| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
i know...this is gonna be like another oil thread. i like my quest ii and it still performs great, but its time to upgrade to more features like bluetooth and touchscreen. question is (and i want to stick with garmin) - 550? 660? 665? xm would be cool but not required since i have 8gb of music on my blackberry, and pandora radio. thoughts? | ||
| Rich |
I've had a zumo 550 since they came out. It has been fantastic. | ||
| Froggy |
Are you feeling OK? | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Tomtom! I've used tomtom for years & always been happy, my latest GPS for the rig is a Garmin Nuvi 465T, let's just say I'm less than impressed. | ||
| Two_seasons |
Unless you like major highways, why in the world do you want a GPS? I use a compass with a mini-mag to light it up in the dark. Two-lane baby...smell the barn dude! | ||
| Froggy |
Can you elaborate? I've never seen a GPS that only covered major highways.
Which is great, unless you actually want to figure out where you are and where you want to go. Stuck on the side of the road? The GPS will tell you within 15 feet of where you are, makes life easy for emergency responders and roadside assistance. Rat - Look at the Garmin Zumo 660. The 550 does not support A2DP Bluetooth, which is a must for listening to tunes on your G4. Assuming you even want the XM that is, the content is junk these days, they were better before Sirius bought it. | ||
| Ratbuell |
froggy - feeling fine, but thanks for your concern  not gonna stop using the quest, probably just relegate it to non-uly use. the uly takes most of my longer trips with me and it would be nice to have some more features than the ol' atari has. that, and i'm doing a few things now that require a LOT of address entry, and the user interface on the quest is...tedious. thanks for the tip on the 660. thought i had heard bad things about it when it came out though? or was that just price stuff i was hearing ("its too expensive")? anyone have experience with the 665? | ||
| Two_seasons |
See Froggy, you and I are very different. I like the sound of my engine, not the din of anything else. Music on a bike? Buy a Honda or Harley! I like adventure and unless I'm doing logging roads, rough terrain, desert, where's the fun in knowing exactly where I'm at? Unless there is another peep on the highway with you, GPS or not, you're screwed if you go off the road. My endpoint is dialed into memory, I check Mapquest for approximate distance before I go, then take off. Very rare that I'm on a 4 or more lane highway. Just for reference, in 1975 I bought my first big road bike, a Kawasaki Z1-B. Within three months of ownership, took it on a 8,400+ run across Canada and around the perimeter of the USA. 6 weeks later, back home. Somehow I made it to where I wanted to go. Some of you guys get all caught up in the technology instead of the joy of just hopping on and having a great ride. Now, at 57, even with a sore butt, I can do a 600+ plus day, no sweat, on two lane highways. GPS will never introduce you to great people along your ride, it will never find that special out-of-the-way diner or cafe. Technology is bitched about on this board time ad-nauseum. So many of us see daily the effects of the drivers around us that are "plugged in". I thought one of the reasons we own Buells is for the adventure factor. Too many of us worry about every aspect of every minute of our day. Enjoy what you have and fix what is broken. Get out there and ride  | ||
| Ratbuell |
and nothing against maps and stuff - i've taken plenty of land-nav courses in the past. but its nice, when those clouds start rolling in while i *am* out and about with no particular direction in mind...to hit that 'route home' button. and with the gps, if i find something i like...i hit a button and 'mark' its location so i can find it again later. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I like the sound of my engine, not the din of anything else. Music on a bike? Buy a Honda or Harley! I can do a 600+ plus day, no sweat, on two lane highways ok. double that. do a 1200 mile day and see how alert you are with nothing but wind noise and exhaust drone as aural inputs. ride from Maryland to Daytona in a straight shot. better yet, take three days. leave maryland and do a lap around lake michigan and back. see how alert you are then. music doesn't have to be a 'din', as you say. it can be a background 'tinka-tinka-tink' backbeat while you're riding in traffic. for me its like chewing gum - helps mark time, keep my brain going, keep blood flowing up there so i don't zone out and go on autopilot (which never works out well). are you really telling me to get out there and ride? or froggy? he and i did a straight shot from maryland to buelltoberfest last year, on the blue ridge parkway. not only lots of miles...but technical miles in pouring rain. and he started in NY! if i ride local, i don't worry as much. i can call a buddy if something goes wrong with the bike and say "i'm on route xxx, near the red barn...yeah, that's the one...grab my truck from the house and come pick me up". it's when i'm eight states from home i like to know where to tell people they can find me. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Unless you like major highways, why in the world do you want a GPS? If you're out riding to nowhere and not sure where you are and want to get back home just hit the "home" button. Need gas, food, an amusement park, etc, etc ?? | ||
| Two_seasons |
Rat: If you are riding 1,200 in a day, you're either becoming a hazard or are indeed one already at that point. As for breakdown, needing help, isn't that what BRAN is for. Or is this just obsolete data? Even Rocco is in there  Eight states away? Doesn't every LEO on this planet now have LAT/LONG technology in their car/bike/atv/swat? Can't you call 911 or wait for LEO to help you? Ma Bueller, if you are reading this, I apologize for these techno-weenies! | ||
| Froggy |
I lurk on Zumoforums occasionally, haven't been there in ages, and I don't have enough experience with a 660 and 665 to say anything about them. They are expensive, so thats the biggest complaint you will see, but people bitched about the Zumo 550 price, and the price of all the other high end units. As you know, it ain't a cheap piece of junk, so its going to set you back a few bills. I'm not fond of the interface that Gamin has been using as of late, it seems like each new generation is getting "stupider". They take away features and customization to make it easier to use for the average brickhead. I've heard that you can't turn up the road detail settings to show more roads, I don't know if that's true or not.
I hate the sound of the engine. The noise just tells me I am pissing money down the drain on gas. I welcome the new oncoming wave of electric bikes.
Where is the fun in not knowing where you are? I would be more afraid of adventuring away from civilization in the event I get stuck or injured. Last thing I need is to dump it on a steep hill crush my ankle, then find out I am 50 miles from the nearest main road.
Not true. Similar to my situation above, I got stuck crossing a stream on a washed out ATV trail, couldn't dislodge the bike, used my technology to see some houses roughly a quarter mile away. Turned out there was a family bbq going on (it was Memorial Day), and two guys gladly took a few minutes out of their afternoon to help push the bike out of the mud. Could I have done this without tech? Sure, but there was a reduced chance of me finding someone around if I just walked off in a meaningless direction.
I do the same, and I let the GPS deal with navigating, and then I can press the Detour button when I find out a town I was cutting through has the roads closed due to a parade.
Great! I've done similar. I ride from NY to Georgia annually, and even went to Wisconsin once for Homecoming.
There is no such thing as being caught up in technology. I do hop on my bike just about every day and then ride as much as I desire.
So can I, GPS has nothing to do with how often or how far you can ride.
Now that is proof you have never used a GPS. The best part of the GPS is when you do find that out of the way spot, you press a button and it stores it for the future, so 2 years down the line you won't be like, "Now where was that farm that sells that amazing ice cream near here?"
Only by those that are old and obsolete and refuse to embrace it and enhance their lives.
And if you aren't going to blame phones, you are going to find something else to blame. I wasn't old enough to be driving till a few years ago, what was the excuses before then? People putting on makeup? Reading the newspaper? Driving drunk? There have been dumb and distracted drivers since the beginning of time, I'm sure there have been a few cases of wagons losing wheels on the Oregon Trail due to not paying attention. At least that is my take on it from as often that happens to me in that game. (Do people seriously pick banker?)
I love the adventure, I ride where I want, then when I am ready to go home, 1 button and no worries 
I ain't one of them. | ||
| Froggy |
I don't know for sure, but I would imagine everyone is different, and some people could do it while others can't. 1.2k miles for a day won't be bad, but doing that for several days in a row will probably exhaust even those of us with amazing stamina.
The BRAN is great, but it won't do you much good if you don't know where you are! "Hey Ratbuell, I lost my rear bearings. Can you give me a lift? I am on that road that goes though DC, there is Shell a gas station, and a couple of kids ahead playing hop scotch on the sidewalk. A road name? Where would I find that? All the street signs have been stolen for scrap metal" Also, Rocco is a good guy, I'm sure he would be more than willing to come and help however he can if you were in a jam.
Yep! Give them your exact cords, and they can show up.
You really want to rely on 911 to triangulate your position using cell towers and GPS? You will be dead before they can get the info to the nearest patrol car. | ||
| Two_seasons |
Ok you got me Froggy, I'm old and obsolete. Please be gentle when you shove that needle in my arm | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Ma Bueller, if you are reading this, I apologize for these techno-weenies! Ma Bueller was born in 1924. We're ALL techno-weenies to her. | ||
| Strokizator |
I do a lot of riding in remote areas, always with a Zumo 550 & a Spot device. At 59, I've pretty much wrecked my body and don't have the strength or stamina to get myself out of trouble if push comes to shove. I'll take the techno-gadgets; it sure beats the alternative. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Froggy I am shipping you a coupla tons of Coal for your new Mo sickle. That you mooch at moms electricity is 70% Generated with coal. That dirty old rock keeps froggys hardrives spinning. | ||
| Froggy |
Steve, since you are able to get on the interwebz and Badweb, you aren't ready to get tossed into the dumpster yet Ken, my power is nucular. | ||
| F_skinner |
Joe, I went from the Quest II to the 550 and finally the 660. Like anything else just define your needs. The last trip when the Quest could not find the location {the maps are no longer supported} it was time to get something else. The 550 is fine save the fact that it does not support A2DP. My Quest 2 is going on another S2 and I may put the 550 on Lynn's XB. I think Frank's assessment is spot on "Rat - Look at the Garmin Zumo 660. The 550 does not support A2DP Bluetooth, which is a must for listening to tunes on your G4. Assuming you even want the XM that is, the content is junk these days, they were better before Sirius bought it." I did not go with the XM. Frank | ||
| Kenm123t |
Spell check is down on power eh froggy | ||
| Ratbuell |
frank - i still get maps for my q2....? just did an update a month or so ago, actually. i do have lifetime maps, though, don't know if that makes a difference... and i have sirius dock-n-play already that i use in the cars. and house. and at work. but with pandora and i-tunes all on my blackberry....i'm covered for music. no need for another subscription. but the bluetooth 'turn here' would be nice... | ||
| Etennuly |
Joe, after my Tom-Tom ate itself with a catastrophic allergy to vibration, I got a zumo. I do not know the model number at this moment. However, as a true anti-geek, I can load addresses in seconds without instructions even. I will look up the model number tomorrow, it is a water proof, shock proof unit that is for motor scoots and boat use. Awesome unit. Even came with a nice mounting device. Given that, I still will not substitute using a map. The GPS is great for finding anything, route tracking, watching speed, but I find for an overall look at what you are doing a map is best for planning. Occasionally picking route A to B will have you cussing that techno box, it can lead you in circles around and through a small town to lead you back to where you could have made a simple turn off five miles earlier. I use mine while driving, but I study and carry a map before and during the trip also. | ||
| Xl1200r |
All I'm going to say is I live in NY, and my GPS found this road in CA for me:  ...and you can see more here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/681 7/580569.html?1279122576 My GPS didn't seem to hinder me from the nice couple from Voncouver when I was in Paige, or the funky biker couple from Washington when I was heading to the Grand Canyon, or the couple of guys from Long Island riding off grid just north of Moab, or the crazy old lady than ran the motel in Chamberlain. A GPS will take you anywhere you want to go, you just have to know how to tell it - just like you have to know how to use a map and compass to get anywhere without it. As far as music - sometimes I like it, sometimes not. I had tunes pretty much non-stop from NY to CO, then didn't listen to music for the rest of the trip to CA. To the OP - I have a Zumo 550 that has served me very well for years. My friend has a 650 or 660 or something... one of the new widescreen models. It's a little faster to load things up and oddly will route you differently than mine when given the exact same start and end points... but... otherwise, I didn't see enough of a difference to justify the extra cost for me (mine was top of the line when I bought it, so no other options availible at the time). The spec sheet may guide you differently. I've also gotten good at planning routes right on the device (via waypoints) as opposed to having to use a computer ahead of time. Having a seperate map, or a way to see google maps on your phone or something to give you better road detail helps a ton. | ||
| Tiltcylinder |
I love using the GPS as a way to store the locations of great bars and places to eat. I enjoy randomly taking roads that sort of head in the general direction of my intended destination. Drive the two lane roads until you think you're someplace ( usually the middle of no-where) then pull up that brewery you ate at last year and away you go, to a good meal and a great beer. Or the little side street cafe that drew you in from the pouring rain with the smell of their cooking! Have saved spots all the way from Maine to South Carolina. May not visit those places for years, but I know a great spot... Music is something I love to have on the bike. I miss it after an hour or so of riding. Getting off Long Island and far enough from the megalopolis and its appologeticly homicidal, inept drivers, requires at least an hour of highway droning, lots of times more than two. Music helps me smile and stay out of the graybar hotel. Currently shopping for the new 665, but am using a Mio C320 on an otterbox with RAM mounts. Plays music from an SD card, saves POI's and shows where I'm at. It's been enough for the last 5 yrs, but I would like to be able to plot and save a few favorite routes. Even with GPS I get pretty lost somedays... " I know that turn is around here someplace". Nothing better than turning a 225 mile trip into a 400 mile trip that takes 12 hours. (Message edited by tiltcylinder on August 15, 2011) |
