GPS

[Kirby]

Ok here's a question that's probably been asked a thousand times already. What is a good cheap gps that works well with the 09RSV? I'm kinda old school and use maps normally but lately everyone is encouraging me to bite the bullet and get a gps system for my bike. Which one and what features to look for? I have Roadhouse mufflers so the bike is a little loud. I don't use the helmet intercom system either. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Hazenson]

Glad ya asked this, Ive been thinking about this too. But I know nothing about them.

[loehring]

Do a search under GPS and you'll find multiple threads addressing the subject with a multitude of opinions. It really depends on what you want out of it and the conditions you plan on subjecting it to. There's inexpensive and then there's cheap. What works for 1-2 hr sunny Saturday rides may be a total waste of money for 2-5 day tours in variable weather. I have the Garmin Zumo 550 because I'm the 2-5 day variable weather guy. I would NOT have spent the money if I rode less frequently but for me it was worth every penny.

 

I encourage you to read a number of the threads and get all the information before you buy. Pick what's right for you and your ride.

[hunter 1500]

I just use a Tom Tom 1. Works for me. I just put a baggie over it in the rain. Only use it when I tour anyway. Any other time I just go in a direction. But thats just me. Like the last guy said you will get a dozen different answers and it all depends on how much you want to spend. Me I'm cheap.

[cecdoo]

I have a garmin nuvi 750 you can probably find one for $150 I think its great, very easy to operate I never even opened the book and I aint no techie. It has a wide easy to read screen it has mp3 capability, it hooks rite up to the audio system so you can hear prompts/music thru bike speakers. Just throw a baggie over it in the rain, I have mine on the bike for 2 years if it broke I would buy another one. I was a map guy for 40 years, the gps is so much nicer, once you get one you will be sold. Craig

[Wizard765]

The Nuvi 550 from Garmin is very versatile. It is waterproof and can be used on the bike or in a car or in a boat or even hiking.. Sunlight readable as well. It does not have Bluetooth but you apparently are not looking for that. Garmin's screens are very easy to read and figure out what is coming up next.

 

Wayne

[saddletramp1]

You can't go wrong with the Garmin Zumo 550. Vibration and waterproof. I have logged about 13,000 miles on mine with no issues. Easy to read in bright sunight, you can load thousands of songs on it, and if you want to pay for the subscription it has XM radio. It wires directy to the battery easily. Bluetooth compatabe. Comes with everything you need right out of the box. I have also dropped this unit 3 times !! with no apparent damage. To me it was worth every penny...I was in Ontario's far north last year, and the Zumo found me a gas station out in the midde of nowhere.

 

Steve

[seabeetom]

I picked up the Garmin Zumo 450 last year at a good price. I've been quite satisfied with it. It's made for motorcycle use. It's pretty much the same as the Zumo 550 but without the bluetooth/xm stuff. I think it has been discontinued due to the 550, but some may still be around. Get the car mount and U can use it in your cage.

Happy shopping,

TT

[Kirby]

Many thanks to all you who have shed light on this subject. I really appreciate it. This looks like one of those things that I'm gonna have to do a lot of comparison shopping on! At least now I have a few of the most popular models to reference.

[Hazenson]

I see the garmin has a mounting bracket for a bycycle, but I cant see how it mounts- is this what most are useing?

[raceman62race]

I'm chose the cheap way out. I use mine several times a year for what most would consider medium distance riding. Most of my destinations can be reached in a day or less. I have a Magellan 2500 crossover and it has never let me down. It has been exposed to a light rain but never a downpour. I think you can buy one for less than $150.00. It can be used in the boat, car and woods and can store I think 500 waypoints. It also comes with a points of interest file like resturants, parks, library's ..........One thing worth mentioning is on a bright sunny day it can be a little hard to see the screen but not very bad. It is a cheap unit but for the money, I have been well pleased......it's gotten me everywhere I wanted to go with absolutly no issues. There are a lot of good units out there and I think you will have to decied how often you are going to use it and what options you want. Like everything, the more bells and whistles, the more $$$$$$$$$

[cecdoo]

I see the garmin has a mounting bracket for a bycycle, but I cant see how it mounts- is this what most are useing?

 

If you do a search for Ram mounts you will find what you need, they sell a base that connects under the left mirror stem, you need a 4" ext. arm and you need a cradle for the unit you buy. You need to buy a 12v adaptor to hook up power and a 3ft mini jack to hook gps to aux out on cassette deck, Craig