Am with Suz... I print off maps and stick em in the front pocket of me tank bag.... ... I manage 99% of the time.. lol
If I have a "scenic detour" I ask for directions .. lol
worked so far :)
Same here as Suzi and Star. I got to the local discount shop and buy a copy of last year's road atlas for £1.99 or even less, and then cut up, photocopy as required for the tank bag.
I'm also the same as Shadow, buy last year's satnav for the car. Don't need to get a stanav to drive from, say, Nottingham from Liverpool, but finding an address in suburban Nottingham would be a definite satnav job if I'm on my own. Saves an awful lot of bother.
Ian I have the zumo, it was very difficult to download the map update and the blue tooth cardo rider cuts out when it feels like it. the zumo is very solid well built and does its job with lots of extras but because of the cost of updating it i would seriously consider getting a phone with a sat nav and just listening to it.To be honest I have used mine a lot on the bike but rarely look at it, the ear plugs you get custom made with audio are well worth the money but if you get a mobile phone with one in all you have to worry about is getting a comfortable ear piece,also a phone upgrade with new maps is easier than updating a sat nav in my opinion.I wouldnt rely on trying to hear a car one as traffic noise will drown it out, i did use one in a tank bag for a while.
I got the cheapest car one I could find, just in case it was too complicated and never got used,.. (or broke/lost more likely)! I put it in my mapcase, with a laminated photocopy of the area I'm going into below it, then run a cable (through a loose fag lighter socket) to a small 12v dry-cell battery in one of the cubby holes.
I can swop it all between bikes in less than a minute, the battery lasts for well over 20 hours, and I think they cost less than £10 for a Yuasa one. So with the nav, cable, M/F sockets and battery,.. maybe £120.
If you going to have a permanent connection (rather than an external socket), such as a powerlet cable, then you need to ensure that once the GPS unit is removed you keep it protected from the elements as the mini USB can rust. Maybe best to connect from a socket so you can remove it
I use both maps and a garmin zumo 400, the sat-nav is handy to get you through unfamilier towns (Barcelona, Toledo etc). Open road just follow the signs.
Nokia's phone sat nav works fine and free maps for life, blue tooth connect or earphone or tank map holder with basics written down ie M1 off at junc 19 on to M6 Off at JUNC 10 Roundabout 2ND EXT ONTO B449 etc ....
Prefer the latter tho on more than one occasion been with folk following SAT NAV being asked to turn down one way streets n the like.....
Ian - Just been on the link - it's £100 with assessories. I've got a spare RAM mount and TT holder and a powerlet cable which attaches to the battery terminals, with Mini USB for the TT. Make me an offer
aye gone of the days when every one found there way round places via pubs or well known land marks,I hate my sat nav its a much use as a chocolate fire guard,I tend to look up on route finder make mentle note or revert back to the old fashion way write it down like sparky has said.