Beeline Moto

Author
Discussion

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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Must admit, despite the delays, I didn't think they were going to do a runner - lots of updates were provided with all the prototypes shown being tested etc. Shots of them at the factories in China and all the rest of it.

If it was going to sink without trace you'd expect nothing after the first couple of months.

Pizzaeatingking

493 posts

70 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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I don't have the patience for the kickstarters but I'm glad you guys put in for it! laugh

Used it again today, went to a little village (Pangbourne) with my brother. We've been before but I'd never have remember the way, the little Beeline go us there without fuss. Once on the way back it struggled to reroute us but it go there eventually. I'm really chuffed with it, it goes nice next to my XSR's clocks too


Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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That does look really nice - it'd be perfect if you could invert your clocks to dark/light

Bob_Defly

3,642 posts

230 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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I wonder if someone could just write an add on to google maps that does something similar, then you could do the same on your phone.

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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Bob_Defly said:
I wonder if someone could just write an add on to google maps that does something similar, then you could do the same on your phone.
Yep, it'd be pretty straight-forward too as Google provide an API for turn-by-turn.

Pizzaeatingking

493 posts

70 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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Krikkit said:
That does look really nice - it'd be perfect if you could invert your clocks to dark/light
You can but it looked a right faff tbh. I don't fancy taking a knife to my clocks lol.

Bob_Defly said:
I wonder if someone could just write an add on to google maps that does something similar, then you could do the same on your phone.
I know everyone is different but that's the big plus for me, my phone stays in my pocket, out of the elements and harms way. If I were going to use a phone I'd rather have all the info that they can offer I think.

Deranged Granny

2,313 posts

167 months

Tuesday 7th July 2020
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Pizzaeatingking said:
I don't have the patience for the kickstarters but I'm glad you guys put in for it! laugh

Used it again today, went to a little village (Pangbourne) with my brother. We've been before but I'd never have remember the way, the little Beeline go us there without fuss. Once on the way back it struggled to reroute us but it go there eventually. I'm really chuffed with it, it goes nice next to my XSR's clocks too

That looks factory. But god, how on earth can you live without removing the protective film?

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
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Pizzaeatingking said:
Krikkit said:
That does look really nice - it'd be perfect if you could invert your clocks to dark/light
You can but it looked a right faff tbh. I don't fancy taking a knife to my clocks lol.
Yeah sod that! I've done it before on other things and my success rate was 50% at best biggrin

Pizzaeatingking

493 posts

70 months

Thursday 9th July 2020
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Deranged Granny said:
That looks factory. But god, how on earth can you live without removing the protective film?
I'd literally tested it up the road and back from my dads, took the film of now! It'd drive me mad too if I didn't. biggrin

smack

9,727 posts

190 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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I had an ad pop up on these online, so wondering how people have been getting on with them?

One question I have, as their website doesn't clearly say - can the unit work without a phone, so does it have a GPS receiver in it? Or it will only work with a phone/app paired to it?
I do like the idea of the minimalist navigation, as for years I have toured in Europe just write the key junction/direction changes, and check the map if needed. The Beeline really does the same from what I see, plus I you have a route log which would be very handy when you try and remember a great road you rode X months later. Does the Phone/App need to be on to log that (relates to my previous question), and also, do you need to be riding a route to 'log a ride'?

And how is it with phone battery life?

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yep it doesn't do anything without a phone link via bluetooth, the phone is doing the hard work like GPS, route calc etc, which is how they made it so small.

Still like mine, only slight wrinkle is sometimes I set waypoints along a route by pin on the map, but it's very picky about snapping to a road... More than once it's told me to go down a tiny side-road because the waypoint is slightly off a main road.

HughiusMaximus

694 posts

125 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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It needs to be connected to your phone to work as it uses the phones GPS.

Drain on the phone isnt bad, make sure your phone screen is off as is the biggest drain on phone battery, gps and bluetooth is much less so.
I havent tested it but I dont think the phone 'needs' a cell connection once the initial route has been calculated, so it will work if you take it out in the boonies where the coverage is spotty.


All in all it works well. Route planner in the app is good for direct routing, and you can upload GPX files if you want to design your own routes. Only drawback of that is that you have to hit all the points on your route, the unit wont re-route you by taking the next left etc, it will want you to turn around and go back to the turn you missed.

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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HughiusMaximus said:
I havent tested it but I dont think the phone 'needs' a cell connection once the initial route has been calculated, so it will work if you take it out in the boonies where the coverage is spotty.
Correct, the only data is plotting the routing, then it's done. Unless you want to re-route of course!

smack

9,727 posts

190 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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Krikkit said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yep it doesn't do anything without a phone link via bluetooth, the phone is doing the hard work like GPS, route calc etc, which is how they made it so small.

Still like mine, only slight wrinkle is sometimes I set waypoints along a route by pin on the map, but it's very picky about snapping to a road... More than once it's told me to go down a tiny side-road because the waypoint is slightly off a main road.
That is what I suspected, although my GPS cycling computer can run for 15 hours with about 6-8 watts of battery power so it isn't out of the question to package something small that can do it.

HughiusMaximus said:
Drain on the phone isnt bad, make sure your phone screen is off as is the biggest drain on phone battery, gps and bluetooth is much less so.
I havent tested it but I dont think the phone 'needs' a cell connection once the initial route has been calculated, so it will work if you take it out in the boonies where the coverage is spotty.


All in all it works well. Route planner in the app is good for direct routing, and you can upload GPX files if you want to design your own routes. Only drawback of that is that you have to hit all the points on your route, the unit wont re-route you by taking the next left etc, it will want you to turn around and go back to the turn you missed.
So really the same as doing a route with Google maps and then putting it into airplane mode - something I'll do when travelling to a silly expensive roaming country and allows me to get to my hotel before I pick up a local sim. If you go off route using a GPX file, can you reload the route to stop it sending you back to a past waypoint, or it just gets confused and want you to start from the start?

And back to one of my original questions, does it log your trip (to the app) if you just turn it on and don't setup a route or destination?

I like the idea of having a rugged waterproof device for trips, it is cheaper than a full on GPS unit (which if I was really after, I would just buy one), and not have to go down the waterproof case/mount for a phone, and chance that it dies, although using Waze does have it's obvious benefits when it comes to cop

Does the elastic band mount fit to Sportsbike Triple Clamps? They looks like the same design as Garmin cycling mounts. Lastly, for those you have them, are they worth it and are you recommend them (Krikkit did say he was happy).

danashby

203 posts

46 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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I used to work for a bicycle manufacturer in the UK and we've been contacted by guys behind beeline shortly after they launched on kickstarter.
We've seen the samples and if I remember correctly the base price was suppose to be around £70-£80.

We've sat down with CEO and discussed if it's worth bringing in and I must say that although aesthetically it is a nice piece of kit our issue was that you have to connect it to your phone.
Some cyclists spend absolute fortunes on bikes & gear, however most of our customers were young people who were either students, young professionals and/or cheepskates. And to ask them to fork out almost £100 on thing that their smartphone will do was the stumbling block.

Like I said, I like the look and size, but would be much better if this device was able to work without need of being connected to your smartphone.
Also how do they justify the price difference between bike version and bicycle? They have exactly the same functionality, so higher price for bike riders is a bit unfair in my opinion.

mister_ee

347 posts

181 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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I think the Moto is built tougher to cope with harsher vibrations on a motorbike.

duudiz

114 posts

138 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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I want one of these but don’t fancy paying £150. Do they ever have any discount codes or anything?

danashby

203 posts

46 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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mister_ee said:
I think the Moto is built tougher to cope with harsher vibrations on a motorbike.
I don't think that's the case. Look at the bicycles, most of them have no suspension and if you cycle most of the time you're near curb where the quality of the road is not great. I would argue that on a bicycle you're subject to harsher vibrations that on a motorbike.

In my opinion it is a money grab. Look at their new kickstarter campaign for... beeline velo 2 - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ridebeeline/b...

jhoneyball

1,764 posts

275 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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i think it is brilliant.

jhoneyball

1,764 posts

275 months

Wednesday 9th June 2021
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have given up on the BMW Navigator 6 i have been using on my K1300S and R1200R -- completely unreliable piece of junk.

Was looking at using a phone on a quadlock mounting, but dont like the vibration issues.

So looked at beeline on the recommentation of a mate. Stunning. Have put mounts on all my bikes. So even my panigale has sat nav now