I researched GPS units for motorcycles and was somewhat discouraged by the high cost needed to get the screen size and features I wanted. I started looking into car GPS units and the feasibility of using one on a motorcycle. You can. I have been using a Garmin DriveSmart LMT50 for over six months. I love it and do not leave home without it guiding my way.
I do want to clarify that I am a fair weather rider. If I can avoid rain, snow, tornadoes, etc., I do! Despite my best efforts, I have gotten caught in the rain with the GPS. If it was more than a mist, I placed the GPS in my tank bag which has a clear top and kept on riding.
Okay, with that said, here are the parts I used:
(1) Kawasaki DC Power Outlet
(2) Scosche USBC242M USB Car Charger
(3) GPS Unit: Garmin DriveSmart 50LMT
(4) ScreenPatronus: Garmin DriveSmart 50LMT GPS Anti Glare Screen Protector
(5) RAM Zinc Coated U-Bolt Mounting Base with 1 inch Ball
(6) Ram Mount Composite Short Double Socket Arm for 1-Inch Ball Bases
(7) 1" Ram Mount to Garmin 25mm-17mm double ball for Garmin nuvi GPS Cradle ASP25MM17
I already had the DC power outlet installed. I chose the Scosche adapter (item 2) because I have used them in the past, plus I liked having two USB ports.
I went with the Garmin DriveSmart LMT50 (item 3). The GPS has a glass face and I thought there might have too much glare so I bought an anti-glare (item 4) and put it on straight out of the box. Maybe there would not have been much glare, I do not know, guess I should have tried first, oh well. The GPS does have a larger DC power adapter that is required for the traffic alert to function, but I rarely need that, so I just use the regular USB cable.
Going with the RAM Mount (item 5 & 6) was a perfect choice in my opinion. This allowed me to place the mount on my handle bar in the manner I desired with minimal interference. The circular Garmin GPS mounting connector that goes on the back of the GPS has a hole for a smaller ball (17mm) than the 1" (25mm) ball the RAM Mount uses. I purchased the double ball (item 7) from eBay and it was a perfect fit.
So how does it work? Great! The only time the GPS gets a bit hard reading the small map details is when the sun is high and not a cloud in the sky. That is where the RAM Mount comes in handy. I can easily swivel the GPS up/down/left/right to find a good viewing angle. Even in glare, the street I am on, turn directions, upcoming street and speed limit information are still very readable. Any other time, morning, evening and night, everything is clearly readable.
I took three pictures to show how it looks, but will reply to post those pics, guess I went over the limit.
The touch screen does work with gloves but not all. I took a pair into the store in order to test before I bought. Leather or heavy gloves did not work for me, but I have a stylus handy for those times I am too lazy to remove my gloves. There are so many glove options, you'd have to test for yourself.
Sorry for rambling on, but figured I would share my set up in case others were considering a GPS. If you have any questions, post a reply and I will do my best to answer.
Keep in mind, to each their own. This set up works perfectly for me and may not suit your needs. Peace!
I do want to clarify that I am a fair weather rider. If I can avoid rain, snow, tornadoes, etc., I do! Despite my best efforts, I have gotten caught in the rain with the GPS. If it was more than a mist, I placed the GPS in my tank bag which has a clear top and kept on riding.
Okay, with that said, here are the parts I used:
(1) Kawasaki DC Power Outlet
(2) Scosche USBC242M USB Car Charger
(3) GPS Unit: Garmin DriveSmart 50LMT
(4) ScreenPatronus: Garmin DriveSmart 50LMT GPS Anti Glare Screen Protector
(5) RAM Zinc Coated U-Bolt Mounting Base with 1 inch Ball
(6) Ram Mount Composite Short Double Socket Arm for 1-Inch Ball Bases
(7) 1" Ram Mount to Garmin 25mm-17mm double ball for Garmin nuvi GPS Cradle ASP25MM17
I already had the DC power outlet installed. I chose the Scosche adapter (item 2) because I have used them in the past, plus I liked having two USB ports.
I went with the Garmin DriveSmart LMT50 (item 3). The GPS has a glass face and I thought there might have too much glare so I bought an anti-glare (item 4) and put it on straight out of the box. Maybe there would not have been much glare, I do not know, guess I should have tried first, oh well. The GPS does have a larger DC power adapter that is required for the traffic alert to function, but I rarely need that, so I just use the regular USB cable.
Going with the RAM Mount (item 5 & 6) was a perfect choice in my opinion. This allowed me to place the mount on my handle bar in the manner I desired with minimal interference. The circular Garmin GPS mounting connector that goes on the back of the GPS has a hole for a smaller ball (17mm) than the 1" (25mm) ball the RAM Mount uses. I purchased the double ball (item 7) from eBay and it was a perfect fit.
So how does it work? Great! The only time the GPS gets a bit hard reading the small map details is when the sun is high and not a cloud in the sky. That is where the RAM Mount comes in handy. I can easily swivel the GPS up/down/left/right to find a good viewing angle. Even in glare, the street I am on, turn directions, upcoming street and speed limit information are still very readable. Any other time, morning, evening and night, everything is clearly readable.
I took three pictures to show how it looks, but will reply to post those pics, guess I went over the limit.
The touch screen does work with gloves but not all. I took a pair into the store in order to test before I bought. Leather or heavy gloves did not work for me, but I have a stylus handy for those times I am too lazy to remove my gloves. There are so many glove options, you'd have to test for yourself.
Sorry for rambling on, but figured I would share my set up in case others were considering a GPS. If you have any questions, post a reply and I will do my best to answer.
Keep in mind, to each their own. This set up works perfectly for me and may not suit your needs. Peace!