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[mungam]

What are you running for a GPS on your ride?
What are the best features/why did you buy that model?
What do you dislike about it now that you have used it?
What did you pay for it?
How did you mount/wire it?
Doing it all over again, would you make a different choice?

My experience was with naitram's Garmin Quest.  I borrowed it a few times and liked the portability of it (20hr battery powered).  The only down side was that it didn't hold the entire country.
Enter the Garmin Quest2.  All the benefits of the original but with more memory.  It will hold all of North America.
So I bought it.

  I despise this unit.  Oh they added more memory, but didn't upgrade the processor.  It takes forever to calculate a route and if you miss a turn, you might as well pull over and let it catch up or you will be in recalculation hell.
I contacted Garmin's support via email and went back and forth a few times until I said "so it isn't broke, it just sucks"
No further contact from them....go figure.
I tried to dump it on ebay for 100 less than I paid for it the previous month.  No luck.  I have kept it for almost a year now.  I will do my homework this time around, hence this topic.

I welcome your response and candor as I want my next GPS to eliminate stress instead of adding to it.

Steve

[Chief]

Garmin Street Pilot. Got 2 of them. Never had a problem with it until I put it on the 110". Now I have a problem with the screen changing automatically. I thought it was the unit so I bought a brand new 2610 off of ebay. The new unit does it too. Evidently, the 110 has just the right amount and type of vibration to cause problems with the Street Pilot.

I'll get a Zumo w/Nexrad radar when it becomes available.



As a followup to 2Lane's post, my NIB StreetPilot 2610 was $250 to the door. Garmin gets $225 (+ Freight) to work on your unit. Getting another unit for the price of fixing my 4 y.o. unit was an easy decision.

[Twolanerider]

Steve, the top end TomToms are selling at good discounts all over anymore.  And they are ok.  One of the reasons they are discounted, however, is to try and compete with the Garmins.  The 2820 and Zumo 550 are the most popular and commonly used products for our type of use that aren't the Quest or somewhat lesser units.

Both have much quicker processors and memory to hold the country.  They each add other significant and useful bells and whistles.  There are even fancier and more expensive units out there also.  But if you're looking to step up from the Quest and get some that is bit more expensive, w/o getting something that is a LOT more expensive, take a look at the Streetpilot 2820 or the Zumo series.

One other consideration.  If you're interested in a discounted but very functional unit that only lacks the bells and whistles that have been added to newer modesl check eBay for remanufactured Garmin 2610.  They were very good, easy to use and easy to read.  Speaking specifically to nav functions there are still things I like about the 26XX series more than the new 28XX series.  If my 2620 hadn't of died I'd not have bought the new one.  It did such a good job there wasn't a justification to make the change.  And the 2610 units are occasionally out there CHEAP.

[Fired00d]

Steve,
Zumo 550 and love it. First GPS I've owned so nothing to compare it with, but I've found it easy to learn how to use it.

Purchased it because of ease of use on a motorcycle and it was designed specifically for motorcycle use (buttons, touch screen, features, etc.)

What I dislike is it doesn't tell me who has the coldest beer while traveling. Really haven't found anything I dislike about it.

Paid $679.00 with free shipping from PCNation.

Used a Techmount 30997MC GPS mount.

For power I used my cigarette lighter by purchasing a plug from Radio Shack, and run audio into my radio in the Aux plug.

Would definitely do it all over again.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[mungam]

Steve,
Zumo 550 and love it.
Would definitely do it all over again.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

I was considering that back then and still am now.  It would allow me to dump the Ipod and some extra wires.
I check prices every now and again.  If I see it below $600 I might just grab it.

Steve

[Hoist!]

I was considering that back then and still am now.  It would allow me to dump the Ipod and some extra wires.
I check prices every now and again.  If I see it below $600 I might just grab it.

Steve

Got it for $621 at PCNation.com Steve.

see you on Sat!

Hoist!

[mungam]

Got it for $621 at PCNation.com Steve.

see you on Sat!

Hoist!

Can't wait for Sat!!! Amazing how a little bit of snow (almost 2 feet) makes the thought of a Motorcycle show seem like riding season is just around the corner 

Steve

[hard10]

I've only used Garmin products. I have an original V which was a non mapping unit. My current unit is the 478 of which I have two and a 276C +. I personally like the 478 for the NEXRAD radar feature. One can purchase the same unit and not activate the weather. It transitions from land to marine for boat use. I have used the Zumo and it is very nice but once you upgrade to the higher level like the 478 it's hard to go backwards.

[Fired00d]

Got it for $621 at PCNation.com Steve.

see you on Sat!

Hoist!

You got a good deal they are back up to $654. at PCNation now. One thing I will say for purchasing from them though it's free 3 day shipping.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Dan_Lockwood]

The only thing I've noticed in looking at different sites for discounted prices is that they differ in content from one to the other.

http://www.bwayphoto.com/ViewProduct.aspx?ID=3276493&l=LowPriceDigital

The above link is to Broadway Photo and they have the best price around but the items that come with the unit are very limited.

• Preloaded City Navigator NT North America
• Motorcycle Mount w/ RAM Mounting Hardware
• Carrying Case
• Motorcycle Power Cable
• Security screwdriver
• Owner's Manual on Disk
• Quick Reference Guide
• 1 Year Warranty

In another site it says this comes with the Zumo 550.  Some of the items below may be parts of an assembly and shouldn't have been listed separately, but hey, I don't know.

• Lock Decals
• Instructions
• Adhesive Disk
• Swivel, Ball Joint & Hardware
• Security Wrench
• CD Instruction Manual
• C-Clamp
• Fixed Ball Joint
• Carrying Case
• USB Cable
• Bike Power Wiring
• Suction Mount
• City Navigator NT DVD
• the Unit
• Motor Bike Mount1 Year Warranty
• Alternate Top & Bottom Covers
• Power Cable
• Mounting Instructions
• USB Charging Module
• 1 Year Warranty

So is it really best to buy the cheapest available or are the "extra" items not really needed, like the mount etc?  I see most are using the Techmount, which I'll probably get as well.

Just thought I'd add my $.02 of useless information.

[Fired00d]

Be very careful buying from Broadway I've heard bad things about them and their selling practices. Look at the Garmin site and see what they say should come in the box and that's what you should get. If anybody is selling anything less then that they have "raped" the box of parts.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[mungam]

Just thought I'd add my $.02 of useless information.

I am not considering anything as useless information at this point.  
I want this to be a well informed purchase this time around.  

Thanks
Steve

[JCZ]

I have the Garmin 2730.

It has the entire US and will recalculate within ten seconds after you've missed your turn.  I went with this unit for the XM radio (I ride an 04 SEEG) and the fact that I could use it on my bike, in my car or truck.  I'm very happy with it and would do it again.

[mungam]

I have the Garmin 2730.

It has the entire US and will recalculate within ten seconds after you've missed your turn.  I went with this unit for the XM radio (I ride an 04 SEEG) and the fact that I could use it on my bike, in my car or truck.  I'm very happy with it and would do it again.

How does the XM work through the GPS/bike radio and also what happens when you switch to the car?
My Quest2 has a single speaker on the cig plug with the car kit so it is not stereo.

Thanks
Steve

[Midnight Rider]

Dan...be very, very careful when dealing with some of those electronic/camera places on the internet.  A lot of the bad ones are in NYC or Miami.  Some of their tactics include robbing the box of parts, then charging you extra for them; non USA warranty (Gray Market...comes from overseas, so no USA warranty...the camera company then provides their own warranty); excessive shipping charges; selling refurbished items as new.

Until Garmin comes out with a Zumo 650 or whatever the next iteration will be, I doubt you'll find a unit for under 600 bucks