I am shopping for the correct GPS for my F800GS? I know I want a Garmin and want to mount it in the center instead of on the sides of the handle bars. I have seen the stock BMW street pilot and like the setup but the dealer wants allot of money for it and I am looking for the best similar setup? Do you have a GPS mounted on your 800GS, could I see some pics to get me oriented? I really like this one but cannot figure out which mount or GPS it is (if anyone can identify the exact ram mount it is and GPS I would appreciate it): Thanks
Sysie: What happened to your Nuvi? I really liked that idea! http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432364 Unless you talk me back out of it... that's the way I'm planning to go! Jim
Hi Jim, it worked really well commuting until I went on gravel.... its shakes too much..:huh I still use that setup at home commuting, but needed summing I can trust off the beaten track in Namibia....
I attached my Garmin 60 CS to the handlebars with a simple bicycle bar mount, then hardwired the power lead and tied the lanyard around the bars for extra safety. I geocache, so it allows me to whip it off quickly to go for a hike, plus with the rough and tumble handhelds you never have to worry about waterproofing or durability. The bicycle mount lets me angle it to see the screen whether I'm standing or sitting, or to reduce glare depending on where the sun is. So far, it hasn't budged, even at high speeds on our washboard gravel road. Originally, I figured the mounting bracket would last a couple weeks and then I'd have to get a motorcycle specific setup, but here it is a few years later and I move it from bike to bike every day. I do wish I had a bigger screen sometimes though, so I don't have to take my eyes off the roadfor so long to focus on the map.
The Nuvi is designed for automotive use which is far from off road adventure use. I would not consider a Nuvi for a motorcycle.
Tmex: I agree, indeed it is not as robust a design ... not waterproof, and probably also less resistant to vibration. On the other hand, the Nuvi 205 is going for $130 on Amazon and a lot of my riding is not the hard-core off-road stuff so... I'm wondering .... esp. when you count the $70/year to update the maps? Undecided but thinking of "cheaping out"
Not a bad way to go JR. I have a Nuvi that I use in my cages and I take it on business trips with me as well. It spends most of its life dangling from the cigarette lighter adapter. It has been reliable and works really well. I am not anal about updating the maps. Given the USA infrastructure spending it is not that essential. What I like about the Zumo is that it is more robust (I would worry most about the folding antenna on the Nuvi), and it can easily be operated with gloves on which is a big plus for motorcycle use. BTW, Garmin recently came out with 24K topos on flash that are very good. With the 100k topos (on disc) the unit would not navigate, but with the 24k topos it does, and the resolution is quite useful.
Fireman... Yeah, I hear ya, I have a 60CS also and found the same problem... Just not enough screen real estate there .... Jim
Hi, all fellas :) My first post here, but been lurking for quite some time now. Let me contribute here. To quickly adapt your cage GPS to your bikes without spending a fortune on watertight, dust-proof solutions, try looking for this: It's called Hama Bike Hard Case and here in Poland costs as little as 15 bucks. The layout of the holes at the back is universal and matches many mounts for GPS gear, both in cars and motorcycles. And the 8 removable internal pads with velcro let you adjust the space for the GPS device. In the specs they say the thing is dedicated to bicycle and motorcycle use. Might be a good cheap alternative, huh?
Looks like the Nuvi 350 or 360, I have the 350 and works great, discontinued but you probably could still find one. I use this ram mount on my Dl-650, it's the same exact one pictured on the BMW minus the plastic clip holding onto the bars, it's very solidly built and stable. http://www.gpscity.com/item-ram-mount-garmin-nuvi-3xx-zinc-u-bolt-rail-mount/ramb149zga21.htm
This is how I mounted my Garmin 60CSx on my F800GS: I added RAM Diamond mounts on my BarkBuster handguard mounts and the setup is really solid! No vibration at all. Whatever you get, if you're using a RAM mount, get the short stalk or else you'll have vibration problems.
Ok, so I like toys. The item on the right is an older Pentax video/camera, and though it all looks crowded from this view, it works and everything I need to see is visible.
Anybody tried Touratech's bracket? I'd like to clamp the Touratech's Zumo mount to something a little more permanent than my current RAM ball and arm setup. I'm pretty sure I would still be able to see the speedometer but I'm not sure about the tachometer. Hey, Emmbeedee, I like the idea of the Spot but does it need to be mounted?