Motorcycle GPS

[Old Colt]

Since the Navigons are not water resistant what plan do you have for rain or splash?

[Zook]

Corbins are good, Sargeant does nice work and Rich Maund is a master craftsman.....uh...you did mean Gluteal Positioning Systems, right?

We don't need no steenking GPS!

[jmanz6]

Since the Navigons are not water resistant what plan do you have for rain or splash?

Not ride in the rain... My motorcycle is a sunny day play toy only. If it looks like rain, I take the Jeep. I'm not spending $$$$ for a GPS for my motorcycle.

[duaneage]

My TomTom is protected behind the fairing. IF it starts to rain I can pull it off and put it in my pocket. Alternatively, I carry a small plastic bag that fits over it. I can see and operate it but it does not get wet.

[jmanz6]

That's a good idea also. Putting it in my pocket is easy enough. I got a TomTom for xmas but that one stays in the dog hauler. It's a lot nicer than the one I have on my Palm and the maps are up to date now. It talks more too, not sure if I like that or not...

[Hammered]

I like the Youtube post I found on hacking the Mio C320 to add text to speech. And its all done from the Mio site, no 3rd party wares to mess with stuff. Check it out here. Directions for doing it are at the bottom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcvIJfosYRY

[duaneage]

I have software that lets me add voices to tomtom. The site was taken down but I grabbed the app before it went bye bye.

[bwringer]

There's a photo floating around of a touch-screen GPS on a motorcycle covered with a condom.

It actually makes a lot of sense from an engineering standpoint...




Over on http://advrider.com , there's a whole section of the forum devoted to GPS geekery. I'd highly recommend looking in over there.

[jmanz6]

Yeah, my Navigon is hacked using some app to hack the Mio. It was free and it seems to work so I figured why not. I did it just to do it.

[Hammered]

I dont see why something as simple as a zip top baggie or as bwringer stated, a condom wouldnt be the best way to go. Easy to pack both and its out and on in a flash. Id go without all the avilable lubes and the like if using the trogan approach though.

[Mysuzyq]

Easy to pack both and its out and on in a flash. Id go without all the avilable lubes and the like if using the trogan approach though.

It probably works well enough mounted behind a windshield....on naked bikes, heavy rain would probably obscure the condom enough to leave you wondering whether you were coming or going.


I have a Mio Knight Rider in my car, with text to speech, but wonder if it would be any good on a bike....I imagine with wind/bike sound, and a full face helmet, it still wouldn't be loud enough. Bluetooth GPS's might work well, coupled with earbud earphones.

Tony.

[dpep]

You can buy sheets of laminate at an office supply store and apply them to the GPS to keep the water out.

[Nathan Daube]

Magellan Update

Hey gang I just got the newest update for the Roadmate 2000. Its a great upgrade if you have a roadmate 2000.

[Steve]

On my Wing, I have a Garmin 2610 mounted on a RAM mount that attaches to the clutch mount. Unit is waterproof, so no problems with that. It can be connected to my intercom system so I can hear it in the helmet, but I have not yet purchased the interface.

On my wife's 850L, she is currently running my older GPS V, which is also waterproof. It is mounted on a platform that I had installed for the CB radio that I had mounted temporaraily. Since the arrival of the handlebar-mounted J&M CB, the platform now mounts the XM satellite radio (Roady2), the GPS and the thermometer/clock/voltmeter. Because of the limited memory in the V that forces us to reload a new set of maps every day on a trip, we might be picking up another 2610 for her. With a 2GB CF card, we can load the entire US and Canada.

I like the older GPS units, even though they tend to be larger. Even the 27xx and 28xx series Garmins have lost features that dumb them down to a level that I don't appreciate, even though they will speak the name of the road where you are supposed to turn. That little feature does not even come close to compensating for the loss of features like showing altitude, easily moved info tabs and transparent backgrounds for those tabs. You can get factory-refurbished units for about $150 and they carry a full one-year warranty, just like a new one. By shopping carefully, you might even find one that has maps as recent as last year's. New maps are $75, and there is a 20% discount if you are an AMA member.

.

[pntrdave]

I'm wondering if the condoms are such a great idea?? You're finally home from an all day or all weekend ride, and your wife finds an empty condom wrapper in your pocket. Is she going to believe you when you say "Oh I used that on my GPS"