Garmin Nuvi GPS (Car) with Motorcycle?

[Shane Stump]

I purchased a RAMBox AquaMount Box 6 sometime ago and it will hope most any 4.3" GPS.

Based on the reviews / price of the Garmin Zumo 660, I am seriously considering getting a Garmin 765T and using it on my bike.

Has anyone used one of the Garmin Nuvi's on a bike? If so, how was the screen in daylight?

The Aquabox should keep it try in case it rains!

Thanks,

Shane

 

[ShawnKing]

Based on the reviews / price of the Garmin Zumo 660, I am seriously considering getting a Garmin 765T and using it on my bike.
The Aquabox should keep it try in case it rains!

Yeah, it probably will but remember that "dedicated' bike GPS's are also "hardened" for the punishment a bike dishes out - the vibration and shock of a bike ride.

Take a look at the Zumo 450/550. They'll be cheaper than then 660 (but still not inexpensive).

 

[Patriot]

Based on the reviews / price of the Garmin Zumo 660, I am seriously considering getting a Garmin 765T and using it on my bike.
The Aquabox should keep it try in case it rains!

Yeah, it probably will but remember that "dedicated' bike GPS's are also "hardened" for the punishment a bike dishes out - the vibration and shock of a bike ride.

Take a look at the Zumo 450/550. They'll be cheaper than then 660 (but still not inexpensive).

+1 what Shawn said

 

[Jeff Q]

I have one in an Aquabox and it works great. I do get some condensation riding in the rain I noticed today. Need to get some desecant packs to put in there.

 

[bramfrank]

Actually, the Zumo 550 costs MORE than the 660 . . . .

The 2x5 and 7x5 series devices have the same screen detail limitations that the Zumo 660 does.

I'd suggest you go with a 7X0 (750/760/780) over the 765

 

[K Rider]

I use a Garmin 200W. Seeing the screen isn't a problem at all. As far as it holding up to vibration, only time will tell, I have only used it for 1500 miles. No problems yet.

 

[v65]

I am using a NUVI 350, no aquabox for me I use plastic baggies. It has at least 10,000 motorcycle miles on it.

 

[Lowcountry Joe]

I use a Nuvi 205W. It's inexpensive (think Walmart has them for around $120 or so now), and as V65 says, baggies work just fine in the rain. I would recommend a Nuvi model with bluetooth so you can use a helmet set (Scala, etc.) to hear the spoken directions or use the unit in concert with your cell phone (answering calls, not dialing while moving....figured I would put that disclaimer in here for all the safety police that will probably comment). I probably have 1000 miles on it so far and I swap it back and forth from my bike to my truck. So far so good. The touch screen on the Nuvi also works well with all of my gloves.

I use industrial grade Velcro (bought at home depot...found out about this stuff from a paraplegic friend of mine who depends on Velcro attachments) to attach it to a home-made mounting plate attached to a ram ball and mount. Also use this heavy duty Velcro to mount my Escort 9500i in exactly the same way.

Back to the Nuvi....it will be interesting to see how it does hold up over time, but its doing fine now, and plenty visible in the daylight. Battery time averages around 3 to 4 hours, depending on where the brightness level is set. I am running a dedicated B+ wire soon, so battery limitations will be history.

I can buy 4 of these for what you would pay for a single Zumo 550. Not detracting from the Zumo units, but the Nuvi serves my purposes well, and at this point I consider it a practical GPS solution for the average rider (me). Good fortune in your decision!

 

[Jeff Q]

Nice thing about the aquabox is it has a spot for a small lock. Small amount of security good for quick stops..

 

[FJRPierre]

I have a nuvi550 that i used during cfr (21 days rain with occasional sun). It is waterproof and you can use it with rain mitts on. I found it a bit difficult to use it in bright sun with polarize sunglasses glasses and if i had the energy i would make a little sunshade for it but it s not a show stopper. the price was right. features of nuvi vs others i can't comment on.

 

[Texan]

I also use a Nuvi. Works great. Very readable. Even works with gloves just fine. 6000 miles with no issues.

 

[Wicked Webby]

I am using a NUVI 350, no aquabox for me I use plastic baggies. It has at least 10,000 motorcycle miles on it.

Same kinda deal with me... Been using the Nuvi 650 for over a year and about 15,000 miles with it on the bike. No problems yet...

In the rain... She gets zip locked in a bag.

 

[v65]

In the rain... She gets zip locked in a bag.

And if you push your luck and it gets wet the screen is going to look funky for a while, but it dries out eventually.

 

[Shane Stump]

Actually, the Zumo 550 costs MORE than the 660 . . . .
The 2x5 and 7x5 series devices have the same screen detail limitations that the Zumo 660 does.

I'd suggest you go with a 7X0 (750/760/780) over the 765

BF,

Do you know what kind of Bluetooth the 780 supports? The reason I was looking at the 765 is that the Bluetooth is stereo and would (should) sound better with a BT headsets!

I will admit to liking the price of the 780 better ($200)! versus $350 for the 765!

Best Regards,

Shane

 

[Shane Stump]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have owned several of the Garmin motorcycle ready GPSs in the past and I am tired of paying top $$$ (3x or more) for something will less functionality than the car units!

I just want to make sure whatever model I gets will support stereo bluetooth + 32gb SD Cards (not micro-SD)!

Best Regards,

Shane

 

[Dr. Rich]

I run a Garmin 500 and I am very pleased with it.... It is waterproof, can be used with Topo maps ( when I put it on my quad for hunting season ) and you can load nautical charts for coastal cruising in your boat.... I have had no difficulties with it either from the vibrations on the bike or from the sun.

The 500 is built stronger than my other Nuvi's and it does everything I want it to. Rich

 

[Mcgyver74]

I use a Nuvi 200W on a Ram mount, it spent about 5k miles on my old C-10 Connie and now 1000 miles on my FJR with no problems, When it rains a ziploc baggie and a rubber band seem to be all the waterproofing I need and I've ridden through some serious downpours without incident. I don't use the speakers or spoken directions on a GPS so not having the audio out wasn't a big deal for me

I looked into the Zumo, but with all the issues I've read about with the bases going bad, piss poor customer support from Garmin and less features, I can't see dropping that kind of dough when my 200W works just fine...

Just my 0.02

 

[Dave in NJ]

I've been using the 765T for the couple of months without any problems. Screen is bright enough (set to 75% brightness) to be seen in direct sun and the touch screen works fine even with gloves. Haven't had it out in the rain but carry a baggy just in case.

I don't use the bluetooth so I can't comment on that but the lane assist is a great feature and very helpful for navigating off of slabs you haven't been on before. Traffic feature also seems to work well although I've only used it once.

I can also plan routes on the PC and transfer them over to the GPS for ride planning and I can save the route I just rode as well.

Had it in the cage and works fine there as well.

 

[SCWatts]

I would recommend a Nuvi model with bluetooth so you can use a helmet set (Scala, etc.) to hear the spoken directions

Clarification on this - I found out the hard way that Nuvis are not able to communicate via Bluetooth with the Scala Rider Q2 Teamset. Neither Cardio Wireless or Garmin say anything about this - had to find it via endless forum searches.

You can connect to the Scala Rider via a provided cable. I've resorted to putting my Nuvi 760 in my jacket pocket and running a wire to the headset, and just listening to the directions. Mounting it between my handlebars is way less than ideal, as I can't hear the directions and with sunglasses (even non-polarized lenses) it is extremely difficult for me to see the screen in any direct sunlight. Putting the brightness up to 100% helps, but battery life then plummets.