| Author | Message | ||
     Johnnylunchbox |
Just got back from lunch at my cousin's house and he was showing me his new GPS unit. It's a Mio DigiWalker™ C310x GPS Navigation unit. I was very impressed with it (maybe I'm easily impressed), but it seems to do a lot for little money. He said you can occasionally find them marked down to about $150-170. Check out the first review for a pretty comprehensive look at this unit. It is not waterproof so you'd have to figure something out to protect it from the elements. I'm thinking tank bag map pocket. We still generally use the archaic paper map method to navigate, but I like the idea of an electronic backup to my paper map origami displays. I think this intended use negates the need for the most fancy feature-loaded GPS. http://tinyurl.com/38s9d7 From the review "The biggest problem is the TeleNav routing, but if you can live with the unit wanting to take you somwhat in a strait line, as opposed to the absolute fastest route then this unit will exceede your expectations." I kinda think this is OK since I rarely ride freeways and tend to try the most direct route utilizing backroads. http://tinyurl.com/38s9d7 I'm probably going to pull the trigger on this one. For the price I don't think I can go wrong. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I would think you could probably bet a Garmin Quest 1 on Ebay for $170 to $220. It really works, it's waterproof... etc. | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
Has anyone checked out the new Garmin Zumo 450 motorcycle specific GPS unit? It's pretty pricey, but looks like it's the cat's a$$. They've also got the 500 and the 550 which have satellite radio, MP3 player, weather satellite, Bluetooth phone link, and a bunch of other gizmos, but I'm just looking for the best GPS only device money can buy since I don't listen to music or talk on the phone when I ride. Any thoughts about the wisdom of mounting a $900 GPS on a sportbike and going out to play in traffic and test tire traction on curves? My insurance only covers $5000 worth of gear and accessories, and I've already exceeded that amount with all the junk I've bolted on my bike and the gear I wear. If I break this thing, I'm going to eat the cost. I've noticed that most of you aren't really into a lot of electronic junk on your bikes and was just wondering what the general opinion is on carrying a bunch of high-dollar electronics on our Buells. I guess my concern is it's not exactly a Goldwing I'm only going to cruise the superslab on in relative safety. As I have accumulated experience, I have noticed my chicken strips drastically shrinking and wonder how long it will be before I break traction one of these days and spill all these toys all over the highway. Just this past weekend I went from 1.5" strips on a new set of Corsa III's to .5" strips. I don't know what got into me. Guess I was feeling pretty bullet proof and finally got the time to get out and ride and break in these tires. I usually use all but about .25 to .50 of them, but have been taking it easy lately due to putting a lot of money into my bike over the past couple of months. It's probably not a good idea for me to ride like that at my experience level, but it was a really exhilarating experience to come within a hair of dragging a knee on curves it takes triple digits to necessitate a lean angle that aggressive on and feel the suspension compress and rocket through like the bike's on rails. What I really need to do is search for roads that have tighter curves so I can get the lean angles I seek at lower speeds. There just doesn't seem to be much of that around here in south Texas. Anyway, I digress. Guess I'm just wanting to get a bead on everyone's risk tolerance for the potential destruction of bolt-on toys and electronics. http://www.garmin.com/products/zumo450/ | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
As someone who is running out of room for toys on his bike, I guess I would be a good candidate for Tx's question. I don't really care... If something happens (when something happens???) I will just replace with something newer and better. When I looked at the overall cost of my bike habit (bike, gear, insurance, parking, etc...) It is still a relatively cheap hobby. I'm not even up to the cost of new small car. The more I have been using my GPS project, the more it has grown from a neat toy, to something I don't think I would be without. Next project, how to mount an A/C unit. I would love cool air circulating throughout my Aerostich.  | ||
| Nevrenuf |
got a tom tom one for mbiv, cause i figured i would get lost if i didn't get one. had it in the tank bag, but not really easy to see with a full face on and because it was laying flat if you had any sun hitting on it it made it even harder. just gonna have to see if the their motorcycle gps bracket works on the one cause their ain't no way i'm gonna spend 600 or better just to have a handle bar bracket and have it water proof. if it starts raining i'd put it in the bag. other than that the tom tom is pretty good for the money. | ||
| Snail |
GPS on a bike is good. Map tells you where you want to go...GPS tells you where you are. we ride a lot of secondary (gravel) roads in rural OR, CA, and NV. Nice being able to find your way around on unmarked, unfamiliar, roads. I have an old Garmin, love it. | ||
| Snail |
Oh, 'nother thing, its pretty easy to build a mt. that will fit in the bike stem. I used a bolt with a small piece of ss plate welded to it at the right angle. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I did the same thing (but did not have stainless, and cut up an old metal hinge and painted it with some "wal-mart truck bed liner" in a spray can). Hook that up to a $9 ram adapter for your GPS, and its a great little mount. I also agree with Snail about the "distraction factor". I am a lot more distracted wondering where the hell I am and if I missed the turn or not then I am by a GPS sitting on the bars. I turned it off once... for a ride across deals gap in a downpour. There is another "safety factor" as well. Twice now, I have had to call 911 and have used the GPS to verify exactly where the situation was. On my Quest, you hold down the "OK" button for 5 seconds, and it kicks out exactly where you are at. Both times, though I knew generally where I was at, it was great to be able to tell them "I am between the intersection of X and Y and Z and Y northeast of foo" without having to guess or ride up the street and look at a street sign. The first time I did it, I was on the cell phone just beyond a what was left of a white Mazda MX6 with a completely unconcious woman slumped over the deflated airbag, and just beyond that a Honda Odessy minivan full of screaming children and a terrified 16 year old driver. It was a head on impact with probably 110+ closing speed. Lots going on, I was happy to not have to guess at my exact location. (Everyone came out OK, woman in the Mazda broke two legs and an arm I believe, and probably had other issues, but lived to tell the tale). | ||
| Nevrenuf |
i just tried the suction cup on the tach and it seemed to hold on pretty good. i mean for right now along with a tether in case it does come loose might do until i come up with something else. gps's are great though. i got to go right now and use it to find out where i got an interview at for a job. spend less time looking for the building now. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I just ordered the Mio C310X at Fry's for $189 shipped. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
I've had the Mio for a couple of months now. It would be a PERFECT motorcycle GPS if it was : A.) Waterproof B.) Could upload routes. C.) Could SAVE routes on the SD card. I still have to make a mount for mine. Mio does make one, but I'd like to make one that mounts off the center bar on the CityX, and TT handlebars. | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
So, I gather most people with the financial clout to afford a bunch of toys and bobbles for their bikes don't worry too much about the consequences of what happens when you wreck it? I guess I've always been a tight wad and should probably relax a bit on that perspective in my riding habits since I too would be able to recover relatively easily financially. But then again, my fear of tearing up my bike may very well be what keeps me out of the ditches because I'm evidently too nuts to fear for my life. I recently came into an off-camber increasing radius turn a little hotter than my attention span at the moment warranted and found myself in a spray of gravel across the road right in the apex where I would have normally hung a cheek off the seat and rocketed through. Unfortunately, just prior to my chosen apex there was a big dip (which I target fixated on too long) causing me to both miss my line and fail to notice the gravel until it was too late. I then made the poor decision to gently trail brake and run wide rather than using the lean angle needed to make the curve. Unfortunately, I still was not able to scrub enough speed off and ended up in the semi-paved area on the edge of the shoulder. I got lucky and managed to ride it out without spilling the bike, but it was a bonehead move to think I had better chances of making it running in the dirt where I still had to use some lean rather than take my chances on hard pavement with a little gravel on it. My point is that my thoughts were very clear through the entire incident, and there was never a thought about personal safety at any time. What I was worried about was the bike itself and my gear. I'm wondering if perhaps my values are a little off. LOL! Either that, or I think I'm invincible in the 27 lbs of protective gear I mummify myself in every time I ride. Anyway, you guys make some good arguments for GPS being a safety device in more ways than one. I'll probably revisit that idea this summer after my disposable income increases again after paying the university for my summer classes. Thanks for sharing your opinions. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Steve - is the display on the Mio bright enough for you? | ||
| Steve_mackay |
It does catch some glare witch makes it a bit more difficult to read in direct sunlight. I've been contemplating making a "shade" for it as well. I've got it set to dim the display automatically. But 1050 yards before a maneuver it brightens back up. Saves a bunch on the battery as well. The voice prompts on the MIO are probably the clearest out of any GPS I've ever encountered. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I was impressed with the voice prompts as well. Do you use an earphone or do you rely on the built in speaker? I can't wait to start playing with this thing. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
I use the earphones. The last ride we went on using the Mio, I shoved it in to my pocket. At that point, it seemed like the GPS was a good 30 yards off what is normally a VERY accurate GPS. So I screwed up a couple of maneuvers. No biggie, the Mio re-routes EXTREMELY fast. It ain't perfect, but damn, the thing is FAST. And for $200 or less, it's a steal IMHO. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I believe there is an external antenna available. I agree with you about the bang for the buck. I will use it as a supplement to my normal map usage, since I ride with earplugs I will not use the earphone. I usually have my routes planned and a good idea where I am going. The GPS will just add to the experience, and the convenience/safety factor of knowing where you are at all times is a big plus. Thanks for the input. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
i couldn't see mine good enough when it was in the bag while i was riding in the sunlight to tell, but i'm wondering if it will give you a good enough heads up on what kind of corner to expect | ||
| Jackbequick |
I don't got no steenking $900 to spend. Here is my $234 Garmin StreetPilot 2610, I just got it mounted on the Dyna with a RAM mount:  The Ram mounts are so nice, pretty much a no brainer:  I also got a cradle for my 76Cx so if the wife gets away with the 2610 I still got some options. Notice the good fix on that down in the basement, that was about 15-20 seconds after I turned it on. That's that SiRF III chip set:  We got 16 inches of snow last week, about half of it is still around, the temps are down, so no spring rides soon. So now its down there, the primary cover off, alternator, and clutch out, and I'm looking for a leaking oil seal between the primary and tranny. I like working on the Dyna, its kind of like working on the M2, only easier. I really like the separate crankcase and transmission. Jack | ||
| Nevrenuf |
so who did you get your ram through jack and btw, i got those brackets made up, of which i thank you for the drawing, i'll find out from 2 of the guys pretty soon if they had any problem with the mounting of it for their saddlebags. my buddy used one of the brackets and said he had to ream out the holes a little to get it to mount on his m2. still haven't heard from the 3rd person who said he needed one. but back to the bracket, does it vibrate that much when riding and is it hard to see if you got a full face on where you have it located. thanks again Neil | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/?cat=MOUNT Here's the best source I've found for RAM mounts and related gear. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
thanks, just shot them off an email. | ||
| Buellshyter |
I have a Garmin Zumo 550 that I picked up for $700 on eBay. I like it because of the Bluetooth feature and the fact that I can use it in my vehicles, too. It comes with both the auto mount and a few different configurations for the bike. It locks onto a signal really well. The 395 tunnel in D.C. is about a quarter to a half mile long and it doesn't drop the satellite. Expensive for something that will depreciate but well worth it if you do a lot of riding in unfamiliar places. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
yea the one is bluetooth compatible also, short tunnels only so far, inside it takes a minute to pick up a signal. 350 with a 2yr replacement plan. able to use with gloves on also. just need to get a decent mount. and if i have to i'll retro fit it into a baggie to make it waterproof. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Color GPS is the way to go, but good deals can be had on monochrom units these days. The Garmin Map 76 is on its way out at Gander Mountains and can be bought for less than 200.00. I work part-time and am on Gander's fishing team, I give GPS 101 seminars all over the state. For the money I do believe that the Lowrance H20 Color for $270.00 isn't all that bad for what we use it for. No, it doesn't have voice prompts or turn by turn, but it does have good resolution and a larger, easy to read screen. The bas map is major streets/highways, but can be updated by purchasing Lowrance's Freedom Maps. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
just found out that ram hasn't come out with the tomtom one mount yet. oh well. he said to check back in a couple weeks. | ||
| Jackbequick |
I'm still winterbound and have not gotten to use that mount yet. But I'd be surprised if vibration was an issue. I have the U-bolt type mount on one of the risers on the FXD and it is all very rigid. When you clamp the cradle that holds the receiver down on the 1" rubber coated balls on the mounts, it really firms up nicely. The GPS can be moved around so it is not making any contact with anything. I've also taken out the 1" spacers that had been added under the risers. The previous owner was a smallish lady that liked to ride with her hands higher, I like my bars lower and they feel perfect now. I also had speedo mount trimmed since that photo (thanks to BadWeber dsergison's machine work) and the idiot light panel in the top clamp is going away as those indicators are built into the Dakota Digital speedo. I bought my RAM mount stuff at gpscity.com. Had another RAM mount for the sounder in my boat and just bought the cradles for the GPS receivers and bits and pieces I needed to mount those, I didn't get a mounting kit. Nevrenuf - Glad to hear the bracket drawing helped. Let me know if I blew that dimension, I hate to think I did that. \ The GPS is below my line of sight on the Dyna, not in the way at all, but should be easy to see. I looking forward trying it all out. Here is your RAM cradle for the Tom Tom One: http://www.gpscity.com/item-ram-mount-tomtom-one-c radle/ramholto4.htm The diamond plate and arm are listed here (I used the 1.75" arm): http://www.gpscity.com/ram-1.0-b-ball-parts.htm Jack | ||
| Nevrenuf |
when i sent buddy(my old boss's sheet metal guy whom i've known for quite a few years) your dwg, he couldn't visualize it. so i redrew it up using your measurements that you had drawn up. outside of paying attention to the spacing on the holes center to center, it looks like i did it A$$ backwards. i'm looking at it as i type right now. so the holes are off 1/8th of an inch either way. it seems like i've had my head up my a$$ quite a bit lately. i should have checked them before i sent them out but once again. a small quick fix unfortunately. but for 25 bucks shipped, i don't think i screwed them over. plus their made out of stainless. besides i told them if there is any major problem with them what so ever send it back and i'll even reimburse them the shipping charge. i just need to get back to work. thanks again jack. btw, just checked the website and they're out of the brackets right now so i'll have to check back later. | ||
| Midnightrider |
 lowrance iway 500 $499 @ newegg no picture on the bike yet but the display is very large, touch screen works well, and comes with RAM handlebar mount. apparently there were some vibration-related issues on older models (20G hard drive) but I've had no problems PC Magazine review at http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow_viewer/0,1205,l=152342&s=25188&a=152329&po=3,00.asp?p=y | ||
| Midnightrider |
on bike  | ||
| Midnightrider |
again  | ||
| Mikej |
Jack, With the 76Cx in the cradle, are you able to use a DC power cable attached to the 76Cx? I'm looking into options for mounting the unit on the bike, on a bicycle, on a boat rail or seat, and on the dash of the pickup below the upper surface of the dash and above the cup holder and ash tray area right in front of an extra power outlet, then one more mount in the car. I'd better be carefull or I'll want a mount on the briefcase too, let's see maybe a u-bolt mount on my thumb too????? Anyway, just curious if that cradle gets in the way of the power outlet on back of the GPS unit. Thanks, Mike. (sneaking in from work, snowing out side, time to kick the computer again and start another file transfer,....) | ||
| Jackbequick |
Mikej - Yeah, there is plenty of room behind it, there is a "U" shaped channel where the cable plugs in, plenty of room there. You can see it better here: http://tinyurl.com/38qj6m The two legs at the bottom spread apart to let the GPS be snapped into or removed from the cradle. It is very secure, I can't imagine it ever popping out from bumps or by accident. I have an outlet for the power in a tank bag. I bought a coiled cable for that on eBay, the Garmin cables on not coiled. I just got some 2500 mAh NiMH AA cells and a good recharger. I could use that with out a power cord with those. Jack |
