Add on GPS

[Stenger]

What's a good add on GPS? Last time this was discussed was about 2 years ago. FYI I do not have a smart phone. 2002 1800

[glenwegener]

I have been running a Garmin 50 LM on my bike for over a year. I mounted in on the dash just below the key. I put four screw in the panel to keep is stable. Has worked well for me. Made a sun shade for it, covered that with duck tape and painted it. Keeps the water off it when it rains. Just got back from a 5000 trip to Nova Scotia and works great. Would not be without it. Be careful though it can take you to some strange roads. I always look where it is taking me on the road atlas!! Great in big citys!

[raven41951]

I use my smart phone, but they are really lacking when compared to a Garmin, TomTom etc.
Get your self a unit with lifetime traffic and map updates (my preference is Garmin, but the top units are all good). Be warned that the "lifetime" is only as long as that model is supported by the manufacturer which could be three years. They are still better than smartphone apps and the built in units which cost a small fortune to update.

[Mh434]

My preference is for a Garmin (I'm a fan, after using other brands - I currently have 5 Garmin units!). What I look for is a unit with an "audio-out" socket, as I don't like having to take my eyes off the road when riding, and using audio-out, I can pipe the instructions through my headset, and never have to look at the screen.

The downside of this is that the audio-out sockets are now only found on very expensive motorcycle-only Garmins (Zumo models) or older (eg. Nuvi 750 series) units. I have the latter (it's a Nuvi 760, with lifetime map updates) dedicated specifically to use on my bike. It's not waterproof (probably water absorbent!!), but a Ziploc bag over it when it rains seems to work fine.

For a mount, I used an old ball-top, suction-cup mount with the (split & no longer usable) suction cup removed. I drilled up into where the suction cup used to be, and tapped it for a skinny machine screw. I drilled a matching hole in the plastic above my GL1500's radio enclosure, and just screwed it on. It's out of the weather, it's very sturdy, and it's not in the way.

BTW - long-term use of a suction cup on Plexiglas or Lexan windscreens can cause the formation of an opaque, white area where the suction cup adheres (ask me how I know!!), so I don't recommend that. Also, the plastic windscreens I've had weren't smooth enough to keep the suction cup secure for long, anyway - the GPS can fall off (unit & cord suddenly flopping around all over the place), at the least appropriate time, such as while changing lanes in heavy traffic on the interstate (again - ask me how I know!!).

[Bluewaterhooker0]

I use the Garmin 50LM myself. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it will get you where you're going for a modest price. I initially used the suction cup mount to the windshield, just above the instrument cluster. I never had an issue with loss of suction, but I never left it attached for more than a day. I eventually found a mount that attaches to the top of the dashboard via a sliding adjustable mount bracket. However, I must have bought the last one, as they are nowhere to be found anymore. If they were, I'd provide a link. It works excellently. I know of no other dashboard mount that will fit in the space available and still work. But, if I had to, I would not hesitate to use the suction mount again. The OEM Garmin mount is probably the best for that purpose, and if it leaves fogging issues on the glass, just don't leave it attached semi-permanently. Use it for a the day, and remove it. That has never caused an issue on mine. I use the same mount in my work truck, and it IS mounted all the time. It stays put for about a month and a half before loosing it's suction attachment. So, for a day, loosing it should not be an issue.

[CMReynolds1]

I use Garmin on everything. 3 cars and a couple of bikes. The LM (lifetime maps) is the only way to go. I have used the following models: Garmin Zumo 570 and now 300 Zumo Series, then a 2700, and the auto, factory installed Garmins. Great units. Tried Tom Tom and 2 of the 3 failed slightlty over a year. Now only Garmin, all the way.

[Mh434]

That's been my experience as well. I'm in a boat club, and they all swear by Garmin...after trying just about everything else on the market.

Garmins ain't perfect but, IMHO, they're as close as we're likely to get.

[dingdong]

I have been running a Garmin 50 LM on my bike for over a year. I mounted in on the dash just below the key. I put four screw in the panel to keep is stable. Has worked well for me. Made a sun shade for it, covered that with duck tape and painted it. Keeps the water off it when it rains. Just got back from a 5000 trip to Nova Scotia and works great. Would not be without it. Be careful though it can take you to some strange roads. I always look where it is taking me on the road atlas!! Great in big citys!

No kidding about the strange roads. If I let the GPS do the routing I am usually taken for a ride I don't want to be on. Like city streets and back roads. Shorter isn't always faster. I also go over the route and refer to the atlas regularly. I guess old school is still cool.

[CMReynolds1]

Tom

I might suggest you check the 'Settings" on your unit. My riding buddy had the same issues and we found that the 'highway' & 'HOV Lanes' were checked to avoid. This sent him on backroads all over the place. But you are correct, there are times that the map is more fun and works very well!

[Bluewaterhooker0]

I have been running a Garmin 50 LM on my bike for over a year. I mounted in on the dash just below the key. I put four screw in the panel to keep is stable. Has worked well for me. Made a sun shade for it, covered that with duck tape and painted it. Keeps the water off it when it rains. Just got back from a 5000 trip to Nova Scotia and works great. Would not be without it. Be careful though it can take you to some strange roads. I always look where it is taking me on the road atlas!! Great in big citys!

No kidding about the strange roads. If I let the GPS do the routing I am usually taken for a ride I don't want to be on. Like city streets and back roads. Shorter isn't always faster. I also go over the route and refer to the atlas regularly. I guess old school is still cool.

+1 on that. Riding the mountains in NC last year, the GPS wanted me to take a left, right in the middle of a bridge. Fortunately, I'm a sharp guy......and didn't.

[CMReynolds1]

Yeah there are times you gotta wonder what it's pea pickin 'brain' is thinking. Just proves that electronic devices can err too. I have been told to turn or not turn at some critical points; rivers, lakes, etc.

[Alan_Hepburn]

One definitely needs to be aware of the "Preferred Roads" setting, and whether you select "Faster" or "Shorter".

Using the "Shorter" option you will often be told to take a freeway off-ramp, only to be told to take the on-ramp because it is a few feet shorter than staying on the freeway. Or it'll take you off the freeway, through a town, and back on to the freeway.

Using the "Faster" option it will take speed limits into account. A case in point: to get to my house from the nearest freeway offramp I can exit the freeway and make an immediate right, drive 1 mile through a residential area (at 25 mph) and then turn into my driveway. Or I can exit the freeway, drive 1/2 mile on a 40 mph street, turn right onto a 35 mph street and drive 1 mile to another right turn onto a 25 mph street and into my driveway. Garmin says it's faster to drive on the higher speed limit roads, even though there are 5 stop lights to deal with vs. 2 stop lights and 2 stop signs on the shorter, residential street.

If I'm in a familiar area I'll use the GPS if needed, but if I'm in an unfamiliar area I probably don't know the streets so I'm more likely to rely on Garmin's directions, after reviewing the route on Google maps...

[Paulcf]

I have a 10" widescreen analog GPS for my bike...better known as a map holder (made by Hopnel). I have used my car Garmin on the Goldwing, no problem with it suctioned cupped to the windshield. As suggested by others, simply remove it all at the end of the day for safekeeping, etc. When it rains, I don't deploy it and rely on my wits and 10" analog waterproof GPS map holder with magnifying glass on a tether to see those squiggly lines.

I agree with another writer, get one with an earphone jack, which mine has. Goldwing Docs sells a nifty interface cable also for this purpose!
I bought a TomTom once, what a piece of junk. And I tried it in my car, it was awful, and promptly sold it. If you don't have a big budget, buy one in your local Craigslist or Kijiji or eBay always has tons of them for sale.

I figured for what they want for a Zumo (expensive) I can afford to lose/waterlog several automotive GPS's and still come out ahead fiscally!

Now go get lost! Isn't that the fun part of touring is getting lost?! Well sometimes it is and sometimes it ISN'T!