

keifin · 04-26-2008, 11:14 AM

I have a garmin 2820 i use on my st1300 and in my cars, although i bought it specifically for my bike. Soon to be on the 08 1000rr.
waterproof
headphone/microphone jacks on unit
mp3/audiobook/xm radio
bluetooth

this gps has over 12000 miles on it and never had any probs with it.
two things. 1 For me, this is not a substitute for a map, but to be used with a map. 2 After plotting your route check out your turn list to see if any are really close together(200ft merge left i80, 400ft stay right to i680 south, 800 ft ramp to ft crook rd on right)as this a good area to review.

I use etymotic er4 plugs for audio prompts and can switch on the fly between the 2820 and ipod.

At the end of the day, this is the second best travel investment i've made. You just can't beat a good rainsuit.

slickwill · 04-26-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

(200ft merge left i80, 400ft stay right to i680 south

Are you near Omaha?

keifin · 04-27-2008, 3:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slickwill

Are you near Omaha?

North platte

A_D_T · 06-03-2008, 2:53 PM

buy a pocket map...its a lot cheaper than gps and you have to stop to use it...hence its also a life saver....

CARBONRRPILOT · 06-06-2008, 3:15 PM

my cheap azz found a way to avoid buying another nav, haha full charge lasts all day

trixter · 06-06-2008, 10:02 PM

On my 06 I had a TomTom Rider (1) and my Valentine 1 mounted to the steering dampner. (using the cover mount screws) This worked great (even in inclement weather) until like so many others, the tomtom mount died. That's why they've redesigned it. I don't know anything about the new unit, or where I might mount it on my 08, but on the old model you could simply flip the holder level over and remove the GPS unit. (to take in the motel with you on trips) I did all this mainly because I like gadgets, but I haven't decided yet if I'll add a similar setup to the new bike.
btw - the V1 was completely waterproof with no additional prep and worked flawlessly for the 6300 mile trip...