GPS Unit - what's good?

Hey, wanting to attach a GPS unit onto the VFR and just wondering which one would be a good fit for the bike.

 

I've got the Nuvi 750 and the screen is pretty easy to see in the daylight. I use it on the VFR and love it. It's not waterproof though, so if you're going to see wet weather be forewarned. You're right about gloves and touch screens, it can be done but kind of a pain.

 

I think something that has easy mounting options is good. Do they attach to the handlebar? Small might be easier to see, actually. Maybe the best thing is to get a pre-made route map from AAA and just carry it in the pocket.

 

Ram Mount

I have a Nuvi 770 that is also not water proof but has some features that are usefull on a bike, such as the ability to follow preplotted routes. For mounting of any GPS go to either gpscity.com to directly to Ram Mount and look at their mounting options. They offer a "handle bar mounted" system with a u-bolt. The separation between the u-bolt holes is idetical to hole separation on the front tank mounting tab on Gen 6, and possibly a Gen 5. This is actually a pretty common mounting method on the VFR. Ram Mount makes a wide variety of mounts for different GPS units, and if your worried about rain, they also offer a universal water proof box to hold a GPS with wire access in the back. The front has a flexible membrane so you can push buttons through the case.


Edit: Actually Britt's thread has most of the info you need.
http://vfrworld.com/forums/body-accessory-reviews/18599-ram-tank-mount-garmin-nuvi.html

 

The Garmin Zumo 550 while a little bulky is the best bike specific GPS and while expense and hard to justify the extra cash needed to your better half after buying you soon realise its well worth the extra dosh for its ruggedness*, features and being by being waterproof ... :thumbsup:

While its GPS Head Unit functionality is brilliant with built in Bluetooth to connect to your Cell phone which you can call out with its dial pad or answer calls and it also has an Mp3 player built in to pump out tunes while you ride.

One of the best non GPS aspect is the Kit is complete I didn't require anything else*. Not only does it come with a bike mount which includes DC wireing with fuse to run to your battery it also has various mounting options for ball or bar clamp options and also comes with a sepparate car mount with built in hands free phone capability.

* Regarding ruggedness have ridden with it mounted in snow, many hours of heavy constant rain and on very hot 110F days without any problems.

** only thing missing on the bike side of things is a wired Mic or bluetooth headset for your Helmet if you want to recieve or make Cell calls while riding.


Zumo Review Link:
Garmin Zumo 550 GPS reviews - CNET Reviews

 

+1 for Garmin

I took the Garmin Nuvi 760(LINK) out yesterday and it was easy to read in the daylight at 60% brightness but it was around 4pm in the day.I just used the suction mount on the tank(it's fairly new gps so wasn't concerned about the suction loss- took it to 101mph w/o problems) I could switch between the map screen, where to screen, and trip info screen easily with insulated winter gloves(think ski gloves). I doubt typing an address in or navigating the other menus would be possible with gloves on, but honestly I don't do any of that while driving in my cage to begin with so how the heck would I do that on a bike. I'd navigate the menus and select locations at a scheduled stop, gas station, or just flat out pull off the road to do so and slip one glove off. I really don't find that too inconvenient at all. Especially since this gps cost me less <$200 shipped black Friday weekend. The Garmin Nuvi 260w(LINK) has the same navigation features minus bluetooth and mp3 capability but is substantially less expensive. The 260w and 760 both have a 4.3" diagonal screen size. You can get the 260(no w) at 3.5" diagonal if you want something smaller.


The zumo is nice...but $500+ ? you've got to be kidding me. I'll stick the 760 in a tank bag or waterproof mount and call it good. Ridiculous.

Oh, for you rich fellas...the Garmin Zumo 660(LINK) is coming out first quarter 2009 and features 4.3" touchscreen, no "physical" buttons, and LANE ASSIST(which is awesome) but I'm sure this will continue the trend of ridiculously expensive "motorcycle" units that just have software for larger glove friendly navigation buttons.

Oh, forget about the 800 series garmin. They add voice activated guidance/input...and it's CRAP. Especially on the motorcycle. No use. The newer 7x5 series add lane assist to the 700 series which is nice. Something to think about.

 

Yes it's not cheap, but while not rich I always want the right tool for the job knowing on a personal level would rather do without then settle for something not quite right. Over here the ZUMO 550 started at $1500Aus ($1000USD) watched and waited until till the price dropped to $900Aus ($600USD) then jumped on it.

 

i use a garmin nuvi 370 (w/ NA and euro maps) in my tank bag wired into my radar and XM unit... works like a charm... will post my bag build soon

 

Do you guys ever find the GPS distracting? I'm almost thinking that the best thing to do is to get AAA to do up a complete route map for me and coil bind it. This is a service they do for members, and it comes with a lot of extra information on hotels, restaurants, etc. I think this might be my best option b/c I don't want to start messing around with wiring, etc. Call me a wuss....

 

Exactly! Use a paper map and your brain! Don't understand the need for a GPS on a bike unless you are trekking thru some foreign country, or off road. My friend has a GPS always on in his car. I guess he figures he is going to get lost on his way to work after driving the same route for 5 years.

 

The need? It's simply an alternative to a map. It tells you where you are no matter what when you're lost and instantly at that. GPS is more than a map these days. The new ones have fm or xm traffic updates(accidents/construction/general congestion) available and lane assist(shows you where each lane goes at interchanges). You can even have bluetooth and mp3 players in them.

To each their own, I suppose...

 

PC World just did a review of some $400 GPS units. Many of which can be found online for about $100 off.

 

I won a garmin 250 in the Tim Horton's "roll up the rim" contest, No wires needed, it's rechargeable. It's not waterproof, cheap to buy though, $200, or so. Whatever you decide, I think for my money Garmin does make the best units as far as user friendliness. This is the seventh garmin unit I've owned and I'm happy with all of them. I still have my original GPS 45 from 1994 and it's still working like a champ.

 

Get a GPS

I have a Garmin Zumo, too. Comes complete, and has the car mount and power. It is used everyday, now.
On the issue of GPS v. a far,far, far cheaper map:
It has totally changed my riding. I bought it for touring. I can choose a road that looks good for a cycle, just visually and make a quick right/left turn. The GPS will just keep on telling me how to get to my destination. It will re-draw the route with my new-chosen road. It frees you up from being afraid of getting lost or heading in the wrong direction. It also maps with "avoid interstates and tollways" so I took a trip from Chicago to Hartford, CT and it mapped 7 states without using an interstate. It has many other helpful features (find nearest grocery store, etc.) that make it indispensible for me.
Good Luck!

 

Ram Mounts

I have a cheap Magellan RoadMate 2200T. Picked it up last year for $119. It is waterproof, 3.5" touchscreen with a Lithium 8 hour battery. Only real drawback, it is not touch programmable. Use it to go from point A to B and if I get lost backroading.

Look into Ram Mounts for all of your mounting needs. Purchased a magnetic mount last year and with our horrible roads in Chicago, Illinois, the thing would start to rotate with all of the pavement heavings.

Purchased a stem-mount that fits into the neck hole. Have not used it yet, still snow on the ground, but it looks to be the best for viewing.

 

I remember those Chicago roads; I managed to break a spoke on the old Beemer on them.
I haven't tried GPS on the bike, though we have them in the fire trucks and they're pretty amazing. There, though, the main concern is getting to the incident quickly. On the bike, I kind of enjoy getting mildly lost. And I just love maps, poring over them to choose a route and then looking at them again when I'm parked up at a gas station to figure out where I've ended up. I do bring a compass with me if I'm going on a long trip.
As someone else said, to each his own...

 

I had no prior experience with GPS navigation until I bought a loaded 2003 Toyota 4Runner Limited (which included factory installed GPS) from a dealer's showroom floor in 9/03. The vehicle's GPS was part of a premium package that also included Surround Sound, DVD/CD playback, etc., which I at first thought was overkill.

At any rate, once I drove away in my new 4Runner that day (which I still own and love), I quickly began to discover and increasingly appreciate the enormous benefits of GPS navigation. Indeed, well before I finally parked my new SUV in my garage that day, I was sold on GPS. For me, it was pretty much the same sort of epiphany I experienced the first time I owned and used a cell phone.

Those of you who haven't yet lived with high-quality GPS navigation (you're fast becoming a minority) may not yet realize just how much you're missing out on. Indeed, eschewing and scoffing at GPS is kinda like doing the same a long time ago with the power, convenience, and safety that cell phone technology offers. (Are you somehow more of a rugged purist in this day and age if you refuse to rely on a cell phone, instead pulling over wherever you might hope to find and use a pay phone?)

While GPS is a very powerful and useful tool, it is not idiot-proof, and it should not be blindly relied upon. One should always, to the extent possible, first study paper maps and have a good idea of where you're going and where you want to go. Keep paper maps with you as a backup whenever possible. GPS is not infallible, and you should always cross-check its directions with common sense when in doubt.

That said, I've found through my own experiences with 3 separate GPS units (two of which were on motorcycles) that one must always read, study, and understand the owners manuals, since in most cases, user programming errors are often responsible for the GPS giving you bad advice.

For example, when programming your GPS for a particular destination, pay particular attention to whether you tell it to seek out the quickest vs. the shortest route, which often differ markedly.

The advantages of GPS are considerable, but in my opinion the full potential is not achieved unless you have a reliable and clearly audible means of hearing the GPS's voice prompts when needed. My motorcycle's GPS is tied into an Autocom Super Pro AVi kit with in-helmet speakers. YMMV

 

I usually use the Garmin Quest 2, motorcycle/out specific and not very big....

 

Garmin is supposedly coming out with a phone (Nuvifone) that will have full GPS/bluetooth capabilities. This means you can get turn by turn directions from a bluetooth helmet device. Here are a couple of other phones that have the same ability but I not sure how good they are. Pharos Travler137, Motosurf A3100