Just delivered today from Amazon a Garmin 50LM 5 inch screen for $ 79.95-

 

If you go with a Garmin, here's a cheap way to mount it.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-B...item27cb34170a

 

If you insist on getting a cheap GPS (been there done that but ride in too much rain) try pawn shops. Co-workers have found decent units on the cheap but they are for cages.

 

I normally have the GPS with me but a trick I used on a 1700 mile trip in the Smokies was 2 inch wide blue painter's tape. Peel off a 6 inch piece and stick it to my tank and write on it with a black sharpie. The painter's tape comes off and leaves nothing behind and it is not affected by rain. Sometimes the GPS wants to take me on a route I don't want to travel so the painter's tape keeps me on the road I want to be on. Can't get much cheaper than this.

 

This is pretty much what my wife and I do. I just use the mapping app that comes on the iphone. We're not in a hurry and don't make reservations so it works for us.

No bluetooth so if I miss a turn we make a uturn or find an alternate route.

 

I just drove from north Carolina to ca with my 4S and google maps, took me on the wrong route about 20 times, would not put any faith in google maps.

 

blackness03, I bought the 2557lmt and it works great. We just did a coast to coast to coast from NC. It will hold 100 routes. I use H-D ride planner. I used a ram mount and light rain not a problem... heavy rain use a Ziplock as I do for my XM radio.

 

Thanks for the link. Have you had any problems with the gps wanting to come off the ball when you hit a bump in the road?


I think I'm going to order this one. I like the price of it.


That's a good idea too. I may try that since I'm sure the gps wont always take me the way I want to go.

 

If you have AAA, another suggestion is use the free TripTik to plan out your main route. I've also entered the H-D dealers with service on the GPS along my route as a just-in-case. If you need a tow, most will send a trailer to pick you and your bike up. Some indy towers may not have the right tow for bikes.

 

I use a Garmin Nuvi 2555 LMT and an inexpensive mount .
With something like this : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Mount-C...item2a34558b2f
The cover is not perfect but is has seen numerous bad rain storms and the worst has been some fog in the case or very slight moisture.
Please understand limitations:
A garmin car unit will NOT record routes as you enter them from HD ride planner. You MUST break the route into segments in ride planner and use about 20 "waypoints" to twist the arm of the GPS. per segment. You must ZOOM on HD ride planner before you plant a flag (waypoint) to make sure it is on the road. Nothing worse than making a turn for nothing because you planted a waypoint(flag) out in a field. Planting waypoints is done in order to prevent redirection to shortest time/distance. Again, just because you see the route in ride planner does not translate to the exact route in the GPS. You must record each segment in Ride planner with its own name. You must recheck the GPS itself (NOT THE COMPUTER) to make sure it matches because the GPS will recalculate. It does NOT just copy a created map...If you do not break the route into segments with individual names and numerous waypoints with ride planner and then important each segment the GPS will just see the START and FINISH and re-adjust everything to what ever it wants.
Folks miss this and then get pissed because the unit did not follow their scenic route.
When using the GPS i just look at the top bar that reads in large print an arrow and how many miles.
As i get closer i can hear the GPS with a fullface if volume is set at 90% and speed is under 50mph so it works well when site seeing at low speeds but i can not hear at highway speeds. No big deal since i can see how many miles to the next turn along with a name.
Make sure to have a back-up plan in case the unit separates from the bike..A string or some kind of line is a good idea. Some times you can just tape or velco the power cord to the unit and then a zip tie of the cord to the bars is good enough insurance.
I had one unit get loose one time will pumping gas when i bumped into it rather hard..Fortunately the cord and the side of my body held it from smashing to the ground...The tie wrap section of Lowes or Home depot has some peel and stick loop things that work well. http://www.lowes.com/pd_292685-1781-...=#BVRRWidgetID