Using GPS on a motorcycle?

[koolio]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and I find it too big for me, I prefer my old Samsung U100 which is much lighter and easier to use imo and is not a smart phone (so has predictive text etc. etc.)

Having said that there is one reason I haven't sold it yet and that is it's potential to be used as a GPS on my bike which I haven't been able to try yet (still dismantled in the garage).

So how many of you use your phones as a GPS on a bike, and is it really necessary?

My fold up map and London biker maps are smaller and fit easier in my pocket compared to my Samsung U100...

[keggyhander]

I use a 60 quid Chinese car sat nav, with a modified mount used in conjunction with a chrome p-clamp on the handlebars.

Power is supplied via an adapted fag charger. Pins removed from charger and replaced by wires and crimp terminals to battery. An inline fuse and isolator toggle switch completes it.

USB lead is tie-wrapped to frame spine under tank and the free length at the end just gets granny-knotted onto something when the sat nav is not on its bracket.

[koolio]

Yea but do you actually need to use it?

[keggyhander]

[Rogerborg]

I use email rather than writing on wax tablets and sending them by pony express.

Likewise I use GPS rather than folded up slices of dead tree.

Heck, I used a satnav app on my phablet today so that I knew when to get off the bus.

Find a solution for your bike and get on with it. You don't really get Man Points for doing it the old fashioned way.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Marmaduke]

Use my S4 as a sat-nav, mainly abroad, screens bright enough to be seen clearly through glare and sun light.
Connects to my headset for audio instructions if I don't want to look at it.

What's not to like really....

I use an ultimate-mobiles mount and holder.

Cigarette socket with USB charger if needed.
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Current: '03 Tuono RSV1000, '05 Van Van, '91 Zephyr 550
Previous: Multistrada 620,Bandit 600,Kawsaki ER-5, BMW K-75

[c-m]

Used phones as sat navs for journeys totalling over 15,000 miles around Europe. All of them worked great.

I wouldn't bother with the bulk and faff of a dedicated unnit unless I was doing extensive off road routes.

Modern sat navs are pretty much the same as phones these days anyway.

[Irn-Bru]

The problem I have using phones as sat nav is you don't get a lot of customisation of the route, at least not with the software I've used. Usually you can't import routes like on dedicated units.
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KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[clancy]

Never needed it to be honest. I just read road signs to get where in going, look on google maps before I leave so I know roughly where to go in a new town etc. has always worked so far touch wood

If its real complicated I wrote a few road names down and tape them to the tank
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KLX 300r

[The Disapproving Brit]

[barrkel]

[raesewell]

Download a program called ITN Converter it will save routes in loads of different formats. For you S3 take a look at Sygic
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Yamaha FJR 1300 Normanton West Yorkshire

[Pigeon]

I use a SGS2 as satnav (using CoPilot). But audio instruction only, don't use the screen.
Most of the time it works well and you don't have to take your eye off the road.

I used to write the route notes and stick them to tank bag. But it was limiting to the complexity of the route, took a long time and meant I kept not looking at where I was going.

Heard good things about Sygic too.

I use google maps on PC to plan route, save as .KML, use RouteConverter to change it to .TRP and import to the phone for use with CoPilot.

Charge phone on-route with fag socket + usb adapter.

[koolio]

[raesewell]

How do you manage to save a Google file ?
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Yamaha FJR 1300 Normanton West Yorkshire

[Tomzo47]

I've got an ultimate addons s3 case and mount and use that, with headphones if needed and it's very good. Got me all the way to the middle of nowhere in Scotland not long ago so from me. Only problem is the battery life is dire so I'd invest in wiring it up to charge on the go.
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Ybr 125 > Bandit 650SA > GSXR 600 > Triumph Sprint St1050 > CB1300 > Z1000SX + FJ1200 (written off) > VFR750 >FJ1200

[koolio]

[Pigeon]

[Vincent]

I use mine mainly for the speed camera alerts, probably saved my license a few times.
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Space Is Deep

[koolio]

[pinkyfloyd]

I have the S4 and use it as a satnav at times. I paid something like 13 squids on Ebay and got a waterproof mount for the phone. Its big enough to fit the phone in and the external battery I have and has some rubber slices that pad the free space out.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[Vincent]

[recman]

I have a car tomtom which I use in a cheap but very good bar mounted case.
No sound but im not too bothered.
If im going for a wander I don't use it but if I have to be somewhere for a particular reason and I'm not too confident of a hassle free journey, I'll use it.

[J.M.]

I personally try and look at and remember the route. I find that if I use a GPS I don't really learn the route or joining roads so easily.

The exception is in the event I need to get somewhere complicated only once, then I'll make do with a phone and headphones.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Walter Sobchak]