Sat navs for bikes

[rob m]

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

 

I agree. However for us Honda owners, I'd also say check your alternator and reg/rec are in good fettle before a trip. On my euro trip in 2013 I used a charger and it was charging all day long for a week. The day after I got back my battery was dead and wouldn't charge. This was waiting for me when I removed the alternator cover:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/cruxiform/20140405_114812.jpg

[Mr Fro]

I use my phone with Google maps.

I used to use a Tom-Tom 700 (you remember, the ones that looked like a small version of an old fashioned TV) on the Goldwing as it suckered nicely on the tank.

When it rained I bunged a jonnie on it. One of the best and cheapest waterproofing devices ever.

[igingeee]

When it rained I bunged a jonnie on it. One of the best and cheapest waterproofing devices ever.

 

Know there's a interesting excuse to use when someone walks into the pub toilets and asks what your doing hovering around the machine

[Stu]

I agree. However for us Honda owners, I'd also say check your alternator and reg/rec are in good fettle before a trip. On my euro trip in 2013 I used a charger and it was charging all day long for a week. The day after I got back my battery was dead and wouldn't charge. This was waiting for me when I removed the alternator cover:

 

typical honda charging system

[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.

 

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.

My apologies chap.....I thought you were making a point about using phones on the bike.... I did indeed misinterpret your post.

[MarkW]

My bike satnav is hopeless. It's the Tomtom Start that normally lives in the car, stuffed in a waterproof tank bag. By far its best feature is the auto-rotate display, which can't be disabled. At the slightest jolt it flips 180 degrees, and you look down to find yourself having to negotiate a massive intersection upside down. Slightly too hard on the brakes coming to a stop: screen flips. Go round a bend with more than 1 degree of lean: screen flips. Go up or down a hill: screen flips.

The only way to rectify the situation is to give it a hefty clout and make it flip back the right way, so you end up spending half the journey beating the sh*t out of the damn thing.

Maybe I need to invest in something better...

[Guest]

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

Yes, you are.

Buy co-pilot premium for £20. It's simply amazing. Nothing more to say.

[wr6133]

I got a mio satnav meant for cars. Factory reconditioned from eBay cost £30 (best offer accepted) when the same one was £120 in shops. I prefer it to a phone satnav as the GPS antenna is better/polls quicker so you get less missed turns, also massive screen that is effected by the sun less, easier to use with gloves on and better battery life. Also free's up my phone for calls and music via my BT setup in my lid.

It lives in this cheap little pouch that sits on the top yoke

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh504/wr6133/IMG_20150126_124357_zpsf1622ac9.jpg

I couldn't go back to using a phone app now, the low poll rate, little screen and battery life drove me nuts. I'd love a bike specific tomtom but they cost silly money.

[Guest]

I couldn't go back to using a phone app now, the low poll rate, little screen and battery life drove me nuts. I'd love a bike specific tomtom but they cost silly money.

You could if you had a phone with a 6" inch screen and android (so you can multitask and easily flick between calls / sat nat to talk and sat nav at the same time ).

I used superglue to bond a suction mount to the inside of my black wind shield - you can't see it but since it tucks down when not in use and the windshield isn't see-through. It makes it a dash extension rather than a stem mount which is really dangerous I find, for a sports position anyway.

[Paul-Kent]

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

Yes, you are.

Buy co-pilot premium for £20. It's simply amazing. Nothing more to say.

 

Ordered a mount and power lead today. I have the free version of co pilot to try before I buy

[wr6133]

You could if you had a phone with a 6" inch screen and android (so you can multitask and easily flick between calls / sat nat to talk and sat nav at the same time ).

I used superglue to bond a suction mount to the inside of my black wind shield - you can't see it but since it tucks down when not in use and the windshield isn't see-through. It makes it a dash extension rather than a stem mount which is really dangerous I find, for a sports position anyway.

 

5.5" screen and android, I disliked having to fiddle about between multiple things on it, dedicated Satnav is easier. Also the polling rate on the GPS antenna is a big deal, phone's poll less often so it's easier to miss turns when riding "enthusiastically", when I was doing deliveries that was unacceptable.

I did the glue thing too quite liked it kept the satnav nicely in my vision but when I bought a new screen I thought I'd try something else. That in the photo isn't one of those stem mounts it's a pouch that sits on top of the yoke.

[Joeman]

These days, even the slowest phones have a sample rate of once per second with many sampling at five times per second, and the smart software uses the phones accelerometers to work out where you are between samples or in GPS black spots, so I doubt a modern phone would cause you to miss turnings due to low GPS sample rate.

[wr6133]

These days, even the slowest phones have a sample rate of once per second with many sampling at five times per second, and the smart software uses the phones accelerometers to work out where you are between samples or in GPS black spots, so I doubt a modern phone would cause you to miss turnings due to low GPS sample rate.

 

I had issues with the GPS "lagging" for want of a better word on both a Nexus 4 and a Lenovo A516. Mostly in urban areas.

[Guest]

You could if you had a phone with a 6" inch screen and android (so you can multitask and easily flick between calls / sat nat to talk and sat nav at the same time ).

I used superglue to bond a suction mount to the inside of my black wind shield - you can't see it but since it tucks down when not in use and the windshield isn't see-through. It makes it a dash extension rather than a stem mount which is really dangerous I find, for a sports position anyway.

 

5.5" screen and android, I disliked having to fiddle about between multiple things on it, dedicated Satnav is easier. Also the polling rate on the GPS antenna is a big deal, phone's poll less often so it's easier to miss turns when riding "enthusiastically", when I was doing deliveries that was unacceptable.

I did the glue thing too quite liked it kept the satnav nicely in my vision but when I bought a new screen I thought I'd try something else. That in the photo isn't one of those stem mounts it's a pouch that sits on top of the yoke.

I've never had a problem. I'd wage it to be a software issue, if you had an issue.

[Joeman]

Yep, me too.

In heavily built up areas you do get GPS problems as the signal is blocked or reflected by buildings, but the good software uses other sensors to take this into account so won't suddenly say you're on a road three blocks away, or stop moving just because you went through a tunnel.

[RigsVille]

Depending on what I'm doing I have a choice of GPS options:

If I'm going out all day, maybe doing a number of Challenge 100 locations I design a route with TYRE and upload that to my Garmin 550.

If I'm just out and about I use my mobile with either Google Map or Waze (I tried co-pilot but didn't like it) fitted into a Ultimate Addons Mobile Phone Mounting Kit (review link here)

I also always carry an A4 AA map

At the end of the day it's about having fun, having a laugh and being safe.