RedNigel
0
Is there a decent GPS out there I can get without spending $500-$700?
Non Bank Breaking GPS
- Thread starter RedNigel
- Start date
Yes, but it depends on what you need, or want, and the compromises you are willing to accept. I still use a older Magellan 4250 I bought new for a car years ago. It is not waterproof, only has a 4.5 inch screen, has iffy Bluetooth, doesn't have a camera or hold my picture album, and is in general out of date technology wise as far as fancy tech toys go.... But it still works just fine for what a GPS is supposed to do...show my location...and I can still get map updates. You can buy a refurbished one from Magellan Here for a whopping $59.99. The Garmin 660/5 that Harley sells to integrate with my Tri-Glide's audio system would cost over $1,000 installed and not be any better as far as being a GPS...that will not be happening anytime soon....:rolleyes1:
There is a baseline and an extremely expensive choice for what will work, how much do you want or need?
There is a baseline and an extremely expensive choice for what will work, how much do you want or need?
It can be a challenge to find a good GPS, at a reasonable price, as quite often you get to pay for the tech toys you may or may not want. Whatever I finally get around to replacing my old 4250 the new one needs to be flexible enough to work on a bike or in my F-150. Plus support some of my other bad habits...:rolleyes1: That makes my requirements list a bit different than motorcycle only...
One thing I wouldn't worry about too much is the unit being water resistant. The additional price you pay for a motorcycle recommended unit does not buy very much with most brands. You can buy clear plastic cases to protect most "flat" units or put a zip lock bag over it. In really bad weather I remove my GPS and put it in the tank bag map window and let it run on battery. Those solutions do kill the touchscreen capability but if I need to be playing with the screen I'm going to pull over anyway....
Definitely check out Tiger GPS for a good selection and pretty decent prices. They even have a previous generation Garmin 530HCx that I've been considering for my particular wants and needs...
One thing I wouldn't worry about too much is the unit being water resistant. The additional price you pay for a motorcycle recommended unit does not buy very much with most brands. You can buy clear plastic cases to protect most "flat" units or put a zip lock bag over it. In really bad weather I remove my GPS and put it in the tank bag map window and let it run on battery. Those solutions do kill the touchscreen capability but if I need to be playing with the screen I'm going to pull over anyway....
Definitely check out Tiger GPS for a good selection and pretty decent prices. They even have a previous generation Garmin 530HCx that I've been considering for my particular wants and needs...
Comanche
0
I have two Garmins - a Nuvi for the car and a Zumo for the bike. My bike GPS is the Zumo 220, the cheapest one they sell. It is waterproof and has a very bright screen (doesn't seem to need a hood - at least for me) and works with gloves. I could use the Nuvi, but it is not waterproof (though I could just put it in a plastic bag when it rains) but I use the Zumo and the wife-mate uses the Nuvi.
No bluetooth, no music or any bells and whistles - just plain GPS stuff. The software for creating your own routes is fairly easy to use, though it has its quirks.
Look around for a remanufactured Zumo 220 - or higher level Zumo if you want the other stuff.
No bluetooth, no music or any bells and whistles - just plain GPS stuff. The software for creating your own routes is fairly easy to use, though it has its quirks.
Look around for a remanufactured Zumo 220 - or higher level Zumo if you want the other stuff.
My experience has been a bit different than Daboos. The Magellans (three) I had for cars were poor. Tried to cram too much information on the screen and resulted in one that was hard to read.
The Garmins I have had (two) are much better and do a good job for everything I need for a car. Screen is OK for a bike, but, still can't change the color selection. As Daboo said, some have weird power plugs that only work with the car mount. Some of those you can wire yourself but it involves cutting the cable or getting a new cable to cut up.
I have only used one TomTom and didn't like it at all. Screen layout or menus or how it figured directions. But, thing change so don't know what the new ones are like.
The CoPilot system I have for my phone is best bang for the buck. $30 with lifetime map updates. Same software also runs on my tablet so I can set up a map and plan a route, then send it to my phone. For directions it is pretty good. Yep, there are times when it lags behind a bit, but, that doesn't happen very often. And some areas have weak coverage for roads but that is getting better. You can also change the screen colors so the road stand out better when sun is shining on the screen. Not perfect, but, it means I only have to carry one thing with me instead of having a phone, iPod and GPS.
I also tried a sunscreen on the bike. It worked, kinda. What I found is better is a RAM mount. Tilt the unit so the sun doesn't glare off of it (or your jacket, or the tank bag ). Put the unit on the center of the handle bars. Yes, you have to look down at it. But, it also means that the sun won't shine directly into it from behind you like it does if you mount it up high on the dash. Yep, BTDT too.
If the bike specific ones have a screen you can read in direct sunlight then I'd find a used one, but, I'm not going to spend several hundred dollars for a GPS unit and never over $500.
But, I am a cheap bas--- too.
The Garmins I have had (two) are much better and do a good job for everything I need for a car. Screen is OK for a bike, but, still can't change the color selection. As Daboo said, some have weird power plugs that only work with the car mount. Some of those you can wire yourself but it involves cutting the cable or getting a new cable to cut up.
I have only used one TomTom and didn't like it at all. Screen layout or menus or how it figured directions. But, thing change so don't know what the new ones are like.
The CoPilot system I have for my phone is best bang for the buck. $30 with lifetime map updates. Same software also runs on my tablet so I can set up a map and plan a route, then send it to my phone. For directions it is pretty good. Yep, there are times when it lags behind a bit, but, that doesn't happen very often. And some areas have weak coverage for roads but that is getting better. You can also change the screen colors so the road stand out better when sun is shining on the screen. Not perfect, but, it means I only have to carry one thing with me instead of having a phone, iPod and GPS.
I also tried a sunscreen on the bike. It worked, kinda. What I found is better is a RAM mount. Tilt the unit so the sun doesn't glare off of it (or your jacket, or the tank bag
). Put the unit on the center of the handle bars. Yes, you have to look down at it. But, it also means that the sun won't shine directly into it from behind you like it does if you mount it up high on the dash. Yep, BTDT too.If the bike specific ones have a screen you can read in direct sunlight then I'd find a used one, but, I'm not going to spend several hundred dollars for a GPS unit and never over $500.
But, I am a cheap bas--- too.
Yes, IF you use a nav program that downloads the maps. Copilot does that. I did not find another one that downloads all the US or North America. Some only download maps along your route. Others require you to select which areas you want maps for. This might be preferable if you have an older phone with a limited memory.
The Google maps and Android nav programs are online systems, ie, you need at least a 3G connection.
Forgot..you must be able to connect to the internet somehow. WiFi or something.
The Google maps and Android nav programs are online systems, ie, you need at least a 3G connection.
Forgot..you must be able to connect to the internet somehow. WiFi or something.
Last edited:
Kevbuckley333
Guest
I use the Navigon program on my iPhone. It allows you to download and/or delete whatever maps you want from North America a state or province at a time you can set up with what you need before a trip and delete the maps you don't need after only takes a couple of minutes. the navigation routing is good, it has motorcycle mode a scenic mode and allows you to Allow/avoid/forbid highways if you so choose. I keep my phone in a waterproof lifeproof case with a locking bike mount. The GPS chip in the newer iPhones is great, the screen is bright and works well as a touch screen as long as your gloves are leather in the fingers. One less thing to purchase also helped convince me to stick with the phone.
Yep, $30. Beats everything else I have used. Use the trial version before you buy.
Watch out when using the waterproof cases. If you leave them out in the sun it bakes the phone. I use the RAM X-mount and remove the phone at stops. Being in the open air means it doesn't overheat, even in SW desert sun.
FYI, I used a Droid 2 and now Samsung SIII. Both have done well as GPS units.
MAC
0
Check out
GPS CITY.COM
GPS CITY.COM
Rich
0
Gotta chime on on CoPilot. I loaded it into my Samsung Galaxy SIII and my iPad mini. I've used it somewhat locally and on a trip to Europe this spring. My bike GPS is a Zumo 660 I've owned for 4 years. (The 550, 660, 665, etc. come with mounting hardware and wiring for use in a car and a MC.)
Positive aspects of CoPilot:
1. Cheap, both for NA and Europe.
2. Mostly does a decent job of displaying streets and roads and guiding you to your destination.
3. You don't need a separate device, if you already are lugging your smartphone or tablet.
4. Has lots of Points Of Interest.
5. Will display speed limit when you're on major highways.
Negatives:
1. Locks up from time to time on both devices, even in the open air. Seems to require restarting the app, even rebooting your phone to unstick.
2. Points of Interest sorely lacking relative to the Garmin. CoPilot in some cases is more than a decade out of date in this regard. Don't expect it to guide you to a nearby Gas Station, Motel, Restaurant, Bank, etc. in non-Urban areas.
3. In the iPad, to get it to work in Europe I found I had to disable POI on the display. Otherwise it locked up on startup.
4. Using the GPS on your smartphone without powering it sucks the battery faster than anything else I do with it. This is only an issue when you're using it while walking. This weakness shared by the Garmin, which is really intended to be in a vehicle.
5. Does not have speed limits on nearly as many roads as the Garmin.
6. For use on a bike, you'll need to purchase mounting and probably weather protection.
I find the best bet for setting a destination in either the CoPilot or the Garmin is to look up the address and enter it as a saved destination, then route to it. The Garmin is more likely to have a given POI, but neither environment will have everything you might need to find.
Positive aspects of CoPilot:
1. Cheap, both for NA and Europe.
2. Mostly does a decent job of displaying streets and roads and guiding you to your destination.
3. You don't need a separate device, if you already are lugging your smartphone or tablet.
4. Has lots of Points Of Interest.
5. Will display speed limit when you're on major highways.
Negatives:
1. Locks up from time to time on both devices, even in the open air. Seems to require restarting the app, even rebooting your phone to unstick.
2. Points of Interest sorely lacking relative to the Garmin. CoPilot in some cases is more than a decade out of date in this regard. Don't expect it to guide you to a nearby Gas Station, Motel, Restaurant, Bank, etc. in non-Urban areas.
3. In the iPad, to get it to work in Europe I found I had to disable POI on the display. Otherwise it locked up on startup.
4. Using the GPS on your smartphone without powering it sucks the battery faster than anything else I do with it. This is only an issue when you're using it while walking. This weakness shared by the Garmin, which is really intended to be in a vehicle.
5. Does not have speed limits on nearly as many roads as the Garmin.
6. For use on a bike, you'll need to purchase mounting and probably weather protection.
I find the best bet for setting a destination in either the CoPilot or the Garmin is to look up the address and enter it as a saved destination, then route to it. The Garmin is more likely to have a given POI, but neither environment will have everything you might need to find.
Rob
0
If you have a smartphone and data plan, a great deal will be covered simply by using google maps. You can download chunks of a map at a time if you're going to be somewhere without a cell signal.
Plenty of other good information from everyone else. If you want a dedicated unit, I would just buy a $100 - $200 Garmin and keep a ziploc bag to put on it if it rains. I bought a waterproof nuvi 200 or 220 or 250 or something like that, used, off amazon for $180 or so. I have also used my android phone with a ram x-mount.
Plenty of other good information from everyone else. If you want a dedicated unit, I would just buy a $100 - $200 Garmin and keep a ziploc bag to put on it if it rains. I bought a waterproof nuvi 200 or 220 or 250 or something like that, used, off amazon for $180 or so. I have also used my android phone with a ram x-mount.
I agree with most of what Rich stated, but, I have not had mine lock up. The phone will get really slow if you have a lot of apps running in the background. And it is not obvious when that happens. I go in and kill all of them prior to starting the GPS software.
POI's are minimal. I rarely use them so it is not a big deal for me. If I am using the GPS to find a campground or such I am already screwed. The last times I relied on the GPS to find a place to eat or campground it was horrible (this was in the nice comfortable cab of my truck, not sitting on the bike at the side of the road). The three eating places it found nearby were all closed (Garmin with recent update) and the next one was so shabby I wouldn't even let my dog eat there. Campgrounds are even worse. If they aren't closed then they were really just trailer parks with RV or campground in their name.
Having said that, I have not tried to import POI's into Copilot. I have done it a lot with the Garmin, like Pilot and Flying J truck stops. I may have to try it and see what happens.
I do use POI's for planning, but, when I do that I am usually on the computer and not relying on the GPS POI listings.
The copilot also sucks for speed limits. It has them only for interstates out here, and then it is not always right, especially in transition areas. The good thing is it usually shows the speed lower than it really is (eg, 55 instead of 65) so the most that happens is you get a speeding alert for a few seconds.
PS, it isn't using it as a GPS unit that drains the battery so fast, it is leaving the display on full time with all the screen updates. If you need the directions on battery power, then shut off the screen. It will still give you voice directions and won't drain the battery half as fast. No, you won't get 8 hours out of it, more like 3 or 4, but, that's better than 2 hrs with the screen on.
Last but not least, IT IS NOT A FULL FEATURED GPS UNIT! It is close, but, not nearly the same.
FWIW, I used to have a Magellan unit that I permanently mounted on the NT. It was an older unit from the car but worked well. Put it up on the dash with a good sunscreen on it. Mounted with some shock absorbing. Worked really well for a few thousand miles. Then I guess vibration got to it cause it died on me in the middle of a trip. If I ever do have a need for a GPS a lot, then I'd find a good one made for the bike and mount it in a similar fashion.
Until then, I'll just use my phone. And, if someone comes up with a better app than the Copilot one, I'll get it.
POI's are minimal. I rarely use them so it is not a big deal for me. If I am using the GPS to find a campground or such I am already screwed. The last times I relied on the GPS to find a place to eat or campground it was horrible (this was in the nice comfortable cab of my truck, not sitting on the bike at the side of the road). The three eating places it found nearby were all closed (Garmin with recent update) and the next one was so shabby I wouldn't even let my dog eat there. Campgrounds are even worse. If they aren't closed then they were really just trailer parks with RV or campground in their name.
Having said that, I have not tried to import POI's into Copilot. I have done it a lot with the Garmin, like Pilot and Flying J truck stops. I may have to try it and see what happens.
I do use POI's for planning, but, when I do that I am usually on the computer and not relying on the GPS POI listings.
The copilot also sucks for speed limits. It has them only for interstates out here, and then it is not always right, especially in transition areas. The good thing is it usually shows the speed lower than it really is (eg, 55 instead of 65) so the most that happens is you get a speeding alert for a few seconds.
PS, it isn't using it as a GPS unit that drains the battery so fast, it is leaving the display on full time with all the screen updates. If you need the directions on battery power, then shut off the screen. It will still give you voice directions and won't drain the battery half as fast. No, you won't get 8 hours out of it, more like 3 or 4, but, that's better than 2 hrs with the screen on.
Last but not least, IT IS NOT A FULL FEATURED GPS UNIT! It is close, but, not nearly the same.
FWIW, I used to have a Magellan unit that I permanently mounted on the NT. It was an older unit from the car but worked well. Put it up on the dash with a good sunscreen on it. Mounted with some shock absorbing. Worked really well for a few thousand miles. Then I guess vibration got to it cause it died on me in the middle of a trip. If I ever do have a need for a GPS a lot, then I'd find a good one made for the bike and mount it in a similar fashion.
Until then, I'll just use my phone. And, if someone comes up with a better app than the Copilot one, I'll get it.