Sat Nav for car and occasional bike use
Discussion
Chaps, I'm looking for a portable Sat Nav unit mainly for the car and for very occasional use on the bike for a European blast. Am I right in saying that most units are powered by a car's cigarette lighter? if so I need to work out a power suplly on the bike (Yamaha R1). Can anyone suggest a good unit. It doesn't have to be bike friendly like the Garmin units as I will tape the unit to the tank for the few trips I will do.
Thanks in advance.
Andy.
Thanks in advance.
Andy.
I bought a Garmin Quest unit for exactly the same purpose as you, mainly for the car, but to use on my bike too.
Bought a Ram Mount, as Garmin's version for the Quest wasn't out when I got it. Fitted perfectly on the bar of my Fazer 600 and used it to travel down to Magny-Cours and back earlier this year in the bike. Mount was only 20 quid, so it stays on the bike and the unit just slots out as and when needed. You'll find using anything just 'taped to your tank' will be nigh on impossible, as they need to be at a certain angle to get reception.
I haven't bothered wiring it up to the battery on the bike, as the battery in the unit itself will last for anywhere between 5-9 hours, which is ample for a days riding. (You can adjust the level of brightness on the screen, which affects how rapidly the battery power drains, minimum on the way over to France was 6 hours. Easy.)
Its waterproof, its easy to read, easy to update the mapping for whichever region/country you're going to. And it didn't miss a single turn all the way through France, even brought three motorbikes and a people carrier round the Pariferique through Monday morning rush hour traffic without the slightest problem.
Metal casing, so hard wearing and dead easy to use.
I have pictures of it mounted to my bike if you are interested.
>> Edited by racefan_uk on Wednesday 30th November 14:06
Bought a Ram Mount, as Garmin's version for the Quest wasn't out when I got it. Fitted perfectly on the bar of my Fazer 600 and used it to travel down to Magny-Cours and back earlier this year in the bike. Mount was only 20 quid, so it stays on the bike and the unit just slots out as and when needed. You'll find using anything just 'taped to your tank' will be nigh on impossible, as they need to be at a certain angle to get reception.
I haven't bothered wiring it up to the battery on the bike, as the battery in the unit itself will last for anywhere between 5-9 hours, which is ample for a days riding. (You can adjust the level of brightness on the screen, which affects how rapidly the battery power drains, minimum on the way over to France was 6 hours. Easy.)
Its waterproof, its easy to read, easy to update the mapping for whichever region/country you're going to. And it didn't miss a single turn all the way through France, even brought three motorbikes and a people carrier round the Pariferique through Monday morning rush hour traffic without the slightest problem.
Metal casing, so hard wearing and dead easy to use.
I have pictures of it mounted to my bike if you are interested.
>> Edited by racefan_uk on Wednesday 30th November 14:06
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