GPS for adventure riders

[stormtrooper]

Hi all, i am thinking of putting a GPS unit on my adventure bike but dont really know much about them.
Do you need a special bike GPS?
Can you use any GPS that is designed for cars? i see that some give you options for car, bike, motorbike.
What size works best?
Does the unit shake around at high speed, how stable is it offroad?
Are there options for using it as a speedo?
How detailed are the maps and can you input new ones?
How well do they last?
Are they just a wast of time and money?


STORMTROOPER

[Waihou Thumper]

This may help for a start....There are a load of other threads as well, if you want to do a bit of trawling. :)
I use a Garmin 60Cx, Mapsource and NZ Open GPS project for the latest maps. Combine it with a good RAM mount, hard wired to the Battery. Works well, never misses a beat and gets me lost, that's the best bit. Once you have your home as your waypoint, you can go anywhere :)

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/107112-GPS-opinions?highlight=garmin Very relevant...

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/107112-GPS-opinions (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/107112-GPS-opinions)

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/132990-Garmin-GPS-for-motor-bikes?highlight=garmin

(http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/132990-Garmin-GPS-for-motor-bikes?highlight=garmin)http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/113713-Which-GPS?highlight=garmin

(http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/113713-Which-GPS?highlight=garmin)http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/117627-Best-GPS?highlight=garmin

[manakau.KTM]

Hi (first post)

I have just bought a phone app for my android from the 'market' called BackCountry Navigator pro. It loads NZ topo maps when you have access to the internet (wi fi or cell network) and when you are out bush whacking and out of cell range it uses only the satelites. I have only just loaded it so I don't know exactly how well it works but it does accept way points and can track your journey. If you google it you should find it ok. The app cost $12.99 NZ so it didn't break the bank to try it

Cheers

[Night Falcon]

Hope comments below are useful for ya


Hi all, i am thinking of putting a GPS unit on my adventure bike but dont really know much about them.
Do you need a special bike GPS?
Can you use any GPS that is designed for cars? i see that some give you options for car, bike, motorbike.
What size works best?

I bought a Garmin zummo 550 which is designed for motorbikes but also comes with car mount. Good quality and easy to use
Does the unit shake around at high speed, how stable is it offroad? they do shake abit so you need to get good mounting sorted, I have modified the stock zummo mount and it works well on the ktm
Are there options for using it as a speedo? yes and a fuel guage, blue tooth walkman and other distractions
How detailed are the maps and can you input new ones?maps are pretty good but you have to zoom in to see the details which can be frustrating cos you loose your perspective of where you are on the map
How well do they last? mine has lasted 2.5 years still goin good
Are they just a wast of time and money?for you to decide, but has helped me locate fuel, food and bed heaps of times. Mine goes with me everywhere now!


STORMTROOPER

[Rosie]

I recently bought a Garmin 62s. I'll also be using it for tramping, mountain biking, 4WDing etc, so wanted something hand held, rather than bike specific. I'd also heard that they are more rugged than touch screen versions, and anything that I own needs to be bombproof to survive.

You can get several motorbike specific mounts for mine, but I've got one that Clint made out of aluminium section that seems to work well. It vibes a bit too much to run the GPS on batteries only, but it runs fine off the power cable.

To legally use one as a speedo it needs to be back lit when the lights are on (I think), but I use mine to see how fast I'm going because my (legal and back lit) speedo is horribly inaccurate.

The garmin maps it came with seemed ok for highways etc. I have also installed the open GPS project maps for street names, autorouting etc, and I have the Topo50 maps from Maptoaster. Both are very good and have a lot of detail, but, as has been said, browsing detailed maps on such a little screen can be hard. For looking at maps of your immediate surrounds they are very good - even for navigating while riding.

I tend to be a bit of a late adopter of technology, so spent quite a while thinking about when I'd be likely to want to use a GPS, and what I'd need it to do - consequently, I use it, and I am very happy with it. But I still carry my stack of AA maps, and the odd printout from google maps :)

[iYRe]

Just about any smart phone has an app (android and apple do any way), otherwise a garmin. They have the added advantage of being able to download free weekly updated maps from nzgps.net (I think, just google garmin open source maps).

For mounts, www.ram-mounts.com - not the cheapest, but definitely solid and reliable.

[Waihou Thumper]

For mounts, www.ram-mounts.com (http://www.ram-mounts.com) - not the cheapest, but definitely solid and reliable.

Half the price if you buy from GPS city in Navada, true! Even with the postage they are way, way cheaper than NZ Ram suppliers....
I have had three GPS units, mounts and for other devices and GPS City were always fast, and provided the whole range and even cables etc for Garmin units of all models...

Anyway, back to the thread....:)

[iYRe]

Half the price if you buy from GPS city in Navada, true! Even with the postage they are way, way cheaper than NZ Ram suppliers....
I have had three GPS units, mounts and for other devices and GPS City were always fast, and provided the whole range and even cables etc for Garmin units of all models...

Anyway, back to the thread....:)

good to know.. although, I got mine from ram mounts directly.. took like 3 days to get here..

[stormtrooper]

Thanks everyone for the comments so far, looks like i will have to way up the options and the price.

[Eddieb]

The car specific ones in harvey norman etc often won't go offroad, as soon as you leave a sealed road they get all upset and just present a 'go to road' message or similiar. Also they don't tend to be water/dust/etc proof.

I use a Garmin Colorado which is discontinued now but is a tramping type one like Rosie's with a large screen for a handheld. I've had it for 4 years and it's still going fine. It is water proof, dust proof etc and has been submerged several times.

If you go for a dedicated GPS rather than a Android app or similiar I'd recommend going Garmin, purely for the amount of knowledge and support out there including mapsets updated weekly by a NZ group of enthusiasts.

[dino3310]

i dont need one, i'll just follow everyone who's posting on this thread:msn-wink:

[banditrider]

I already had a Zumo 550 so when I bought the DL I just had to buy another of the powered holders (not cheap) and then I added a bike specific vibration damped mount from twisted throttle. Maybe not the cheapest option but I certainly have no complaints - I've had the Zumo for about 3 years no with no issues.

253184253185

[Shewolf]

welcome manakau.KTM - keep us posted on that android app - I'm interested in a work around until I can resist the urge no longer to add another gadget :facepalm:

[pomgolian]

Garmin Quest 2 $ 99 from Harvey Norman on run out special with a mount from http://www.mountguys.com/ which was $ 40 inc freight delivered in 7 days from the US, check out their site which has just about every mount possible, shower proof so not the best but certainly not expensive and works well for tar seal & gravel even led me through the forest from SH5 to Minganui the other week with Clint. (you just have to change the settings so it thinks you are walking) <_<

[That looks like fun]

Forget your flash as ram mounts, Get your self a Garmin 60 series GPS and the power cable. Bung it on your scooter with one of these mounts http://www.triginstruments.co.nz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_84&products_id=574
Get NZopen maps, Bobs ya uncle :clap:

[Transalper]

....Bung it on your scooter with one of these mounts http://www.triginstruments.co.nz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_84&products_id=574....

My experience of those handlebar mounts resulted in the vibration induced shutdown issue for me. Maybe your big BMW's handlebars don't vibrate as much as the DR's do.
I really really prefer the RAM mount system.

[richyrich]

The car specific ones in harvey norman etc often won't go offroad, as soon as you leave a sealed road they get all upset and just present a 'go to road' message or similiar. Also they don't tend to be water/dust/etc proof.

i had a cheap garmin 1250 in the us,worked like a charm,was surprised at how well it showed roads when they were only a couple of wheel tracks across the parts of nevada.i had it mounted on my dr sceen using the standard suction mount.she fell of a few times due to the heat,got rained on in alabama and gave up on the LA freeway at the most inoppertune (sp) time.
lasted 0ver 8000 miles,one of the other guys had tomtom,and his worked just as well.
they took a beating off road and i preferred it to my oregon 550.it even talked to me.recalculating...recalculating.......

[Padmei]

Hi Stormtrooper

I'm a bit of a numpty on the technogolical front but bought a Garmin 60csx handheld after wanting something more durable. It has been great & I made a mount to fit my bike with some crap lying around. It has been very handy & I would recommend getting something similar. What I like is the different datafields visible - speedo & time or distance to go/ covered etc.
I definitely wouldn't even consider a smartphone app myself as I can't see myself having something so vulnerable out there in the elements

All in all I recommend GPS' for adventuring.

[Rosie]

Forget your flash as ram mounts, Get your self a Garmin 60 series GPS and the power cable. Bung it on your scooter with one of these mounts http://www.triginstruments.co.nz/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_84&products_id=574
Get NZopen maps, Bobs ya uncle :clap:


My experience of those handlebar mounts resulted in the vibration induced shutdown issue for me. Maybe your big BMW's handlebars don't vibrate as much as the DR's do.
I really really prefer the RAM mount system.

Running the GPS on external power seems to get around the vibe-induced shutdown (for me anyway, the WR might be a bit smoother than the DR).

[Oscar]

I have a Strike GPS, which is made specifically for motorcycles.
It's coped with some reasonably rough and fast tracks.

[Eddieb]

My experience of those handlebar mounts resulted in the vibration induced shutdown issue for me. Maybe your big BMW's handlebars don't vibrate as much as the DR's do.
I really really prefer the RAM mount system.


Running the GPS on external power seems to get around the vibe-induced shutdown (for me anyway, the WR might be a bit smoother than the DR).

I've used a RAM mount on both my airhead GS's, the 950 KTM and now the DR and have never had a vibration shutdown issue.

[clint640]

I've used a RAM mount on both my airhead GS's, the 950 KTM and now the DR and have never had a vibration shutdown issue.

The mount I made for Rosie is tapped for a RAM ball also so I can use it on my bike, maybe in the interests of science we will do a comparison between bolted direct to bars & RAMounted sometime, I had also thought of having a rubber isolated base like the Touratech one.

Hints for powering: Lots of things use a 12V lighter plug to 5V 1A mini usb power supply so have a look around for a cheap one before buying the $50 Garmin one. I soldered ign switched 12V directly on to the lighter plug & zip tied it behind the dash - 1 less place to have a dodgy connection.

Cheers
Clint

[pete376403]

CraftyCoder over at ADVrider is/has developed an Android app with additional hand controls etc.

Looks promising http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=691537

Someone who knows better than me might be able to say if it would work here

[drbandit]

Hi all, i am thinking of putting a GPS unit on my adventure bike but dont really know much about them.
Do you need a special bike GPS?
Can you use any GPS that is designed for cars? i see that some give you options for car, bike, motorbike.
What size works best?
Does the unit shake around at high speed, how stable is it offroad?
Are there options for using it as a speedo?
How detailed are the maps and can you input new ones?
How well do they last?
Are they just a wast of time and money?


STORMTROOPER
Hi
Ive been using a Garmin 255W car gps on my bike for the last 3years.. It has NZ open GPS maps on it.. Internal audio connection to speaker, a basic protective cover and Mtb holder... Has worked fine when you are on limited budget.. See http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=974312
plus others on this site,
Just look after it.. Im thinking of using my Garmin Asus phone ??

[Squiggles]

CraftyCoder over at ADVrider is/has developed an Android app with additional hand controls etc.

Looks promising http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=691537

Someone who knows better than me might be able to say if it would work here

Tis about time I got a new phone... :msn-wink: