Which Sat Nav Do you use (if any)?

[Paivi]

Cool, methinks I'll go and treat myself to a b'day present, as I don't think I got any from myself this year.

Or from anybody else for that matter...

[Red]

Originally Posted by Ghost

What a bloody good idea that is, post some pics please. I have 2 pda's one bluetooth and one with a flip integrated gps receiver, which I use on the bike. But last week coming back from the Ring it was ****ing down so I had to wrap it in clingfilm from the hotel not a durable solution but your idea sounds great.

Also have it on my phone but don't fancy putting that in the holder in case it goes down the road.

Phil

Will do ....wait out

[Strada916]

The Garmin Zumo 550 is very good.

I've got 4 friends who have it, but it's about £90 more than the Rider2. Plus I don't think it comes with a BT headset, unlike the Rider2.

I'm about to buy a satnav, but I'm not sure between these Garmin and Tom Tom units.

BTW, somewhere I've seen a replacement Headstock nut, that is threaded in the middle to take Satnav fittings. Can't remember who does it though

[Strada916]

Originally Posted by RodH

Actually, just found this

Plus try here:


Best Deals for Tomtom all-in-one GPS Systems

The Rider2 is £339.99 from Dixons if you use the special code, but it's out of stock at the moment.

[Segart]

which I mount with a ram mount custom made by telferizer.com (£27) which simply replaces one of the clip on handle bar bolts.
Its a really nice bit of kit. I have it hard wired to the bike battery so the mounting cradle is permanently live. The battery lasts for about 5 hours according to the manual. It comes with a car mount also.
My main comments are:
I probably bought more specification than I needed as I only use it for visual instructions as I find earphones a bit uncomfortable and I am not very interested in taking phone calls when riding. Having said that it will work as a bluetooth handsfree phone setup in the car.
Its very solid and has been designed for use wearing motorcycle gloves. All the buttons are on the left side and the touch screen works great. It is waterproof to 1 metre under water for half an hour; which means it will out last the Ducati in a flood situation.
I went for garmin as I figured that their involvement in marine and avionics equipment probably gives them the edge.
Cheers
Rick

[Steve]

I run a Navman iCN 530 connected directly to my Autocom unit, so no earplugs just the Autocom ones in the helmet. I don't look at the visual display as it currently sits in my tank bag, just listen to the commands. It feels more comfortable that way as I have my full attention on the road at all times, although I do have a Ram mount system for my video camera and will use this with the Ram Aqua box when I can get a large size.
As for power, I have taken a spare waterproof connector and made a detachable cable with a cigarette lighter and use that to supply power for my phone, sat nav etc. Works really well.

[singletrack]

I've got a Garmin Zumo 550 which comes with a bike mount and can be powered from the bike or by its own rechargable battery.

I am really pleased with it and one of the best things about it is that you can plan a route on the computer at home and then upload it to the unit - it make it easier to plan longer trips.

It has a post code search is very useful, and they are a very reasonable price at the moment.

GPSW: Zumo 550 Europe (Buy/Full Details)

[Steve GD]

I have a Garmin Quest which is old now but still useful.
Good points
Preplanning routes on PC is easy and quick
Vast range of high quality mounting options. egRAM and Touratech do dedicated ones for Garmin. Someone earlier in the thread said they were unhappy with their mount, but this is very much not my experience.
Easy to switch between bikes/car/cycle
Easy to use without voice commands
Battery life is enough for a long day's ride
Clear display
Waterproof (Scottish Highlands. September. Need I say more?)
"Where am I" function very useful for finding parked car/bike

Bad points

Mapping SW update policy is quirky, and updates expensive
Slow to search for places when on the move
Buttond not, "glove friendly"

Hope this helps

[Johnny]

Slightly modified review that I placed on Amazon for Garmin Zumo 550 FYI - just my opinion don't flame me if you disagree
++++++
After using a Tom Tom configuration for 2 ½ years which was a bit of a lash up I was looking forward to having the real deal. The Zumo feels and looks solid and both the bike and car mounts are very strong and wobble free. The securing method in both cases leaves you in no doubt that it is in place and will stay there.

It's the software that lets the system down. Although having the street announced can be useful and the POI information is more extensive than Tom Tom, the basic running and indication is way behind TT. The animation is unclear and junction routing is not the best. Most time it does not appear to be moving. Worst of all coming to the next junction it can be 100 meters out before you know the next action. This indication (which is so reassuring on TT) is not there on the screen map. This makes audio near essential instead of a confirmation. The routing software for the PC is a great help but then is necessary as building a route on the unit is difficult.

This unit was intended for mainly car use with some bike use. If that's your intention get the TT rider 2. If you are crossing continents on the bike all year round the Garmin's hardware may shade it...but I doubt it.

[triumph5ta]

Garmin Quest 2, bought off ebay for £150 inc RAM mount. Long battery life means no need to wire it up on the bike. No problems with it after about 6 months.
Adam.