Hi.

I am looking to purchase a satelite navigation system as I go on random trips on my bike and also go in areas that I don't know very well.

It would make things easier if I had some sort of satelite navigational system to help me out. Is there a way to use ones that are for inside cars on bikes?

Also, what one should I get? I don't need fancy features, the cheaper the better, needs to be able to plan a route to a streetname.

thanks for any help.

I bought a satnav for the car a few months ago, think ive used it twice, once to find Pauls place and the other to get to Cats house. thought loads on fitting one to the bike, but i really cant see the point, the whole thing about going out on the bike is just to ride and explore. so a good set of weather proof maps is more than enough for a 3 or 400 mile ride on a weekend.
Another thing i find with satnavs, you dont seem to take any notice of your landmarks cos your too busy following directions, and you dont feel as if youve been anywhere cos you havent had to plan your route or navigate to a main road when you get yourself lost.
Anyway, the satnav i bought was from Aldi's or Lidl's and cost £120, its not weather proof, so no good for a bike unless its guaranteed good weather.

sorry i dont know the cost of bike speciffic sat's, but i would think somewhere in the region of £500 would probably cover it

I suppose you are right. I guess i'll just rely on google maps for just now and just work out things from there.

I really want to go on a few long trips when I get my bike back. Do you think I should plan all my trips or just set off in one direction and see where I end up?

oh, do you know any good day trips I could take on my bike from the glasgow area that doesn't involve motorways?

oh yes mate, i know lots of good trips. go down to aldi and buy yourself a set of bike maps. they only cost 2 or 3 quid for a set of 11 or 12 maps, and a cheep tank bag too. always handy to keep your flask and bug spray in...

I'll work on some detailed routes for you to go play on... i'll get back to you in a few days

thanks for all your help!

That seems a pretty good deal too. I'll defo get the maps and tank bag.

carn't agree more Billy, I use the sat nav for the odd fishing trip, one in particular is in the Bolton area, I don't think I could drive there without the sat nav and not have some hesitation, if I hadn't of used it in the first place I'd of found me way there blindfolded.

Satnav?

Where's the fun in that?
I don't feel like I've been anywhere if i don't "research alternative routes"

Besides, I've got "MikeyMikey" - he's a satonthebackofthebikenav - shouts "you're going the wrong way again Mum"

Don't listen to the nay sayers, if you want a sat nav go get one. You can have just as much fun on the bike with one as without. You don't have to follow the instructions or even plot your route in advance. You can just take off and then when you've had enough get the sat nav to tell you where the hell you are and how to get home again. It can also tell you where you've been when you want to go back to that fantastic road you found totally by accident.

They are invaluable in strange cities when you're trying to find a specific address. Running low on fuel and don't know where the nearest petrol station is? Sat Nav will tell you, try getting your map to do that!

Alternative to TomTom would be the Garmin range (they are waterproof too!). And for mounting look at Ram mounts and you'll find the bits necessary to fit to almost any bike.

I'll second that

Yup, thumbs up for sat nav.

Proved invaluable when my mate got a flat on a ride-out a few months back in the middle of nowhere. I just read out the GPS co-ords to the recovery guy and he could come straight to us.

I have used a car Tom Tom for 4 years and now have a Tom Tom Rider (for bikes).

They are utterly utterly superb!! I cannot disagree more with those that don't like them. I use it for a to b trips and/or setting up a 1 hour twisty circuit around my home, for example, the night before. In fact you enjoy the route (and sights) more...just a quick glance at the screen..2 miles to next roundabout, turn right..so head up and enjoy ( I could have a speaker system in but don't bother)!!

never lost, no missed turns, always find the next nearest petrol station..or mcdonalds..or hotel...or speed camera...!

Technology that actually works - get one.

BTW Tom Tom Rider = £360 for all of UK and Europe, post code, door to door navigation

Just for the record, I did not say I didn't like 'em, else I wouldn't use it but as Billy says, you do tend not to take in landmarks and rely solely on the GPS. I've ridden a lot abroad and never needed a sat nav, so for me its only used for the unknown fishing trips where I need to be there nice and handy.

I always thought GPS on bikes was an utterly ridiculous concept, right up until the point I got one. Now I wouldn't choose to be without one. Exactly the same as mobile phones- managed for years without one, couldn't see what would be good about it; wouldn't be without one now.

There are good points and bad points about having GPS, but ultimately it's just a tool. Use it & listen to it when you want; don't when you don't.

Garmin Zumo 550 for £360

Wifey uses satnav extensively in her work car and has one in her own car and she swears by (and occasionally at) it. We bought it when we were coming up north to househunt as we didn't know the area at all, it was the original TomTom 300 and works (almost) flawlessly.
I intend getting satnav for me bike but I'm not getting dedicated bike satnav as it's still far too dear! If you can get cheap-ish satnav for cars what about cheap bike satnav?
I'm going to get a car satnav which has an earphone socket so I can hear the directions and stick it in a map pocket or tank bag to keep it weatherproof, much cheaper and easier to get. I've seen a couple that are pretty good.
One is the ViaMichelin x960 selling in Maplin for £120 and it's loaded with all the relevant maps (can't remember if it has all of Europe or not) has an MP3 player and is cracking for details on points of interest, especially somewhere to eat. Battery life's poor at around 2 hours but you can always get a lighter socket from nippynormans for £13. Also has speed camera warnings and warnings of bad bends etc which is handy. I heard somewhere it uses pretty much the same mapping as Tomtom so they're proven.
The other one I saw today at Tesco and is the Medion Go Pal 205 selling for £100, no real special features but does have speed cameras.
These both have earphone sockets so you can hear it in yer helmet without the hassle of pairing up bluetooth stuff.
I don't really see it as an inconvenience having to stick it in a tank bag to protect it from the rain when it's saving you about £300 on a bike specific system.

Never said I didn't like em


I wouldn't know - the MikeyMikey model cost me so much I can't afford a TomTom

Speed camera alerts are unbelievably annoying. When they start hiding them in wheelie bins on NSL roads, it might just be worth it. Until then, it gets switched off.

Warning of nasty bends?? The limit point works for me and hedgerows, trees, lamp posts, and other vehicles are another source of information. Unless you're hell bent on making progress in thick fog- and that's a bit silly.

Personally, I'd rather buy a bike specific GPS for £360...

I certainly can't afford a MikeyMikey GPS model, whatever the Mrs thinks.

I have the second generation grandson Jack model which claims to to know EVERYTHING My close range eyesight now rules out tank notes so nowadays I would not be without my trusty Garmin Quest, it means that I can enjoy my riding and the scenery on my trips.

who said nae, and who said dont get one?

I still dont see where i said not to get one.....

i said i cant see the point to fitting one to MY bike... and a good set of maps is enough for a planned ride..

Hummed and haad for years then bought a Garmin Quest. Sucker mount in the car and a clip on mount on the bike. Don't always use it but very handy for finding strange places in big cities and for finding the best route home in a hurry. The Quest is waterproof and you can also buy OS type maps if you are the hiking type. Mine cost £174 including maps for Europe.

i have TomTom 5.2 on my phone and its great, i admit i rarely use it on the bike but there have been times i wished i had it with me.

i've used it on foot to find my hotel in leeds, used it in Spain to find my way from the airport to hotel and back again.

yeah a set of maps is great for a planned route, unless its unfamiliar town roads but sat nav is an in valuable tool.

i used both when i toured Wales, destination points in TomTom, and maps for the route (TomTom often doesnt like the strange choices we make in the pursuit of happiness). Then if i got lost i just got TomTom to tell me how to get back on track. :-)

ps if you have a phone compatible with TomTom 5 or 5.2 drop me a pm

Kinda what Billy said, really.

By all means, get one - They are useful and have some funky features.
Just remember - Like a map and compass, they are navigational aids ONLY. They do not replace the need to know where you're going and the need to be totally aware of what's around you. They are also occasionally fallible, so mix their use with common sense.

Lack of dosh is probably going to force me to stick with maps for now but I might go for GPS next year when I want to do some kind of short tour. I'm a good map reader but if yer lost yer lost and maps aren't worth a toss if you can't figure out where you are whereas GPS always knows where you are. Unless you're near wet trees in the case of our Tomtom

My Navman Pin 570 has sent me the "Long Way Round" a few times. It once asked me to do a U turn, I was only going next door to borrow some milk.

I have 2 garmin street pilot 111's planning petrol stops on long runs is great no worries just flag what you want and ride to that point, there great waterproof,and better than satnreadthemapnav and wasted time doing so..

2.....................................

greedy bugger

I also find these things useful for indicating whether an incoming corner is tight or not, especially on routes I don't know.

now that really does say alot...

My old dad always tells me to use the right tool for the job and the right tool for that particular job is the Mark I Eye Ball ™

GPS says 85MPH corner, but map doesn't show two hair pins in the middle- stranger things happen daily.

Given the resolution of sat nav screens you'd have to be staring straight at it right at the moment you ought to be making obs and planning your entry and exit. That can't be good.

I suppose GPS would be good for showing you if there are tight corners if you check on it BEFORE you ride off. But looking at it while you're riding is not the best idea. If you don't know the road, SLOW DOWN! LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING!

I'm not sure you guys have used the same gps i have, but you get plenty of time before you are anywhere near the corner to quickly glance down at the 3d picture, then it's heads up and take the corner as you see it. Even at say 50mph you have at least 10 - 15 seconds before you even start your deceleration/approach to the corner. rememebr it's only to get a rough guide of hairpin/tight/s bend or easy...particularly in the dark - it's just an addition to the other helpful signs already there and I think the human brain is capable enough to handle the information.
It's not very corner you understand..

ah....is that how it works.....

I am certainly gonna be purchasing one for my expeditions next year, i'm useless at trying to get anywhere without some kind of aid and sadly my eyesight isn't good enough for a tank map.
Don't get me wrong, i'm happy enough going for a blast to wherever, but, when i need to get somewhere i wanna get there reasonably quickly and in a direct route
So far for me it's gonna be the Tom Tom Rider

Well yes, they do show yer the route to Asda.

Wow, thats a classic.... my eyesight is bad, cant see a map, but i can see this little screen thingy on the end of my bars....

Well, if they've got Asda's at the various MotoGP's i'm attending next year, then i guess i'm ok


That's where the voice control takes over besides, the directions are shown to the same size of the unit

Que?

Very = every

I think sat nav is a fantastic invention. It saves alot of time and frustration. When you just want to explore like someone earlier said you just switch sat nav on to find out where you are and tell sat nav to "take me Home" lol

all this makes me wonder, how the hell you lot managed to get anywhere before the satnav was invented ...maybe you didnt...
Ive traveled the roads of the UK to numerous rallies and stuff, yeah, ive went off course from time to time. but ive found some great roads that i would never have found had i been following a satnav.
in saying that. my 1st ever experiance of following a rider who was useing satnav was on a trip to Hunstanton a few years back. took us over 5hours to do the ride cos his guide kept getting us lost... i led on the way back, and we did the journey in just over 2 hours
anyway, i'll stick to my maps and my wandering around the countyside thankyou very much

as for using your satnav as a giude to take corners...never read so much sh!t in all my life!

ScorpioTaz has the best satnav - it even arranges to pick up UKBF members on slip roads on the way to rallies


However, it did keep insisting that he rode into all lay-by's

Billy, if you don't like sat navs that's fine, plenty of us do. However, your above comment confirms your inability to read...thus sat navs and maps would be useless to you. Also, if you do not have or have never had a sat nav how can you possibly know what information they are capable of giving?

BTW that is a rhetorical question.....(means I don't expect an answer)

Billy already said that he had a satnav in his car - so we'll have less comments about people's inability to read


I happen to agree with his thinking about using satnav for corners.

Calm down and don't make this personal - I won't have it you know

That sounds about right - A navigational aid.

Whatever works for you, I guess.
Myself, I rather like the idea of learning to do it the old fashioned way. It builds the base skills and is essential to appreciating what SatNav can add to the experience. Plus it's something you can rely on far more since you don't need batteries to run a map - Just a waterproof case and a headlight if it's nighttime.

Failing that, you could always stop and ask the way

Pikey, I'm sure you didn't mean to be patronising.....(means talking down to someone)

heh heh heh - really I am smiling when I read your posts..

but I am frustrated at the lack of understanding of what I originaly said..and it is my fault..

Do any of you look at signs on the side of the road..like the ones which indicate an s bend for instance?? so..what's the difference between that and glancing at you sat nav well before an unknown bend which gives you an accurate indication of the type of bend ahead and THEN go into eyesight mode or whatever someone called it, still well before the decelration point..no one or thing is guiding me round

I know I have convinced no one..but admittedly I did not appreciate billy's usual aggressive s'all..no big deal.

Your 'onour! may I draw your attention to THIS thread, post 9

I rest my case after ask for a 9 month sentence for Billy in the JOKES department.

Sorry yer 'onour but the link don't work, I will join Billy in the JOKES department.

Fuel petition thread....post 9.