Anybody Using A Garmin 7" Car GPS?

[Old N' Grumpy]

If so was wondering how it fit...was it too big...pro's and con's. Thinking about doing this as these old eyes need all the help they can get!

 

[hoopla]

I recently tried a Garmin, expensive, but gave it a shot. Hoping it would be a benefit in unknown areas. So I took it on a 400 mile trip that I take yearly to see what it would do. The model I tried worked for MC and auto travel, but I couldn't tell what mode I was in, seems like it would be the first thing to choose. Anyways finally decided that maybe it knows by the plug arrangement, they are different , auto is cigarette lighter type, MC was wired directly into the bike.

So the trip, the GPS wanted to change my course to something that I knew was wrong or longer. At one time I was on rt 25, heading east, the GPS turned us left onto rt 115 north east, and I followed it for about 15 miles. Got into another town and the GPS wanted to turn me south, back towards 25, the route we left 15 miles back. I've driven the part of 25 that proceded east at the turn on 115 and it's not a bad road, just adds distance and time for my destination. At one point the gps said we had 2.5 hrs remaining in the ride, that was it's plan, my route got me home in under 2 hrs.

I've since sent it back for a refund. I have a handheld gps that I use when confused in an area or to find a specific spot. I wouldn't waste the money on a bike gps, get good instructions from your computer, I carry my Android, pull into a D&D or similar, rest up and figure out the next portion of my ride. Gives a good rest and refresher too, more fun for me. I love getting back on the bike being fresh again, hop over a couple of towns, 100 miles or so and get new directions, that's how I've been doing it, the gps likes to do what it wants to do, hmmmm,,,, I guess I like to be in charge

Hoopla

 

[Old N' Grumpy]

I recently tried a Garmin, expensive, but gave it a shot. Hoping it would be a benefit in unknown areas. So I took it on a 400 mile trip that I take yearly to see what it would do. The model I tried worked for MC and auto travel, but I couldn't tell what mode I was in, seems like it would be the first thing to choose. Anyways finally decided that maybe it knows by the plug arrangement, they are different , auto is cigarette lighter type, MC was wired directly into the bike.

So the trip, the GPS wanted to change my course to something that I knew was wrong or longer. At one time I was on rt 25, heading east, the GPS turned us left onto rt 115 north east, and I followed it for about 15 miles. Got into another town and the GPS wanted to turn me south, back towards 25, the route we left 15 miles back. I've driven the part of 25 that proceded east at the turn on 115 and it's not a bad road, just adds distance and time for my destination. At one point the gps said we had 2.5 hrs remaining in the ride, that was it's plan, my route got me home in under 2 hrs.

I've since sent it back for a refund. I have a handheld gps that I use when confused in an area or to find a specific spot. I wouldn't waste the money on a bike gps, get good instructions from your computer, I carry my Android, pull into a D&D or similar, rest up and figure out the next portion of my ride. Gives a good rest and refresher too, more fun for me. I love getting back on the bike being fresh again, hop over a couple of towns, 100 miles or so and get new directions, that's how I've been doing it, the gps likes to do what it wants to do, hmmmm,,,, I guess I like to be in charge

Hoopla

Its funny you mention that as that was my experience with my Zumo 550 before it crapped out altogether. To be fair tho, I find Apple maps on my phone many times will also take me on some wild goose chase. I know this because I sometimes will test it on a route I know well. I was hoping this problem maybe got better as GPS evolved.

 

[HansO]

it depends on how you set up the options (in the Garmin you can choose the curvy/ scenic route) and how up to date the local road authority's data base is I have seen in some cases where a local council has changed the roads and closed some others but a year later it still did not show up on Gps, Google or Where Is It maps when enquiries were made I found that it is up to the local government / council to update the National Data base the the map companies tap into for their data.
Oh and shortest is not always the fastest route

 

[jake shaw]

I use a Garmin Nuvi 6" car unit. I also picked up a waterproof case on Ebay for about $10-. Mine has the "Mechanic HD" feature which along with the antenna that plugs in to the port under the side cover, gives you the choice of GPS,Various Gauges and is also a code reader. Very happy with it.

 

[Seanii Plunkett]

I used this Garmin Nüv42 for about 3 years before it finally died. Am thinking of getting another one as it worked quite well. I bought a more " motorcycle specific" one from China recently which is just rubbish. The Nüv42 has been superseded but there'd be a newer model which would work ok I think.

 

[barbagris]

Stop - have a coffee - learn to read a map.

 

[Seanii Plunkett]

Stop - have a coffee - learn to read a map.

Good point. One thing I like about the Garmin GPS though is that it gives you a decent sized speed display and is more accurate than the Triumph speedo with the car tyre on the back.

 

[barbagris]

Good point. One thing I like about the Garmin GPS though is that it gives you a decent sized speed display and is more accurate than the Triumph speedo with the car tyre on the back.

The Triumph speedo is optimistic on stock rubber.
Here in summer you won't see the screen. I've tried all sorts of screens. The only ones that ever get close are LCD. OLED will get there at a cost.
I have a GPS speed sensor that drives a neat little LCD KOSO speedo (actually a tacho that I calibrated).
It also drives a Shift-I in 10kph increments so I know when I'm SAFE/FINE/POINTS/JAIL.