Just my 2 penneth ,the dedicated bike ones are exactly that, so glove friendly bigger icons, most have curvy route setting, anti reflective screens, and water proof. I have a 390lm and wouldn't use a car one, I tried one in between the Zumo 660 and this one and it wasn't much good tbh. Be interested to see how you get on?
TBH finances are not in great shape ATM and in any case I doubt I'm IT savvy enough to plot routes on my laptop and transfer them (can't make head or tail of Tyre or Basecamp etc) or use half the techy connectivity stuff so I'd probably only use a fraction of a bike nav's capability. I've got used to plotting using paper maps and it works really well. The Sat-nav will mainly be for navigating the orrible busy urban stuff where I'm likely to get lost. It should be fine for that and I could do with a new car one anyway.
I’ve just bought and fitted a quadlock to my Scrambler, and downloaded an app called Sygic which has maps from around the world on it so it doesn’t use your phones data like Google maps.
I have a Garmin Zumo 395LM. It's a dedicated bike nav and was about £300 all in. I added a Touratech locking cradle that I got used for £60 and it's fitted on the GS. Objectively it's less sophisticated than Google maps but hardwires into my bike and I have diversity from my phone. Google Maps is clearer and a better navigator (Garmin can hang, lane guidance is confusing) and handles real-time traffic / routing better but doesn't do things like show me trip data as succinctly (road speed, prevailing speed limit, journey time remaining, distance time remaining etc.). I also worry about the longevity of the phone and cabling as living on a bike for 10k miles a year cannot be good for it. The Garmin is designed to live on a bike and although an iPhone 7 / 8 / X or Pixel 2 are waterproof they are still dependent upon phone cabling and mounts etc. For casual use, waterproof phone. For serious use either get a bike nav, know where you're going or learn to read a map.
I use maps 90% of the time anyway with written directions. Its served me well all round the UK. I greatly prefer recreational route planning from a good physical paper map like a larger than 1:300,000 scale OS tour map because you can see what the landscape is going to look like on the paper. I've refound places I'd visited long ago but whose name and exact location I'd forgotten by searching out physical features in the landscape off an OS map. You can't do that with Google or any of the digital mapping systems because they just don't show the detail. I did consider a phone but as above, I don't have a smartphone and the one I'd want would cost more than a dedicated bike sat-nav and really I just want an inexpensive system for a forthcoming trip to Scotland, mostly for the busy bits en-route and pinpointing a few addresses I need to visit in cities, particularly as I'm staying at a place that has no internet access so I can't do a last minute Google..
I’d look for a used zumo 660 .. great on the bike or in the car. Automatically knows which depending on the mount used - should find one within budget Had mine for 10years and no reason to change whilst maps are still updated
Tested mine for the first time yesterday. Good = works really well both from a mapping and mounting POV. Bad = battery life on the phone was decimated from 100% to 29% in 90 mins of riding. Going to investigate hard wire or a small power pack I can take in my pocket to recharge the phone as and when necessary.
Quad lock is ace isn’t it. I’ve run a £5 12v USB adapter on all my bikes. Same one has moved with me and lasted years. I’ve recently hooked up one to my uncle’s bike as well as doing one for another inmate on here. JZK® Car Power Converter DC 12V to 5V/ 3A Voltage Converter with Dual USB Adapter Connectors for phone charging car audio radio etc https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XSCCLCD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sxMaBb1J5RMRW
I bought on of these on your recommendation about two years ago and it's still going strong. Took a while to find a lightning cable robust enough to take the vibrations of being permanently mounted on the bike, but now have one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B072JXXVP3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Just to be sure, I cut the female end off an extension cable to store it in when not in use to protect from moisture. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OMBTMAM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 All good so far!
Looks like I'll do this now. The Garmin I bought was faulty so I took it back. Might as well try and find a used bike nav now. Anyone got one...?
There was a 390lm for sale on here recently gimbo, not sure if it's still for sale though, can't remember who was selling it either (bigalan maybe? )but try a search, the description was Garmin 390lm. Good luck
Hi - I bought a TomTom via about 6 or 7 years ago- cost about £100 with updates and full Europe maps on it - it was the best £100 I ever spent. I just use the suction cup to stick to screen on my Triumph - it got soaked, many times. Even to the extent of seeing a line of water half-way up the screen - it would eventually turn itself off- I would let it dry out and it would power up again no problem. Eventually after about 4 years it got so waterlogged it powered off and refused to come back on. I bought another - still use it every week on the bike and car. I run it off a USB outlet and its great. Good luck
