why are the moto gps's so much more expensive than the car gps's? it just seems a little excessive to charge $700 more for a moto gps than a car one. i would like to have a gps but shelling out nearly a grand is not gonna happen. could i get one of those handheld devices and use it? those usually have a bicycle mount. or should i just use a $3 map.
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Gps
- Thread starter welafever
- Start date
G
GSCOOKEMNSTER
Guest
They're that expensive because the manufacturer feels people will pay it. I've used a Garmin GPSMAP 60csx for a few years now and it works great. Its a handheld that I use most for Geocaching and hikling. Though the screen is small and my eye sight is not great, it has seen me to the rally in Wisconsin and traveling down into West Virginia.
A few weeks ago I purchased a Garmin 255 GPS for the car. Nice big screen, touch screen to select options, voice prompts, all for $115. I've going to get a RAM mount for it and use it on the bike. It may not be perfect, but I'm not paying $700 - $1k for a GPS.
A few weeks ago I purchased a Garmin 255 GPS for the car. Nice big screen, touch screen to select options, voice prompts, all for $115. I've going to get a RAM mount for it and use it on the bike. It may not be perfect, but I'm not paying $700 - $1k for a GPS.
rmarkr
New member
An important feature, for me, is bluetooth comms with the helmet headset.
I prefer spoken navigation commands (keep your eyes on the road), I can see telephone calls (answer if needed - although I'll usually stop to make a call) and I listen to music.
My Zumo 550 is tough - its fallen off the bike at speed and has been involved in a couple of dirt spills, and handles rain and vibration - no problem.
But I agree, the additional price seems excessive.
I prefer spoken navigation commands (keep your eyes on the road), I can see telephone calls (answer if needed - although I'll usually stop to make a call) and I listen to music.
My Zumo 550 is tough - its fallen off the bike at speed and has been involved in a couple of dirt spills, and handles rain and vibration - no problem.
But I agree, the additional price seems excessive.
T
tbourque
Guest
As noted above, special designs, mainly water proof and vibration resistant. A $3 paper map will get you there, but it sure is nice to have voice commands coming through your earpiece and not having to take your eyes off the road to look down at your tank bag to see your map. Now, using them both in tandem works much better. I plan my route mostly with paper maps then upload the routes to my GPS. I look at the maps before the trip and occasionally when I stop during the trip. And, if you look hard enough, you can find a good GPS for much cheaper than $700 that will do the job just fine.
Enjoy your riding!
Enjoy your riding!
Last edited:
beemeup
2009 R1200RT
I hear you
I'm in a similar situation and I refuse to pay that much money. Many people I've spoken with are using refurbished Garmin 2730 Street Pilots that they bought off E-Bay and through other sources for much less money. They are waterproof and shock resistant and have the same maps, buttons on the side and XM radio. I'm seriously considering this option myself, most of the people I've spoken with say the 2730 works great. Don
I'm in a similar situation and I refuse to pay that much money. Many people I've spoken with are using refurbished Garmin 2730 Street Pilots that they bought off E-Bay and through other sources for much less money. They are waterproof and shock resistant and have the same maps, buttons on the side and XM radio. I'm seriously considering this option myself, most of the people I've spoken with say the 2730 works great. Don
when i read a paper/digital map i usually can remember 6-7 turns and streetnames. i also stop to re-look at the map so i can keep my eyes on the road and the idiots texting/reading a book/petting the dog while driving. right now i am using the map in my ipod touch to guide me where i need to go. it does not have way points but i can put in start and finish addresses. some of the roads are not marked on the map (or in real life) so it gets frustrating to miss a turn. i dont use a cell phone so bluetooth is irrelevant for me and i listen to music through my ipod. i guess wanting a gps and needing a gps are two different things. and i would rather buy side and top cases for that kind of $$.
roborider
God? What god?
I bought a Tom Tom 330s. It has no way of sending sound to a headset (although I might pop it open and tap into the speaker). But it's excellent and cost about $129. If it rains, I either remove it or put a Ziploc bag over it. For how I use a GPS, which is mostly general guidance or finding hotels and such, it is fine. No way I'm paying more than $250 on a GPS--they are now in the disposable cost range.
JIMSHAW
Ambassador at Large
Economics 101
Even a parrot can be an economist, if he can repeat the words "supply" and "demand." But that's what's apparently working here, I think.
There are only about two manufacturers of motorcycle-designed GPSs, and the auto and personal GPS market is collapsing. If you think a Zumo is expensive, try pricing some of the GPSs for private aircraft.
That said, I am very spoiled by my Zumo 550. It does most everything I could want, takes a licking, spends nights on the bike in the rain, and swaps SD cards with other Zumos to coordinate multiple riders' plans. I works with my cellphone, my Bluetooth helmet headset, and plays music through wired earbuds if I prefer. The spoken instructions are (for me) so much safer than having to look at the screen to see which way to turn. It comes with two mounts, at no extra charge, including power cables. One goes in my cage. It thusly serves the function of two GPSs, and I don't have to sync tracks, maps, and POIs on more than one. I only need one map update. If I really must hear Howard Stern (feature that!), I can buy a Sat radio antenna, and get him, weather, and traffic information. I don't elect to do that.
As to durability, when I was in MX last month, one of the riders hadn't secured his Zumo to the mount as designed. Riding over an urban speed bump, his Zumo flew down the road, doing an ultimate endover for 10-20 feet. He stopped, picked it up, put it back on the bike, and it worked fine.
Everybody has their personal setpoints for the cost of stuff. Me? I've had enough of zip lock bags on farkles. When it's raining, I depend even more on the GPS to help me get there directly. The LD riding community is sold, almost to a man, on Garmin. There's a good bit of navigating wisdom (maybe not so much good common sense) in that bunch.
That said, I'd be more likely to frown at the president of Garmin than hug him. $650+ for a Zumo is probably about 15 times its manufactured cost. But, if it weren't for Garmin and such, I'd be riding down the road with a baggie fluttering over my obscured GPS screen, I suppose.
I'm in my third year with my Zumo. It's taking me to Redmond in a week or so. (And bringing me home, I hope.)
Jim
Even a parrot can be an economist, if he can repeat the words "supply" and "demand." But that's what's apparently working here, I think.
There are only about two manufacturers of motorcycle-designed GPSs, and the auto and personal GPS market is collapsing. If you think a Zumo is expensive, try pricing some of the GPSs for private aircraft.
That said, I am very spoiled by my Zumo 550. It does most everything I could want, takes a licking, spends nights on the bike in the rain, and swaps SD cards with other Zumos to coordinate multiple riders' plans. I works with my cellphone, my Bluetooth helmet headset, and plays music through wired earbuds if I prefer. The spoken instructions are (for me) so much safer than having to look at the screen to see which way to turn. It comes with two mounts, at no extra charge, including power cables. One goes in my cage. It thusly serves the function of two GPSs, and I don't have to sync tracks, maps, and POIs on more than one. I only need one map update. If I really must hear Howard Stern (feature that!), I can buy a Sat radio antenna, and get him, weather, and traffic information. I don't elect to do that.
As to durability, when I was in MX last month, one of the riders hadn't secured his Zumo to the mount as designed. Riding over an urban speed bump, his Zumo flew down the road, doing an ultimate endover for 10-20 feet. He stopped, picked it up, put it back on the bike, and it worked fine.
Everybody has their personal setpoints for the cost of stuff. Me? I've had enough of zip lock bags on farkles. When it's raining, I depend even more on the GPS to help me get there directly. The LD riding community is sold, almost to a man, on Garmin. There's a good bit of navigating wisdom (maybe not so much good common sense) in that bunch.
That said, I'd be more likely to frown at the president of Garmin than hug him. $650+ for a Zumo is probably about 15 times its manufactured cost. But, if it weren't for Garmin and such, I'd be riding down the road with a baggie fluttering over my obscured GPS screen, I suppose.
I'm in my third year with my Zumo. It's taking me to Redmond in a week or so. (And bringing me home, I hope.)
Jim
C
criminaldesign
Guest
left turn on 12
second right at 12/8
12/8 turns into 66
take center road at split
repeat a few times in head, think you remember it, hop on bike, was it 12 or 15, first right or second right, I do remember center road at split....
it's fun finding yourself where you didn't plan on it. Don't forget the wrinkled, wet dog eared printed maps of this world.
second right at 12/8
12/8 turns into 66
take center road at split
repeat a few times in head, think you remember it, hop on bike, was it 12 or 15, first right or second right, I do remember center road at split....
it's fun finding yourself where you didn't plan on it. Don't forget the wrinkled, wet dog eared printed maps of this world.
R
rocketman
Guest
Ram makes several sizes of waterproof cases that have a clear plastic front that lets you use non-waterproof much less expensive GPS's and still be able to use the touch screen and run power to the unit. I have one of the large ones (cost $75 for everything needed to mount it) and run a 5 inch screen tomtom gps. so far so good; run thru some pretty good storms and left it out all night in rain while camping. We'll have to see if the plastic screen yellows with age, but so far I like it.
RM
RM
tommcgee
Unfunded content provider
The high end GPS's are worth it to some of us. You can buy much cheaper bikes than BMWs too. Get what makes sense to you.
LMIWA156120
New member
For 90% of my riding I don't need a map / nav.
For the other 10%, I put my cheap Nuvi into the clear pocket on top of my tank bag. No audio, a little hard to see some times, but I already had it and it's easier to use than a paper map.
For the other 10%, I put my cheap Nuvi into the clear pocket on top of my tank bag. No audio, a little hard to see some times, but I already had it and it's easier to use than a paper map.
My "other bike" in a little Kawasaki EX-250 "Ninja"... I've mounted a regular suction cup garmin 200w and it works fine... I haven't even wired it in at this point... good for about 3-4 hours on its internal battery. That brings up a sore point on the BMW unit on my R1200RT. Why no internal battery? Restart motor, GPS goes into reboot as well... PIA... (btw- Garmin widescreen 200W cost me $100 new)
R
rocketman
Guest
the waterproof case comes with foam inserts to pad the gps unit, I put a few strips around the outside edges of the padding to hold the gps in position and have put 4K on the bike with that setup some over some pretty rough roads. Its all solid-state so it should survive... we shall see.. note that this is on my Honda V-twin which does have some vibration issues at 75 or above and I just did a 1100 mile all flat road, mostly interstate speed trip with no issues.
RM
indygt
67-year-old Teenager
I rode with a Garmin Nuvi 200W for a couple of years, using a RAM mount setup from CycleGadgets.com. It's not weatherproof, but I rode five hours in heavy rain coming home from the Shiloh rally last fall with a Ziploc sandwich bag for a rain cover on the Nuvi and it never missed a beat.
I stepped up to a Zumo 550 early this year, but I saved about $500 by buying used.
If you don't have to have the cutting edge, newest model, you can get into GPS for less by going for last year's model.
I stepped up to a Zumo 550 early this year, but I saved about $500 by buying used.
If you don't have to have the cutting edge, newest model, you can get into GPS for less by going for last year's model.
