GPS suggestions? - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

mtalicarox · 08-17-2007, 02:09 PM

Im looking to buy a GPS for my motorcycle, but I want a reasonably prices one.. probably 500, not more than $600.. any suggestions?

Ext1jdh · 08-17-2007, 02:33 PM

garmin garmin garmin garmin garmin.

can you tell I like em?

**Clint** · 08-17-2007, 04:02 PM

Garmin has some cool new models specifically designed for motorcycles. I really like them, but I have a Quest 2 from last year. It's very nice, but has smallish buttons and no touch screen.

hndrx1223 · 08-19-2007, 08:28 PM

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6385

Any suggestions on mounting my c330 on my 06' c50?

Many zip ties I believe but is there a better way...

Any ideas would be great...

Garmin StreetPilot c330 Reviews. Car GPS (Navigation) Reviews by CNET.

FYI, Garmin is the best!

**Clint** · 08-19-2007, 08:52 PM

RAM Mounting Systems, Inc.

This stuff can be had at better sporting goods stores, too.

Ext1jdh · 08-20-2007, 07:50 AM

2nded on the RAM mounts

mtalicarox · 08-20-2007, 09:54 AM

ty for your input

Rickster · 08-22-2007, 12:38 PM

I bought a Zumo 450 this year. Very easy to use, with large buttons, and a touch screen. Get a good set of ear buds, (I got the Sure E2's,) for the spoken directions, and it's almost impossible to get lost.

SoCalCruisin · 08-25-2007, 03:21 AM

Anyone with experience with the TomTom Rider? It's going for $499.00 with AMA discount. It seems to have good reviews in the write ups, and the price seems good, but I'd really like to hear from someone who has one.

Rickster · 08-25-2007, 08:46 AM

I reviewed the Tom Tom before I got the Zumo, and except for the antenna, they prety much have the same features. Two differences are, the Garmin Zumo has a lot more RAM, ( not a big deal, because they both take SD cards), and the Zumo has a built in MP3 player that you can ues even well navagating, the Tom Tom doesn't have a MP3 player. The Magellan 2500t is also very similar, and it has the good antenna, but you can't use the MP3 player and navagate at the same time.

The Garmin has something called the SiRFstar111 high sensitivity antenna, and I'm here to tell you this thing is great, I can get a full signal inside a brick bulding that doesn't have any windows, so even when you are setting in a restarunt having lunch, you can still have it turned on, and plan any changes in yout route.

I hear the Tom Tom will lose it's signal sometimes if there are tall buldings around. I have driven through short tunnels with the zumo, and not lost the signal.

This is my second GPS, and signal strength was my biggest gripe about the first one, it would lose it's signal just from heavy tree cover, so a good antenna was high on my list of what the new one needed.

SoCalCruisin · 08-25-2007, 09:15 PM

Thanks much for the info Rick. What's a good price for the Zumo? It sounds like the way to go.

Rickster · 08-25-2007, 10:24 PM

The New Connection - Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Plasma, LCD, HDTV, Projectors, Computers

This place has the best price on the net right now, $470, + $10 for shipping. I've never done business with them, so i can't vouch for their service

I paid $580 for mine through Amazon.com The transaction went smooth

Right now Amazon has them listed for $502.

I got the 450, I didn't think I needed the extra bells & whistles that come on the 550. If I remember right the only differences between the two, is with the 550 you get Blue tooth wireless, (big whoop) and XM Satellite radio, (if you want to pay the $10 a month for the service). The 550 is about $150 more than the 450.

Ext1jdh · 08-25-2007, 10:35 PM

The Garmin Nuvi series is nice as well. Abes of Maine has a Nuvi 360 for $419 plus s/h

The incremental update for my auto GPS is available there as well for $279, and I love my Streetpilot C330 ($229).

Rickster · 08-25-2007, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ext1jdh

The Garmin Nuvi series is nice as well. Abes of Maine has a Nuvi 360 for $419 plus s/h

The incremental update for my auto GPS is available there as well for $279, and I love my Streetpilot C330 ($229).

Yep, both good units, but neither of them is waterproof, or shockproof, so they might not hold up to long on a motorcycle.

Ext1jdh · 08-26-2007, 08:54 AM

True but oh the wonders of a ziplock baggie

As for shockproof, I've not had any problems with my C330 in the Insight which was bouncy as hell. I used to take it out on the dirt roads on my long trips occasionally.
Of course, a bike is gonna have a lot more vibration. That needs to be taken into consideration on any hard drive based GPS. Any vibration can cause hardware failures on the microdrives which are used in most of these units. As the price of solid state memory gets lower and lower, GPS' will turn toward those due to lower power consumption and longer life.

The_Av8er · 06-05-2008, 02:07 PM

Go with the Garmin NUVI. Either the 350 or the newer 200 series. These are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket have about a 20 hr internal battery and can be wired to your bike's electrical system. RAM also makes a great mount for this unit. My 350 has a built in MP3 player and I plug it into my Chatterbox system and can listen to music and the GPS turn-by-turn directions. The screen is a bit hard to see in direct sun, but you don't really need it when you have a cute woman with a British Accent speaking in your ear telling you where to go. Highly recommended.

Mark

**Clint** · 06-06-2008, 09:13 AM

After seeing Rickster's Zumo in action, I'm saving my pennies for a 550.

robertc729 · 06-06-2008, 10:11 AM

I've been eyeballin the Zumo 550 myself, just got to get the money saved up for it now.

Rickster · 06-06-2008, 05:23 PM

After a quick scan of the Garmin NUVI 350, I see that except for the mount, the water proofing, and the vibration proofing, it is quite similar to the ZUMO.

However, after all the rain I went through this last week, I can say with some certainty that a zip-lock bag would not have cut it, and I doubt the NUVI will hold up to all the vibration as well as the ZUMO. The NUVI is cheeper, but after you add the cost of the powered bike mount, about $100, the cost difference isn't that much.

For my money, I'll stick with the ZUMO, I can do with out having my GPS drown, or shake itself to death in the middle of a trip.

stp1971 · 06-08-2008, 02:45 PM

I did the newbie thing when I got mine. I went into Best Buy and asked him what the best one you could buy was and he pointed me to the Zumo 550. I called a couple of the guys in the Misfits that are techies and they all said get the Zumo or a Tom Tom Rider.

I am glad I got the Zumo.

08-17-2007, 02:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
mtalicarox Banned Joined: Aug 2007 Bike: 2003 Suzuki GSXR 1000 (Blue/White) Location: Hopkinton MA Posts: 647	GPS suggestions? Im looking to buy a GPS for my motorcycle, but I want a reasonably prices one.. probably 500, not more than $600.. any suggestions?

08-17-2007, 02:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ext1jdh Just Won't Go Away ! Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: Sold Location: Westmont, IL, US Posts: 5,174	garmin garmin garmin garmin garmin. can you tell I like em? __________________ I'm spending an extended period away from the board. If you need to contact me, use the PM.

08-19-2007, 08:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
hndrx1223 Seat Tester Joined: Jun 2007 Bike: 06' Boulevard c50 Location: So. Cal. aka "the Valley" Posts: 50	I have Garmin C330 BUT I want to mount on my c50... https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6385 Any suggestions on mounting my c330 on my 06' c50? Many zip ties I believe but is there a better way... Any ideas would be great... Garmin StreetPilot c330 Reviews. Car GPS (Navigation) Reviews by CNET. FYI, Garmin is the best! __________________

08-20-2007, 07:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
Ext1jdh Just Won't Go Away ! Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: Sold Location: Westmont, IL, US Posts: 5,174	2nded on the RAM mounts __________________ I'm spending an extended period away from the board. If you need to contact me, use the PM.

08-22-2007, 12:38 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rickster Bridal Boutique Manager Joined: Oct 2005 Location: St Paul Mn Posts: 2,873	I bought a Zumo 450 this year. Very easy to use, with large buttons, and a touch screen. Get a good set of ear buds, (I got the Sure E2's,) for the spoken directions, and it's almost impossible to get lost. __________________ Ever notice that the person telling you to calm down, is the same one that got you worked up in the first place. 2008 1250 Bandit ABS 2008 DR 650 2006 HD Road King 2005 DL1000 V Strom (sold) 2004 Twin Peaks 700 2003 KTM 525 EX/C (for sale) 2005 Santa Cruz Heckler

08-20-2007, 09:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
mtalicarox Banned Joined: Aug 2007 Bike: 2003 Suzuki GSXR 1000 (Blue/White) Location: Hopkinton MA Posts: 647	ty for your input

08-25-2007, 03:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
SoCalCruisin Found second gear by accident Joined: May 2006 Bike: 2005 Yamaha Midnight Royal Star Venture, 2005 Boulevard C50T (For Sale) Location: Seal Beach, CA Posts: 338	Anyone with experience with the TomTom Rider? It's going for $499.00 with AMA discount. It seems to have good reviews in the write ups, and the price seems good, but I'd really like to hear from someone who has one. __________________

08-25-2007, 08:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
Rickster Bridal Boutique Manager Joined: Oct 2005 Location: St Paul Mn Posts: 2,873	I reviewed the Tom Tom before I got the Zumo, and except for the antenna, they prety much have the same features. Two differences are, the Garmin Zumo has a lot more RAM, ( not a big deal, because they both take SD cards), and the Zumo has a built in MP3 player that you can ues even well navagating, the Tom Tom doesn't have a MP3 player. The *Magellan 2500t* is also very similar, and it has the good antenna, but you can't use the MP3 player and navagate at the same time. The Garmin has something called the *SiRFstar111* high sensitivity antenna, and I'm here to tell you this thing is great, I can get a full signal inside a brick bulding that doesn't have any windows, so even when you are setting in a restarunt having lunch, you can still have it turned on, and plan any changes in yout route. I hear the Tom Tom will lose it's signal sometimes if there are tall buldings around. I have driven through short tunnels with the zumo, and not lost the signal. This is my second GPS, and signal strength was my biggest gripe about the first one, it would lose it's signal just from heavy tree cover, so a good antenna was high on my list of what the new one needed. __________________ Ever notice that the person telling you to calm down, is the same one that got you worked up in the first place. 2008 1250 Bandit ABS 2008 DR 650 2006 HD Road King 2005 DL1000 V Strom (sold) 2004 Twin Peaks 700 2003 KTM 525 EX/C (for sale) 2005 Santa Cruz Heckler

08-25-2007, 09:15 PM	#11 (permalink)
SoCalCruisin Found second gear by accident Joined: May 2006 Bike: 2005 Yamaha Midnight Royal Star Venture, 2005 Boulevard C50T (For Sale) Location: Seal Beach, CA Posts: 338	Thanks much for the info Rick. What's a good price for the Zumo? It sounds like the way to go. __________________

08-25-2007, 10:24 PM	#12 (permalink)
Rickster Bridal Boutique Manager Joined: Oct 2005 Location: St Paul Mn Posts: 2,873	The New Connection - Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Plasma, LCD, HDTV, Projectors, Computers This place has the best price on the net right now, $470, + $10 for shipping. I've never done business with them, so i can't vouch for their service I paid $580 for mine through Amazon.com The transaction went smooth Right now Amazon has them listed for $502. I got the 450, I didn't think I needed the extra bells & whistles that come on the 550. If I remember right the only differences between the two, is with the 550 you get Blue tooth wireless, (big whoop) and XM Satellite radio, (if you want to pay the $10 a month for the service). The 550 is about $150 more than the 450. __________________ Ever notice that the person telling you to calm down, is the same one that got you worked up in the first place. 2008 1250 Bandit ABS 2008 DR 650 2006 HD Road King 2005 DL1000 V Strom (sold) 2004 Twin Peaks 700 2003 KTM 525 EX/C (for sale) 2005 Santa Cruz Heckler

08-25-2007, 10:35 PM	#13 (permalink)
Ext1jdh Just Won't Go Away ! Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: Sold Location: Westmont, IL, US Posts: 5,174	The Garmin Nuvi series is nice as well. Abes of Maine has a Nuvi 360 for $419 plus s/h The incremental update for my auto GPS is available there as well for $279, and I love my Streetpilot C330 ($229). __________________ I'm spending an extended period away from the board. If you need to contact me, use the PM.

08-26-2007, 08:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
Ext1jdh Just Won't Go Away ! Joined: Apr 2005 Bike: Sold Location: Westmont, IL, US Posts: 5,174	True but oh the wonders of a ziplock baggie As for shockproof, I've not had any problems with my C330 in the Insight which was bouncy as hell. I used to take it out on the dirt roads on my long trips occasionally. Of course, a bike is gonna have a lot more vibration. That needs to be taken into consideration on any hard drive based GPS. Any vibration can cause hardware failures on the microdrives which are used in most of these units. As the price of solid state memory gets lower and lower, GPS' will turn toward those due to lower power consumption and longer life. __________________ I'm spending an extended period away from the board. If you need to contact me, use the PM.

06-05-2008, 02:07 PM	#16 (permalink)
The_Av8er Newbie Joined: May 2008 Bike: 2008 Suzuki C50T Location: Odenton, MD Posts: 5	GPS suggestion Go with the Garmin NUVI. Either the 350 or the newer 200 series. These are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket have about a 20 hr internal battery and can be wired to your bike's electrical system. RAM also makes a great mount for this unit. My 350 has a built in MP3 player and I plug it into my Chatterbox system and can listen to music and the GPS turn-by-turn directions. The screen is a bit hard to see in direct sun, but you don't really need it when you have a cute woman with a British Accent speaking in your ear telling you where to go. Highly recommended. Mark

06-06-2008, 10:11 AM	#18 (permalink)
robertc729 M-J.Com Master Poster Joined: Mar 2006 Bike: 05 Boulevard C50 LE, 06 S40 (wife's bike) Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 3,763	I've been eyeballin the Zumo 550 myself, just got to get the money saved up for it now.

06-06-2008, 05:23 PM	#19 (permalink)
Rickster Bridal Boutique Manager Joined: Oct 2005 Location: St Paul Mn Posts: 2,873	After a quick scan of the Garmin NUVI 350, I see that except for the mount, the water proofing, and the vibration proofing, it is quite similar to the ZUMO. However, after all the rain I went through this last week, I can say with some certainty that a zip-lock bag would not have cut it, and I doubt the NUVI will hold up to all the vibration as well as the ZUMO. The NUVI is cheeper, but after you add the cost of the powered bike mount, about $100, the cost difference isn't that much. For my money, I'll stick with the ZUMO, I can do with out having my GPS drown, or shake itself to death in the middle of a trip. __________________ Ever notice that the person telling you to calm down, is the same one that got you worked up in the first place. 2008 1250 Bandit ABS 2008 DR 650 2006 HD Road King 2005 DL1000 V Strom (sold) 2004 Twin Peaks 700 2003 KTM 525 EX/C (for sale) 2005 Santa Cruz Heckler

06-08-2008, 02:45 PM	#20 (permalink)
stp1971 May 2007 Member of the month Joined: Mar 2005 Bike: 2004 Suzuki Intruder 1500LC / 2005 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Location: Douglasville, Georgia Posts: 7,732	I did the newbie thing when I got mine. I went into Best Buy and asked him what the best one you could buy was and he pointed me to the Zumo 550. I called a couple of the guys in the Misfits that are techies and they all said get the Zumo or a Tom Tom Rider. I am glad I got the Zumo. __________________ Biketoberfest 2006 flashback courtesy of Intimid8er: "Like you knew damn well you shouldn't eat something like that, but all be damned to hell, you were gonna eat it!" __________________

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