Navigation: Just Terrible
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 23,000
Likes: 11,441
A GPS is not that big a deal for me. We have played with ours. If you do not use correct options it will take you on a real scenic route.
Example. I know my way around pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area. for the heck of it left Marryville and allowed GPS to take us to Gatlinburg. I don't even know if some of those roads were on a map. It was wild. We came out on the main road in Pigeon Forge though the back parking lot of a tattoo and vaping place. Riding skills required on that route.
Other times when set to just get there is has been ok. I think they added some routing for motorcycle routes.
Major roads in places like Milwaukee are changing so fast nothing can keep up.
Example. I know my way around pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area. for the heck of it left Marryville and allowed GPS to take us to Gatlinburg. I don't even know if some of those roads were on a map. It was wild. We came out on the main road in Pigeon Forge though the back parking lot of a tattoo and vaping place. Riding skills required on that route.
Other times when set to just get there is has been ok. I think they added some routing for motorcycle routes.
Major roads in places like Milwaukee are changing so fast nothing can keep up.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 146
From:
We're on a trip from Arlington, Texas to Telluride, Colorado on our Road Glide Special. Staying the night in Farmington, New Mexico. So.....we've been using our Harley Nav. Got to say it is the worst. It drops out without warning, gives strange routes, is difficult to follow and washes out in sunlight. It really is close to useless. So, we resort to the Garmin Ap in our IPhone. Shame on Harley for installing this cheesey nav system item in its high dollar motorcycles. 😡
Now if you are interested in a really cool route after Telluride, that a lot of Coloradans know about is this. When you get back to Placerville go west on 141 which becomes 145 through Nucla and Naturita along the San Miguel and Delores Rivers. There are Hanging Flumes from 1880s gold mining on the rock faces over the river. It's a great route that will bring you to Gateway, Colorado. There is a high dollar resort there and the coolest car and motorcycle museum. It's definitely worth the 15 bucks to see it! If you go east out of Gateway on 141 you end up back on 550 just south of Grand Junction.
Screw the Navigation! I know my way around Colorado way better than any silly computer. The scenery on that trip is something you don't want to miss!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,484
Likes: 2,529
From: Lititz Pa
I set main on avoid highways,told roads, ferry's, then on scenic. Works for me takes me on roads I never know were there. I have used it on long trips on back roads only. When I want to get some place fast I use the interstates don't need a GPS I look at a map.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
Just a guess - based on the MOCO's general design expertise.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 953
Likes: 127
From: Rome, NY
The Boom system is Harman-Kardon, and uses the iGO Navigation Engine by NNG LLC of Hungary. (See Wikipedia)
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 268
From: People's Republic of Boulder Colorado
No doubt the cheapest vendor(s) the MOCO could find.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,680
Likes: 602
From: South Florida
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Banned
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 67
I have been using the Harley GPS on my RG Special for 6 months now. I am an everyday rider and my opinion of the GPS system is less than stellar. It is constantly re configuring itself along a route to the point where sometimes it appears to get lost. This is not what you want in a navigation system. With the sun at your back the screen is impossible to read. Again, not what you want in a navigation system. Besides all it's shortcomings it is incredibly complicated to operate. It is anything but user friendly. I have resorted to mounting my 2 year old portable Garmin to the handlebars with a Ram Mount. It works much better than the Harmon Kardon pos we are saddled with. Plus, it does not cost a small fortune to update it with new maps. With the Garmon unit I don't have to have a degree in electronics or physics to use it either. I have long felt that somebody at Harmon must have a brother in law working in the Harley head shed. Not a big fan of any Harmon units if you have not guessed it.
Riding a "Premium" priced motorcycle should me more enjoyable. But, I have no one but myself to blame because I just had to have a new M8 in the garage.
The bike itself is fine, but the Boom Box navigation blows.
Riding a "Premium" priced motorcycle should me more enjoyable. But, I have no one but myself to blame because I just had to have a new M8 in the garage.
The bike itself is fine, but the Boom Box navigation blows.
Last edited by texaswiz; Jul 3, 2017 at 09:03 AM.
