GPS

[judge94]

I'd like to get some type of GPS for my 1100RT but not sure if I should get a standalone or a phone with GPS. I'd like to be able to plan routes that are off the slab. Any suggestions?

[randy]

Garmin is the most common for motorcycle use. There are numerous variants. The most for motorcycle use is the ZUMO series and there was an older 276C that was popular. It has been replaced but not sure the model number. NUVI are used by many, but the NUVI series lacks some route planning options that many motorcycle riders require. The NUVI is more of a point to point device

[MontanaMark]

Judge94,

 

I don't think I'd use my cell phone as a gps. I'm doubtful of the vibration and water resistance of my droid and would not want to sacrifice my only communication device should something go wrong.

 

Perhaps buy 2 phones - use one for gps and protect the other...

 

For me, I prefer a dedicated gps device. I also like a real analog map in the pocket of my tank bag, just because...

 

Ride safe,

Mark

[elkroeger]

How much would you like to spend? Do you require it to be waterproof? How about Bluetooth, or some other way to get audio into your helmet? Do you have other plans for this thing - car, boat, backpacking, everything?

 

I've always thought gpscity.com had a nice selection, and they do a good job laying things out so you can zero in on a unit that meets your needs (although the choices seem endless these days...).

 

I'm not much of a route planning guy. It seems like it would be useful to have the whole route all worked out ahead of time. But it's too much work for me. If I want to go to Memphis, I just punch that in. If I know I want to take a particular road, I'll use a combination of the gps and a paper map on the fly (the primary point to a gps, really, is just to keep from getting hopelessly lost). GPSs these days recalculate the route so fast that I find I only have to sorta follow it most of the time. To me, it's just a suggestion that I "turn left".

[dirtrider]

Morning Judge94

 

Which GPS is right for me

[Don Hillard]

Has anyone mounted a Zumo 350LM on their R1200RT using the Wunderlich Integrated GPS Mount?

[Guest Kakugo]

Judge, I have a Garmin GPS phone which I use as a navigation aid when I get hopelessly lost.

 

It's far from the best solution: it takes forever to get a fix on the satellites, screen is small and cannot be used with gloves and it's not weatherproof by any mean.

The GPS on the iPhone is much quicker to get signal from satellites but the other problems are exactly the same.

 

Morale: if you want a GPS to use all the time, get a Garmin. I know TomTom are cheaper but they seem to have some serious QC issues. While their assistance service is very good (units swapped on a no questions asked basis), it will do you little good when you are 500 miles from home.

Garmin are far from the best solution but it's either them or TomTom.

 

Personally I am holding out for the day Magellan will finally enter the GPS bike market but that moment may never come...

 

[marcopolo]

You say you're interested in planning routes. If that's the case, I'd get a motorcycle-specific GPS made by Garmin. You'd then use Basecamp (Garmin's free downloadable mapping program) to create routes (or tracks) and then upload them to your GPS. I'd never mount my smartphone on my bike. It's not waterproof; it's not designed for the vibration experienced on a bike, and the screen is not designed for use in bright sunlight. That said, some people do this.

[elkroeger]

Oh, by the way judge94, welcome aboard the clown bus.

[beemerFROG]

I have both my Garmin GPS and my droid on the bike... even though the droid has a great nav set up, you can never see the bloody thin in sunlight, plus a droid is just about the least glove friendly thing out there. So I turn to my Garmin Nuvi 765 in a Ram aqua case. You can see it, it works with gloves, and it is a cheap solution. I have a video of how it is mounted here http://motofrog.net/videos/19-farkles-accessories/13-electronics

 

Hope it helps.