On Jun 26, 4:35 pm, James Egan <jegan....DeleteThis@comcast.net> wrote:
> Can someone tell me what is the least expensive motorcycleGPS
> available? I'm looking for something small with long battery
> life. I saw a Garmin StreetPilot I3 AutoGPSfor $200, but
> it didn't say it was for a motorcycle.
>
> -Thanks
There are many different GPS models to choose from, but the essence of
the matter is to make the installation reliable and useable. To this
end, consider the following basic requirements:
1. No motorcycle-mounted accessories should ever have internal hard
drives. They must be insensitive to vibration.
2. Bikes get wet. Things attached to them get wet. Whatever you buy,
make certain it is waterproof. There are standards that define the
various grades of water-proofness. Garmin's aterproof units are rated
IPX7 - 30 minutes of immersion in up to 1 meter of water.
3. You may want to consider buying a battery-equipped unit so that it
can be used while hiking to the nearest gas station or for other off-
vehicle activities
4. The unit will be used in varying lighting conditions - the screen
must be properly backlighted and also readable in bright sunlight - a
TFT LCD screen with LED backlighting is recommended - older Garmin and
other units (the SP-3, 2610 and such used fluorescent tubes to light
their displays).
5. You do NOT need a full continent load of maps in one go unless you
are riding rallyes. However the limited memory of units like the 19
megs in the GPS-V limit the rider unnecessarily. 128 megs of memory
is generaly enough - proprietary memory (like some Garmin units use)
is NOT a handicap.
6. You want a unit that provides as many POIs (Points Of Interest) as
possible. No, they won;t be cmopletely up to date, but the majority
of restaurants, gas stations and such will be there.
7. Mapping must be update-able - some budget units (and some high end
ones) don't offer adequate rural coverage or frequenct updates.
Having said that, annual updates are not necessary either - they
donm;t build all THAT many new roads each year.
8. Buy from a reputable manufacturerr who is known to provide good
customer support - yuor GPS unit will not be pampered and may well
require repair.
9. Most people don't appreciate the value of a good, large tracklog.
It is an excellent tool for recording your rides and I've personally
used my unit to get out of speeding tickets.
10. Auto routing is a VERY desirable feature - almost all modern units
offer the feature, but the small, handheld units might not.
11. TTS (Text To Speech) is cute, but an almost complete waste of
time.
12. I have an iPod and an XM radio - I do NOT want my navigator
answering my cell phone and playing music - too many devices to keep
updated.
13. MOUNT YOUR UNIT WELL AND GET IT INSURED. DO NOT SPEND $120 FOR A
TOURATEC PIECE OF JUNK. Let the insurance company buy you a new unit
if a determined (or even not-so-determined) thief manages to rip your
unit off.
My personal brand preference is Garmin - I ride with a 276c - the
brightest, largest, highest resolution screen on a bike mountable
unit. Want more feagtures (like XM radio? Go for the 376 - it
includes the XM antenna/radio pod which is extra on all the other
current models. Full mapping? The 378 or 478 are full load - and
they happen to make excellent marine navigators as well.
No, paper maps are NOT de rigeur any longer. Navigators are more up
to date and a reliable enouigh that they can be depended upon. Maps
require that you know where you are in order to use them and I for one
do not intend to arry a sextant and a set of charts to shoot the sun.
>> Stay informed about: Least expensive motorcycle GPS? 
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