Fazer Owners Club - Unofficial

General => General => Topic started by: red98 on 23 September 2018, 06:11:30 pm

Title: sat navs
Post by: red98 on 23 September 2018, 06:11:30 pm
Fitted my " tomtom start 20" to the mighty thou this morning , fitted a usb port to the top yoke , live when iginition is on so no chance of a flat battery , used a handle bar mount with quick release , takes seconds to mount and dismount , went for a test ride this afternoon and it works well , bit hard to see the screen when the suns on your back but not too bad....




Got me thinking what other foccers are using.....
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: BBROWN1664 on 23 September 2018, 08:49:30 pm
A paper map in the topbox for when I get really lost or a quick check of google maps when i stop for a cigarette
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Hedgetrimmer on 23 September 2018, 08:59:18 pm
I don't use it most of the time, but it is useful for finding hotels when touring, navigating through an unfamiliar town to a particular destination.
I've got a Garmin something-or-other, which works well enough. But on my last two Europe tours, I took Michelin maps too, as I find them better for planning a ride. Then plug the route in the sat nav. But sometimes when touring, it's better to just get lost and see where you end up. Then the sat nav is handy for getting back 'home'.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: robbo on 23 September 2018, 10:49:24 pm
Pretty much what Hedgetrimmer said, although for hotels, read campsites. I have a Garmin 395, which has the option of selecting curvy/meandering routes for when time is not a factor, and as already said, by making your base "home", you can deliberately get "lost". Having a digital speed readout is quite useful too.
I found that mounting it in such a way that it's easy to glance at but still protected by the screen, to be a bit trial and error.

Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Grahamm on 23 September 2018, 11:44:47 pm
I'm still using the venerable TomTom Rider V2.

The charging cradle gave up the ghost ages ago, so I got a 12v to 5v converter, a plug that connects it to the Optimate lead on the battery and soldered a jack plug on the other end so it charges as I ride.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: mtread on 24 September 2018, 12:30:44 am
Me too with a 12 year old TomTom Rider V2 (with up to date maps). Mounted on a Ram mount on the left handlebar. Also fed from a Optimate lead via the TomTom cradle. One advantage of a bike specific GPS is the sunshield and the ability to angle it better. Routes plotted via MyRoute/Tyre  adding waypoints to ride the better roads on route.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: stevierst on 24 September 2018, 07:59:36 am
Sat nav??? Shouldn’t every trip be an adventure, a mystery, and a bathe in the excitement of being geographically embarrassed?


If I ever get that badly lost, I’ve always downloaded the area google map to my phone before the trip, and even my latest trip deep into Scotland up to John o’groats (on my tdm900, not the Fazer) still had enough 4G coverage for my phone to keep up. And I link it to my Bluetooth, so I don’t have to mount a monstrosity to the bike (you’ve gotta admit, sat navs look ghastly)


Apart from that, I’m far too tight to buy one!
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: stevierst on 24 September 2018, 08:13:34 am
Has anyone used this?
https://www.facebook.com/ridebeeline/videos/242684463082717/

Beeline Moto, a sort of compass/maps directional thing.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Bretty on 24 September 2018, 08:44:58 am
I used to have a tomtom mounted for european touring. But now you can buy large mobile data bundles with european roaming. I just use my phone with non-waterproof mount. It also bluetooths to my intercom so I can take calls, listen to music and navigator.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Frosties on 24 September 2018, 10:47:26 am
Has anyone used this?
https://www.facebook.com/ridebeeline/videos/242684463082717/ (https://www.facebook.com/ridebeeline/videos/242684463082717/)

Beeline Moto, a sort of compass/maps directional thing.


Has anyone used this?

Thought I'd make it normal feckin size. Those glasses you have must be like coke bottles Steve.

https://www.facebook.com/ridebeeline/videos/242684463082717/ (https://www.facebook.com/ridebeeline/videos/242684463082717/)Beeline Moto, a sort of compass/maps directional thing.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: stevierst on 24 September 2018, 10:13:31 pm
Thought I'd make it normal feckin size. Those glasses you have must be like coke bottles Steve



😂😂😂sorry dude, god knows how that happened😂😂😂
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: coffee on 24 September 2018, 11:32:26 pm
I don't go far enough to get lost ;)
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: unfazed on 25 September 2018, 12:33:33 am
I'm a map man, might use the phone sat nav if I am really, really, really stuck, especially after accidents block the major routes out of of cities.

Prefer stopping and getting directions now and then, never had an issue using maps anywhere in Europe
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: tex on 25 September 2018, 11:43:09 am
I've got a garmin about the same place on the bike as you red, does mean taking your eyes of the road a bit, what do you use for sound, I have tried various set ups , but always seem to move when I put my lid on.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: F4celess on 25 September 2018, 01:54:09 pm
Got a covered Mobile phone holder much like the item you have for your GPS, Red98.
Fits to the bar of the handlebar. Run Google Maps on it - great for navigation.

(Using a 'large screen' Galaxy S7 or S8 theres alot of different GPS Apps for Android now, it effectively replaces a dedicated GPS unit, maps plus traffic updates are immediate, its future proof).

On my FZS600 it has fitted (by previous owner) a 12V / Charge Ports into one of the air box plastic side panels.
Useful for charging while static, however not so practical having a lead from 'down there' trailing up to the handlebars while riding (not that I've used it that way).
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Dudeofrude on 25 September 2018, 05:42:30 pm
I usually just use the road signs and my noggin but if I'm going somewhere rather obscure then I'll set up Google maps on my phone, cconnect wireless Bluetooth headphones then just stick it in my pocket and let the voice give me directions over my music. Pretty much like having the wife in the car haha
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Oldgit on 26 September 2018, 11:39:10 am

I use a Garmin 220 on my BMW as its already wired up for this system-- and it's excellent.

Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: kitcrazy on 26 September 2018, 07:38:13 pm
Nav 6 works great and let's me use the toggle wheel on the Beemer so you don't have to take your hands off the bars
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: steve 10562cc on 26 September 2018, 08:10:45 pm
Maps for me learnt top read/navigate by maps in the late 1960s in the army cadets. Though took my son and his Mrs to buy a car I deepest darkest Dorset, with out my sons sat nav we would never have found the little village it was at down a track that passed as a road on the side of a hill. So suppose I should join the 21st century.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Hedgetrimmer on 27 September 2018, 11:50:40 am
Really, I'm with those who love maps. If it hadn't been for touring in Europe alone, I probably wouldn't have bought a sat nav. But having one did give me much more confidence to do that.
What maps gave me in addition was more information that I wanted, like elevation, geographical features &c. I look at a map to find the mountain roads to explore. And I can see a greater area in detail at a glance, instead of having to fiddle with zooming in and out to get context, much of which is lost when you want to look at the wider picture on a sat nav.
Combining the two made things easy and more enjoyable, I found.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: mtread on 27 September 2018, 12:08:25 pm
I think the answer is both. Maps to plan, Satnav to carry out the plan.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: robbo on 27 September 2018, 12:14:54 pm
What Hedgetrimmer and  mtread said :thumbup
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: F4celess on 27 September 2018, 04:33:07 pm
What functions/advantages do dedicated motorcycle GPS units offer, over regular vehicle GPS units ?
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: robbo on 27 September 2018, 06:53:00 pm
In Garmins case, they are waterproof and can be used with gloves on. I don't know if car satnavs have the "twisty road" feature, which can be handy if you want to be lazy.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: ogri48 on 27 September 2018, 07:45:40 pm
I got a garmin with the "twisty roads" thing, its excellent unless you use that feature in the fens, in which case it should be called "shitty, bumpy roads". aside from that its waterproof, can be used with gloves on, easy to use an doubles up as the sat nav in me buildersvan to help me find jobs etc.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: Grahamm on 27 September 2018, 10:39:18 pm
In Garmins case, they are waterproof and can be used with gloves on.

Same with the TomTom.
Title: Re: sat navs
Post by: robbo on 28 September 2018, 10:05:11 am
In Garmins case, they are waterproof and can be used with gloves on.

Same with the TomTom.
I've only had Garmins so could only comment on that makes features.