Barryj -
A thread about GPS products is almost as bad as oil or tires. I'm no expert, but I'll tell you what I know (or at least THINK I know).
First, do you want to hear the spoken directions from a GPS? In order to do that through the bike's speaker system, there seems to be a pretty complicated and potentially expensive array of cables and installations to "tie in" a GPS to the bike's audio system. The other way to hear the spoken directions is through a bluetooth helmet speaker system (such as Cardo or Sena plus some others). With some GPS models there is also the option of using a cable connection between the GPS and your helmet speaker system.
Brand: I am only familiar with Garmin so that's what I'll talk about. Other brands may be just as good, I simply don't know anything about them. So, looking at Garmin, I decided that I wanted to hear the spoken directions but I didn't want to go through the expense and installation hassle of something that I might use once or twice a year (full time worker, only part time traveler) so tying into the bike audio system was out. I then looked for Garmin GPS models that could send their spoken directions to a helmet speaker system (we use Sena 20S, driver and passenger intercom) via either Bluetooth or by a plug in cable. After asking this question of Garmin, this is the list of units that they said could do what I wanted:
- dezl 770
- dezlCam
- nuvi 765
- nuvi 775
- nuvi 785
- zumo 390
- zumo 550
- zumo 590
- zumo 660
- zumo 665
The nuvi models are all discontinued and are 4.3" screens. The Zumo models are also 4.3" screens and start at about $600 (but they are waterproof and shock resistant). The dezl units are geared toward diesel truck drivers and their software caters to their needs. The dezl 770 is a 7" screen while all others are a 4.3" screen.
So, I didn't want to spend a fortune, didn't want a 4.3" screen and couldn't find any of the discontinued nuvi models (and they are also 4.3"). I also have had cataracts removed in each eye and my reading capabilities need a larger screen.
So, a compromise was needed. I settled for a unit that was large enough to read / see and was not very expensive. Keep in mind, it is NOT water proof, NOT shock resistant and will NOT send spoken directions to my bluetooth helmet speakers (but it does have bluetooth capability for your cell phone when in your car). The Garmin nuvi 2689, $250. 6" screen. I also purchased a sun screen clip on fitting for it (Amazon), a anti glare screen protector and a Ram Mount X-Grip (RAM-HOL-UN10BU) to hold it onto the dash area with a JT's Spyder Store (one of our sponsors) dash mount. It has a 3D mode that is easy to see at a glance and shows my next turn, how far and which way I'll be turning. If it is a congested area, I'm thinking that I may also be able to use my iPhone native program and hear the turn by turn instructions through my Sena headset.
For power, I plug the unit into a cigarette lighter connection that I installed into the left hand speaker grill and wired to an FZ-1 fuse block (could be wired directly to battery or possibly to one of the analog gas or temp gages if you are willing to give them up for the digital versions - search for information on doing that).
And for your specific question, the nuvi 2689LMT (lifetime maps and traffic) has what is called "Trip Planner". This is a built in app that allows you to set up a route with multiple waypoints. You pick the route you want instead of the GPS sending you where it thinks is best. Want to nudge it one way or another? Just add another waypoint. And as the poster before me said, Garmin Basecamp (free software) allows you to program on your computer (it is definitely more robust than Trip Planner and utilizes multliple Waypoints) and download the GPX file to your GPS device. With Trip Planner however you might find that you don't even need Basecamp.
