Author Topic: Cheap GPS for my bike?  (Read 2395 times)

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Offline Joe Rocket

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Cheap GPS for my bike?
« on: February 15, 2018, 20:18:44 »
Please, no Garmin Zumo or Tom Tom rider.

Can anyone recommend a cheap GPS for my Strom? I'd use it occasionally but it would take a lot of map work out of home (Brittany) to the South of France or Germany.

Thanks.........;
So how's it going so far then?

Online Rusty Nuts

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2018, 20:42:40 »
Phone?
Tyre on pc, transfer routes to phone.

Offline chris1200

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2018, 20:48:13 »
Just buy an old Garmin Nuvi, a handlebar mount, and a bunch of freezer bags (or a waterproof cover thing if you want to be posh). Mine has seen me cover nearly every country in Europe without any problem for about £40.

Offline UK_Vstrom650

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2018, 20:49:42 »
How about just a cheap car Sat Nav?

I use an ancient TomTom IQ Routes from the car. It's about 8+ year old and I just have it in a waterproof case above the clocks. I can download routes to it via the PC (Tyre). It doesn't have Bluetooth but is good enough to see a route.

It's taken us to the South of France, Germany and I planned a 4 day tour of Scotland on it too.

Offline Rich:-)

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2018, 22:33:40 »
I bought a 5" screen'd ebay special running WindowsCE (many years ago) for about £40 and it has served me well ever since. It sits in a £10 waterproof case.

I have recently upgraded to a Garmin Montana for use on my wee (due to it's excellent trans-reflective screen) but I still use the ebay special on my DRZ.
On my SD990 I use my phone (Android).

Offline King Orry

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2018, 22:37:43 »
Keep an eye on Aldi/Lidl.
I bought a Garmin LM340 motorcycle satnav from them last year, £129.
Although a map, and a willingness to explore new places is just as good if you’re on tour.  :grin:

Offline Joe Rocket

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2018, 08:58:01 »
Thanks for the ideas all. I'll see what I can find.  :thumb:
So how's it going so far then?

Offline Freddyfruitbat

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2018, 11:04:05 »
I have recently upgraded to a Garmin Montana for use on my wee (due to it's excellent trans-reflective screen) but I still use the ebay special on my DRZ. On my SD990 I use my phone (Android).
Just curious but why do you have different devices for each bike?   Why wouldn't you just have one, and transfer it to the bike you're actually riding?
KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS

Offline Rich:-)

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2018, 12:25:05 »
Just kind of evolved that way really.

The 5" special pre-dates the Wee & SD990. I had that for "off-road" navigation when green laning but also used it when adv touring (mix of off-road & road mapping).
Screen is OK but sometimes, if it's a very bright day, it can be harder to see. Can also be sensitive to positioning, can reflect your jacket or helmet back at you which makes it harder to see the map.
I have the Sat Nav mounted on the bars in a tough otterbox for water & bash protection.

Then I bought the Wee and made a GPS bar above the dash and fitted it there in a ebay zip case. It worked great but it was a bit of a faff putting it in & out of the case, and the battery has almost died now so you get very little usage time to route plan if it's not plugged in & powered.
So I then started looking for a replacement, I wanted one that didn't need a case to be waterproof. I looked at getting another ebay one, one that also comes with a powered holder, all for £80.... but at the last minute decided I really wanted the Montana as it has the best sun viewable screen of any outdoors Sat Nav I've seen, so bought a used one. I then bought the powered cradle and wired that to my Wee (as the Wee is my touring bike).
So at that point I have 2 GPS's and 2 bikes.

Then I bought my SD990... I tried the 5" special in the holder on the bars but it looked bulky & wrong. I haven't tried the Garmin on there as the powered cradle and clamp system are a bit pricey. Instead I found a low cost phone holder, my phone is waterproof and has a secondary magnetic charge connection so I decided to just use that. I don't often need Sat Nav when I'm out playing on the SD, plus having the phone mounted & charging is one less thing in my pockets, and is a Sat Nav system if I need it.

So for now I'm sorted. I might one day put my Montana on my trail bike but for now I think it was too expensive to expose to that environment, however my friends do and theirs and they've been fine.
When touring I have the Montana on my Wee above the dash and my phone clamped to the bars, so potentially 2 Sat Nav systems, which is handy as one can give you more of a route overview which aids in dealing with unplanned diversions.

There you go... I bet you wish you'd never asked now... :thumb:

Offline Joe Rocket

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Re: Cheap GPS for my bike?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2018, 13:57:13 »
 :text-goodpost:  lol   lol   lol
So how's it going so far then?