Ok guys, no shortage of "best of" threads these days. Whats your preference for GPS? Im looking for something that is easy to use, that I can plot trips on with a PC, and that will interface with my HK radio for spoken directions. I looked at the tom tom rider and reviews seem to indicate that the screen is hard to read in the sun.

 

Personally I like the Garmin GPS units. Look for one that has MP3 capability and Bluetooth. Might have to add a small 1/8" plug in Bluetooth receiver to get spoken directions. Don't know if many outside of a dedicated motorcycle unit that have 1/8" line out cord.

 

Very pleased with my Garmin 390LM although if I was to get one now I'd go for the 590LM which came out shortly after I got the 390.
Only thing I don't love about it is the Base Camp program for building rides. The old Mapsource or whatever it was with my old 2720 was much more user friendly for an old f#@K like me...

 

Duplicate post even though it never said it posted?!?!

 

Garmin, Tomtom, smart phone, they are all generally darn hard to read in the sun.

Only one I've found, that I can see in the bright sunlight, is my DeLorme PN-40 (now the PN-60). But, it's a tiny screen and the unit is not easy to use.

 

deleted - duplicate post.

 

The Motorcycle friendly Garmin units do pretty good in sunlight

 

Garmin, Tomtom, smart phone, they are all generally darn hard to read in the sun.

Only one I've found, that I can see in the bright sunlight, is my DeLorme PN-40 (now the PN-60). But, it's a tiny screen and the unit is not easy to use.

That said, the DeLorme unit lets me see topographic information and lots of other nifty stuff. I can tell whether a road is riding a ridge or down in a valley, are we going through the woods or along farm fields. When I want to go back home, or somewhere specific, I can ask it for a road route, or just to display a vector arrow. That's something I like a lot. a display showing home is 200 miles "that way" is darn nice when I'm just puttering around.

For road tripping, the DeLorme PN is is the unit I tend to use.

 

Ease of reading of any brand depends on the installation. If it is mounted low, so that it is close to horizontal to look at, then it will get washed out in bright light. If mounted higher (mine is above the handlebar on the right), then the best reading angle is more upright and it is easier to read in bright light. My preference is for TomTom and I have a current Rider, which I use on all three bikes, plus our cars.

 

I use both the Zumo 665, and the Zumo 660. I like them both, easy to use all the way around. I use the HD rideplanner site to build my routes, and I have done some wild rides, and they have all downloaded easily to the Garmins.