| Author | Message | ||
     Fb1 |
What GPS do you run on your motorcycle? Pros? Cons? Would you recommend it to someone like me shopping for their first moto-specific GPS? | ||
| Froggy |
Garmin Zumo 550 is the best motorcycle GPS on the market. The newer models have less features and more bugs. | ||
| Rwven |
I'm using an ancient (in relative terms) Garmin StreetPilot 2720. Basic, rugged, waterproof and no longer available. | ||
| Ustorque |
Zumo 550, great unit, great support. | ||
| Jb2 |
Maps, Gazetteers and friendly recommendations from strangers. Sorry.  | ||
| Fb1 |
Did yer new Vic come with a kick starter? Yeah, thought not.  | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
phone tied via BT to my helmit failing that maps and strangers | ||
| Hootowl |
'Course not. You'd wear yourself out starting it every time you stop for directions. | ||
| Fb1 |
Froggy and/or Ustorque, who's got the best price on the 550? | ||
| Jb2 |
>>> Did yer new Vic come with a kick starter? No, but I've kicked it. Does that count? BTW, Bhuff swears by his Zumo550. Did I tell ya I still like maps? | ||
| Jb2 |
Hoot, you've obviously not traveled across country with me. (Message edited by jb2 on April 26, 2012) | ||
| Fb1 |
I like maps, too; been using them on my rides for nearly 50 years. Kick the Vic? Sounds like a great party game next month in Franklin.... | ||
| Jb2 |
>>> Kick the Vic? Sounds like a great party game next month in Franklin.... The Vic will be at the motel during the party but hell... I'm game if the sandman doesn't dust your eyes before midnight. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I use a gps for finding addresses & points of interest on route. Finding my route, I have Mk I brain & eye, augmented by maps or road atlas. Gps is a dangerous tool used on its own, I've seen many trucks stuck & even lives lost due to blindly following the idiot box's instructions. | ||
| Jumbo_petite |
Garmin Zumo 550 | ||
| Hootowl |
"Hoot, you've obviously not traveled across country with me." It would be a kick. Apologies for the pun. (not really) | ||
| Froggy |
Hard to say, I did a quick search, looks like it is discontinued and supplies are drying up. GPScity.com says to call, every else I've checked says out of stock. There are a few on Ebay, but not at great prices.
It is no different than any other tool, be it a pencil or a jackhammer. Tools are great for their intended purpose when used correctly, and can be dangerous when not used correctly. Stupid people will hurt themselves with or without a GPS. | ||
| Fb1 |
It would be a kick. Apologies for the pun. Kick some Vics on Route 66? Sounds like an awesome road trip! Froggy, thanks. The price of the 550 is breathtaking, and not in a good way. Any experience with the Zumo 220? There are plenty to be had, and the price is a lot less dear... | ||
| Jb2 |
>>> It would be a kick. Apologies for the pun. (not really) Heading to the Ozarks on the 19th of next month with a few BadWeBbers ahead of Big Jim's Ride. Also heading to South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana in September. I'm always game for hooking up with new friends from BWB and ADV Rider. I'll warn you ahead of time though... I don't use GPS and I never plan a trip. I use the "follow your front wheel" method of adventure traveling. It's no fun knowing what you're gonna find and besides I've found a lot of cool stuff getting lost. Ping me if you're serious!  | ||
| Reepicheep |
FB... the real test is if you can plot a route and download it (intact) to the GPS. Thats the difference between the "just route me home" commodity GPS, and a serious "find every godforsaken goat trail and plan a ride that touches all of them" tool. Here is a list I came across last week: https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/c ase.faces?caseId={9bca0be0-5f38-11dd-c66b-000000000000}
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| Reindog |
(Message edited by reindog on April 27, 2012) | ||
| Prior |
The routing feature Reep mentioned is the big reason I've stayed old-school. Currently running a Quest a friend sent me, and while it's not the latest by any means, it works, holds quite a few maps and the ability to do routes is awesome. I do know some folks that have had luck using Harley's Ride Planner and importing routes to the newer GPS models, but haven't done that myself. Most car GPS models would work with the right mounting brackets and power setup, most are not waterproof and not sure about what extended vibration would do to them. The new moto Garmins are sweet, but you can but a lot of gas for what they cost. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Just to make it clear... If you want a GPS that will let you program a destination, and get there, any of the car units will do. If you want a GPS that will let you define a specific route, and then help you follow it, you need one of the higher end (old or new) Garmins. The Garmin app for the IPhone ain't bad as a solution to the "just get me there, I don't care how" problem. The "pay as you go" version gets stupid when you loose your data connection, but I think their "just buy it" version preloads maps. For cars, I'm happy with the "just get me there" GPS units. They are cheap and smart. For a bike, I'm not really interested in one of those, I want to plot a route and have the GPS help me follow it. | ||
| Fb1 |
Reep, I've got a "just get me there" GPS for the Limo (a Garmin Nuvi 40), and, honestly, that's about all the technology I want or need for the Road King. I suppose I could just MacGyver the 40 to the RK, but I doubt it'd tolerate the vibration (or rain and fog) very long. I really like the ability of the unit to "recalculate" on the fly. I can plug in a destination (our hotel in North Myrtle Beach this past weekend, for example), yet take any number of spontaneous detours along the way (following the front wheels, as JB2 so aptly puts it), and regardless of how far "off course" (and borderline lost) we get we still know how to ultimately reach our destination without stopping and poring over maps, with the added bonus of knowing our approximate ETA at any given point in the journey. Thanks for all the input folks; much appreciated. FB | ||
| Hootowl |
"Ping me if you're serious!" I'm off to the S2 gathering in June. That's pretty much my motorcycle related vacation allotment for the year. But it would be a kick. Looking forward to retirement. | ||
| Slaughter |
The good thing about the Garmin 450 550 are that they are waterproof. Nice to consider if you actually RIDE in weather. | ||
| Barker |
I just suction cup a $50 tomtom to my tach. It gets me where I need to. I charge it from my forward 12V hole. I also run it on my 1125R. I chose it because it was cheap and its mount is slim and ideal for mounting on the tach. It has lasted thru many down pours.  | ||
| 86129squids |
Hmm, Barker, cool AND cost effective! I've always been pretty old-school, using maps and stopping to ask locals, BUT- I understand the benefits of having GPS signal for points of interest, good eats, goat trails, etc. Here's a different quextion: Hopefully soon, I'll be getting my newly acquired boat running and in the water- who has input on a GPS unit ideally suited for both MC and marine usage? Being a boating noob, plus being diabetic, I'm looking for surefire routines to be safe on the water, and to ensure I get back to the dock. | ||
| Strokizator |
I use the Mapsource program that came with the Zumo to plan out multiple day trips. You can fine tune your route and then download it to the Zumo. With the memory card your buds can share it too. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Quest II here. Refuses to die. Atari-based software...but I'm OK with that. Still supported by Garmin for maps and software, and since it won't die and I have lifetime maps...I'll keep using it |
