GPS - Which one do you use on the bike ?

[ohgood]

I thought I started a thread about this once, but can't find it.... so-

If you use a GPS unit on your bike, which one ? In the rain ? Near a train ? Going fast ? Is it a blast ?

Bluetooth, handsfree, options more ? Did you buy it in a store ?

Pricewatch, Tiger, Egghead too ?

Almost forgot, craigslist ooooooo !

SOrry, I have cat-in-the-hat moments. Please post what you like about your BIKE MOUNTED gps unit.

[philward]

I have a Garmin 260W going into a RAM AquaBox

[ohgood]

I have a Garmin 260W going into a RAM AquaBox

way cool man, i haven't seen / heard of the Aquabox before. Thanks for the input, keep the thread alive !

[galahs]

GPS's arn't for men! 

[Kasumi]

What you mean you dont use the highly practical tank bag with the 1:50 000 scale map folded roughly into the map pocket so that at convenient times like when riding you have to spend 5 minutes staring at your tank to find your road position before working out where to turn next?

GPS pfffft, your not a real rider unless you can perform the above manover lol 

[dohabee]

I have attached my gps with zip ties before but I am contemplating getting a tank bag and putting it in the map pocket.

[Kasumi]

I have attached my gps with zip ties before but I am contemplating getting a tank bag and putting it in the map pocket.

You'd be better buying a purpose designed bike cradle for it. Map pockets are not designed to be looked at while riding and if they are then whoever decided that is suicidal. As i said before you try staring at basically the tank while your traveling along at 80 and see how much trouble you get into when it take a moment or two to register what the gps/map is saying.

[dohabee]

  good point I may still try it if I find one with a clear part that is closer to the instruments

[fred]

I just write directions on my tank with a grease pencil. Not as fancy as a GPS, but the grease pencil only cost me 50 cents.. I use my iPhone to look up directions then write them down. Works pretty well for a cheap solution...

[lilwoody]

I use a old Garmin GPS V. I made a mount by heating a piece of scg. 40, 1/2" stainless tube and bent it 90 degrees. I then bent a 1/4x3" U bolt so it mated up to some holes in the head light/faring bracket. To make it vibration resistant I slid a short piece of 1" rubber hose around the stainless where it was mounting to the bracket. Put the slide mount on it and the GPS rests perfectly centered between the wind shield and the gauges. Seeing how my speedo hasn't worked for a year it comes in handy.

[beRto]

I use a old Garmin GPS V. I made a mount by heating a piece of scg. 40, 1/2" stainless tube and bent it 90 degrees. I then bent a 1/4x3" U bolt so it mated up to some holes in the head light/faring bracket. To make it vibration resistant I slid a short piece of 1" rubber hose around the stainless where it was mounting to the bracket. Put the slide mount on it and the GPS rests perfectly centered between the wind shield and the gauges. Seeing how my speedo hasn't worked for a year it comes in handy.

Sounds cool - I like your DIY approach... pics!   

[905mike]

I have attached my gps with zip ties before but I am contemplating getting a tank bag and putting it in the map pocket.

got that action happenin on my bike. ol' skool map AND rockin' the GARMIN nuvi.

[gearman]

Mio C220. Not great, but works pretty well for the price. I used the suction mount on the front of my tank, but when I started using a larger tank bag that no longer worked. Guess I'll add a new gps mount to my list of winter projects. BTW, I tried using it in my map compartment and it sucked...too much reflection in daylight.

[Pigeonroost]

Ohgood;

When I was calibrating the bicycle computer that I added to mine, I attached a Garmin Zumo 550 to the wind screed with the included suction cup device.  I usually that GPS in my cage and/or GoldWIng and it is the best motorcycle unit that I have tried yet.  Vibration resistant, weather proof, easy to manage even with gloves, neat quick disconnect, but too $$$.

My previous was a Garmin StreetPiolet 2730 and it had more bells and whistles, but was heavy and fogged-up and eventually shook apart.  Before that I had the Garmin eTrexVista and for a small hand held (had a MC cradle with it) it was great, but the sun cooked it.  My son still uses his eTrex and its gotta be 8 or more years old and always on his cruiser.  Works great and is inexpensive - just a bit small.

prs

[krypto35]

lucked upon the Garmin Zumo 550 brand new at Best Buy for something ridiculous like $450.... yeah, not a typo.  They had a close out back in July AND accepted a $50 off racers club coupon.  Used it on my 10k mile around-the-USA trip on my BMW R1100RS and it was top notch.... only gripe was the bluetooth connection sucked and I never was able to communicate with anyone while riding.

[ohgood]

lucked upon the Garmin Zumo 550 brand new at Best Buy for something ridiculous like $450.... yeah, not a typo.  They had a close out back in July AND accepted a $50 off racers club coupon.  Used it on my 10k mile around-the-USA trip on my BMW R1100RS and it was top notch.... only gripe was the bluetooth connection sucked and I never was able to communicate with anyone while riding.

i've read that about allot of the units with bluetooth. the tomtom one xls was a nice (not for the bike) unit that had bluetooth, BUT it was ONLY for syncing with a computer, not for hands free or music playback, or anything usefull really.

allot of the manufacturers are plastering the packages with "BLUETOOTH!" but the actual functionality is, well, pointless.

thanks for the input

[lilwoody]

Here's how my GPS is mounted. I used just a regular handle bar mount but I wanted it in a more easily veiwable location.



Here's the mount without the GPS mounted.



BTW when you heat stainless it will rust, that's why it's painted.

[beRto]

Here's how my GPS is mounted.

Cool - thanks for the follow up and the pics!

[kml.krk]

I have a Garmin c330 ($130) mounted under the windshield. (no bluetooth, no MP3, just maps and Points of Interest)
When you're moving in the rain then it's not a problem - rain droplets go over the windshield and keep GPS dry.
For a traffic riding I have ZIP LOCK bag under my seat so I can always put the Zip lock over the GPS and it will stay dry 

The only problem is that you do not hear the GPS so you don't always know where to turn.
For longer trips I use GPS in my cell phone with earphones attached. (I only use one earphone so I can hear both the traffic and the directions)

cheers
Kamil

[caliswangin916]

i have a nuvi 760 in a cortech tankbag map pouch(or whatever it's called). it isn't practical to make on the fly adjustments. i can press through the transparent map cover and get things done but it's hard and maybe unsafe to do so while riding. another problem was the summer sun trying to kill the screen. i put some tint material over it to prevent sun damage but it also made it hard to see. the location of the gps made me have to look down every time i wanted to check on it which i didn't like doing.

got the nuvi off of ebay for ~$300 refurbed. check slickdeals.net in the hot deals section for gps deals.