Motorcycle GPS
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
Motorcycle GPS
What's a good GPS that I can suction cup to my windshield that has a long battery life. I might just be ignorant, but I'm pretty sure my Softail Custom doesn't have a place to plug one in.
I figured this community would have plenty of collective GPS experience. So, I'm asking before I waste my money on something stupid.
I figured this community would have plenty of collective GPS experience. So, I'm asking before I waste my money on something stupid.
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 791
Likes: 1
From: The Real World
No to suction cup...must be a rigid mount to the bars or tank. Take a look at the Garmin site..the Zumo range is very good and has small form factor. You will need to wire the mounting hardware to the battery with a suitable fused link.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,553
Likes: 17
A good affordable GPS is this Garmin nuvi 255W. I bought the Garmin 855w because it had a built in MP3 player but the 255w will do everything you need.
A good mount is this one made by RAM. It's what I use and it works great. Solid.
A good power supply (provided you have a battery tender pig tail hanging from your battery) is this one from Powerlet. Use zip ties to run it up under your tank, zipping it to existing wires. That'll also give you the ability to charge cell phones and anything else using a cig lighter charger.
A good mount is this one made by RAM. It's what I use and it works great. Solid.
A good power supply (provided you have a battery tender pig tail hanging from your battery) is this one from Powerlet. Use zip ties to run it up under your tank, zipping it to existing wires. That'll also give you the ability to charge cell phones and anything else using a cig lighter charger.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 10,946
Likes: 822
From: Nevada
I use a plain old Garmin automotive GPS. It costs much less than the bike specific ones. Whatever you buy, don't use a suction cup mount. As suggested above, go with a rigit mount. CycleGadgets.com offers a large selection.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,900
Likes: 4
From: way down upon the Suwannee River
Tom-Tom Ryder II is made for a motorcycle. Waterproff and vibration resistant and Comes with a good handlebar mount and blue tooth mic. and speakers for your helmet. It's a simple job to plug into your wiring harness and is very affordable. I've had one for over 2 years now and love it.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Connecticut
A good affordable GPS is this Garmin nuvi 255W. I bought the Garmin 855w because it had a built in MP3 player but the 255w will do everything you need.
A good mount is this one made by RAM. It's what I use and it works great. Solid.
A good power supply (provided you have a battery tender pig tail hanging from your battery) is this one from Powerlet. Use zip ties to run it up under your tank, zipping it to existing wires. That'll also give you the ability to charge cell phones and anything else using a cig lighter charger.
A good mount is this one made by RAM. It's what I use and it works great. Solid.
A good power supply (provided you have a battery tender pig tail hanging from your battery) is this one from Powerlet. Use zip ties to run it up under your tank, zipping it to existing wires. That'll also give you the ability to charge cell phones and anything else using a cig lighter charger.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 63
From: Eastern Washington State
Just got a Garmin 1350T and it is a pretty nice unit. Mounted to handlebars with a RAM mount and I'll be wiring it to a switched lead with a power cord from GPSgeek.com. Battery life in most of the units I looked at was only about 4 hours which could be more or less depending on how bright you set the screen and how many times you fiddle with it. My son has been using one on his Ultra for quite awhile now and had no problems. You can also use it in the car if you've a mind to.
Trending Topics
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,990
Likes: 9
From: Marina del Rey
Gps
Though it is not waterproof or motorcycle-specific, I have mounted the Magellan Roadmate 1700, which has a large-format touch-screen that is very easy to use while wearing heavy, insulated gloves. It was on sale for $200. I just tapped a hole in the upper handlebar clamp and mounted a handmade stainless steel bracket; this photo shows it mounted using a stage I mod of the original plastic bracket, whose vibration-induced excursions left it nearly unreadable. The new mount has no discernible vibration and feels rock-solid.
BTW, Magellan is said to be soon introducing a new bike-specific GPS. Garmin is also very highly regarded. Any non-specific models will likely not be waterproof, but a zip-lock is all many of us use.
Power is through a cig-lighter-style adapter, plugged into the battery-tender pigtail.
A big negative on the suction cup.
BTW, Magellan is said to be soon introducing a new bike-specific GPS. Garmin is also very highly regarded. Any non-specific models will likely not be waterproof, but a zip-lock is all many of us use.
Power is through a cig-lighter-style adapter, plugged into the battery-tender pigtail.
A big negative on the suction cup.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
A good affordable GPS is this Garmin nuvi 255W. I bought the Garmin 855w because it had a built in MP3 player but the 255w will do everything you need.
A good mount is this one made by RAM. It's what I use and it works great. Solid.
A good power supply (provided you have a battery tender pig tail hanging from your battery) is this one from Powerlet. Use zip ties to run it up under your tank, zipping it to existing wires. That'll also give you the ability to charge cell phones and anything else using a cig lighter charger.
A good mount is this one made by RAM. It's what I use and it works great. Solid.
A good power supply (provided you have a battery tender pig tail hanging from your battery) is this one from Powerlet. Use zip ties to run it up under your tank, zipping it to existing wires. That'll also give you the ability to charge cell phones and anything else using a cig lighter charger.