On our neverending quest to farkle our rigs, we seem to have ignored the GPS side of the house. I love riding with a GPS, as do many of the other riders on here. So let this be the place to post up what you are GPS you are running and how you mounted it. I already run the Garmin Zumo 220 on all my other bikes. For me, I use it mainly to keep me lost and off the beaten path. It's also great to hit the "home" key so I can make it home by dinner time. The ability to create my routes on the computer and upload them to the GPS for longer trips makes it completely worth the money. So today I'm ordering a bare-wire DC power supply and a RAM mount. Although, I am a little concerned as to how the RAM mount will work on the Husky. It's a big mount, so things might get a little cramped. I'm a long way from home, so I'm just going to order it anyway so everything is waiting for me upon my return.
I only use a GPS to follow tracks of someone's previous ride if I'm in a completely unknown area - like my first trip to Baja several years ago where those tracks listed all the Pemex stations open at the time and showed how they traversed rugged backcountry where it was easy to miss a trail and get lost. Other than that, I'm a paper map guy. I'll study paper maps before I leave and have a good idea where I'm going and how to get there. I use a 60CSx with the base mapping and topo for the western states, Mexico, and Baja. It's wired to power via a Powerlet outlet up near the gauges.
I have a TomTom rider1 on my Morini with Euro mapping...but for the Husky I have just bought a very cheap Bluetronics sat bav complete with a ram mount very similar to the Zumo one^^^..fully waterproof and works with gloves on. it runs Igo8 maps and apparently you can add off road Topo maps and import routes but I havent got that far yet...For 1/3 of the price of a TT or Garmin its so far proving to be a bargain..( also marketed under various brand names including Peaklife) http://bluetronics.co.uk/
I had a TomTom Rider 1 on my other bike for many years, with the Touratech extreme anti-vibration mount and about 2 years ago I replaced that with a Garmin Zumo 660. I use the Zumo660 on the DL1000 and I have mounted the TomTom Rider1 on my TR650 just because it was there. I also have a couple of thejust released TomTom Rider updated version (not even sure what they call it) which I was given to test as part of their beta test program. I have been anticipating them asking me to return them but if they don't soon I might mount one of these on the Terra instead. I have also considered buying a second mounting kit for the Zumo 660 and using the same GPS on both bikes. I really like the MP3 player function on these which the TomTom's don't have.
Garmin 705 that I now swap from my mt bike, road bike and now my HUSKY!! Plan is to use this as my accurate hour meter and keep track of the tours that guys are showing me of some local trails.
This is my Garmin 76csx on my Terra powered by an always on 12v outlet. Had this GPS on various bikes for close to 26 000 miles. Waterproof and very rugged, accepts micro sd cards
I've actually been contemplating the idea of just running a 12v outlet to the handlebar and powering it that way. Then it would serve to charge a cell phone too on longer trips. I haven't dug into the particulars on the Husky power system to see if it can handle two or more gadgets.
In the process of running mini USB power to the bars for the GPS and iPhone power to the rear pack for charging. Using an automotive Nuvi 2495LMT in a waterproof case. Still in the "uh-oh, that's not gonna work" phase of the project.
I was preparing to order the RAM mount when I stumbled across this for $11 on Amazon. It is low profile, and should fit right in the center of the handlebars. User reviews were good, and it is compatible with RAM cradles. We'll see how it works.
One thing to be cautious of with center mounting a GPS is the front brake line movement with suspension travel.
Good call. The parts will be there long before I will, so I'll sort it out. It may just become a low profile side mount.
Using Garmin Montana here (wonderful unit BTW) with TT shock-proof mount. I hate mounting my GPS on handlebar as I like it ABOVE instrument cluster. Still havent been able to invent a way to do that on Terra though.
Been using a Garmin 276C for the past 6 years.. I mount it to my Husqvarna WR250 or Suzuki DRZ250 with a Touratech flat mount.. The Garmin 276c weighs almost one pound and needs a good mount or you could loose it when riding off-road.. Last year bought a Garmin Montana.. Below is the mount I made.. Anti vibration mounts ~ $5.00 for 4.. $3.00 in aluminum.. Few dollars for nuts & bolts.. Total ~ $12.00.. When single track riding often don't re-look at my gps until the end of the trail.. My heavy duty tether in case it wants to go walkabout..
Been running heated grips, heated jacket liner, GPS and radar-detector at the same time on day trips without any problems. As far as I know the Terra puts out 400 Watt, plenty power to run quite a few gadgets above and beyond what is required for the bike to function. I have a designated fused three wire sheathed cable running to the handlebar from the battery separating the Terras circuits from the add on gadgets. One cable is always on for the 12V outlet and the other cable is switched with a relay to the ignition key for radar detector and heated gear. Third wire is ground straight of the battery. Don't like to take power from dedicated circuits on the bike and chance to overload them....... and it makes looking for the blown fuse easier . With the GPS plugged into the always on 12V outlet it doesn't turn off every time I turn the bike off for a quick stop and have to reboot and look for signal after I turn the bike back on.
Off the 'extra' terminals provided on the battery, I ran a Powerlet Termin-8, which just gives you a couple of more places to attach pigtails without crowding the short bolts on the oem battery. One lead for my SAE pigtail - for a Battery Tender if I'm snowed in for a month...., or my Gerbing with an SAE-coax adaptor. That comes out the left side under the plastic. The other leads go to a Powerlet attached to the upper fork clamp on the left side, and routed behind things over to the right side of the steering head. This one can power the GPS or charge something in my tankbag.
anyone figure out the best place to mount the gps yet? have a garmin montana 650t and bought the above RAM mount with u bolt, but the touratech handguards get in the way of mounting it without covering up the control panel. thinking about getting the touratech handle bar mount, but don't like that position and having to take eyes off the road.
Awesome! Old school is still the best school! How do you power this map and compas, of which you speak, O sage one?
