Cycling GPS for motorcycle riding?
 

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a GPS for my cycling adventures (MTB + gravel + road) that would be compatible for motorcycle riding. Is there such a thing? My knowledge concerning cycling computers is very limited so I'll need your help on this one ;)

I would think it'd work alright to use something like an Edge 830 but the screen would be a bit small unless you're riding the motorcycle slowly/on non-technical stuff. I used a fairly big screen phone with locus map pro for trail riding with the moto and even that screen was a bit small for my eyes in those conditions...

Any Garmin GPS should work fine on a motorcycle, but it would be very risky and unsafe to attempt to use it while riding. With that in mind, it would be super-useful and interesting to track the trip metrics.

Hi, yep screen size is the downside. I don't intend to look at the GPS frequently but I know there's a risk to develop a bad habit in real life situations and be tempted to do so. I was thinking about the Edge 830 precisely.

For the same reason as Marylander mentioned? It's just the size of the screen which could cause a problem? There's no technical limit to it? What minimum size would you recommend for a motorcycle?

I just remembered I have an old Garmin 2597LM which I have left from a car... I need to check if it's still useable. It has a 5" screen, here are the specs:
‣View routes on the 5-inch touchscreen
‣Street-level here mapping for Europe
‣Enjoy FREE lifetime map updates
‣Enjoy FREE lifetime traffic updates (only the 2597LMT)
‣Voice activated navigation
‣Manual dual-orientation screen - portrait or landscape
‣Displays speed limit, current speed and time of arrival
‣Avoid traffic tie-ups with 3D traffic, subscription-free live traffic updates from the our extensive traffic avoidance system (nuvi 2597LMT only)
‣Turn-by-turn guidance with voice prompts
‣Speaks street names e.g. "Turn right ON ELM STREET in 500ft."
‣8-digit postcode - navigate using full UK postcode search
‣Active Lane Guidance guides to proper lane for navigation
‣PhotoReal Junction view displays junction signs
‣Auto re-route fast off-route and detour recalculation
‣Choice of route setup - faster time, shorter distance, off road
‣Auto sort multiple destinations - provides most direct route
‣Speed limit indicator - displays speed limit for most major roads
‣Route avoidance - avoid highways, tolls etc
‣Bluetooth enabled for hands-free calls.
‣World travel clock, currency and unit converter, calculator
‣Optional Cyclops speed camera locations via subscription
‣Rechargeable Li-ion battery - up to 1 hours
‣Built-in Cyclops speed camera database - includes fixed camera locations and mobile hot-spots
‣1 Year manufacturers guarantee

Yeah, the screen size, and simply that on a motorcycle you cover so much ground in such a short time, and any GPS (or any navigation aid, really) is taking your eyes off the road, more so than in a car where it can be placed pretty much in your line of vision. There shouldn't be any technical limit as far as I'm aware.

If you can position it in a place where it's easily seen and angled well, and you can take a quick glace and get info in the same way you would on the motorcycle "dashboard" (like fuel consumption, etc), you may be able to safely use it while riding.

There are commercial options for mounting a full size gps in view on motorcycles with the space for it, e.g., google givi gps mount. Lots of the moto accessory makers have something, it's just a matter of whether there's something that would fit your bike.

Safety is key so I'll try to adapt the car GPS on the motorcycle then. I have a YZFR 125 and there isn't a lot of space around the dashboard but I should figure something out by looking further on the web :). I still need a cycling GPS. Based on my findings the 830 is a good model to start with :)

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d39db2e5a2.jpg


Thanks for the reference, I'll look it out . My motorcycle is a "sportbike" to make things worse :p.. I know that Quadlock makes a fork stem mount for the bike but I need to check out if I can find an adapter for Garmin GPS units: If I don't find anything I'll make it myself with a 3D printer :p

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fb61f54002.jpg

Some guys get pretty creative when integrating GPS units on their motorcycle. This solution is pretty funny apart from the fact you loose a mirror:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUxI4NAE3HU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWJ2PZ4uwpM

For the price of an Edge 830 also look at the Hammerhead Karoo 2. Same $400, bigger and better screen. If you have an older device, they *might* trade it and give a substantial discount on a new K2. Better screen than an 830, especially if you've created a route to navigate. Having used multiple Garmins (and still use a 1030) as well as K2, the Karoo map screen is superior.

In general, the units are agnostic to what transportation device they are used on, equally happy in a car or a kayak. The recorded track would obviously show avg. speed of 55 instead of 15, but who cares ?.

Battery life is better on a Garmin, but you can USB a battery stick (or cigarette outlet) and run a device that way.

One thought though is get a cheap Android with a big screen and waterproof case. Buy it used if possible. Run it off USB power, don't do a cell plan, run Gaia GPS mapping software. Get a QuadLock mount. Gaia has great maps you can download to the device, allows routing like a cycling unit and is a very popular software of the overlanding community,

If you want a GPS for car, bicycle, hiking and motorcycle take a look at the Garmin Montana series. I have a 610 I used for years. The newer 7XX may be better but I have not looked. But and here is the but. Really only good for navigation and tracking. As for the reverse the Garmin Edge GPSs like the 1030 will work but the screen is really too small. It depends on what you need. For now I use my 610 in the car and on the motorcycle. The 1030 is for mountain and road biking.

The real question is what do you want the gps to do for you? Do you want a digital speedo, turn by turn, or stuff we probably wouldn't understand? The bike specific ones do things like record your heart rate and the torque you're putting into the pedals if you want to cough up some $$. It'll do stuff that's useful to a motorcyclist too like some of them have good maps.

I know people who use a Garmin cycling GPS for skiing, they just don't make use of some of the functions like cadence. But every one of them does it because they're also cyclists and already had the bike GPS, so it didn't cost anything to put it to a second use.

I love my Fenix watch. Hiking, cycling, swimming, and xc skiing.