GPS recommendations...

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

I KNOW y'all are gonna be full of suggestions on this one. What I want is an electronic map (as opposed to a printed one) that I can mount on either my handlebars or the top of the tank.

This is what I want to be able to:
I want to have a map that covers a fairly large portion of Michigan (or wherever I may want to roam), that shows with a little dot or something where I am on the map. That way, I can see where I am and plan where I want to go next and the route to get there, zooming in and out as necessary.

This are the devices I already have, and why none of them seems to be the perfect solution:

1) a 5" Garmin Nuvi 2595 (gives spoken directions, but requires manual input)
- too small, and when you zoom out enough to include a large area, there is too little detail

2) a 7" Garmin Nuvi 2797 (gives spoken directions, but requires manual input)
- large enough to see at a glance, but it has a "lumpy" backside (which rules out a lot of the mounts that I've seen) and has the same limitations as the 5" model when zooming

3) a 7" Garmin DriveSmart 61 (gives spoken directions AND responds to spoken commands)
- large enough, and has a relatively flat backside, but has the same limitations as the 5" model when zooming

4) a GPS-enabled tablet that measures about 10" diagonally across the screen.
- this may be the best solution if I can figure how to use the "offline areas" I've downloaded the way I want to use them. So far though, it has eluded me (doesn't take much sometimes!). The biggest problem with this is the sheer size of the thing; it's nearly as wide as my gas tank (and I have a wide gas tank!).

Any suggestions?

 

[cowboyup3371]

Check out Garmin's Zumo's which are specifically made for motorcyclists.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/cOnTheRoad-cMotorcycles-p1.html

They are a bit pricey though; I may be getting one this summer for myself despite preferring paper maps

 

[Guest]

Check out Garmin's Zumo's which are specifically made for motorcyclists.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/cOnTheRoad-cMotorcycles-p1.html

They are a bit pricey though; I may be getting one this summer for myself despite preferring paper maps

Yeah I saw those; they look nice, but I'm way too cheap to pay that much for a GPS - especially since I don't think they'll do what I'm wanting to do.

 

[trevor]

Gps units are not necessary anymore....Download PocketEarth, Osmand or mapsme....to your phone....awesome apps!

 

[LAB3]

A cheap Android tablet seems to be the way to go, you should be able to find one smaller than a 10"

 

[Gorminrider]

tablets?
screen too shiny (maybe a visor will help but also, having an adjustable mount that moves them from the 'reflective" position
many are too dim
windage, so ,you need a pretty strong mount unless behind a fairing
IDEA: get some cheapo gloves that work on a touch-screen, and glue a piece onto your MC gloves so you are nnot needing to take a glove off to operate it

gps

gives spoken directions AND responds to spoken commands

how the heck do you talk to it on a MC? I never listen to mine- just glance at the purple line

The Vector maps that both the softwares mentioned use always lose detail when zoomed out HOWEVER Osmand is capable of using "raster" format-ie, like a picture..a "bitmap" if you convert this type to a "sql db". All in all tablet or smartphone has a wide choice of software versus the standalone AUTO GPS. The expensive hiker's garmins can do more with various maps but garmins are notoriously convoluted to get them outside their proprietary limits ie: = more $$$

 

[Steve]

gps
how the heck do you talk to it on a MC

In my case, that's easy. :-k I don't.

I don't have speech input on any of my units, so yelling at them is purely therapeutic.

Most of the time, I use my GPS for tracking where I have been. For the few times I ask it to guide me somewhere, I can't even hear what is says, so I look at the screen (when it's safe to do so), see what the next turn is, and especially how far away it is. Depending on how far away the next turn is, I might not even look at the screen until it gets closer to the turn. It is not a device that needs constant attention. Getting the instructions into my helmet speakers would be nice, but that would require a different model of GPS and an interface module. So far, I have done just fine without.

.

 

[Gorminrider]

^^yes, I've meant to try the audible into my helmet too but the thought of a long cable to headphone jack or more fiddling with batteries for a bluetooth system - well, like you I haven't needed it so it'd be a toy setup. that would get pulled the first time "Karen" got shrill about a missed turn. (tho "shrill" isn't her demeanor-more a dominatrix with her U-turns)

 

[Steve]

My Nuvi 1490 has no provisions at all for external audio. You either listen to the built-in speaker or go without.

There are several Garmin models that do have a headphone jack that can be used with an external speaker. They can be used with an interface module that will work with my intercom system (stock on the Wing, J&M Radio on the GS). However, since my GPS doesn't have external audio, I don't have that interface. Very seldom does it even get close to resembling a "problem".

.

 

[Guest]

I'm still shying away from GPS units because they provide too little detail when you zoom out to the level that I want to view. I think I figured out this morning (with one of our geniuses at work) how to use a saved Google map. So at the moment I'm thinking a smaller tablet is the answer.

 

[Steve]

By the time you zoom out to a level where you "lose detail", just how large an area are you looking at? :-k

.

 

[Guest]

I've downloaded four sections of MI, each of which is roughly 200 sq mi, and each of which retains the same level of detail as you'd have if you were online. They extend from Ann Arbor all the way to the Lake Michigan coast, and from the Ohio border as far north as Grand Rapids. The nice thing about doing that is that you can zoom in and out as you need - plus you have a much bigger screen than on a GPS.

 

[Wingsconsin]

Ya'll don't know what to look for in motorcycle GPS' units...
In the last year I have purchase 2 GPS units for bikes...

A gently used ZUMO 550 for $150 with the RAM mounts & accs cables which I spent $60 on having it refurbished and maps updated
A $1000 package when NEW - for about $210 - Bluetooth enabled and SD card for a music player - combined with my SENA 20S helmet communicator --
ALL works like a charm for the GS850L --

And most recently a Garmin ZUMO 665 for $275 after a refurb at the factory including 2018 maps -

Having maps that are slightly out of date only can create a small problem if you are seeking a point of interest -- like a restaurant, or maybe fuel.
The roads don't change -- unless you are by the coast maybe...? But it's never been a problem for me...

To Date I have been all over the country on any of my many bikes -- with GPS - never had a signal problem -
Can't say the same about phone service - which affects your ability to use a phone as a navigation tool -- or tablet or ...?

Global Positing Satellite (GPS) is always ON. So I never get lost ...unless I run out of fuel I am exploring.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I'm still shying away from GPS units because they provide too little detail when you zoom out to the level that I want to view.

I hate to sound like a dinosaur, especially as I’m only 47, but I rarely use my phone map on my bike. Instead I like the paper map, especially when I’m wandering the countryside. The problem with GPS is that you’re always the centre of the map, while with a paper map, you can find your location, and then look around for other interesting towns, or nearly hidden side roads. When I lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick in the early 2000s I used to love stopping at the side of the road, pulling out my map and deciding where to take the old Triumph next. Of course being Atlantic Canada it wouldn’t be long before someone would stop to offer help.

 

[Steve]

The problem with GPS is that you’re always the centre of the map, ...

I get what you are trying to say, but you can also change the settings from "North up" to "Track up", which puts you lower on the map and always traveling UP the map. As you turn, the map rotates around you. I like using that view, it gives a better idea of what curves are ahead, and how severe they might be.

I also carry paper maps, as there is nothing like an "analog GPS". The problem with using just the paper map is that you need to REALLY pay attention to what road(s) you have been on and what towns you have just past, or you may have trouble finding your location. You can zoom out on the GPS until you see some landmarks that you might find on the paper map, too.

.

 

[Guest]

I have a 10" ASUS tablet that has GPS on it. I tried an experiment the other night; While I was at home and connected via Wi-Fi, I downloaded and saved four "Offline Maps" that collectively cover most of the southern half of Michigan. What that means is that with the built-in GPS, it can still guide you as long as you're within the area of one of those Offline Maps - even without a Wi-Fi connection. So I got in my car with the tablet, started Google Maps, and after it found a GPS signal, it put a little blue dot on the map where I was. Then as I drove, the little blue dot moved - which is exactly what I want. The maps are always oriented North up, so you can see which direction you're traveling. Then, if you happen to drive beyond the boundaries of the map, there is a little button in the lower right corner that you can push that will re-zoom the map so that you are now in the middle of it again. That way, you can always - instantly - find where you are in relation to your surroundings. So if I find myself in Chelsea, MI and want to go somewhere else, but don't know where, I can just find my location via the little blue dot, then zoom in and out, and pan the map around until I find my new destination, and have Google Maps navigate me there, or I can just follow the roads on the map. You can't do all that with a GPS unit. My Garmin is great - as long as I can tell it where I want to go - but you can't really "explore" with it, which is what I want to be able to do on my new bike.

So..... a 10" tablet is way too big to strap to your bike, so I bought a Google Nexus 7 used on Ebay the other night which is about as big as I want to go. Now all I gotta do is find a simple, inexpensive way to mount it. I think I've decided that I want to mount it on the gas tank, laying close to the top of the tank, and tilted towards me a bit. I don't want to use straps, so something with magnets is in order. There are lots of solutions for 5" phones, but I haven't found anything yet that will accommodate a 7" tablet. I'm going to buy a simple 5V USB charging device so I don't have to worry about running out of juice.

 

[Steve]

... I bought a Google Nexus 7 used on Ebay the other night ... Now all I gotta do is find a simple, inexpensive way to mount it. ...

Have you looked at RAM Mounts? :-k

​. . . . (click the link)

.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, they make nice stuff apparently, but I said "inexpensive". By the time I piece together all the pieces I'd need, I could easily spend as much on the mount as I did on the tablet - or more. And all of their mounts are hard, mechanical mounts; I want something in a pouch of some sort that sticks to the tank with magnets. Easy on, easy off.

 

[cowboyup3371]

So why not just buy a tank bag?

 

[Guest]

So why not just buy a tank bag?

I haven't ruled that out yet, but finding one that has a pouch that's large enough for the Nexus 7 is difficult (they're larger than most GPS units). Plus, I don't want the bulk of an entire bag on top of my tank; just something large enough to hold the tablet. This is close, but it's too small....

https://www.cyclegear.com/accessories/saddlemen-e-pak-gps-tank-bag