Cheap Motorcycle GPS

[polonY]

For cheapskates such as myself that don't want to fork out $800 and don't need voice guidance.

Step 1. Purchase unit of your choice. Must be 3.5" sized. Tomtom one 140 is perfectly sized for the job and also a very new model(newest maps). Cost me $278 from repco.



Step 2. Obtain standard money bag. Place sticky tape over the two air holes to keep out water. Ensure that the printed side is facing down.



Step 3. Place GPS in money bag and mount on bike. It takes a bit more fiddling but you can still get it to secure properly. MAKE SURE IT IS SECURED PROPERLY, as the plastic can get in the way a bit. I wouldn't throw this in the pool but it can be considered "splash proof".



And finally, enjoy your el cheapo GPS adventures

[Sentry]

Polony, you're a cheap ass.

...but thats so awesome. Will keep it in mind. Have been wanting one for a while but. like you, I didn't want to fork out that much for one

[polonY]

Yea, just had a brainwave today. Been wanting one for ages.

[HotelBushranger]

Phh, real men don't need directions

[The Acumen]

Phh, real men don't need directions

hehe, i memorize my way before i head off.

For some reason GPS's really amuse me. I can't but look at them for longer than i should which is bad for motorcycles.

[SEROW]

That's so ghetto... couldn't you make a frame with a glass lens that flips up and plastic coat the front of the gps? I plan on doing the same thing, to a degree =) Good idea though. However the bluetooth ones can play music also which is handy.

[Lord Farquaad]

wow, a writeup on how to put a GPS in a bag. Riveting stuff.

[Melchior]

Which end do I put in the bag first???

[polonY]

wow, a writeup on how to put a GPS in a bag. Riveting stuff.

Feel free to click the red x and spare us your halfwit presence. I have had so many people say to me "wow, thats a great idea, good thinking paul. simple is best."

And Melchior, I dunno if you can handle that job on your own, I may have to come around and help

Oh and SEROW, I didn't use a glass front because then you cant use the touch screen, and it wont do much to waterproof the back of the unit.

[Creme]

Can you put the bag over it upside down, so that the opening is facing downwards? It might look tidier that way; would also be a better fail-safe if the seal gives way.

This would hardly be a good permanent solution tho. That plastic will surely perish reasonably quickly from being exposed to the sun continuously, and from using the buttons / touch screen.

Does the plastic foul up the touch screen/sensor when trying to select your route??

[Teedo]

certainly not going for looks. You could wrap it in some glad wrap for a more tidy look and get rid of all the air in the bag
Posted via Mobile Device

[darkfibre]

I've used zip lock bags when riding in the wet to protect my mobile and car remote.
Be careful and check the unit for condensation after rain, and when left in the sun.

Version 2 could have a CO cannister to inflate in the event of an accident ?
Instant air bag

[Satan1]

Aldi Go Cruise Moto GPS - a TomTom Rider alternative?

Last week Aldi had a whole heap of motocycle gear on sale including a Go Cruise motorcycle GPS for $200. Well I bought one and thought there may be a few people interested in what it's like.
Is it as good as a Rider? Can't tell you as I've never used one but I do use a TomTom One V3 in my car so I'll compare the operation to that. However, you must remember this is a motobike specific GPS - that is waterproof, rugged and trasmits instructions via FM frequency and at a quarter of the price of a Rider it must be worthy of some consideration.
Out of the box and it looks the business - very Rider-like with a 'shade' at the top to keep road glare in check and a sturdy bracket to mount it to handlebars. Most scooters (except retro types perhaps) don't have exposed bars so some creative mounting solutions need to be adopted and as yet I haven't come up with one I'm happy with yet but I don't think it will be too difficult. The unit is also designed to be 'hard-wired' to the battery but as I have a 12V DC socket on the Daelim a visit to a motor accessory shop to get a plug shoud sort that out as well. The unit is supposed to run for 3-4 hours on it's internal battery alone so maybe for short trips you could get by without even wiring it up. I imagine this is the same with a Rider.
The user interface is certainly no TomTom - not very intuitive but once you have spent a bit of time navigating the menus you can get the business done. The mapping software is by Sensis and has the TomTom 'look and feel' and it seems to calculate similar routes for as my TomTom. However it is not as 'inteligent' as the TomTom at recalculating if you take a wrong turn and you might find yourself going in circles to get back on track - a bit frustrating, but if you get it right it's not a problem. There are plenty of options available for preparing routes (like multiple waypoints), fastest, shortest etc.
The display is clear enough but gloved fingers make it a bit clumsy to use - but you shouldn't be using in the move should you! Standard settings have the route shown in a bright yellow that is easy to see and turn/navigation display in green. As I said the audio instructions are transmitted via an FM signal to a supplied headset. This, in my opinion, is absolutly useless - way too much static and if you have it loud enough to hear the instructions the static will send you deaf. Bin it I reckon! What I did was changed the units transmission frequency (easy to do) to something the radio in my mobile phone could pick up and used the phone headset. It works a treat - clear, crisp and once you know where you're going you can change it to a proper radio frequency through the phone and enjoy some music (and even take a call perhaps). I temporarliy mounted the unit to my mirror stalk and the display was easy enough to see in daylight and the route easy to follow. However today I used it 'blind' - that is I just stuck the unit in my pocket and went by the audio instructions only. This worked pretty good also - in fact it is somewhat less distracting this way.
The supplied software (Route 66) for use on a computer is also very frustrating. So much so I ended up uninstalling it. Not sure if the maps are updatable but I guess anything is better than trying to use an out-of-date Gregory's on a scooter.
So is it worth the money? Compared to the cost of a Rider, I would say yes at 25% of the cost. Just don't make a wrong turn or not follow the given directions - the insessant 'turn around when possible' will drive you nuts! Also, I have found it's best NOT to use a GPS if you have any idea of where you are going - if you know where to go why use it. These things come into their own when you have no idea where you are going and don't know any different, as you will get to your destination in the end - a lesson I learnt using my TomTom in Italy last year. It was an absolute life saver.
Rating - Overall 7/10
Finish 8/10

Function 6/10

Storage - SD Card to 8Gb 9/10

Ease of Use 4/10

Styling 8/10

Waterproofing ?/10

Reliability ?/10

Warranty 6/10
Cheers

ALDI - special buys from thurs 30 jul 2009 - while stocks last

I think I will just get someone to grab me one of these

[Bendito]

See also - Cheap Bike GPS...

[Lord Farquaad]

Feel free to click the red x and spare us your halfwit presence. I have had so many people say to me "wow, thats a great idea, good thinking paul. simple is best."

No thanks. I'll be sure to start a thread to let everyone know next time I use a plastic bag to stop something from getting wet in the rain though. I'll send you a PM so you don't miss out.

[M|ke]

Don't see why someone didnt do this before, it may be cheap. But its a GPS...you shouldnt have to buy a $600-$800 GPS with a mounting kit specifically designed for motorcycles haha, any GPS would do as long as you can mount it properly.

[duffman]

GPS dont get hot enough to require ventilation?

Novel idea.

Have a go with a sandwich bag. Better grade plastic.

[BigCat]

I rode 12000ks around oz through all kinds of weather and never had to put my gps in a bag. As long as you're moving, the wind blowing over the screen will keep the rain off

[Ausinanas]

make it cheaper still i got my tom tom 1 from harvey norman $200..

[debaser]

nokia n85 with (modified) blue tooth headphones with mic.

GPS with voice direction.
Phone if you want to chat while riding.
Music when you are not lost.
Camera for camera stuff.

That plastic bag idea is the way forward. Fuckin genius.