Sat Navs

[Stonefly]

Hi Folks, I cant be bothered trawling through old posts - please forgive me - but would like your recommendations for a satnav. I have a ZZR1200 which i will be taking through France in July and think it will be easier to navigate with a satnav on this occasion because we will be meeting up with friends and this will mean sticking to time deadlines. Your opinions/reviews will be much appreciated, Thank you.
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Current......Kawasaki ZZR1200 C2H and Kawasaki ZZR600 E7
Previous....Yamaha FS1E, Honda SS50, Suzuki AP50, BSA Bantam D14, Honda CD175, Honda CB250N, Kawasaki Z250A3, Yamaha RD250E, Kawasaki Z400, Kawasaki Z500, Kawasaki GPz550, Honda NTV600, Kawasaki GT750, Kawasaki Z1000R, Kawasaki GPX250

[Polarbear]

Dedicated bike satnav?

You basically have the choice of two, TomTom or Garmin. And whoever owns which will say theirs is better.

I have a TomTom rider solely because when I bought it it came with everything in one box, mount, scala rider, etc. The Garmin didn't, you had to buy a Bluetooth ear thingy separately.

I have had no problems with my TomTom however the latest ones do not have an SD card slot which means you have to load areas of europe rather than the whole thing. It's not a problem but something to be aware of.

Having used a Garmin in the car, a top of the range one, I have to say TomTom updates faster and (I think) has a better system.

I wouldn't tour Europe without one as the 'nearest petrol station' has saved my bacon many times.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[c-m]

Garmin is much better in terms of compatibility with other riders. Most tracks, topo maps, and POIs provided by other bikers are in the Garmin format.

[andyscooter]

just started using my tomtom again

stupidly chucked the original brackets away thinking i wouldnt need them

only thing that annoys me is the fact you have to pay for any updates
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[panrider_uk]

TomTom gets my vote for usability.

I'm less keen on their policy of making me pay for map updates twice - once for my car sat nav and again for my Rider 2.

I don't know how that compares with Garmin though.
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Current bikes: Honda ST1100 Pan European. Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel

[G]

I used to have a Garmin 660 before it was stolen from my van. Liked it, but these days I'd just pay for the Garmin software and use my phone, in a waterproof case if need be.

[spnorm]

I've owned both Tomtom and Garmin units and Tomtom wins hands down for me - better routing and more user friendly

Planning routes on your PC is a doddle too using TYRE.

TYRE or ITN Converter can both convert Garmin itinerary files to TT format and vice-versa

[Robster]

Got a Garmin Nuvi widescreen, - wouldn't have another one TBH, its been alright but the Tom Toms I've used through work have been quicker, more reliable and easier to use.

Mine's developed an unsolvable issue, every 5-6th time I switch it on it fails to boot, and needs a hardware reset, so wipes all preferences, favorites etc. Bit of a pain in the bum when you're halfway round the alps.

[-Matt-]

May be of no use to you, but I use the free NavFree app which has free EU maps as optional downloads on my phone [Samsung S3 Android] and its been great so far with using it in the car.

Installing a 12v charger on the bike in the next week or two so I can keep it running off that for as long as I need on the move.

[kawakid]

Took my TomTom mount off my Z last summer.

Tbh it's too much of a distraction. I tend to stop and check my phone these days.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[tony_d123]

I have used a TomTom Rider for about about 4 years on the bike and in the car. Easy to use and has proved reliable. If you download this free software it also great for planning routes, importing/exporting routes, view in Google Earth/Maps etc... https://www.tyretotravel.com/

[Easter Bunny]

On my 3rd Tom Tom rider (newer model each time)
works for me
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The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train!

[j.silvs]

I got one of these you can have if it fits your bike. Can then just get a 12v adaptor and a normal sat nav rather than a bike one. Been in torrential rain and never leaked

Sticks straight in the yoke

https://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q704/joshsilverman/368c4fdb524e773b5da450a66266f36c_zps1ada49a7.jpg

[Robster]

[quote="j.silvs"]I got one of these you can have if it fits your bike. Can then just get a 12v adaptor and a normal sat nav rather than a bike one. Been in torrential rain and never leaked

Sticks straight in the yoke

https://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q704/joshsilverman/368c4fdb524e773b5da450a66266f36c_zps1ada49a7.jpg[/quote

This is my plan when I get my big-boy pants, bike-specific sat navs seem to be megabucks, and the price of smart phones has driven the price of car-centric sat navs down, XL Tom Toms for sub-£100 now.

[spnorm]

[Robster]

Can plot a maximum of three waypoints into my Garmin before it resets. On my last euro-trip I wrote all the POIs down on paper, and programmed them in one-trip at a time, PITA but my smartphone's a bit shit and I don't trust it. My brother was using Scobbler on his and that was alright apparently.

[Stonefly]

Thanks for all the replies folks. I was leaning toward tom toms, and this pretty much confirms what I was thinking. Cheers
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Current......Kawasaki ZZR1200 C2H and Kawasaki ZZR600 E7
Previous....Yamaha FS1E, Honda SS50, Suzuki AP50, BSA Bantam D14, Honda CD175, Honda CB250N, Kawasaki Z250A3, Yamaha RD250E, Kawasaki Z400, Kawasaki Z500, Kawasaki GPz550, Honda NTV600, Kawasaki GT750, Kawasaki Z1000R, Kawasaki GPX250

[bald biker]

Did use a TT720 in a waterproof case until it was nicked. Now use a Garmin 550 through an Autocom unit. I prefer TT mapping but Garmin maps are a one off payment. I find that bike specific units give you better bike routes if you opt out of major routes.

[tony_d123]

The main problem with using non-bike sat navs is you generally have no or very poor sound. Therefore you have to take your eyes off the road to look at it every time you're approaching a junction, not brilliant.

The bike units are also designed to be used with gloves on. They are more expensive but worth it.

TomTom with bluetooth headset wins every time.

[G]

Never found the sound loud enough for most bike-situations without headphones.
However, on journeys that require directions I often prefer to be riding with headphones anyway to have some music etc.

[Skudd]

I like the Garmin, have one on my bike, one in my car and use another for work. Very user friendly and has found places Tom Toms haven't.

One useful feature is if you are in the middle of no where and want to find it again, just touch the screen and save it. The tom tom I have used didn't do this.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Rigga]

I have a garmin car sat nav and I wouldn't have another. From day one it kept dropping off the windscreen, the touchscreen is really laggy and the battery doesn't stay charged. Tomtom ftw.
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Current bike: Honda CBR 1100xx

[barrkel]

I had a Garmin Zumo 550 and now have a Zumo 350, while my GF has the TomTom Rider 2.

I'd rate them, in order of best to worst, 550, TTR2, 350.

The TTR interface is a lot more crowded and fiddly for me to work with; I don't really like it, and is the reason I got the 350 when my 550 fell under the wheel of a car.

The 550 worked well for routing on the fly - set your destination, then browse around the map for wiggly roads, and add them as waypoints, until you're satisfied with the route. The 350, despite being about 6 years more modern, is way, way worse UI-wise, and has regressed towards car-orientation (i.e. just trying to get you from A to B). I wrote a longer review here:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=277734

Bike-specific GPSes are worth it for the extra routing functionality, waterproofing and glove-capable UI. But the graphics hardware is appallingly bargain basement for the money you're paying, really shockingly bad. They have very low resolution screens and only have to push around a few thousand triangles, yet still barely manage 5 frames per second if recalculating. £15 worth of SoC+memory from an obsolete smartphone would completely revolutionize their performance.

3 year old smartphone internals, combined with a resistive touch screen, waterproof case and reliable 12v charging cable connection should, in principle, be able to wipe both Garmin and TomTom off the market with a device a fifth of the cost.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[Easter Bunny]

[Skudd]