TomTom Rider
Since I've been on a GPS kick lately, I thought I'd post about this new product from TomTom, makers of the TomTom Go (an car GPS unit) and GPS software for PalmOS and PocketPC devices (I reviewed the PalmOS version here). I've never ridden a motorcycle and so can't imagine taking my eyes and attention off the road at all, let alone my hands off the handle bars! And then you have the whole issue of whether a motorcycle GPS is kind of an oxymoron. The people I know who ride motorcycles seem to do so as an adventurous weekend activity, letting the wind take them where it will. How does knowing exactly where you are and where you're going fit in? But, as I said, I'm no aficionado, so maybe this would be very useful to riders everywhere. It's waterproofed, has an anti-glare screen (one of the issues that the TomTom Go has is glare), and it can communicate with Bluetooth headsets so that you can hear the voice prompts that tell you where to turn. It will be available this summer.Via Gadgetry Blog
One nice use for GPS is that motorcycle speedometers are notoriously
inaccurate (specifically, they are increasingly optimistic as you reach the
upper range of the speedo). To get a proper gauge of your bike's top
speed, GPS is required. A lot of n00b/egotistical riders will insist
they've actually done "190mph" on their bikes, but in reality, with most
modern bikes, 190 is more likely to be 170 (which is still insanely fast
for anyone but the most skilled riders in a controlled environment).
"The people I know who ride motorcycles seem to do so as an adventurous
weekend activity, letting the wind take them where it will. How does
knowing exactly where you are and where you're going fit in"
I ride a
bike all the time..You're right, some times you just have to go for a spin
anywhere, but other times you need to travel for work all over the country,
And its bloody hard trying to read a map while you're on the motorway or
twisting the head 180 degrees to look down on the pillion seat at a wet
soggy map.
Yes you could stop, get the map out of the topcase...pop it
back in....drive for a few miles....stop, get the map out of the
topcase...etc but this looks 100 times easier...
Have a good one
Dan [olearydc@gmail.com]
I've been waiting for this baby for months and it's getting close. The
usual "Pre-Order" price is £599 which seems a bit steep but when you see
what you get it's actually a pretty good deal. Being able to easily
navigate with clear directions and also take/make calls on your mobile
phone hands free on the bike is a bonus. I know it goes against the spirit
of riding a bit, but in the real world it's damn useful. The bluetooth
compatibility is also great if you wish to use it in a car with a bluetooth
equipped headset or audio system.
I can't wait to get mine! Happy Riding :o)
I ride a ninja and while it's great to just ride along and hit some turns
until you don't know where you are... sometimes it's nice to know you can
get home easily after pushing a couple buttons. Also there's a feature that
you can hit a couple other buttons and it'll automatically route you to the
nearest gas station. That will be extremely handy as sometimes you get a
little paranoid when that gas light comes on. I actually bought a Go 700
from BestBuy for a road trip in my truck and it was impossible to get lost.
When I went to Tomtom's website for some support on the bluetooth
connectivity I saw the rider and decided immediately that would would be
100 times more appropriate for me to own than the go700. So I bit down and
payed the 15% restocking fee to return my go700 and went online and ordered
my Rider. I'll be getting it this week and I can't wait.
Ride Safe