GPS for motorcycle
Dymphna
I want to get a GPS for my bike. It is a Suzuki Boulevard C50T. I would
also like to do some MP3 for it. Graphics are not important as I would
rather have my eyes on the road.
--
Dymphna
Message origin: TRAVEL.com
Michael Jaeger
> I want to get a GPS for my bike. It is a Suzuki Boulevard C50T. I
> would also like to do some MP3 for it. Graphics are not important as
> I would rather have my eyes on the road.
Dymphna,
check Garmin's Zumo edition.
Mike
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.majaeger.de
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Die gefährlichste aller Weltanschauungen ist die Weltanschauung der
Leute, welche die Welt nicht angeschaut haben."
Alexander von Humboldt
John Tserkezis
> 2. MP3, most newer GPS not only have MP3 but some even display photo. But
> most people don't care about the MP3 part, especially while riding motorcle
> (unless you can detach your head to tie it to the handlebar).
I care, and I've been using moulded earplugs with speakers (via
airtubes) and an ordinary MP3 player for audiobooks or music for many
years, and quite extensively.
Especially helpful since I'm half-deaf, and ear bud earphones are
useless for me with the ambient noise.
My satnav does have an audio option, but I never use it because my
dedicated player can hold more, is easier to manager, and I don't need
to be tethered to anything during use.
--
The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.
Dymphna
Some helmets are now bluetooth capable. So that is why the sound is far
more important than the graphics. So a GPS that is bluetooth capable can
go directly into the helmet.
BJ
<Dymphna...@no-mx.forums.travel.com> wrote:
>
>I want to get a GPS for my bike. It is a Suzuki Boulevard C50T. I would
>also like to do some MP3 for it. Graphics are not important as I would
>rather have my eyes on the road.
First and foremost be sure it is waterproof. I use a Garmin GPS Map 76CSx
and love it. Lots of navigation features but no picture viewer or MP3 player.
Then look for any other features you want. I doubt any GPS that also plays
MP3's will do so loud enough for a motorcycle unless you pipe it through
another sound system. I have and i-Touch that plays through my Goldwing
radio for MP3's.
John Tserkezis
> I would suggest to buy a small and cheap MP3 player so you can put it in
> your pocket instead of wiring yourself to the handlebar. That's what I
> tried to say.
You misunderstood, that's what I'm doing now. I don't want to be
tethered to the bike either. Not so much for safety (the cable will
come off or break quite easily) but for convenience - I don't want to
forget about it and yank it out and damage.
I hang my portable MP3 player with a neck strap, and put it down my
shirt so it doesn't fly around.
> Also, I am a motorcycle rider, and I am seeing that riding the motorcyclle
> alone is plenty of dangerous. Now you plug your ear to block 100% noise
Nothing is ever 100%. Moulded plugs are good for about 40dB
attentuation (an audiologist had told me), the "disposable" squishable
cylindrical sponge plugs are good for about 30dB or so.
If you're hard of hearing to begin with, the resulting level may be too
low to hear or interpret.
> (because it's the law you can only find ear-buds with noise cancelling/reducing),
Two points here.
Firstly, I don't know about your part of town, but in Australia, not
only is it legal to get a Driver's Licence while being deaf, you can get
(if you ask) a signing interpreter to help you though it. No additional
tests or requirements are required.
A bit of googling also suggests the situation is very similar in other
countries.
Secondly, it is NOT law they make noise reducing earphones, but rather
a limitation of technology. In fact, some lean towards calling them
Noise "reducing" rather than Noise "cancelling", because cancelling
implies all external noise is removed - which it's not.
Everybody being litigation-happy, means you can't lie on the sales
brochure (though they like to bend the truth).
> and you know unless you ride around 50-55 MPH on
> Interstate Hi-Way or street with little traffic, else the noise (when ride
>> 60-75 MPH) is pretty bad. My bike has straight pipe which is little too
> loud for my taste, so I have to add the homemade baffles to reduce the noise
> to around 3/4, and for long trip I often wear earplug.
I found regardless of your pipes, the noise is "too" loud for my liking
anyway. I only hear the pipes at lower speeds, but around 70-80Km/h
(45-50mph) the wind noise makes any noise the bike is making pale into
insignificance.
I can't hear my pipes, because the nanny-state laws here mandate noise
requirements for them. And the situation is heavily policed by the EPA
and the relevant roads authority of the state (who both clearly have
nothing better to do).
--
A few fries short of a Happy Meal.
Dymphna
Oh the unit I was looking at for the helmet goes inside the helmet w/
speakers. It runs $209 alone ouch!
Dymphna
Federal government has far too much power for what they are supposed to
have constitutionally. I personally wear a helmet, but my grandfather
fought it here. He took it to court when they gave him the ticket and it
was ruled unconstitutional to require an adult to wear a helmet in
Montana.
Interesting that the bluetooth does not work well w/ the Garmin. I am
taking my bike in on a recall issue tomorrow and am going to talk to
them some more. Any experience w/ Tom Tom?