Motorbike sat nav

[aza84aaron]

Hi, I've recently got my first bike a sinnis hoodlum (cruiser) and want to get a sat nav for it to go on long adventures. I've been looking at some online but wouldn't mind some advice on what ones are good and what aren't. Are there any decent ones about that won't break the bank!?

Tia

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[Hoggs]

thought about using a sat nav for your phone? bike specific sat navs are exxxxxpensive

[aza84aaron]

Yeah I have considered it, I see you can get cradles for phones but the police are hot on phone use and might try and pull me for it plus I want one that can be wired to the bikes battery so it goes on and off when the bike does and then it won't drain my phone

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[anthmate]

You can buy a weather proof sat nav holder that fixes to your bars, and a chargeing plug very easy to install means u can almost use any sat nav on your bike dose save some money oxford do a good one

[Hoggs]

ah the phone use conversation. pretty sure it's fine as long as you're not touching the screen whilst riding. also you can wire a phone charger to the bike.

I use copilot on my phone. works for me

[mpl]

I use Google maps on my iphone connected to Bluetooth headset. Works ok for me. Phone sits in a weatherproof case and has a lead to keep it charged which I got from UltimateAddons

[Copycat73]

I got my last motorbike garmin from aldi .. £90 iirc.. they must be due another tranche soon...

you get all the bits with them aswell and they are waterproof.

[aza84aaron]

I got my last motorbike garmin from aldi .. £90 iirc.. they must be due another tranche soon...

you get all the bits with them aswell and they are waterproof.

 

Yeah that sort thing is what I need to look out for, next time I'm at aldi I'll take a look

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[Copycat73]

Yeah that sort thing is what I need to look out for, next time I'm at aldi I'll take a look

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

easier to check on the web. from your I phone really.

[Mawsley]

https://copilotgps.com

The app cost me something like £17.99 for lifetime maps and speed camera warnings. I still don't understand why anybody would pay for anything else.

[Lateralus]

https://copilotgps.com

The app cost me something like £17.99 for lifetime maps and speed camera warnings. I still don't understand why anybody would pay for anything else.

 

I'd been seriously looking at getting a dedicated satnav for my upcoming tour, but perhaps spending a quarter of the money on that app and a proper phone holder is a better option. Need to look into options for a weather-proof power point too - shame the current one is in the top-box!

[Mawsley]

I'd been seriously looking at getting a dedicated satnav for my upcoming tour, but perhaps spending a quarter of the money on that app and a proper phone holder is a better option. Need to look into options for a weather-proof power point too - shame the current one is in the top-box!

 

I've never been awfully particular about routes, I prefer to discover through getting lost. The app, for me, is when I can't find my way back to civilisation.

No idea what my case is, but it's a sturdy waterproofish thing, cost me a tenner or something, and I reckon the lead will take everything but an absolute downpour - at which point I'd be tucked up inside somewhere or not bothered about B-roads. Got a power socket off Amazon that does the job for a tennerish. Holder, again from Amazon.

When I'm downstairs I'll do links. Was happy enough with what I bought that I bought it all again for the other bike.

[JRH]

Bike satnavs are not going to be cheap. Garmin and tom tom being the favourites.

I'm old school so i have a camera to take piccies, a phone to make calls and text and a satnav to well satnav.

The advantage of the satnav is waterproof, comes with the bike, and car, holders. the screen is glove friendly so you can make changes on the fly.

disadvantage cost

the advantage of phones cheap apps.

disadvantages, need to buy waterproof case, unless it is one of the newer waterproof phones. Some phone touch screen do not work with gloves.

Also if you use google maps live beware of data downloads, use a dedicated off line app.

Why not go the phone route and if it does not give you what you want then save for a Satnav.

[Stu]

Except the camera bit I use my phone

Another disadvantage for using the phone is battery life! Some chargers can't provide enough current to keep the phone charged resulting in a flat battery which is not good if you need to use your phone in an emergency

Also a phone is not as rugged as dedicated bike sat nav so if it comes loose or you drop it you could find yourself in a sticky situation

Bike sat navs are expensive but you get a fair few years out of them! 8 years out of my tomtom and sold it on when I upgraded and got half my money back!

[Hoggs]

Another disadvantage for using the phone is battery life!

 

I have an Anker super fast power pack thing (£30 odd quid). Charges my phone from 1/4 full to fullish in a lunch break

[Mawsley]

This is my iPhone6 phone holder - works with and without waterproof case £8.99

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EHPE2WU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the charging unit I've plumbed in - charges phone fine and fast £11.89

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00VV39MN6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

*EDIT: has an inline fuse and an off switch, so no funny business with surges or drained battery.

[Copycat73]

https://copilotgps.com

The app cost me something like £17.99 for lifetime maps and speed camera warnings. I still don't understand why anybody would pay for anything else.

 

the sat-nav comes with life time map updates a holder that is both sleek and functional.... in this is a software package that will plan and store uber complicated routes and waypoints interchangeable with anyone online usin sat-nav software .. it does what it says on the box.. I have tried phones .. and they were slow and lost the signal .. overly complicated on route planning with limited functionality..

what sat-nav have you owned and or tried ?

[BabyD]

I thought about getting a bike satnav, but then...... got a GIVI waterproof case for my iPhone 7 plus which already has the full tomtom app (no subscription needed) & to keep my phone charged I run a standard iPhone cable down the main bike loom to one one my factory fitted USB sockets on my bike

[Mawsley]

the sat-nav comes with life time map updates a holder that is both sleek and functional....

 

Yep, I have lifetime maps, and no need for anything sleek.

 

in this is a software package that will plan and store uber complicated routes

 

I need, rarely, to know how to get to the place I'm going to next - I've no need to also program in my following destinations till I might be heading for them. Don't need it.

 

and waypoints interchangeable with anyone online usin sat-nav software

 

Totally and utterly don't need this

 

I have tried phones .. and they were slow and lost the signal

 

The app stores all maps on the phone. No need for a signal. It's as fast as it would ever need to be.

 

.. overly complicated on route planning with limited functionality..

Type in name of destination, select one of the three given routes, ride. It's the embodiment of functionality. Personally, entering "complicated routes" strikes me as being slightly more cumbersome from the route planning POV.

Horses for courses, eh.

The only advantage to a dedicated sat nav imho is that it can be left fixed to the bike. Aside from that, I still wait to be convinced it's worth the 100s of pounds extra.

[Stu]

:blah:

Horses for courses, eh.

 

 

It really is just that!

I prefer a dedicated Sat nav and I like to plan a route to where I am going rather than let the sat nav decide!

Are they worth the hundreds? Nope not at all but they can and will charge that for as long as people buy them!

[Copycat73]

The only advantage to a dedicated sat nav imho is that it can be left fixed to the bike. Aside from that, I still wait to be convinced it's worth the 100s of pounds extra.

 

I paid £90 for mine ....340 lm.. from aldi .. probably lot less than your phone ...... I take it you`ve never actually used or owned a dedicated sat-nav then.

[Mawsley]

I like to plan a route to where I am going rather than let the sat nav decide!

 

Me too, that's why I look at a map, think 'hmm, I'll ride there then there'. Then get on the bike and ride.

[Guest]

Bike satnavs are not going to be cheap. Garmin and tom tom being the favourites.

I'm old school so i have a camera to take piccies, a phone to make calls and text and a satnav to well satnav.

The advantage of the satnav is waterproof, comes with the bike, and car, holders. the screen is glove friendly so you can make changes on the fly.

disadvantage cost

the advantage of phones cheap apps.

disadvantages, need to buy waterproof case, unless it is one of the newer waterproof phones. Some phone touch screen do not work with gloves.

Also if you use google maps live beware of data downloads, use a dedicated off line app.

Why not go the phone route and if it does not give you what you want then save for a Satnav.

 

I have one of those newer waterproof phones, but they are designed to survive being dropped in a bucket, in the sink, or down a toilet, then fished out again quickly. Would I want to subject my £600 handset to a long time riding in the rain, road grime, sandy rain, dust and road salt? No, I still keep it in a waterproof case. I know how dirty the case gets in the rain, don't want that on my phone and in the charging and headphone sockets. It's only used for bluetooth music and phone calls, even with my setup, which includes handlebar mounted waterproof case with power, I would only use it as a sat nav if my TomTom packed up half way through a trip.

A phone battery doesn't last long when using a sat nav app, gps working, screen on. Offline maps use a lot of storage. If you go on holiday somewhere hot the phone can overheat in a black case in direct sunlight. A phone O/S tends to crash way more that a dedicated sat nav. If you hit a bump and one of the side buttons gets pressed it can interrupt what's on the screen. If a call comes in it can interrupt whats on the screen.

If you can't use the touchscreen without proper touchscreen gloves (I've tried nanotips they don't work) you have to stop at the side of the road to get things working again. If you can use the touchscreen, the O/S is not optimised with glove sized buttons.

There are very few people who once they have spend the money on a proper motorbike sat nav, and had the better performance and usability it gives you, would ever go back to using a phone. Most people using a phone, are doing so because they don't want to spend £300 in the first place.

I totally understand some people don't want to spend that much money, and there's nothing wrong with using a phone if that's what you are happy with, but it doesn't give you the same functionality as a proper motorbike sat nav, and there's no point trying to kid yourself it does.

This is my setup, and that case takes a charging cable inside as well which plugs into a USB socket in my dash, when I fitted it I got a motorbike sat nav app and tried it for a week or two to see if I could drop the TomTom, but no I still went back to using the TomTom for navigation, it cost me £300 when the v3 version was first released in 2010 and it's still going strong, so it's cost me £42 a year so far.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd82/colinbal4/20161010_203408_1476137626065_zps8iuc9cmi.jpg

[Guest]

But if you are going to use a phone, this app was pretty good.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.calimoto.calimoto&hl=en_GB

The reasons I won't use a phone are nothing to do with the app, they are due to the hardware, the o/s, and the other apps which can interrupt.

[Aras773]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HDYYC9/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3JX55FSUKJJWR&colid=29S0SI83GH04A&th=1 This + Usb to Micro Usb + Google maps + 3gb of mobile data and thats it total cost around 30 dollars and you get free phone charger.