| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
I know, I know...they're "out of date" now. But, the Quest is under $90 on ebay (Garmin refurb with a warranty) and the II is $140. 2 reasons I'm looking at them - size (small), and mounting. I've found the part numbers for the Buell mounting kit that uses the front brake perch, so even if I don't buy the unit from Buell, I can still get the "right" mount and the harness for a pretty clean install. Anyone used either/both of these units? I don't need super-sexy speedy recalculations or a ton of memory or a bunch of features, but the idea of the II being slightly faster is appealing. Mainly, though, I want something that, when I'm going somewhere for the first time, I can punch in an address and it'll tell me where/when to turn. I'll do a search here in a sec. Any input is appreciated, though. I want to buy myself a (late) Christmas present, darn it!  | ||
| Larryjohn |
I got the Quest (regular not II) last year off e-bay for about $110 (refurb with a warranty). I have had no problems with it. In the summer I used it as my "go get lost" tool. I would head out and get lost, using the map on the unit to find interesting roads. If I saw a nice road on the map, I would just head that way. When it was time to head home, I would just have the unit route home. On the way I would usually head down different roads, making the unit re-route, and it never seemed too slow to me. This is the only GPS unit I have used though and my perception of fast or slow may be different than others, but I was never left waiting for it to tell me where to go. I would say it always recalculated the route within 10 to 15 seconds max. I have also used this in the car quite a bit and have never had any problems. Except of course the time I was playing with it and left it in pedestrian mode. The next day I was ready to throw the unit out the window of my car because it took minutes to calculate a route and once it did it would start recalculating. When I realized that I still had it in pedestrian mode and fixed it all was good. Just curious, can you share the buell mounting king part number? And do you have a price? I have the RAM mount but really wanted to get the buell mount. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Looking through archives, a big difference appears to be that the Q2 has street-level maps preloaded for the entire US, while Q1 you have to load your own...and it'll only hold a couple states' at a time. Lemme organize the list of parts so I can post 'em | ||
| Ratbuell |
Hm. More organized than I thought CAPS are parts listing from Buell; regular type is my notes. Retail Part # Qty Description $5.33 2473 1 SCREW holds aux cable cover (rubber cap) onto plate $5.33 4550M 2 SCREW,BTN,TORX holds mount plate to brake perch $1.00 54305-98 1 FUSE, BLADE TYPE, 2 AMP $75.00 70019-05Y 1 POWER HARNESS,GPS UNIT *should* tap into aux power inside Uly windscreen; no hands-on yet to verify, though $59.46 76007-05Y 1 BRACKET, GPS MOUNT bracket that mounts to brake perch $24.50 76008-05Y 2 SPACER between bracket and brake mount $16.95 91771-04 1 KIT, EARPHONE $100.00 92172-05Y 1 CRADLE, GPS UNIT don't know if required, or if cradle that comes with Q2 from Garmin can be used/attached to the Buell bracket (3 screws, cradle to bracket) Below is the hardware shown to attach the cradle to the bracket; don't know if the screws are in with the cradle or not, so I listed them. Also need 2 6-32 x 1-1/4" screw 1 6-32 x 1" screw | ||
| Larryjohn |
I would pay the extra $50 for the Quest 2 just for the preloaded maps. For one reason, they take a while to load onto Quest 1 from the computer. And for the other reason you mentioned, the memory is limited (I think 128mb) on the Quest 1. The amount of land area you can get on the Quest 1 when you load the maps depends on how detailed the maps are. When you load the maps, you select the map sections you want to load on your computer. These sections are not always entire states, but are just some random pre-determined sections of map. Some sections take up a lot of memory (large metropolitan areas) for a relatively small areas. Other sections of map take up much less memory, or the geographic area they cover is much larger. I can usually get and entire multi-state trip on the unit, but it is a pain sometimes. | ||
| Larryjohn |
Thanks for the part numbers and prices. | ||
| Froggy |
If you have the choice, go Quest 2. One the 1 I have to reload maps 3 times to go from NY to Georgia for Buelltoberfest. Oh and once I accidentally missed a section, so it would route me off the highway and around the the missing section, costing me a few hours. | ||
| Rekrab |
I use Quest 1, when u load maps it also loads hotel restaurants campgrounds etc. The info is 4 years old so things change. If you like to wander without a plan, memory is small for doing route and sections around destinations. The mount and installation are the best features, The speed readout is large and the mount has the unit in a easy sight line. Bought it with the bike new, paid the price. | ||
| Jammin_joules |
Quest II is probably worth the price diff. since the whole country is loaded. You can update either Quest with latest road info by goin on-line, but Quest I only holds several states worth at a time. Handlebar mounting is first rate. Newer Zumo stuff is a Rock Mount style and it sits very high and precarious, and some I know who have it have displeasure with that. The Quest unit has a variety of accessories for car windshield and dash mounts that allow for voice output making screen size less important. I even found a BlueTooth conversion for the speaker option so a helmet mounted scatter box system can be used to also hear your Quest unit. This is far superior to the ear piece which I find painful after all but short rides. ~jammer | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yeah, I wouldn't even worry about voice prompts - my new Arai pulls out my iPod earpieces when I put it on, so I've given up (time being) on audio on the bike. It looks like either Quest has good on-screen "distance to next" and "time to next" boxes, which would be fine for me - I'm used to a scrap of paper in the top of the tank bag, scribbled with 'road name - direction of turn - distance to next' information jotted down from mapquest, lol. I think I'm gonna go Q2, just for the all-state feature...now to get to work and order some brackets | ||
| Billinpa |
I have the Quest II. I am pretty happy with it. I don't navigate that much with it, but speed and headings are handy. I use Ram mounts so I can easily switch from bike to bike. At the ebay price it is a great deal and well worth the money. | ||
| Krassh |
I have the Harley Conquest (rebadged Quest II) and it works great. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Quest 1 and 2 are still great units. For $50 I would get the 2 as well. Internet rumor has it that the Q2 is actually slower, but i have played with both briefly and did not see a difference. The GPS is plenty fast enough for just navigating. Where you will see it slow is when you are searching (like find the nearest Home Depot). It does a radius search, and a 100 mile radius could be 5 or 10 minutes to search. Not that long in the whole scope of things, but it feels like forever if you are sitting on the side of the road. I just pick a direction that looks like a good guess and start riding while it is searching, and it finds it soon enough. For price, the biggest factor is which version of the map software you are using. If it is direct from Garmin, I am guessing it would be the latest (not sure what version). Thats $80 worth of data right there, which considering it comes with a Quest (or Quest II), thats a *smoking* good deal. The GPS is almost free. The Quest 1 is an occasional annoyance to reload new regions onto, but it becomes an issue for me maybe 5 times a year (various vacations). I guess I don't get out enough Order one of those ebay cheap external antennas. The quest built in one has a flaky hinge joint. The external antennas get a LOT better reception anyway. They should be $15 or so to your door. Having one also lets you mount the quest wherever you want, it does not need a clear sky view. If you connect and disconnect the unit frequently (moving it between cars and bikes), it gets to be a bother. I just leave mine connected most of the time. You don't need a $70 power converter either, or the $70 mounts. A ram cradle ($8 or so) will bolt to a mirror mount with a bent chunk of metal and work well, and there are good cheap options for 5v converters. Either cannabilize a cheap car charger, or build your own with an LM315 (I have schematics posted here). For car use, the cheapo Garmins or Tom Toms are now probably better units then the quests. But the fact that the Quest is water proof and shock resistant makes it the slam dunk $100 choice for a motorcyclist. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well, Q2 on the way. *Had* to get myself *one* Christmas present...besides the whole "I can still walk" thing, lol. We'll see what comes in the box with it - again, a reman direct from Garmin - and what pieces I need to order for mounting. I'll update as things unfold Oh - any setup tips for the software? I'm going to read the manual (shh, don't tell anyone) and see, but are there free updates anywhere for the maps, or are they a "buy it" upgrade like the ones in our Magnum R/T? And, do they go wonky if I go off-grid on fire roads, or do they have some sort of terramapping that'll at least show where I am, even if there's no road nearby? Sorry. Just getting impatient. I want my new toy, lol. | ||
| Dr_greg |
Had Q1 (not from Buell); it died, so now Zumo. One thing I REALLY liked with Q was ability to customize display (I like to see elevation while tracking). No can do with Zumo. --Doc | ||
| Krassh |
Not sure with a remanufactured but with a new one I believe it is like a year or 2 of free updates. I was past the free upgrade date on mine so it cost $75 for the 2009 map upgrade. Was worth it for me as one of the main freeways near me was finished in the last year and I got tired of the please return to the road alerts with the old software. | ||
| Krassh |
Being remanufactured maybe you will get lucky and the new maps will be on there. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I *think*, since it's coming from a Garmin dealer, it's got the most recent package in it. If not, an email is in order once I check it out  | ||
| Froggy |
Garmin changes their policy all the time. Currently it is 90 days after purchase you get free map upgrades. | ||
| Cujo |
I did the same thing that you are talking about last year. FWIW you can save some money if you don't order everything from Buell. I ordered the harness (70019-05y) and the GPS bracket (76007-05y) from Buell. I thought that over $10 for three screws and $24 for two plastic spacers that you can't see was a little much. I went to a local Fastenal store and got everything that I needed for less than $3. The sizes of the screws are in the parts manual and I used 4 nuts (two on each screw) one size to big as spacers. The cradle is the same one that comes from Garmin. I ordered the motorcycle mounting kit from Cycle Gadgets for somewhere around $70. I saved around $60. Not a ton of money, but, several tanks of gas or a good nite out. -Cujo | ||
| Ratbuell |
Yeah, I'm planning on getting screws and stuff from the hardware store. If I need 1.25" and all they have is 1.5"...I own a dremel. The mount, though, I like - seems a good position to me, but we'll see once I get hands-on. I also think I'll spring for the harness. I can splice stuff pretty well - used to do some component-level repair work years ago - but if I can get something "correct" that keeps me from hacking my bike harness (and leaves me a "spare" harness for use in the truck), it's worth it to me. If you got screws and spacers at Fastenal; the harness and bracket from Buell; and the cradle comes from Garmin with the unit (and, I'm assuming, attached to the Buell bracket)...what's the Cycle Gadgets part? Seems like the hardware, bracket, harness and cradle would cover it....or am I missing something? | ||
| Reepicheep |
You probably won't get a motorcycle cradle in the box, just a car cradle. Ram makes a nice plastic "snap on" cradle for $10 or something. No electrical connectors, and you have to choose what other "parts" to get to mount that cradle to your bike. | ||
| Cujo |
Reepicheep is correct. The cradle that comes with the GPS is the car cradle. You'll need to order the motorcycle cradle. In my experience the mount is in a good spot and it was very handy not to have to splice the harness in. You will like the setup. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Here is a very detailed install writeup... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=3842&post=786717#POST786717 Having lived with it for two years, I wouldn't do anything different. (except for the part where I tried to touch up the bolt with a quick shot of truck bed liner, and accidentally got a touch of overspray on my fork tube ) Unfortunately, with the Q2, I don't think you get the AC charger. The charger itself is not important, but the little power connector attached to it can be re-used to make a cheap bike mount. On the other hand, come to think of it, I have had some trouble with the connectors in those pins over time, and the bike mount looks to have a more robust setup. | ||
| Wbrisett |
OK, here is my take since I own three units; the Zumo, Quest, and Quest II. By far the best option is the Zumo. I love that unit. I have it mounted on my BMW RT and it stays there. Initially I had plans to swap it out so it could go on either the RT or the Uly. However, right before March Badness, I did an update to the unit that I was prompted to do via the PC software and the unit never came back to life after the update. Garmin was extremely helpful and had me send the unit in for a replacement. However, that left me without a GPS for the ride out to GA. I've become pretty spoiled by the whole GPS thing and wanted to put one on my bike. Turns out the local Buell dealership had the Buell Quest in stock, they gave me a discount and I bought it for the trip. I had a laptop and would load one days maps on it at a time. I could have gotten two days on it, but figured I would simply do a single day at a time. When I got back from GA, I found a Quest II for under $100 and picked it up. I like not having to load maps, which I considered a bonus for under $100. Turns out that was a great decision since my laptop was stolen this past year and I haven't replaced it yet. The Zumo wins in just about every category. I'm constantly amazed at how much information is at your fingertips. But the question was about the Quest. The Quest is a nice unit, very fast when it comes to rerouting you, and if you get the Buell unit, comes preloaded with HD dealerships, and it's black. That's pretty much where this units pluses end. The minuses are that you have to load the maps you want, it has a small amount of memory and the last version of the Garmin maps you can buy for this unit is v8 of City Navigator (or so I've been told by two different Garmin employees). The Quest II wins over the Quest because all maps are preloaded, if you update the maps, it uses the same NT map set that the Zumo uses (although you need to purchase a separate update for each unit), which means that while discontinued, you can use and update the unit for a while. The downsides are the speed of the routing. When the unit has to reroute you, it can take 3 to 4 times as long as the original Quest or Zumo to come up with a new route. At times this means that you are past the point it wanted to route you, so it has to start over again. This can be very frustrating. If I had to rank the units, I would say, go with the Zumo, then the Quest II, and finally the Quest. Why Buell didn't go with the Quest II over the Quest is a mystery (I'm sure the Quest was the only unit available at the start, but they really should have switched over when Garmin came out with the updated model). Wayne | ||
| Reepicheep |
good info, didn't know the quest 1 could not be updated past V8 (which is what I am using)... Thanks! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well, the Q2 arrived last night right before the power went out (ice storm), so I'm trying to set it up now. It came with City Navigator NT North America v8, but the mygarmin site isn't working, so I can't create a profile, which stops me cold in the setup process. Grr. Does it charge off USB? Can I plug it in to my computer without finishing setup, just to charge it up, or will that booger something because the "drivers aren't properly loaded" or whatever the warning was on the tag on the USB cable.... But, it came with a full cradle that has a suction mount ball attachment on the back, but I can remove the attachment and just install it on the Buell bracket. I'll get the Buell cable, too - the stock one (with a speaker in it) is HUGE. I don't think I'd be able to turn left with that plugged into the dash of the Uly, lol. The main question I have is, I know the unit is "waterproof" - but what about the little flaps that cover the USB port and the antenna port? They seem like they'll blow up in a strong (motorcycle speed) headwind...are they pretty secure, or is a piece of 90mph tape advisable to keep them closed? | ||
| Wbrisett |
No charging off USB. There is an update to City Navigator NT, it's now City Navigator NT 2008. I've never had an issue with the rubber covering the USB and antenna ports. However, when placed in the Buell mount, you don't have these parts exposed. I don't believe they are exposed in the Garmin provided carrier either. But, yes, you are correct that speaker on the accessory adapter is huge! Wayne | ||
| F_skinner |
Joe. I am real interested to hear your impressions once you get it going. Do you think you will be able to hear the prompts with a helmet on with the speaker or do you plan to you something to the helmet? Will it be easy to move bike to bike? I imagine if the proper mount and wiring is done it will be. I would like to be able to run one on the S2 and the X and switch back and forth. If the unit can be made to beep or something noticeable when getting ready to prompt it will just be a matter of looking at the unit and following the arrows. I guess the trick is being able to hear it. Frank | ||
| Wbrisett |
Frank: I hate GPS prompts, so my experience may not be of any value to you. However, I don't have the speaker output enabled for any of the GPS units I own. I simply look at the GPS unit every now and again to know where and when I'm suppose to turn. With the right setup, you can quickly and easily change the mount and GPS between multiple bikes. Wayne |
