Sat navs for bikes

[Paul-Kent]

Just been doing a quick ebay search for a satnav to help me with the UK Challenge as well as other things. I was surprised to see how expensive they are

Am I missing a trick or will I have to shell out £300ish for a decent unit?

[fullscreenaging]

Anything with the word motorcycle/bike will increase the price by at least 20%

That sounds about right for bike specific sat navs. You have to remember they are waterproof unlike car one's. You can always go the car sat navs and get bike specific mounting brackets and waterproof cover. You'll also need the right wires to hook it up to the bike. Should work out a bit cheaper, but a lot of faffing

[Guest]

If you have a smartphone then I'd recommend a mount and case from Ultimateaddons. I got a waterproof case, mount and charger for £40.

[mister-t]

i use a car sat nav,i used an off cut hollow tube,sprayed black,attached satnav bracket and waterproof case to that,wired up a cig charger to tube as well

works of ignition,cost of everything excluding satnav as already had that,£26

[whitedevil]

Ive managed the last few years with co-pilot app on my phone which is brilliant. i dont bother with the screen i just plan my route and stick the phone in my pocket and follow the voice directions through my headphones, it even turns the music down for you, it does lead to getting lost occasionally but works great for a free option.

Im thinking of splashing out on a tomtom rider v5 this year though, can be had on ebay for £280.

copilot is great but planning a 100+ point route takes ages and would be difficult if you have a small phone screen plus if you want to have the screen on it will kill your battery very quickly. Mobile gps sensors are no where near as good as satnavs either, especially in cities.

[Guest]

Ive managed the last few years with co-pilot app on my phone which is brilliant. i dont bother with the screen i just plan my route and stick the phone in my pocket and follow the voice directions through my headphones, it even turns the music down for you, it does lead to getting lost occasionally but works great for a free option.

Im thinking of splashing out on a tomtom rider v5 this year though, can be had on ebay for £280.

copilot is great but planning a 100+ point route takes ages and would be difficult if you have a small phone screen plus if you want to have the screen on it will kill your battery very quickly. Mobile gps sensors are no where near as good as satnavs either, especially in cities.

 

Phil introduced me to CoPilot.

We both have our phones on a mount with a charger. Phone linked up via Bluetooth to the helmet speakers works a treat.

I actually prefer my phone to a satnav, because it allows me to take calls, listen to music and get directions.

I'd seriously give it a go before spending £280.

[Stu]

I got a rider v1 years ago off ebay for 100 quid which at the time was dirt cheap

I have used it a lot its not the best but it works for what I use it for

I use a program called TYRE to plot routes and load them on to the sat nav

The thing you have to watch is you can't plot routes on some car ones nor can you use TYRE

Whitedevil tomtom are bringing out an all new rider if you can hold out for that it looks miles better and great on paper too

[Guest]

I have a Zumo 660. 4yrs from new. If it needed replacement for some reason. I'd buy another.

my phone stays where it belongs. in my pocket, switched off.

[whitedevil]

Whitedevil tomtom are bringing out an all new rider if you can hold out for that it looks miles better and great on paper too

 

I'll look into this, thanks, however it will probably be even more expensive so i'll just keep using my phone lol

[Throttled]

I use google maps on my phone and a waterproof mount.

[Tango]

I have a Zumo 660. 4yrs from new. If it needed replacement for some reason. I'd buy another.

my phone stays where it belongs. in my pocket, switched off.

Hmmm......well, I have a bar mount and charger for my phone and have used the CoPilot app for quite a few years now (on the bike and in the car). Why carry more accessories around than you have to? I don't take calls or listen to music while riding......but I won't condemn those that do......it's their choice.

So, I don't agree with your carte blanche statement about the phone belonging in the pocket, switched off........as long as it's being used responsibly there's no reason why it shouldn't be utilised like any other driving aid!

You can even set speed limit warnings on there that will give you an audible warning if you're exceeding the limit by a selectable margin......so it could be argued that it is a safety device......

[Paul-Kent]

If you have a smartphone then I'd recommend a mount and case from Ultimateaddons. I got a waterproof case, mount and charger for £40.

Must have been a while back, I phone 4s for that price, I have a iphone 5

[Guest]

I have a Zumo 660. 4yrs from new. If it needed replacement for some reason. I'd buy another.

my phone stays where it belongs. in my pocket, switched off.

 

So, I don't agree with your carte blanche statement about the phone belonging in the pocket, switched off........

 

you need to brush up on your observational skills fella. I was talking about MY phone. and how it stays in MY pocket and by MY choice - switched off.

For what its worth.. the phone I carry when out and about ON MY BIKE has just 3 numbers on it.

Carole Nash UK

Carole Nash EUROPE

NEXT OF KIN... I.C.E.

so.. why it would need to be switched on beats me completely.

Its purely for emergency use. A £12 ASDA 'special'.

When Im out and about on my bike.. on my time. I'm 'off the grid' - this is my choice. the last thing I expect is other people to follow my lead. some people simply cannot do that. they MUST be available 24/7

not me though.

cheers.

as for the premise of this thread.. I have ZERO experience with smart phone navigation. because I don't own a smart phone.

I do own a Garmin Zumo 660 and recommend it unreservedly.

[rob m]

Android with navigon for me. I can plan routes in ITN and transfer them to my phone. This is what I did for my Germany trip in 2014. I keep my phone in an inside pocket and use headphones for instructions. I got myself lost in the middle of Strasbourg in 2013 and doing it this way got me out of there without harm. I tried having the phone in the clear bit on the top of my tankbag but couldn't keep my eyes on the road for looking at directions. Respect to those who can, I just can't.

[Chrissb6]

If you have a smartphone then I'd recommend a mount and case from Ultimateaddons. I got a waterproof case, mount and charger for £40.

Cheapest option by far works a treat

[Paul-Kent]

down loaded and had a play. It will do for me even if i have it in my pocket on earphones to start with.

Would like a mount and charging system though

[Stu]

I thoroughly recommend a charging system as you may find yourself stuck lost with no battery power!

smart phones eat battery when using maps and gps

[igingeee]

I use a car satnav mounted via the handlebars, the one time I tried to use the weather wasn't all to great and I was to focused on riding to even look down at the satnav (could of fell of and I wouldn't of noticed).

For me the problem is trying to find a suitable position, I only have one due to the handlebar design on my bike and with having no audio whatsoever from the sat nav I have to take my eyes of the road and look down, I'm a lot taller than my bike and even using the mirrors requires great difficulty.

As mentioned a phone with an satnav app or google maps is a lot cheaper than a sat nav and might be a better investment if like me you find them more a distraction than helpful, nothing like good old adventure and sign postage.

If you do go down the phone route.. maybe purchase some in helmet headphones that stick to the helmet (not in ear)... or a bluetooth headset?

If you want to try a car satnav try argos, got mine for under £100.. motorbike dedicated satnavs where £300+ all do the same job.

[Stu]

all do the same job.

 

I beg to differ

my tomtom has features that £100 sat navs dont have and to get a car sat nav that almost meets those features costs almost as much as a bike one

[igingeee]

I beg to differ

my tomtom has features that £100 sat navs dont have and to get a car sat nav that almost meets those features costs almost as much as a bike one

 

In honesty the whole point of a satnav is to get your from A to B, if you want to pay hundreds more because of the added extras that the manufactures add on and trick you into thinking you need then by all means, they're all different.

The basic for a satnav on a motorbike is;

- 2D Mapping

- A cover case

anything else if your personal preference, brand names, ebay brands etc.. I just looked for one that met my needs, I don't have a interest in any of the add-ons, all just extra money for the manufactures.

[Stu]

I beg to differ

my tomtom has features that £100 sat navs dont have and to get a car sat nav that almost meets those features costs almost as much as a bike one

 

In honesty the whole point of a satnav is to get your from A to B, if you want to pay hundreds more because of the added extras that the manufactures add on and trick you into thinking you need then by all means, they're all different.

The basic for a satnav on a motorbike is;

- 2D Mapping

- A cover case

anything else if your personal preference, brand names, ebay brands etc.. I just looked for one that met my needs, I don't have a interest in any of the add-ons, all just extra money for the manufactures.

 

you obviously dont know the meaning of been a biker!!!

bikers dont go just from A to B bikers go via C D E F G H I J K ohhh and sometimes Z we dont want to just get there we want to take the interesting routes and many via's in between we want to plot routes via google maps and load them to the sat nav plus we want short cuts to take us to the nearest fuel stop hotel or for food

not to mention easily detachable for when you get off solid mounts that come with the sat nav so you dont have to spend extra plus hard wired charging system without having to add a cig lighter socket or USB

then theres the ability to bluetooth directions to the supplied headset

plus many more features!

[igingeee]

you obviously dont know the meaning of been a biker!!!

 

The features your personally owned satnav has determines if you're a biker, please

And I stated the basics needed for a satnav on a motorbike was "...", and again you want all the extra's then that's your choice, nothing to do with "being a biker"

[Stu]

you obviously dont know the meaning of been a biker!!!

 

The features your personally owned satnav has determines if you're a biker, please

 

yup just as I thought you totally missed the point

[igingeee]

yup just as I thought you totally missed the point

 

Opinions differ, your setup works for you as does mine for me, all happy

[John933]

Get a cheap car sat nav, and a map case. Slip nav in to map case. Put map case on tank. Power up from bike. You woun't be able to hear it giving you instruction, unless you get some kind of blue tooth connection. Cheap and easy.

John933