Triumphrat

FifeTiger · 08-21-2006

Just noticed this available in Maplin (apologies to US owners for irrelevance), the bike version of the irritatingly advertised TomTom SatNav system.

Coming in around £300 which seemed steep at first glance. But you do get a Bluetooth earpiece for spoken directions and other stuff so it may be a good deal.

Anyone recommend any bike system ? I've often planned a few journeys involving little scenic diversions but ended up missing a lot of them or spending ages down the wrong track.

Tigertrax · 08-21-2006

some interesting things happening in Nav systems...
and Garmin's NUVI just may be the new wave!

A buddy of mine has one.
The size of a pack of cigarettes with a built in antenna...and voice commands.

He carries it it his shirt pocket and listens for the commands....it has a nice screen.. but who needs it!

pineygroveshop · 08-21-2006

Lowrance iWay 500C!!!

andy-D · 08-21-2006

I've had my Lowrance iWay 500C for about a year now and really like it.

Pros: Big touch screen, waterproof (been in several downpours), a 10G hard drive dedicated to MP3, and on-line updates. You can even play around with the code if you want. It comes with a RAM mounting kit that will work on the bars. Lots of custom configurations for the screen which is very easy to view in direct sunlight, and you can also set the screen for nighttime driving. Another major positive, at least to me, is that it has a power supply monitor (voltage reading) that you can have displayed on the screen. I've always liked having more information than idiot lights...it allows me to make sure the alternator is working fine when running, and battery is +12V> when the bike is off. I have the unit tied into my Autocom so the seductive voice makes sure I make all the right turns, and then, the music continues where it left off.

Cons: A little pricey, but shop around. When I first got mine, the kit came with the external antenna and the base mount for the car. Neither of these come with the standard kit now...I don't think. Beyond that, you do need a dedicated +12V power feed (no batteries) and it may or may not have map support for our friends on the other side of the pond. I know Lowrance offers European maps on SD, but I'm not sure about the on line map updates for the iWay. The only other thing is that you have to plan your trips on the GPS itself as there isn't stand alone software for your PC... where you can download the trips/waypoints. This really isn't a big ordeal as the screen is fairly large and the unit comes with an AC adapter and a USB cable. The USB cable also makes it easy to download music and updates.

Overall, I have been very happy with the iWay500C so far. This is my first Lowrance GPS as I have always been a Garmin/Magellan user. I have had Lowrance electronics for the boat and found them to be very dependable.

There are lots of GPS's out there that are probably very worthy....not sure how many are waterproof. Sorry for the lengthy dribble.

blacktiger · 08-22-2006

GPS is all about how much money you're willing to throw at it.
I have an old (now) Street Pilot 3 and it works fine so long as you've planned & loaded all your routes before you leave home. The processor is so slow that it takes an age to calculate a route on the GPS itself.
The newer Garmins have a much faster processor so they can calculate a route on the fly much quicker. The best of the crop are currently the 2820 for the trick features or the 2610 for a basic unit.
There is a new "just for bikes" one been launched by Garmin called the "ZUMO". Looks the business. Bluetooth, MP3, trafic alert etc.

I had a conversation with a TomTom Rider owner and he said it was a pain to create a route on your PC. So that rules those out for me. I like to sit at home and scour the maps and create before leaving home.

pgatensuk · 08-22-2006

My Garmin i3 (£99) is very fast at calculating routes. I was thinking of upgrading to the Quest, but when i saw how slow they were I decided to stick with the i3.

I have mine mounted on the dash and connected to the Intaride intercom.

Drawbacks with i3
> complex routing planning is tricky. Using the go via you can set up a route, but it does take a long time. No option to download route from PC.
>Does not come with European maps. Although it is possible to add them to another card. I'm planning to buy a copy of Garmin metroGuide and down load the maps I need. Cost of upgrade £20 for a 512mb micro SD card and £40 for a copy of metroguide from ebay.

I would put the i3 down as one of the best mods I have made to my Tiger up with the race can and retune.

Paul
Hertford

pgatensuk · 08-22-2006

I missed one other drawback. it is not waterproof. But place behind the screen it has been through all the recent downpours with just a small plastic pag over it.

Paul
Hertford