Motorcycle GPS vs Car (Portable) GPS?

[newbert]

This past weekend, I rode with an old friend for a few days. (He's on a 2-wheeler and has much more riding experience than I do.) He mentioned that I should get a motorcycle GPS a number of times but, other than saying that they're water-proof (or at least water-resistant), he never made a compelling argument as to why I shouldn't continue using my car's portable Garmin Nuvo instead of investing in something new.

So, I'll ask for opinions here -- Are motorcycle GPS's more suitable for ryding than portable car GPS units? If so, why? Are the screens better (ie brighter, sharper or easier to read)?

FWIW - right now my Garmin Nuvo is held by a Ram X-Grip and powered by a USB port. I run an audio cable from it to earbuds in order to hear the directions. My main complaint about it is the glare on it's screen makes it a bit difficult to read. - Are the screens better (ie brighter, sharper or easier to read) on motorcycle GPS units?

Thanks!

[pwm]

The screen is pretty much the same. I have used both. The only problem I had with the Nuvi was getting caught in a rain storm. It still worked but never the same. The screen finally died.

[Brentc]

I just upgraded to the iPhone 8 plus, which is water resistant and has a larger screen. I run the Tom Tom app and really like it. No issues to speak of.

[papanorm]

I would say the biggest advantage that a Zumo 590 has is that your gloved hand works on the touch screen. My experience is that the sun’s glare is there for both types and both would benefit from a hood. I always carried a zip loc baggy to put over my Nuvi in a rainstorm without negative effects.

[asp125]

The main advantage of moto specific GPS is ability to operate with gloved fingers, and more weather resistance.

[Triple B]

I use the exact same system. Garmi Nuvi. I use a RAM mount on my dash, behind the windscreen and have never had rain problems. My biggest problem is the glare also, so much so that I have stopped using it. I also have been wondering about the M/C GPS units.

[Ranman42]

I have used both types. I had a cover over the nuvi so I didn't have too much an issue with rain but did have fogging and condensation. The unit never got wet enough to fail. It was difficult to see a lot of times. Glare was a big issue.

The 590 promises more brightness and easy to see. It still isn't 100% visible. I had rode thru some spyderfest torrential downpours and it has worked flawlessly.
It is a much heavier unit and besides being designed water resistant and glove friendly as other have said. It is more vibration resistant. As I said very heavy unit.
I think that is part of the difference between the two. The nuvi is a much lighter and enclosed rated type unit. I did ride with someone who did put a baggie over the unit and his lasted quite awhile on his scooter.

So for what it's worth that was most of the different between the two, other than my nuvi was so old it was not updateable any longer. As a note on that while the 590 promises life time map updates. That only holds true as long as Garmin determines useful life not your actual length of use time. IE if it lasts longer than a couple model updates they will declare it obsolete. I had this happen with other Garmin units.

As someone else says my free advice comes with a double your money back guarentee.

[Poseidon]

I have used both types. I had a cover over the nuvi so I didn't have too much an issue with rain but did have fogging and condensation. The unit never got wet enough to fail. It was difficult to see a lot of times. Glare was a big issue.

The 590 promises more brightness and easy to see. It still isn't 100% visible. I had rode thru some spyderfest torrential downpours and it has worked flawlessly.
It is a much heavier unit and besides being designed water resistant and glove friendly as other have said. It is more vibration resistant. As I said very heavy unit.
I think that is part of the difference between the two. The nuvi is a much lighter and enclosed rated type unit. I did ride with someone who did put a baggie over the unit and his lasted quite awhile on his scooter.

So for what it's worth that was most of the different between the two, other than my nuvi was so old it was not updateable any longer. As a note on that while the 590 promises life time map updates. That only holds true as long as Garmin determines useful life not your actual length of use time. IE if it lasts longer than a couple model updates they will declare it obsolete. I had this happen with other Garmin units.

As someone else says my free advice comes with a double your money back guarentee.

Only thing I would add to the list above is the motorcycle apps. Such as curvy road routing, tire pressure monitoring, weather and traffic with smart phone connected, etc.

oh... and about a $600 +/- price difference.

With phone navigation, you have to check to see if cell signal is a requirement or not. For example, "maps" on the iPhone works pretty well, but if you loose cell coverage, all you get is a black screen with a grid over it.

I rarely ever use a gps for navigation when I am riding. I always have the map up tho. It lets me know how curvy the road is, how sharp the next curve is, and if there are blind side roads around the next curve or over the next hill where someone might be pulling out.

Weather and traffic updates come in pretty handy as well.

The screen visibility is marginally improved over car gps's but with a hood / visor, it isn't too bad. The functionality of the screen is a big improvement tho. Works with gloves and you can use a lighter touch than what has been needed with previous GPS's I've had.

[Peter Aawen]

......

I rarely ever use a gps for navigation when I am riding. I always have the map up tho. It lets me know how curvy the road is, how sharp the next curve is, and if there are blind side roads around the next curve or over the next hill where someone might be pulling out.

Weather and traffic updates come in pretty handy as well.

The screen visibility is marginally improved over car gps's but with a hood / visor, it isn't too bad. The functionality of the screen is a big improvement tho. Works with gloves and you can use a lighter touch than what has been needed with previous GPS's I've had.

^^ More than anything else, this makes running a GPS worthwhile, especially if you are just out there enjoying an area you aren't all that familiar with!!

The functionality of the screen & all the 'extra's' the motorcycle versions have over a standard 'car GPS' also add to my preference for a 'Motorcycle GPS' for my Spyder, & I've got just about every type of GPS & navigation aid that's readily available to the general public that you can think of, plus a few that aren't readily available to anyone, let alone the general public!?!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

IMHO , if you want to spend 3x's what a reg. GPS costs you are wasting your money ......... I wrapped mine in clear Kitchen wrap ( like Saranwrap ) for less than .0000001 cents ... and mine is just as waterproof as the $600.00 GPS .... Mike

[Ranman42]

I agree. I already had the GPS from another bike so it was a pretty economical switch for me. Other wise I would have used the old one until it died out.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I use a Samsung 8" tablet with the Sygic GPS app. I like the big screen and have an anti-glare screen protector. I can still see it, although not good, when the sun is shining directly on it. The price was great, about $180 at Costco. A Zip Loc bag works just fine to protect it when the rain is heavy. Light rain hasn't hurt it all. In fact it's been wet enough that it quit working properly but wipe it dry and dry it out and it's good as new. I especially like the fact that when I stop for lunch or whatever I take it in and check my email, and SL, with it! And it is connected into the GPS audio input so I hear it over my helmet headset. The Sygic app may not have some of the goodies a m/c GPS does, but overall it's a super great system for what I want and need.

[sylvester]

Newbert i use a garmin nuvi and been using it for years. I made sort of an umbrella to cover the screen so it's more visible you can buy them and modify it i used wire and then bent it to to keep it from flopping in the wind. also carry a zip lock bag medium when its pouring just cover it never had any damage to the unit have had it for years

[jcthorne]

I have been using my Garmin Nuvi for years on the bike without diffeculty. Mounts fine using a Ram mount. Works fine with gloves on (all Garmins do as they have resistive touch screens) and connects to my smart phone for weather, traffic and traffic cam updates. Also my Nuvi is a 7" model so I can easily read it at a glance while riding, the Zumo models are too small. The 7" Nuvi screen is actually brighter and has less glare than the Zumo.

The ONLY advantage a Zumo really has for use on a Spyder is bluetooth connection to your helmet, the Nuvi units do not do bluetooth out to a headset.

[newbert]

The consensus here is pretty much what I thought ..... I'll just get a ziplock bag to carry in case of rain, and continue to use my Nuvi.

Thanks!

[Highwayman2013]

If you still want a motorcycle specific GPS for a reasonable price look at the TomTom rider.

[Dennis in Lodi]

This waterproof motorcycle GPS has every feature as ANY GPS on the market. Yes it has blue tooth and works with gloves, but how can you really control any GPS with gloves on while riding? It has a 5" screen and can be seen in direct sunlight. I found a night time screen with a black background and deep blue roads that is even better for daytime driving. It also has
I-GO Australian Software which is the #1 rated software for GPS. BMW, AUDI, Mercedes and most European manufactures use this software. It' $125 and I consider it disposable should it fail. Each time I buy a new bike I get the latest version and sell my bike with the old one.
I use my phone for most of my navigation as google maps has real time traffic alerts. But, I have had my phone let me down because of low coverage. A GPS always has coverage and this one shows about 12 square miles on the screen. When I'm touring I can't tell you how many times I spotted a really nice park or river to follow by spotting it on the screen that is a couple of miles away from my road. It's bullet proof


http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-0-Waterpro...72.m2749.l2649

[Fatcycledaddy]

The consensus here is pretty much what I thought ..... I'll just get a ziplock bag to carry in case of rain, and continue to use my Nuvi.

Thanks!

There are several other things the Zumo 590 will do that a nuvi will not, I own both.
It all depends what you want out of your GPS and what you will be using it for.
The 590 has the following features
Stereo MP3 player so no ipod is needed for your custom music.
Split screen on the right side for quick access to things like MP3, Weather, Whats up ahead at each exit, closest gas station, and phone.
Caller ID on phone calls so you can ignore all but emergency calls
A complete breadcrumb program of where you have been
Will track and alert you of fuel stops when routing.
If your trip is farther than your tank will go it warns you before you start.
Track all of your maintenance if you want to.
Record your entire trip, travel time, average speed, miles traveled, and if you enter your fuel stops, average MPG
You can search for a place closest to you or along your active route that you are currently traveling.
With the flat mat screen I have yet to find it not visible in the brightest sun with my polarized glasses on.

I like it so much that I use it in the car instead of the built in GPS.
Mine came with my RT limited so I didn't have to go out and buy one, but yes the $600.00 difference would be hard to swallow on the initial purchase. Now that I have one and see what all it will do, I understand the price differance and would pay it.

Again it all depends on what you are going to use it for. If yo are just using it as a map display, go the cheapest route you can.

[bcer960]

If you still want a motorcycle specific GPS for a reasonable price look at the TomTom rider.

This is what I have, and love it. It has bluetooth voice commands to my helmet, so my eyes can stay on the road more, and one thing I really like is that it shows gas stations within the next 30 miles along your route. I have used this feature more than once.

Ray

[jcthorne]

There are several other things the Zumo 590 will do that a nuvi will not, I own both.
It all depends what you want out of your GPS and what you will be using it for.
The 590 has the following features
Stereo MP3 player so no ipod is needed for your custom music.
Track all of your mainSplit screen on the right side for quick access to things like MP3, Weather, Whats up ahead at each exit, closest gas station, and phone.
Caller ID on phone calls so you can ignore all but emergency calls
A complete breadcrumb program of where you have been
Will track and alert you of fuel stops when routing.
If your trip is farther than your tank will go it warns you before you start.tenance if you want to.
Record your entire trip, travel time, average speed, miles traveled, and if you enter your fuel stops, average MPG
You can search for a place closest to you or along your active route that you are currently traveling.
With the flat mat screen I have yet to find it not visible in the brightest sun with my polarized glasses on.

I like it so much that I use it in the car instead of the built in GPS.
Mine came with my RT limited so I didn't have to go out and buy one, but yes the $600.00 difference would be hard to swallow on the initial purchase. Now that I have one and see what all it will do, I understand the price differance and would pay it.

Again it all depends on what you are going to use it for. If yo are just using it as a map display, go the cheapest route you can.

My Nuvi 2797 has all of these that you mentioned. They are not exclusive to Zumo models.

Split screen on the right side for quick access to things like MP3, Weather, Whats up ahead at each exit, closest gas station, and phone.
Caller ID on phone calls so you can ignore all but emergency calls
A complete breadcrumb program of where you have been
Will track and alert you of fuel stops when routing.
If your trip is farther than your tank will go it warns you before you start.
Record your entire trip, travel time, average speed, miles traveled, and if you enter your fuel stops, average MPG
You can search for a place closest to you or along your active route that you are currently traveling.
With the flat mat screen

[CA Railwhale]

I use a TomTom that I used to use in the car. Why buy a new GPS for almost a grand when what I already have works reasonably well. Most of hte time I don't even have the GPS mount on the bike. I only use it when I'm going someplace strange.

[Wiredux]

I will add my $0.02 in here. I find it best to go with the MC GPS due to the fact that it is waterproof, more rugged than the car and you can operate it with gloves on. The part about being in the rain with GPS that can handle it should be enough. Nothing like being on a road trip, get caught in the rain and have your GPS go out, or the bag around it fog up and you cant see it.

[No 2817]

The ONLY advantage a Zumo really has for use on a Spyder is bluetooth connection to your helmet, the Nuvi units do not do bluetooth out to a headset.

Chris

[bcer960]

The ONLY advantage a Zumo really has for use on a Spyder is bluetooth connection to your helmet, the Nuvi units do not do bluetooth out to a headset.

Chris

But the tomtom does.....

[WackyDan]

I've been using the cheaper auto Garmins forever. Am on my second one since 2008 which isn't bad considering how cheap they have gotten.

Obviously as the others have pointed out... The benefits of a Garmin Zumo is primarily the weather resistance and the ability to use gloves with the screen. The other aspect of the MC centric GPS units is that you can set them to not only avoid highways like a car gps can also do, but the MC GPS can be set to take twistier roads. The screens are supposed to be brighter, but still can't overcome glare if the sun is hitting them just right.

Here is how my use of an automotive GPS progressed on my spyder.

• I started out putting a zip lock over my Garmin and using a rubber band to hold it in place. This worked mostly fine, but you'll find you can get some fogging inside the bag. Always carried extra zip lock bags and rubber bands... Because those are good to have anyway. I suppose plastic wrap would work too, but harder to pack...
• Then I bought a Ram Mount Aquabox. This allowed me to use the garmin in a downpour and still touch the screen, etc. I had powerlet outlets for power so power in the rain wasn't an issue either. ONly issue was that the aqua box was just too big. I carried both the aquabox and smaller dry weather mount for it.
• When I moved to the F3-S I wanted a smaller water proof box, so I bought one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It works well, is smaller and cheaper than an aquabox. Still using it. It can get fogged up now and then if you are climbing up or down a mountain and the temps change fast. I still carry a dry weather ram mount for the GPS though because of screen glare.

The biggest issue with the weather proof holders beside bulk is that you are layering another shiny surface over the GPS screen and that makes glare worse.

AS for the Zumo's and the Tom Tom MC GPS units. I've really wanted one for a while just to simplify my mounts and what I carry with me. In reviewing the latest units I've found a lot of users complaining that Garmin changed the interface on them and that they do not perform quite as well as the previous models. That made me decide to wait until the next units are released, hopefully in the next several months. For me you can't beat the cost of a generic GPS and if it dies it can be readily and cheaply replaced even while on the road at a fraction of the cost of a ZUMO. **But as I said, I like reducing what I carry, so a Zumo for me is a possibility.

As for the rain itself, I have mine mounted behind a rather large windshield. I don't even bother with pulling it or putting it in the weather mount unless I'm expecting to be in rain all day or it will be a torrential downpour. Typically it never gets wet.

I also have two phones (work and personal). I have mounts for them too, but only put one up on the bars. I only visually use the GPS from time to time and mainly use my phone for an additional GPS, finding gas, restaurants, making calls through my helmet if needed and primarily listening to music. I have a weatherproof case for the phone that works pretty well for that. You can't beat a dedicated GPS though for when you are in an area with no data service.... Regardless of whether you downloaded the map data to google maps or not - if you remembered to or even planned to be there.