Posted: 6/19/2008 4:46:06 AM EDT
| I'm thinking of picking up a Tom Tom Rider 2 today. Has anyone used it? Looks great. |
|
I have an old Garmin eMap that I'll be jerry-rigging up a mount for my motorcycle. I look at a few of the new ones every now and then, but the eMap does everything I need out of a GPS for now.... So, consider this a long-winded tag for up-to-date- MC GPS info... |
Look at ram mounts, they are cheap and they offer a huge selection of different mounting systems. |
Garmin Quest 2 here. Excellent piece of equipment - 20 hour battery life (easily believable, as a 14-hour day barely drained half of the indicated battery life), had no problems in the rain and hail I encountered in Wyoming, and never missed a beat. I got it for $190 shipped, refurbished. It was like brand new. My only complaint are the tiny buttons are hard to push with gloves. Even at a standstill, they're too small and too close together. Otherwise, the functionality, the screen, and the build quality are very good. I'd buy another if mine was stolen. |
|
I don't have the TomTom Rider, but I have the 720 which is essentially the car version of that device. I use it on my VStrom with a RAM mount. It's a nice GPS, cheaper than a comparable Garmin and the maps are a bit cheaper and that's something to consider. However, the maps aren't quite as accurate (I have a Garmin handheld too so I can compare). |
Well, it certainly varies by region but from reading the comments of the TT & Garmin owners that have both, I'd say Garmin gets the nod for being better and more up to date. SUPPOSEDLY, TT users can update their map data and it reflects on free updates, but my attempts at it have been ignored and that's after following TT's own advice on how to do it. Honestly, both systems leave a lot to be desired and there really needs to be a mapping & database revolution in the industry. It's like the early days of Mac/PC and neither one has a clear advantage and plenty of disadvantages. |
+1 on that post. I added a 12v outlet to the KLR and I'm very happy. Got a refurbished one on e-bay. |
|
I ended up buying the Rider 2nd Edition. It came with Ram mounts. I haven't wired it yet, but I used it on battery yesterday. It comes with a helmet mic so you can sync your phone with the mic and take calls. I used it in the house but not on the road. You can sync multiple phones to it, which is great. I have two cell phones. The maps were accurate on the one trip I made. There is a sun shield which helps, and the unit is waterproof. It works well with gloves. I own three other GPS units, a hand held DeLorme for the field (there are NO better hand held GPS than the DeLorme), a wrist mount garmin for running, and a Garmin c330 in my truck. I'm going to give the c330 to my wife when my TomTom vehicle mount comes in. The tomtom slides and locks into place, which is much more secure than my Garmin. Overall, I think I'll like it. I'll use it more and update. It's going to take some getting used to, as I'm familiar with my Garmin. |
|
I have the first edition Rider. I got it cheap on clearance when they were clearing making room for the 2'nd edition. It has been accurate and I can hear the phone calls and instructions well. One note: Make sure the volume is up on your phone before you ride if you want to sync and hear it. |
Never had a problem with any of my Garmin handhelds. Like any GPS they are affected with things like weather, tree canopy, tall buildings, hills/mountains etc. Satellite freqencies are line of sight, so anything in between will affect the unit. On an average day I get 17 foot accuracy on my Garmins. Now, if you set a waypoint on a day that you have poor coverage/satellite position and have 31 foot accuracy, then com back another day to that same waypoint when you have 23 foot accuracy, you'll be as much as 54 feet off of your waypoint. Even in a worst case scenario like this, there's something pretty special about a handheld device that will put you anywhere in the world, within 50 feet. |
I use an Etrex Legend CX on my DS. It is very accurate. I spent the $115 on the 2008 roads and I transfer the maps I need when out and about. I have found my way out of some serious BFE places and have loved the little thing. I love it, and for about $225, it can't be beat. I never lose a signal DEEP in the woods, but lose it in my 18.... go figure! I don't have a pic with it on the XRL, but here it is IN my house on the DR350 
|