Best motorcycle GPS

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wonderings said:
Those were great budget waterproof gps devices for motorcycles. Put one on my uncles harley and my dads harley. They do lack a lot of features of the 660, it all depends on what your uses are for it. With that though you need to buy the wiring, mount, ram, etc. It adds up, still cheaper then the Zumo, but with the Zumo you get everything.
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I forget the specifics, but what you need to do is delete the base map and write the new map on top. I have to do this with my 2720 every time I update the map as it only has enough storage for one map. If you google it, I'm sure you'll find the directions.

ZX600 said:
this is my problem with GPS hardware, it's useless.

The Ipod is durable, the software on the app is so much better than all GPS' and can be multipurpose.

Paid 300 for the Ipod, 90 for a GPS enhancer and like 20 for the app - instead of the 800 for the zumo.

However if you like to tinker with the gps while you ride, then you may need to get a GPS with buttons instead.
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While Zumo's are unbelievably overpriced, I have yet to see an iOS or Android app that is as versatile as a dedicated GPS. Not to say that they can't be, they're just programmed to be as simple and basic as possible that a lot of the advanced features get tossed aside. Things like route tracking, uploadable routes, custom POI's, multipoint routes.
 
ZX600 said:
this is my problem with GPS hardware, it's useless.
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That hasn't been my experience, my garmins have been pretty reliable, still do updates. My 2595LMT has been fantastic, easy to use while in motion.
 
mikbusa said:
That hasn't been my experience, my garmins have been pretty reliable, still do updates. My 2595LMT has been fantastic, easy to use while in motion.
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mmhumm, are we forgetting the ride to PA? ;)
 
ZX600 said:
However if you like to tinker with the gps while you ride, then you may need to get a GPS with buttons instead.
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Do only some iPod's/iPhones works with gloves? My iPod 4th gen works flawless with my motorcycle gloves on! I'd post a video of me using it with my gloves but youtube seems to have broke a bunch of my videos today :(

mikbusa said:
That hasn't been my experience, my garmins have been pretty reliable, still do updates. My 2595LMT has been fantastic, easy to use while in motion.
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I use the 2595LMT on my bike as well, only problem with it is that sometimes it thinks my charger is a computer and goes into USB/media mode (so none of the GPS works, just locks at the screen with the picture of the computer). Garmin told me to open up the USB cable and cut the two data cables, that worked :)
 
wonderings said:
I can generally connect to a satellite with my Zumo while indoors at work, was pretty surprised at the signal it can get.
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Had a few hundred meters coming down off a mountain, had no signal there, was a first.
 
iOS or Android app that is as versatile as a dedicated GPS.
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TomTom app pretty much duplicates the GPS experience which means in some ways it sucks compared to an iOS app like MotionXDriver which would be the killer app if it did not need a data connection.

For a motorcyclist tho TomTom's Winding Roads is just fun...on the way back from PA it got us back without going to Olean and without having to waypoint anything myself.

Just follow the voice in your ear or on screen.

I found the iPhone okay with gloves tho better with fingers of course. I tuck the gloves in the glove box when the riding is casual and nice to get email etc at stops and be able to switch tunes,

This works fine on either side - volume is accessible and it's a cheap mount. Even did okay in the rain tho might switch to the life case and cut out some of the plastic cover .



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In theory I can even put it on my arm and be able to vary the angle to be able to see it better in sunlight.

In shade or at night it's just fine. Life case makes it waterproof.

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http://www.lifeproof.com/en/iphone/

I really cannot see buying an expensive GPS for the bike given the choice with smartphones.
And MotionXGPS fills in the waypoint need if you build your own routes.

I have about 6 or 7 Nav approaches on the iPhone and they all have advantages and the it's a fast moving field.

We've found GPS discrepancies and some of the apps with stored maps will calculate from the last certain position which is a good thing.
 
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chiefswallow said:
Do only some iPod's/iPhones works with gloves? My iPod 4th gen works flawless with my motorcycle gloves on! I'd post a video of me using it with my gloves but youtube seems to have broke a bunch of my videos today :(
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They use a capacitive touch screen. Whether your gloves work with an iPod or not is based on how conductive your glove is at the finger. Some gloves work better than others based on how the leather is treated or if they are pretty grimy. You can also buy conductive thread and run a few strands around the finger tip, so they touch your finger. This should compromise the strength of the glove if you are just doing it on an finger tip. Googling 'conductive thread motorcycle gloves' gave me plenty of hits.
 
mikbusa said:
Had a few hundred meters coming down off a mountain, had no signal there, was a first.
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I was screwing with him, Mike's gps is pretty good and reliable
 
mikbusa said:
Had a few hundred meters coming down off a mountain, had no signal there, was a first.
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I know when the Zumo 550 came out, one of the selling features was the strong gps receiver, you would not lose connection when in a canyon and stuff like that. Not sure if they are still using stronger gps receivers with the newer zumos or not, or if the rest of the garmin line up has moved to it.
 
TheDirty said:
They use a capacitive touch screen. Whether your gloves work with an iPod or not is based on how conductive your glove is at the finger. Some gloves work better than others based on how the leather is treated or if they are pretty grimy. You can also buy conductive thread and run a few strands around the finger tip, so they touch your finger. This should compromise the strength of the glove if you are just doing it on an finger tip. Googling 'conductive thread motorcycle gloves' gave me plenty of hits.
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Galaxy S4 has a glove setting for the screen to be able to use the screen with normal gloves.
 
Smartphone (whatever), the new Swiss Army knife.
 
My Garmin 1490T takes GPX files, stores 10 routes at a time (really irrelevant as the unit can store hundreds of GPX files, you just import as routes and delete them as required). Was $130 at Tiger direct. With a ram mount, wiring and taxes about $200 all in and I'm just finishing my 3rd season with it. For the riding I have time for........... this setup is a perfect blend of cost and funtionality.
 
+1 on the Zumo 660
 
Schneller said:
Smartphone (whatever), the new Swiss Army knife.
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I got the S4. It's not on the "glove" setting, but the screen is WAY too sensitive! I can type by holding my finger OVER the key on the keyboard, not even touching it. Super friggen annoying, especially when you are getting used to the keyboard (coming from blackberry) and I pause over a key to see where the special symbols are and voila, it's typed a bunch of crap :( I thought I MIGHT have been touching my screen so I set my DSLR on macro video and put it beside the phone, and nope, approx 2mm from the screen and it'll type a letter :(
 
chiefswallow said:
I got the S4. It's not on the "glove" setting, but the screen is WAY too sensitive! I can type by holding my finger OVER the key on the keyboard, not even touching it. Super friggen annoying, especially when you are getting used to the keyboard (coming from blackberry) and I pause over a key to see where the special symbols are and voila, it's typed a bunch of crap :( I thought I MIGHT have been touching my screen so I set my DSLR on macro video and put it beside the phone, and nope, approx 2mm from the screen and it'll type a letter :(
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Umm...that's one of the settings. Airtouch or something like that. It's so you don't leave fingerprints on the screen. You can switch it off.
 
wonderings said:
The zumo 660 is my favourite, it comes with the wiring, mounts for both car and bike, everything you need to be set up, powered by your bike battery. I do not like the iPhone maps, simply because there is no easy way of plotting routes and putting it on the device. Sure you can do it, but with Garmin you can use base camp, the maps that are on your GPS are on your computer, not just roads, but all POI's. You can plot out everything, search for hotels, gas stations, whatever. Its a big price tag sure, and not right for everyone, for me I love it and works very well.

I dont think you get lifetime maps though with the Zumo, I know I did not with my 660, which is just dumb as it costs way more then the $100 units which will come with life time maps. You can purchase it though, one time fee and your maps are forever upto date.
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There are 2 models, 660 and 660 LM. I have the LM and it has life time map updates.
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