Best motorcycle satnav?

[shoestring7]

DaineseMan said:

GTIR said:

I think they're all overpriced.

Get a Tom Tom One (or whatever), a waterproof case and a yoke/handlebar mount.
all in £150, assuming you don't already have a Tom Tom.

I'm using a TomTom Go 820 in one of those waterproof cases. Problem is that the screen visibility is terrible in sunlight.

+1. I tried this solution with borrowed kit. Useless.

I have a Garmin 660, and have no complaints other than the PC mapping system is difficult to use.

SS7

[Ruttager]

DaineseMan said:

Have you ever considered these products?

http://www.lifeproof.com/life/
http://www.lifeproof.com/shop/cases/iphone-4-4s/
http://www.lifeproof.com/shop/accessories/mounts/l...

Ooooo I like that!

[spareparts]

ZesPak said:

Sorry, have to agree here.

Do you have a smartphone? You can use that. And with bluetooth in your helmet it's neigh-on perfect.

I do this on a daily basis using Copilot Live, can't really fault it tbh.

^ this

I use TomTom on my iPhone, corded earphones, slipped into my inside jacket pocket - perfect. Earphones (with Comply foam tips) also act as earplugs blocking out windnoise, I can listen to music if I want, and TomTom just tells me exactly what to do when without taking my eyes off the road. Also, no wires between me and the bike. It has worked really well on a whole myriad of journeys so far. Tip: turn off the iPhone screen after selecting the journey, and a 2hr journey only uses about 10% of the iPhone battery life.

[ZesPak]

spareparts said:

^ this

I use TomTom on my iPhone, corded earphones, slipped into my inside jacket pocket - perfect. Earphones (with Comply foam tips) also act as earplugs blocking out windnoise, I can listen to music if I want, and TomTom just tells me exactly what to do when without taking my eyes off the road. Also, no wires between me and the bike. It has worked really well on a whole myriad of journeys so far. Tip: turn off the iPhone screen after selecting the journey, and a 2hr journey only uses about 10% of the iPhone battery life.

I use it mostly with screen on a mount though, bluetooth in my helmet (cardo). This (GPS+BT+screen) makes for a battery consumption of about 15%/hour on my SGS2.

[RemaL]

Iang84 said:

RemaL said:

Now just use the mobile mount with my HTC Desire

What nav software do you use as been contemplating doing this with mine

I have this

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....


used it for the past year, Cracking sat nav and worked a treat for me so far. using it when I go to the Le mans classic in just under 2 weeks

best thing is I got it for free

[Scottman]

I agree they are all overpriced, but I use the Garmin Zumo 660, which came with all the mounts etc for use on the bike and in the car. The only other bit I had to buy was a Touratech lockable cradle mount for the bike, which is hard wired.

It's got full european mapping built in (with free upgrades for the lifetime of the sat nav), and the whole of North America on an official Garmin SD memory card that stays slotted into the unit. Which I bought from e-Bay for around £25.

Works better than any other sat nav unit I have owned, either an external unit or one built in to a car (My current BMW 'professional' Nav in my 5 x series is basic to say the least).

Had TomTom before and had issues with it, then bought the Garmin and have not looked back. Regardless of whether it is the best, most feature packed etc etc it does everything I need it to; and does it very well!

Therefore highly recommended.

[DaveEndicot]

Was looking around for one a little while ago - couldn't believe how much more they were! Considering you can pick a car one up for £50 seems silly to make them so much more.

Anyone heard of Mappy though? It's not a brand I recognize.

ETA

Deemed as an advert so removed.

Edited by Big Al. on Friday 1st March 17:11

[Silver993tt]

Just use a car navi. I use an old Garmin nuvi 660. It survives heavy rain no problem. Bike navis are a complete rip-off.

[J B L]

Silver993tt said:

Just use a car navi. I use an old Garmin nuvi 660. It survives heavy rain no problem. Bike navis are a complete rip-off.

Just bought an old tomtom v1 europe on ebauy for £32. I was planning to use it with a ram mount and a sort of home made 'sun visor' around it.

How do you deal with sunlight with yours?

[anonymous-user]

I use a waterproof handlebar mount and an iPhone. Job done

[gtmdriver]

I have been using my Tom Tom IQ Routes in-car sat nav in a Hein Gerricke case for the last few years and whilst it works fine it is all but impossible to see in bright sunlight. This has caused a number of detours and the odd near miss.

The bike specific sat navs, whilst being ridiculously overpriced, have bright non-reflective screens which overcome this problem.

This year I am reluctantly purchasing a bike specific unit.

The Garmin units appeal as they also come with car mounts.

[phatgixer]

I have 660 which was the thick end of £600 with the mount for the RT. Still £100 cheaper than the BMW branded one. Complete rip off as it does no more than a £150 car version garmin. It does work well and seems to pick decent enough routes but the mp3 bluetooth player is rubbish (starts playing OK but the first phone call you get trips it up and that's it... No more music). Also, the computer software it comes with is just plain nasty.

Is waterproof and the mount is quite nifty.

[spadxiii1918]

Really glad I found this thread.

Didn't know about all this technology with Iphones.

Will save me money and look into the sat nav availability on the Iphones

Thanks guys

[Dibble]

spadxiii1918 said:

Really glad I found this thread.

Didn't know about all this technology with Iphones.

Will save me money and look into the sat nav availability on the Iphones

Thanks guys

I had the same problem. I've recently got an iPhone 5, so following some suggestions here and other threads, I downloaded the CoPilot app for Europe (£35) then got one of these powered cases http://www.ultimate-mobiles.co.uk/mobile-phones/ap... which wasn't cheap but is well made. As usual, the biggest faff was deciding where to route the cables.

The advantages are that it keeps my phone powered on the move and I don't have to lug an extra bit of kit ie SatNav round with me. It hooks up via Bluetooth to my intercom and I can get music from the phone, which mutes when a direction is given out by the sat nav.

Disadvantages so far is it's not cheap (although cheaper than a bike specific sat nav) and the screen isn't really bright enough.

Routing seems pretty good so far, but I'll have to see how good it is without data on the phone (ie just using GPS). It's quick enough to recalculate when you don't follow the directions.

[Ratten]

Zumo 660. Bullet proof in the most 'challenging' of circumstances including bouncing down the road after having been smashed off the bike (at some miles per hour...) by a suicidal bird somewhere in Botswana. Picked it up, strap it back on with cable ties and worked perfectly including a massive rainstorm.

Also seems impervious to floodwater, sand and dust storms. Links phones and the like pretty easily into a scala system too.

Not cheap, but will not leave you stranded even if you are an idiot like me.

[LordFlathead]

DaveEndicot said:

Was looking around for one a little while ago - couldn't believe how much more they were! Considering you can pick a car one up for £50 seems silly to make them so much more.

I bought a Zumo660 when they first came out. I'm quite sure it was north of £600 when I added the various bits and pieces. I am very pleased with it but on closer inspection it looks like a Garmin Nuvi in a waterproof case. I call it "a car sat-nav in a frock".

Price difference between this and a normal similar specified car version? About £400

Is it worth it? Well because I bought the proper motorclye (made for my Kawasaki ZZR) mount, I can just clip it in on the bike or take it in the car. It's very convenient and has a load of functions that others do not have. The logs are very impressive. Worrying that it logs all your speeds and journeys though, and it currently shows 182 top speed which should make for an interesting conversion if plod decided to drill down into the data

On the minus side, it failed about one month after the 12 month warranty, but on the plus side I wrote a carefully worded letter to Garmin UK and by return of post I received a brand new 660 with a covering letter apologising for defective product. I would now buy another Garmin product on the strength of their customer service.

Last year coming back from LeMans 24hr Moto, I managed to get 3 of us lost going round and round a one way system in the middle of a French town.. it appears that the 660 couldn't read French road signs

[black-k1]

I have previously used Tomtom car units on RAM mounts. I've gone for the bigger screen versions and not bothered with audio connection. (Why do Tomtom disable output to Bluetooth speakers on their car units?) The main problem I have is that the USB power connection proves to be the weak point. They don't seem to last well with the vibrations etc. Other than that, they've been fine.

I've now splashed out on a Zumo 660. Hugely expensive but it does do what you would expect. I don't understand why the addition of a rain proof cases such an increase in price but the screen is easily readable (important in city riding), the directions are clear (now connected to my Bluetooth headset) and the features are excellent. My only criticism is that the ETA calculation is grossly optimistic. It must assume you will travel at the speed limit or faster on every road. I have never arrived before the original ETA on the Zumo, despite some clear roads, good conditions and spirited riding.

[Dog Star]

Dibble said:

I had the same problem. I've recently got an iPhone 5, so following some suggestions here and other threads, I downloaded the CoPilot app for Europe (£35) then got one of these powered cases http://www.ultimate-mobiles.co.uk/mobile-phones/ap... which wasn't cheap but is well made. As usual, the biggest faff was deciding where to route the cables.

This is what I did; I spent ages looking at what I could do and for an R1 the selection is very limited - in fact it's basically non-existant. The Garmin and TomTom offerings are a bit of an overpriced disgrace IMO. I could live with that but they are also far too chunky for use on a sportsbike too. They seem to have very very clumsy mounting hardware.

Then I spotted the Ultimate Add-Ons case for the iPhone (5 in my case) and it looked spot on. Again I had a lot of trouble trying to find where to fit it where it wouldn't foul the screen, ignition, fluid reservoir, tank etc. I've got it so it sits very neatly on the left of the ignition over the top of the left fork. It doesn't foul or obstruct anything and actually looks good too (the pics below don't do it justice). When it's not installed there is just a very unobtrusive black ball to be seen that you can hardly notice.

I'm using Tom Tom on the iPhone (this was 60 quid but I had it anyway and I and the OH share the same iTunes account so she had it too so really £30). Guidance on my recent Belgian Beer Drinking Tour was flawless and the "wiggly road" setting is mental - don't do it for a 187 mile ride though - it's like you've been badly beaten up by the end of the day

Anyway - couple of pics. Best sportsbike solution I could find until someone makes something waterproof that's a hell of a lot smaller and thinner.

[phatgixer]

black-k1 said:

I have previously used Tomtom car units on RAM mounts. I've gone for the bigger screen versions and not bothered with audio connection. (Why do Tomtom disable output to Bluetooth speakers on their car units?) The main problem I have is that the USB power connection proves to be the weak point. They don't seem to last well with the vibrations etc. Other than that, they've been fine.

I've now splashed out on a Zumo 660. Hugely expensive but it does do what you would expect. I don't understand why the addition of a rain proof cases such an increase in price but the screen is easily readable (important in city riding), the directions are clear (now connected to my Bluetooth headset) and the features are excellent. My only criticism is that the ETA calculation is grossly optimistic. It must assume you will travel at the speed limit or faster on every road. I have never arrived before the original ETA on the Zumo, despite some clear roads, good conditions and spirited riding.

The ETA thing is interesting. I don't hang about and I have never beaten the time it gives, or if I have I have ridden like a hoonatic and even then only shaved a minute or so off a 2 hour journey!

[guitarmandan]

I use a map to get me from general area to general area then I use the nav part of google maps on my phone (with some headphones from my breast pocket up in to my lid) to cope with side streets when I get off the motorways.