Motorcycke Riders...curious who else rides>>>

Sold the 750 and now have a VFR800. love it!

I ride with a Zumo 550 on a techmount stem.

Ride a 2000 Harley Ultra Classic, with a Zumo 550. Live in No Va. Been riding over 40 years, and earned my Broken Wings when I was 19. All my music comes outa my Zumo (since the stereo has a cassette player). I never would have bought one, but a friend gave it to me as a present. Can't imagine riding without one now.

I have a 1999 Road Star with A navi 1300LM on board. I live in Dallas Georgia. Been riding for 50 years, do alot of long distance

I have a 2730, which I've used extensively for long trips (3-4 week loops through the west), for Iron Butt rides (organized long distance endurance riding). In fact I hold the record for most ferries crossed during an Iron Butt ride - though to be honest, I think I'm the only one who ever tried

I could NEVER have done that ride without a GPS.

Those who are bored can see the details here: http://ridetoeat.com/ferry

While my waistline may not, the rest of me certainly thanks you for maintaining the RTE POI files.

Lots of good places for chow!

Ron

I ride a Suzuki C50 and Suzuki C90. I use a TomTom 300 using a "P" Clamp on the handlebar. I use MS Streets & Trips 2010 to create my route, and export it to GPX Translate that to TomTom ITN with GPSBabelGUI free software, and then modify the ITN with Notepad changing the last character on some of the rows to 3 to indicate where I want to stop, as opposed to just waypoints I drive through.

Not too many around anymore!

Fred

I agree - great list!

Have a 2006 Victory Kingpin, just put a ram mount on it so I can put my Garmin255w on it so I can find my way home.
Has anyone used one of the USB adapters that plugs into the cigarette adapter to power a GPS? The one I have tried the GPS thinks it is plugged into a computer and won't show the maps.

I've had numerous bikes. Started off with a Cushman scooter (the one with the trunk). Had Hondas, Suzukis and Husqvarnas. Now have a Suzuki V-Strom DL650, Yamaha XT-225 and a Kawasaki KX 500 very light and very fast 2 stroke for the dirt. Not too many places to ride the KX anymore though. That's the XT-225 in the picture.

Three years ago drove out to Silverton, Colorado and did Engineer pass, the Alpine loop and others. My first time to the Rockies. Spent a week there and then went on up to Moab, Utah and rode the desert trails. We had about 9 of us in Silverton and 13 in Moab. I'm in love with the Rockies. Rode all the trails with the diminutive XT-225. We all had XTs. No GPS on the bike, but there were several that did.

Then I was laid off about 2 years ago. Sort of forced retirement. So bought a V-Strom. Put a smaller rear sproket on for better mileage and engine longevity. Rode from NW Florida, through Georgia to see my daughter in Columbia, SC then on up to Boone, NC and down the Blue Ridge parkway to Cherokee, the terminus of the BR. Then on to Atlanta to see my son and home. Had a Garmin C-320 mounted. I modded the car mount and powered from the usb port. Camped out some of the time.

I want to do a circle of the US trip. Maybe head up the BlueRidge again and head west paralleling I-40. Do as much of Route 66 as is left. Then stop off in Monterey, CA to see one of my sons. Then down to southern CA and on back across the southern US. I have family and friends all along the way. Stay off interstates as much as possible. Should be fun. Was thinking of a trip to Mystic Seaport, CN, but that's a long way out of the way. Sounds like maybe another time/trip.

I'll have to retire again to make the round the US trip though.

I apologise for the lengthly post.

Wade in NW Florida

... with its very own Tomtom

--

it's the dog's fault

I have heard that it is possible to use some bluetooth headsets to get turn by turn from your GPS while it is in your pocket. Has anyone tried this?

Talked to a guy once at a rest stop that had a bluetooth helmet setup. He used it for iPod to listen to music. No reason it wouldn't work with the bluetooth enabled gps. You could put your tunes on and I think it stops them for turn instructions.

Wade in NW Florida

I have a Boulevard M50. Looking for the best way to mount and power the Garmin GPS.

without a GPS - I don't want one when I want to get lost

I have a 1973 Norton 850 Commando but I do not use GPS with it. Most of my rides are local and I prefer a cleaner look to the front of the bike.

I ride a Royal Star Tour Deluixe and puill a Harbor Freight Tag-Along trailer. I have a Zumo550 on my bike w/xm radio antenna.

I've been happy with RAM mounts for both my bikes. While this site might not be the "best" place to buy what you need, it does provide some examples which should work for you.

http://www.themountdepot.com/category_s/1218.htm

How to power it depends some on which Garmin power cords you have or want to acquire.

Ron

07 Royal Star Tour Deluxe Zumo550 w/xm antenna.

I had a 70 350 in the Navy, way back when and put 37k miles on it. It may not have been "made" for travel, but it did the job. As I recall, the posters for that bike said that this bike was for "The Travelin' man". I did many trips down the Skyline Drive in VA, and loved it.

I rode motorcycles for a bit over 20 years, starting with a Honda CB-350, continuing with another CB-350, a CB-450, a GL-1000, a CB-400F, and finally a Yamaha RZ-350. The RZ was an incredible rocket!

Never used a GPS on any of them, but I did have ham radio and operate all over the world on 20 meters from the Gold Wing.

Then you know all about the starter problem which I fixed years ago. Still a nice bike for an afternoon ride.

Glad to hear that I'm not alone!

Fred

GPS is relegated to the cars....

1993 Goldwing SE with 142,000 miles...
1995 Shadow Ace with 27,000 miles....

Probably have between 700,000 and 800,000 miles on 2 wheels since 1962

You must use a Garmin USB cord in order for the unit to function. I think (guessing) Garmins has the pins wired differently in their cords

If you are talking about a cigar lighter adapter that has USB socket and you are plugging a USB cable that has a Type A plug on one end and a mini Type B plug on the other, then just wait about 30 seconds or so, and the 255W will go ahead and start up in regular operating mode. At least that is the way my 255W works.

Not sure if one would stay on! I'm riding a 1999 Harley Super Glide I bought new, have 98,000 mile on her now. I've been looking at different handle bar mounts for my garmin. I'm in Oregon so I guess it would have to be waterproof!

Have a 2007 Ultra classic with 83,000 miles and a Quest2 by Garmin. Has been a very dependable unit but they don't make them anymore. I guess they are a bit out dated, have a nuvi 780 in the cage. and it has been very good. Went to Sturgis twice and Az bike week as well as the Laughlin River run. Various other places in the Southwest area (Arizona,Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado North & South Dakota, Utah, Nevada, California and Mexico).

To not scratch up my handlebars, I thought I would place some tape between them and my Ram mount. I was told this was a bad thing as over time the tape would deteriorate or compress (?) and the mount become loose.

I'm not sure if this is true, but made sense to me.

Ron

To not scratch up my handlebars, I thought I would place some tape between them and my Ram mount. I was told this was a bad thing as over time the tape would deteriorate or compress (?) and the mount become loose.

I'm not sure if this is true, but made sense to me.

Ron

I would definitely tape the bars too, got custom chubbys and would not want to scratch em! I don't think if you made them tight you would have much to worry about.

+1... it's just a glance. Adjust it while stopped. However, I do love the "perfect riders" comment... LOL... clearly, if you don't do it his way, you're wrong. I enjoy my riding experience... more so with my Zumo. I know I can always get home easily.

I'm riding on a 2004 Harley Ultra Classic with about 85K on it now. Use a Zumo 550. Leaving this Friday for a 12 day, 6,000 mile jaunt across 26 of the lower 48 with a 3 day stop in Sturgis for part of the rally. First day out will be completing a SaddleSore 1,000 from Beaufort, SC to Ft. Worth, TX.

I put black electrical tape between the bar and mount. That was 5 years ago and the mount is still tight.

Either cork tape or synthetic will work brilliantly.

All you need is a short run of even old, used tape.

It hands down beats any other tape - stays on, and comes off clean when you want it to.

I ride an '06 Honda GL1800 (~57k smiles so far) and use a StreetPilot 2370 in a Garmin cradle on a RAM mount on the left bar. I used to use the MP3 player in it a LOT, but now I have a CD player MP3 replacement in the trunk and only use the 2370 as GPS or to occasionally listen to audio books.

I put black electrical tape between the bar and mount. That was 5 years ago and the mount is still tight.

====

I'm glad to hear that !

As a point of reference, how many many miles did you ride during those 5 years using the GPS?

Thanks!

Ron

2003 Harley Road King with a Zumo 550

About 30K miles on one bike and 20K on the other. Both have the same type of mount.

I ride a 2005 Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom with an old Garmin Street Pilot 2720. Also have a 2009 Ninja 650 with a Zumo 660.
I live in Cooper City Florida but go to Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee as often as I can.

That's a whole bunch of miles and makes me believe a bit of tape on the handlebars makes no difference.

Thanks for getting back to us!

Ron

The wife and I both ride Harley Softails. We have a Garmin Zumo 550. Saturday morning we will head out on a three week trip from Home in Va Beach, Va to Santa Monica Ca. and back travelling most of the way (from St. Louis west) on Route 66. Hoping I can find some good rt 66 POIs on this site.

There's a couple of eating places on the triple D POI page...

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/15558

Ron

Have had a goldwing since 1981 the 2010 was the first new one I owned and it came with gps built in. but in order to use it you must be stopped and in park. so I have a nuvi 1350 as a backup on it.
As a long haul trucker I never go anywere without a GPS