Sat Nav

[Phil]

OK.  Not sure what button I pressed the last time but my posting did not seem to come out complete, so I'll have another go.

My trusty Zumo 550 which has faithgully served me for more than ten years has given up the ghost.   Garmin Web site states that "service is no longer available for the 550" so I guess I will have to buy a new Sat Nav.  Which? 

I have always been very pleased with Garmin, especially their marine gear and the 550 has got me to places I would not normally have found but the TOM TOm range seems pretty good and is less expensive.  So guys do any of you have any recommendations? 

Freeway Phil 


Edited for continuity !
Trophy Moderator

[trophied]

I had a Garmin on the K1600, and the Trophy didn't have one when I bought it so I use my automotive Tom Tom, which we have also taken to England and used there when we travelled overseas.  It has worked very well and it's 10 years old too, so I'm not sure how much longer Tom Tom will support it.  All the current versions of GPS' are improved a lot from mine.

[cropbiker]

I have had both Tom Tom riders and Garmins 550, 660 and now the 590.

My vote would always be for the Garmin

[trophied]

I'm not even sure that there is a current version of the Tom Tom rider available as of my last visit to the website a couple of weeks ago.  I think they are redesigning it and it isn't due out until later this year.  Garmins have a lot of followers and according to users on the K1600 site the software for trip planning is not as good as it could be.  Might be better on the latest versions though, I don't keep track of that since I don't need it any longer.  My issue with ALL motorcycle GPS's is why in the world they cost what they do when the only real difference (other than some software differences which cost the same to write as the automotive version) is weatherproofing.  That's not as big a deal as they would like people to think, since we have all manner of electrical/electronic controls on the bike that are exposed to the elements.  If it costs that much to weatherproof something like a gps our bikes should cost $40,000 US with all the weatherproofing required on them.

[GolforRide]

Checkout costco just picked up a garmin 660lm for $449

[Coconut]

... why in the world they cost what they do ...

Simple business economics - If it costs "XXX" $ / £ to design, test and build a product,
that cost is ultimately paid for as part of the end cost to the customer.

e.g. If there are HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of "car" customers, then cost per unit / per customer
will be lower than the cost per unit / per customer for only a FEW THOUSAND "motorcycle" customers.

Not to mention the principle that if they're getting plenty of sales, the price isn't too high ( for them ) !

[john348]

As cropbiker I have both tomtom rider1 and 2 and Garmin 660.  The Garmin is much better (well it has an MP3 player built in).  I do miss one feature on the TomTom and that is you can tell it to miss out a road and recalculate whereas on the Garmin all you can do is say reroute for nexe X miles.  SO for example I know the Motorway is blocked but not for how far.  TomTom just say miss motorway and off it goes.  Garmin you have to guess how many miles and quite often it then tries to bring you back to blocked road!

[trophied]

I've found the Garmin to constantly want to remind me to return to the route, sometimes even telling me to u-turn to return to the route for miles.  My older Tom Tom does indeed just go ahead and recalculate the route, and if you keep passing up opportunities to stay with the route it will continually update and reroute.  Garmins may be better in some ways, but my old Tom Tom is easier to program a destination than the Garmin and will alert me to all manner of speed traps, cameras, toll cameras, etc., and I can pick and choose which ones I want enabled (its a long list).  I do like the Garmin display better than my old Tom Tom.  I have no affiliation with Tom Tom or Garmin, and will always have one or the other instead of just using a phone due to the probability of often not having a cell signal where I ride.