Magellan GPS - Motorcycle GPS

Author

Motorcycle GPS

Richard Schleicher

2006-10-15, 10:33 pm

I'm interested in a good motorcycle GPS - Any recommendations?
Are there any which will allow me to input coordinates if I don't know the
city or state?
It should also be waterproof.

Jack Erbes

2006-10-17, 10:33 am

Richard Schleicher wrote:
> I'm interested in a good motorcycle GPS - Any recommendations?
> Are there any which will allow me to input coordinates if I don't know the
> city or state?
> It should also be waterproof.
>

The StreetPilot 2610's are out of production but can still be found
used, occasionally new, and refurbished (with a same as new warranty).

The 2610's have been much used on motorcycles and proved themselves th e
be reliable and up to the conditions. The newer 2730 and 2820 are
probably as good if the higher costs are not objectionable.

Stay away from the StreetPilots with hard drives (2620 and 2660 I
think), those failed quickly on motorcycles and Garmin quickly dropped
them from their entire line.

The 2610 is more full featured than then newer "c", "i", and nuvi models
and, because of its ability to record tracks and do multiple destination
routing, is generally more suited for motorcyclists that want full and
complete control of routing without regard for road categories.

Most of the Garmin line outside of the 2610/2730/2820 models are
generally less capable and dumber as far as software features and
usefulness.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

The_Steven

2008-01-27, 10:33 pm

I went with the CrossOver 2500T, it is water-resistant (nothing is
water-proof) and went to ram-mount.com for a mount. My helmet has a
ScalaRider Bluetooth FM, and I added an FM transmitter to the audio output
on the GPS. The FM tuner on the helmet and FM transmitter are set to the
same unused frequency. When the GPS speaks I hear it in my helmet, unless
I'm on the phone (side of the road only) and so far, it works for me.

"Richard Schleicher" <rs3278@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:KeCcnR1BipcgKq_
YUSdV9g@ptd.net...
> I'm interested in a good motorcycle GPS - Any recommendations?
> Are there any which will allow me to input coordinates if I don't know the
> city or state?
> It should also be waterproof.
>

Jack Erbes

2008-01-28, 7:33 am

The_Steven wrote:
> I went with the CrossOver 2500T, it is water-resistant (nothing is
> water-proof) and went to ram-mount.com for a mount. My helmet has a
> ScalaRider Bluetooth FM, and I added an FM transmitter to the audio output
> on the GPS. The FM tuner on the helmet and FM transmitter are set to the
> same unused frequency. When the GPS speaks I hear it in my helmet, unless
> I'm on the phone (side of the road only) and so far, it works for me.
>
>
>
> "Richard Schleicher" <rs3278@ptd.net> wrote in message
> news:KeCcnR1BipcgKq_
YUSdV9g@ptd.net...
>

The Garmin zumo models are waterproof to the IPX7 specification. That
allows one meter of immersion to a depth of one meter for 30 seconds or
something like that. At that point you'd have lost all the GPS signals
due to water absorbtion so it does not really need to be any better than
that.

The Magellan 2500T is waterproofed to the lesser IPX4 specification
which means it is OK in light rain or something about like that.

For more info and feedback from motorcyclists that are using the zumos,
check out the zumoforums:

http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?action=forum

Jack

Tim

2008-01-30, 4:33 am

I went for the Magellan CrossOver for my motorcycle use. I have a dual
sport (KLR 650) and go offroad so topo maps are important to me, not just
road navigation. At the time of purchase (2007-05), the only two devices
that met my requirements were the Garmin Quest II and the CrossOver. The
Quest II is a nice unit, but memory is limited. That limitation and the
fact that I had a Magellan RoadMate 760 that I was happy with (except for
the lack of map update in a timely fashion) made the CrossOver my choice.

If I only needed street mapping I would take a long hard look at Tom Tom
bike units first, then Garmin.

Tim

"Jack Erbes" < jackerbes@roadrunner
.com> wrote in message
news:479dd142$0$4948
$4c368faf@roadrunner
.com...
> The_Steven wrote:
>
> The Garmin zumo models are waterproof to the IPX7 specification. That
> allows one meter of immersion to a depth of one meter for 30 seconds or
> something like that. At that point you'd have lost all the GPS signals
> due to water absorbtion so it does not really need to be any better than
> that.
>
> The Magellan 2500T is waterproofed to the lesser IPX4 specification which
> means it is OK in light rain or something about like that.
>
> For more info and feedback from motorcyclists that are using the zumos,
> check out the zumoforums:
>
> http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?action=forum
>
> Jack
>

Jack Erbes

2008-01-30, 3:33 pm

Tim wrote:
> I went for the Magellan CrossOver for my motorcycle use. I have a dual
> sport (KLR 650) and go offroad so topo maps are important to me, not just
> road navigation. At the time of purchase (2007-05), the only two devices
> that met my requirements were the Garmin Quest II and the CrossOver. The
> Quest II is a nice unit, but memory is limited. That limitation and the
> fact that I had a Magellan RoadMate 760 that I was happy with (except for
> the lack of map update in a timely fashion) made the CrossOver my choice.
>
> If I only needed street mapping I would take a long hard look at Tom Tom
> bike units first, then Garmin.
>
> Tim

I've used the Tom Tom Navigator software in a PDA in the map case on the
tank bag on my motorcycle and that, or one of the newer Tom Tom GPS
receivers, would be a good choice for road navigation. For a good
waterproof and rugged unit intended for use on a motorcycle, the Tom Tom
Rider is worth looking at.

The Garmin zumo is a good choice for a dual sport bike because it will
also use supplemental mapping from any of the other optional MapSource
packages (topo, marine, etc.). You would have to buy and upload the
additional mapping (topo for example) from a PC to a SD card or free
memory in the GPS (if any was available).

Another option for on a motorcycle and in order to use more than one
type of mapping would be to get a handheld like the 60Cx or 76Cx and use
that in a handle bar mounted holder.

The 60/76Cx has a smaller display but the screens is shows when you are
actually navigating routes (either road or off road) presents a larger,
easy to read and understand at a glance, display that makes it very useful.

I have a cruiser type motorcycle, a H-D Dyna FXD, and have one of the
excellent RAM mounts that let me put a GPS right along the handlebars
near the triple trees where it can be read at a glance.

I also have Garmin StreetPilot 2610 and GPSMAP 76Cx PS receivers and RAM
cradles that will let me use either GPS on the bike with the RAM mount.
The 2610 is a discontinued product but is still a good navigation unit
and it has all the essential features, including the features that have
disappeared from some of the newer models. Like multiple destination
routing which is wonderful for controlling routing.

The 2610 is available on the Internet and on eBay as a refurbished item.
Those are pretty cheap, $200-250 or so, and they come with the mapping
software for the PC install. That is a unit that has proven itself to
be both durable and reliable on motorcycles.

The GPSMAP 76Cx is also a good choice, particularly if you want to have
a GPS receiver that can be used in cars, on bikes (motor powered or
not), in boats, on foot in the woods and virtually anywhere else where
you can get GPS signals, it is a good choice. And it is rugged,
waterproof, and can run all day on a pair or AA cells or draw its power
from a local 9-35VDC power source.

Jack

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