What's The Best Sat Nav ?

[Mad On Triumphs]

OK I'm going to pick your brains about sat navs, I've been thinking of getting one of these things for a while, but to be honest I'm at a loss as to which one would be better. I'm not planing a world tour, I just would like the option of plan B when I get totally lost. The tomtom rider 5 seems like a good bit of kit, as does the Garmin zumo 340lm. So if any of you out there have come across, or even have one or the other of these sat navs, if you don't mind giving me your views good or bad, it would help me to make my mind up.

 

[Rocky]

I don't have or used either specific models, but I have a Garmin Zumo 550 that works very well. It's probably considered an antique now - but it still works fine.
Last year when we went to New York state for the bike rally, a Tomtom was used in the vehicle with great results. Don't know the model, but it took us everywhere we wanted to go on many strange roads.
It seems that you can't go wrong with either manufacturer as both produce good models.
Like most things, buy the best one you can afford.

To tell the truth, I still like paper road maps and still use them a lot in my planning.
I put the 550 to a test in Toronto a couple of years ago. I knew the shortest and most direct route to take to a certain destination, but the 550 kept wanting me to take another way.
I kept going the way I wanted, and of course, at the last intersection it was correct and took me right to the door

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

I don't have or used either specific models, but I have a Garmin Zumo 550 that works very well. It's probably considered an antique now - but it still works fine.

I put the 550 to a test in Toronto a couple of years ago. I knew the shortest and most direct route to take to a certain destination, but the 550 kept wanting me to take another way.
I kept going the way I wanted, and of course, at the last intersection it was correct and took me right to the door

Thanks Rocky, I too find this a problem with our Sat nav in the car, we have a Navman. From what I can gather the two models I'm looking at can be pre programmed to suit the route which you want. I like you, don't think that I'd leave home without a paper map. It will as you say come down to cost, but your correct that both should do the job as stated on the packet

 

[hemibee]

When I was looking for one TomTom wasn't an option as they had no bike units and the mapping software still had some bugs away from the larger metro areas. I'm not sure if all of these have been fully addressed and I don't know anyone using the system.

Magellan was an option, purportedly had really good mapping but no motorcycle units. There was some weather proof cases available for their units.

At the time Garmin had two systems that had models for bikes, Nuvi and Zumo. The Zumo line was too expensive for me and they were too large for my liking. The Nuvi was smaller and a little less expensive plus offered an option I really liked, topo maps.

Now a little more on what I think of the Nuvi. I'm pissed off, Garmin discontinued the Nuvi 500. The units available when I bought mine did not have LifeTime maps, none of the multiple platforms had it. Now a LifeTime map option is available and well worth the money. They do now offer a LT option for mine and I purchased it.

While I have no firsthand knowledge of the TomTom and Garmin Zumo, if I was going to purchase again then the Zumo would be my purchase. I don't have to have all the options the Goldwing and BMW want, and I find them to just be expensive add-ins, I would go with the cheapest bike friendly model that offered a topo map and LifeTime map updates.

 

[hemibee]

Oops, the feature I left out but is a MUST have. . . Input able routes.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Thanks Hemi, I'm on you tube now looking at a review of the Garmin Zumo 350. Half way through the video and it seems ok so far.

 

[CarlS]

I have never used Tom Tom. I have used four different Garmins for four entirely different purposes. I have also used a couple of Magellans.
I prefer the Garmins over the Megellans for ease of use and the map detail. That said, I found the Magellan to be more accurate in Europe and the Garmin to be more accurate in the Americas; but that could have well changed by now as I haven't been to Europe in nearly ten years.

I like the features of the Zumo and it is a really good unit; but I don't like the price. I use a Garmin Nuvi on my bike and I tie a zip lock baggie over it when it rains. I prefer paper maps for planning my routes and that is what I use primarily. I use the GPS to find specific addresses or to find my way out if I get totally lost.

I also have a truckers Garmin which I use when I'm traveling with the toy hauler. It helps me avoid roads that are not suitable for a large rig as well as helping me find diesel fuel.

 

[hemibee]

Hey MOT, I just looked up the Zumo 350 & 350LM. From what I've read this is pretty much the new version of what I have. I didn't research it real deep but from what I saw, it is one of the ones I would look at to replace my current Nuvi should it have to be replaced. I would definitely go with the 350LM over the 350. Price wise it's not that much more than I paid for my Nuvi.

Like has been said above, I like to lay out my routes on paper maps but I input my routes on the GPS for reference. We used to have a rider that had limited fuel range, well it was less than those of us on adventure bikes, and I would map out a couple fuel stops so we didn't run the risk of her running out of gas. This usually wasn't a problem because my bladder had about the same range as her bike, but it did come in handy a couple times. And as Carl said, I like to explore and have been known to use the GPS to assist us in getting out of some areas in which I became disoriented.

 

[Rocky]

Gas tank and bladder with the same range. That's

 

[devo]

Recently I had to research a new gps for my business which included route optimizing when inputting many adresses.
When I asked local retailers what there reccomendation was they always came straight back with Tom Tom.
However,when doing online research and reading user reviews,Gaarmin always came out ahead of Tom Tom because of software issues and slowing down after doing updates with the tom tom.
I had run a cheap garmin for a decade absolutely trouble free bar the maps were quietly getting out of date and the cost of buying new maps was more than the value of my old machine so I went with a new garmin 2797 lmt (free liofetime maps and traffic.) I love it and therefore highly reccomend the Garmins and with the lifetime maps option you will always be up to date for the life of the machine.

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Thanks everyone for your honest input. I am leaning towards the Garmin with the Lifetime Map option ( Be silly not to really ). It's also a bit cheaper than the TomTom as well, which helps
This has certainly given me something to ponder over, like everyone I don't want to rush into buying something that later on turns out to be an expensive mistake. so with this in mind, I've just bought a waterproof sat nav case, and have now rigged up our car sat nav to the bike. I'm going to see how I get on with it in Germany.
As I'm so close now to my Dams trip, I don't want to risk not getting the Sat Nav delivered in time, and for me to understand how to install everything and get used to it
I'll be going to Germany again in September, I hope to have decided one way or another by then.
Thanks again everyone

 

[shanered6]

We'll I tend not to use them any more as you always end up in the ......where the fuckarewe tribe , so I just tend to go with lost with twatnav now as I'm used to scratching my head and cursing sign posts .

 

[DaveM]

Well from my point of view I would never spend cash on any of these. I uses my Andriod phone with Google maps and it has never let me down to date. For the bike all you need is a Bluetooth headset and you away. With any navigation device it will always take the route it feels is best. Now in SA you still need to know your areas to a point as there are just so many areas that you really don't need to be in at all.

 

[Rocky]

To be perfectly honest, I don't need a GPS to navigate around eastern Canada, but I have used it in my car in other parts of Canada and in the US.
Locally, I use it mainly as a speedometer which shows me how far wrong the bike speedo is

 

[CarlS]

I agree with Rocky. I can navigate most anywhere in the US without a GPS. However it does come in handy when riding unpaved roads and trails. I mostly use it to find specific addresses and to have an accurate speedometer.

 

[Gromit]

I have a Garmin and it's OK - not great and sometimes takes me on the most roundabout route imaginable. From what I hear from my clients (all nationalities of expats who work/ed all over the world) TomTom seems to be their choice of gps.

 

[shanered6]

I had a navman for a long time and it was really good ! I had it four years till the charger broke .

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Funny you should say that, after saying above I'm leaning towards the Garmin, after reading countless reviews about the Garmin, I'm now leaning towards the TomTom, ( ) only because people seem to be having lots of trouble with the software and updating the thing. And as I'm not in the same league as some on here in the computer dept, I'm always going to go for the easy option. But it's like anything electrical it can always go wrong no matter who's names on the tin.
I'm just going to take my time before I jump in with both feet

 

[Mad On Triumphs]

Well as you all know I've been looking at various Sat Nav's, and asked you all for your input, and then went and ignored it ( Typical ).
I was given this company's website by somebody on another forum, The Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club, the company's called Ridermount Home | ridermount
I know that this is a UK based company, and as such it might be prohibitive for goods to be shipped around the world, what with import duties and things like that, but if anyone in the UK is reading this and is wondering if £71.93 is a lot of money for a little kit like this ( Don't buy it on e bay it's almost £10 more for the same thing ) then the answer is Yes.
Here is a you tube video of the kit
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awhGTxMPYqQ
The volume is very soft to begin with, then at 2.26 the volume blows your head off if you have headphones on.
This is the review that I posted on You Tube.


Bought one of these in the last few days, I was pondering whether or not to get one, well I took the plunge, and I can honestly say that It's a brilliant bit of kit. The hardest part of the installation was cutting out the template so that the box of tricks can sit inside the case along with the Sat Nav . If your wondering if this kit is worth £71.93, well the answer is Yes. I've saved £300 by buying this kit.
I went out on the bike and deliberately went against the Sat Nav's instructions, so I could hear and adjust the volume to the level I like. The headphones proved to be comfortable to wear as well.
I use ear plugs and found that the speakers didn't press against them which in time would cause some discomfort. All in all well pleased at this stage. If you have a car Sat Nav, and want to use it on your bike, then this bit of kit is the answer.
Below are the parts that I bought

5" Case Handlebar | ridermount

GPS audio | ridermount GPS Audio

GPS audio | ridermount Helmet Speakers.

Thanks again to you all for your input.

 

[CarlS]

That looks like a good piece of kit.