The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

I am a self confessed gadget freak and have been using a GPS in my cars ever since Garmin bought out their first StreetPilots which must have been at least 20 years ago. As a newbie to two wheels (motorized), one of the first things I had to get was a motorcycle unit and picked up the Garmin 390 LM.
The screen is almost unreadable in any kind of stronger daylight. Is it just me (be gentle if so) or is the technology just not there yet outside the shielded confines of a car dashboard? So is anyone using one successfully and if so, do they use the bluetooth headset to get direction instructions? At 65-75mph you certainly dont want to be spending too much time on a screen anyway.

Monty1952 wrote: The screen is almost unreadable in any kind of stronger daylight. Is it just me (be gentle if so) or is the technology just not there yet outside the shielded confines of a car dashboard?

its true, Garmin should consider making a GPS for segways, motorcycles and bicycles that you can actually see outside a car. My nuvi is crap on the bike too. Just use a cell phone and a GPS app instead.

Monty1952 wrote:I am a self confessed gadget freak and have been using a GPS in my cars ever since Garmin bought out their first StreetPilots which must have been at least 20 years ago. As a newbie to two wheels (motorized), one of the first things I had to get was a motorcycle unit and picked up the Garmin 390 LM.
The screen is almost unreadable in any kind of stronger daylight. Is it just me (be gentle if so) or is the technology just not there yet outside the shielded confines of a car dashboard? So is anyone using one successfully and if so, do they use the bluetooth headset to get direction instructions? At 65-75mph you certainly dont want to be spending too much time on a screen anyway.

I use a Tomtom rider and find it's best to have the screen as vertical as possible. No Bluetooth.

+1 My LG G3 even has an extreme brightness range for direct sunlight.

homie wrote:

Monty1952 wrote: The screen is almost unreadable in any kind of stronger daylight. Is it just me (be gentle if so) or is the technology just not there yet outside the shielded confines of a car dashboard?

its true, Garmin should consider making a GPS for segways, motorcycles and bicycles that you can actually see outside a car. My nuvi is crap on the bike too. Just use a cell phone and a GPS app instead.

I remember how excited i was when the price of a Street Pilot dropped from $700 to $300. I bought one then. Still use it. It's huge. Just buy one of them for $5 on Craigslist and duct tape it to your scooter. Turn the volume up loud and ignore the screen.

This is perhaps the least-helpful thing i've posted to this forum but I couldn't resist since no one has mentioned a Garmin Street Pilot in ages.

yak wrote:I remember how excited i was when the price of a Street Pilot dropped from $700 to $300. I bought one then. Still use it. It's huge. Just buy one of them for $5 on Craigslist and duct tape it to your scooter. Turn the volume up loud and ignore the screen.

This is perhaps the least-helpful thing i've posted to this forum but I couldn't resist since no one has mentioned a Garmin Street Pilot in ages.

LOL - like your sense of humour! Wouldn't buy a car without a GPS in it or a backup camera now that I think about it. Maybe I should learn to read a map again!

yak wrote: This is perhaps the least-helpful thing i've posted to this forum

Is this a rule? because if it is I need a new forum

I bought a $700 Street Pilot back in the day too. Haven't tried to put Navigation on a bike yet. I test rode a Harley Tri Glide Ultra with navigation a few weeks ago. The nav package is made by Garmin and Harley factory installed. It worked and looked great on a very bright day. Honda offers a nav package on Goldwing, I haven't seen it work but most Goldwing forums say it is not as good as aftermarket.

Monty1952 wrote:

yak wrote:I remember how excited i was when the price of a Street Pilot dropped from $700 to $300. I bought one then. Still use it. It's huge. Just buy one of them for $5 on Craigslist and duct tape it to your scooter. Turn the volume up loud and ignore the screen.

This is perhaps the least-helpful thing i've posted to this forum but I couldn't resist since no one has mentioned a Garmin Street Pilot in ages.

LOL - like your sense of humour! Wouldn't buy a car without a GPS in it or a backup camera now that I think about it. Maybe I should learn to read a map again!

Amazing what you get used to. ABS, traction control, electronic stability, computers, fuel injection. full disc brakes, electric windows, proximity warnings, digital climate control.

Brought it home when I bought the LDV grandad minibus. What a shonker. It has a radio.

I use a car Garmin mounted via suction cup to the black stock shield on the front of my PCX. Works fine, of course I don't use it in the wet.