GPS question

[philbytx]

Eyeing up joining the new Millenium

Our Kia Optima has Bluetooth our Subie Forrie doesn't, nor do I have any communications stuff on the bike.

 

Has anyone a recommendation for a GPS that we can use in our car(s) and bikes? Prolly about 80/20 car/bike. I would have the GPS on the bikes under the BigMak translucent map covers, so not really looking for a pure bike unit.

 

Obviously, looking to be fiscally prudent...any recommendations appreciated. Looking at Garmin units but not wedded to their products.

 

 

[BevBeng]

For the past 3 years I've using a Garmin Zumo 550. Like you I had planned to use it on the bike and in my car. I already had another GPS in the car but the Zumo was more than capable of replacing the one in the car and also use on the bike. It comes with separate cradles for the car and bike. So when I switch from one to the other, I just take the Zumo along and place it in the corresponding cradle, and I'm good to go.

 

I read that you had mentioned that you were not looking for a pure bike kit, but the Zumo serves both 2 and 4 wheels. There are several other models within the Zumo "motorcycle friendly" line, ie: 220, 660 & 665 but I am not sure if they come with both the automobile & bike cradles.

 

[EddyQ]

Phil, Be aware that most all Garmin GPS units for cars (Nuvi for sure) will not do routes with mapsource. Some have routing, but they are not the same and very difficult to use for the type of routes us motorcycle folks want.

 

I use routes exclusively on the bike. Plan remote roads with mapsource all the time. Plus, I receive route files via e-mail.

 

I have a Zumo550 and it is great. Although, it lacks some of the newer features that the nuvi units have (larger screen, traffic . . .)

 

 

 

[Kathy R]

The first time I rode with a GPS I couldn't believe how much joy it added to riding, or should I say how much frustration it removed from riding.

 

So far, I'm enjoying my new to me Zumo 550, easily popping it between car and bike. The electrified bike cradle is sweet. This weekend is my first longer ride test.

I will say that, for me, the 550 screen is plenty big enough. But then, I just got new lenses in my glasses

[GRB60]

I, too, use a Zumo 550. It's a great unit for both bike and car but it's still about 4 times the cost of the cheap Nuvi units that Garmin sells. If you just want to be able to get to a location or get home without getting lost, the Nuvi will do the job just fine. If you want to drive prescribed routes that you load to the unit from mapsource, etc. the Zumo is a better choice.

 

Keep in mind that with a Nuvi you'll want to run power from a hard wired source. Bare wire cables are cheap on ebay and you can wire it to your accessories fuse block, provided you have one. Provide your own weather protection.

 

I've read that the Nuvi units don't hold up too well to the vibrations present on bikes. No personal experience with that, though.

[dirtrider]

Morning Phil

 

Like a lot of riders I also use the Garmin 550, the newer 660 also seems to be a good choice. The downside of the Zumo series is fairly high initial cost and the fact that they have been pretty well dumbed down so lack some off-road ability and trackback features.

 

I question the use of most GPS units under the translucent map cover though. You might want to give that a bit more though before buying a GPS with that position in mind.

First there is the sun reflection on the screen with the GPS mounted flat face up. You will at a big disadvantage in direct overhead sun. Some screens are better (better color and resolution) than others but my guess is you won’t be happy with that mounting position.

 

Then you have the lack of access to the buttons and screen drag features. Part of GPS usage on a motorcycled is on the fly route changes and route functions due to traffic backups and closed roads, etc. Or scrolling to other on-screen options. Mounted under the tank bag cover that will be very difficult and will severely limit your GPS pleasure.

 

If you for sure can live with a GPS mount under the tank bag cover then you can save a fair amount of money by not needing waterproof. On the other hand if you think the under tank bag cover might not pan out then definitely go water proof if possible.

 

[BeemerLover]

Phil, I took a different route which you may or may not be your cup of tea.

 

I have used a bottom of the line 4.3" Garmin Nuvi for several years.

 

It is inexpensive and has all the features I need. I have it velcroed to a piece of thin aluminum that is attached to the back of my tank bag so it is close to me. The velcro allows me to remove it easily for car use. It is powered using the car charger plugged into my powered tank bag. It is bright enough to be seen when the sun is behind me and with sunglasses on.

 

While it is not waterproof, I rarely ever decide to ride on rainly days but when I have gotten caught I just put a ziplock bag over it. Also, my RT blows water around me so only a little rain gets on the Nuvi. Never had a problem in the 3 years I've had it.

 

 

 

 

[malcolmblalock]

If price is a major consideration, consider a Garmin StreetPilot 2720. You can buy the units now for under $150, they are waterproof, and come with everything needed for cars. For motorcycles, you'll need to buy a mount and cable for power, another $50 or so. These units have more adjustibility than NUVIs and about equal to Zumos. I've used both and prefer the 2720.

 

 

[w2ge]

I have the Zumo 660, great unit with A2DP BT... Very active on Zumoforums and think I'm pretty decent with Mapsource.

 

For you!!!: NUVI 500/550. 4 mode - car, motorcycle, hike, boat GPS. Allows 10 Custom routes and is a GREAT unit.

 

I WILL NOT SELL MINE, My Zumo 660 has been back to Garmin and having the Nuvi 500 as a back-up also convinced me HOW great a unit it is. As well as my neighbor who dropped his Zumo 550 and bricked it, used my Nuvi for awhile and LOVED IT. Oh, did I say it was WATERPROOF (and CHEEP TOO.. can get it for under $250)

 

(Watch THIS- GPS magazine waterproof test of the Nuvi 500... use it in a FISHTANK!)

 

P.S. Those in the know have this unit, along with ZUMO's.. just check-out ZUMOFORUMS.COM GPS Geek site for Motorcycles..

 

 

[Zern]

I second the Nuvi 550. I had one that went missing (I suspect I accidentally threw it out) and will be buying a second in a couple weeks. It's worked great for me. It works well with normal (non-winter) gloves on, is water resistant, has decent screen brightness in the sun, and best of all, hasn't steered me wrong yet.

[Selden]

After fumbling with paper maps in rural Kentucky this weekend, I'm about ready to bite the GPS bullet, and join the 21st century. Since the laptops I travel with do not run Windows or Mac OS, compatibility with laptop software is not important to me. Neither is satellite radio nor the ability to play MP3 files. Simplicity and decent UI is. Bluetooth to a helmet speaker might be of interest.

 

Does anybody have experience with the Teletype 3500 World Nav3500 GPS ?

[AZgman]

You should look for a Garmin Zumo 450 then. No longer made, it is just a Zumo 550 without the XM radio. Much cheaper and uses the updates of the 550. I got lifetime maps updates for $90 and now get 4 updates every year.

[Dave39]

I use a Nuvi 255w on motorcycle and in car, and it does everything I need. You can't set up routes for it using Mapsource, but you can prepare a route on the fly by forcing waypoints. If you're out to save a buck, it's $98 at Amazon.

Also, I've used it in the rain several times and had no waterproof issues.

[Jerry in Monument]

I too am getting ready to pull the trigger on a GPS.

 

The GPS units designed for motorcycles are stupid expensive. Like Dave39, I am looking at something in the Garmin 255W or 265W.

 

If I get worried about rain issues, I can opt for a Ram Aqua Box, allow for use of the GPS' touch screen, and still spend much less than a Zumo.

[dirtrider]

Morning Jerry

 

It sounds like you haven’t had a GPS or at least a motorcycle GPS before.

 

If you like to ride others supplied favorite routes, or want to plan out scenic back road routes on your computer then go ride that exact route, or ride with others that like to share routes, or want to plan nice back road excursions with little hassle, then don’t buy a GPS using “cheap price” alone.

 

I have had some sort of GPS on my motorcycle since they have been on the market and I can pretty well tell you from experience you will want (or eventually want) a GPS with MapSource input and that will accept externally routable mapping.

 

Unless you only want to ride from point A to point B and could car less about staying on your specific route or want to spend a lot of time trying to key in route shaping points and planning a route on that little GPS screen then you really should get a GPS that talks to you computer and can accept MapSource routes.

 

Nothing wrong with a basic GPS but do some (actually a lot) of research then make a list of what you need, then a sub list of what you would like, to have, then shop with that criteria in mind.

 

[Selden]

Thanks for all the feedback -- the technology evolves so rapidly, that information more than a couple of years old is not too useful.

Here's a comprehensive review of the Garmin Nuvi 265W.

 

More questions:

 

1) Has anyone used a Nuvi with the suction cup mount on the back of the windscreen? Seems like a good location.

 

2) How do you handle power? My understanding is that it uses a USB connection. Is it possible to wire a USB charger into a power takeoff on an R1100RT (non-CANBUS)? Or, is it better to use a powerlet to cigarette socket adapter?

[Selden]

Thinking more about a power takeoff, it seems like the simplest solution would be to wire a standard cigarette lighter socket under the dash (I know there is an unused hot power connector on the left side). Then, plug whatever is needed into the socket.

[Jerry in Monument]

dirtrider,

I got my wife a Garmin 1490LMT this past Christmas, since she travels a lot for work and wanted a GPS she could take with her to unfamiliar cities. She also wanted BT so she could be hands free on the phone when she needs to.

 

So far it has worked quite well for both purposes, but that is our only foray into GPS thus far.

 

 

[BriSco]

Take a look at the Garmin Nuvi 500 or 550.

 

They are waterproof and work great for motorcycle use. The difference between the two is the included maps.

I used my 550 last year from KC to the Artic Circle with lots of days of rain. I found my way there and back, the gps is still working fine.

 

Also, they are the same case as the Zumo 220 and use the same mounts.

[farmerp]

Has anyone done a comparison between the nuvi 500-550 and zumo 220? Price wise the 220 appears to be a good comprise.

[EddyQ]

1) Has anyone used a Nuvi with the suction cup mount on the back of the windscreen? Seems like a good location.

 

I've used my Zumo suckion cup in the car and it has fallen a few times. If you go this route, I'd be sure to have a backup when it fails.

[EddyQ]

Has anyone done a comparison between the nuvi 500-550 and zumo 220? Price wise the 220 appears to be a good comprise.

 

Based on Garmin's website:

 

Neither nuvi has audio out. No bluetooth either. So getting the voice to your ears isn't going to happen.

 

The zumo 220 doesn't have audio out. But it does have a bluetooth that will provide audio to a BT headset.

 

No audio is not a show stopper, but definately a con to some.

 

 

[James Clark]

1) Has anyone used a Nuvi with the suction cup mount on the back of the windscreen? Seems like a good location.

 

I've used my Zumo suckion cup in the car and it has fallen a few times. If you go this route, I'd be sure to have a backup when it fails.

 

You have to remember to moisten the cup before installation. Preferably with SuperGlue.

[Dave39]

"Has anyone used a Nuvi with the suction cup mount on the back of the windscreen? Seems like a good location."

 

I originally tried the suction cup approach. It didn't work very well....wouldn't stay "stuck", but, hey, I didn't try that super glue thing. I ended up making my own mount.

[Selden]

Thinking more about a power takeoff, it seems like the simplest solution would be to wire a standard cigarette lighter socket under the dash (I know there is an unused hot power connector on the left side). Then, plug whatever is needed into the socket.

OR, would one of these be a better solution: Garmin Nuvi Hardwire Cable

[BevBeng]

There is an interesting tread @ Advrider about the Nuvi 550 connection. It may sound like a potential problem might be the USB connection between the cable and the GPS unit itself. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=672276

[aterry1067]

Nuvi 550 is compatible with Mapsource. I have the Nuvi 550 and am pleased with it. I kinda wish it gave more information on the screen, but it will get you where you need to go, and you can plan/import routes with mapsource. I downloaded the lifetime map updates, and mapsource came with it. I called garmin to verify it would work, and it does. Good customer service.

 

 

[Selden]

Thanks for all the feedback here. I ordered a Nuvi 265W through Amazon yesterday, a RAM mount from Jakfrost in Ontario, and a cradle and short arm through gpscity.com (prices and shipping charge were both better than http://www.ram-mount.com/ ). Goodies should start showing up tomorrow, which may lead to additional questions...

[philbytx]

Well, I may no longer be a GPS Luddite !

 

I was gifted a used 2720 from a motorcycle buddy of mine during our ride group Christmas Exchange this week !

 

It has all the latest map updates plus he threw in a 120v power cord, a motorcycle cable, RAM cradle, a Garmin "beanbag" dash mount and a couple of mounting plates with dual sided tape. He kindly removed the unit number from his Garmin account, so I was able to register it in my name. If all goes well, then I'll subscribe to the map updates.

 

I ordered the car charger cable which should be here tomorrow and ready for our road trip to the coast on Saturday for our first GPS run, but in the car. I was fortunate in that I had an RCU shelf lying around for the RT, so I refitted it to the bike and discovered that the Garmin car mount with the dual sided tape fitted the 2720 perfectly in the middle of the RCU shelf, leaving me about 1/4" clearance when the windscreen was in the down position . Thusly, giving the unit a sheltered position and also saving myself the expense of a RAM mount. So, getting all fired up for a trial run on the RT, I then discovered a "no power" issue with the BMW R Powerlet outlet kit which I installed on the triple tree 8 years ago. It was mounted adjacent to the ignition switch and used the radio power take-off on the LH side of the gas tank. Checked the fuse, which was just fine. I used this power outlet and the RCU shelf for my Radar Detector, back when I needed one in Illinois !

 

So, I now need to take the LH tupperware off and trace it back to discover where I've lost the feed .

 

So, the good news....I've finally joined the new Millenium and will check it out the GPS this coming weekend. I'll then get stuck in to getting the motorcycle cable installed on the RT and we're off on two wheels. I already downloaded and installed the Starbucks and IHOP POI files into the unit.....we're ready for a road trip !

 

Christmas came early....thank you Santa Bill Kreitz !

[BarrieSalvanda]

Hi Phil,

Gee! Wizz! Batman ya bin on the Castrol R again.To old to read a map Ha.

Thats why I am in a very small country,that shakes a lot.

Barrie.

[philbytx]

The Powerlet issue was as simple as a broken ground wire inside the sheathing about 3 inches from the top ! Fixed that and ordered a right angled Powerlet male adapter which should be here next week. Then the bike GPS fun starts.....

 

Merry Christmas !

 

Barrie, Ah! Castrol R...now THAT is a Christmas fragrance for MEN LOL!