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GPS recommendations for trip planning?


Mary#17
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I've been using the Harley trip planner for setting up routes for longer trips but it will not upload to my current GPS. Anybody have any recommendations for a GPS that can be used for this or any other ideas for route planning in general. Thanks.

Mary

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I'm not very tech savy when it comes to planning a trip on the computor then loading it on a GPS. But I do know I like checking out different options on my tomtom much better then my garmin (both are cheap units). However the garmin gives much better directions.

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The pace (motorcycle podcast) just did a review on one in the last couple weeks that is iPhone based and pretty user friendly, directions thru earbuds. I'll see if I can find it in the next day or two

-VanDy

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I planned a trip a few weeks ago and used Google Maps to lay everything out. There ended up being about 10 other bikes planning to go, several of whom had GPS units on their bikes. I think the prevalent model was the Zumo (Garmin). I worked extensively with one of the guys to export the routes to .kml files from Google Maps, run them through GPS Visualizer, then the other guys were able to create Garmin import files (.gpx) for the GPS using Basecamp. My understanding was that the generated .gpx files required a fair amount of "tweaking" in order to get to usable GPS files. The process wasn't seamless, and I don't have Basecamp, but I could write up a tutorial on how to do the first part.

Personally, I use my Android phone for creating and following moderately complicated routes. The Android integration with Google Maps is fantastic. Once I've saved a route to "My Maps" on my desktop (just have to be careful not to check the "avoid highways" selection or else the Save to My Maps option goes away), I can open the same map on my phone and just follow the blue line. The route doesn't come with turn-by-turn directions or audio (I'm trying to learn Android programming to come up with a "fix" for this), but a quick glance down at the phone while I'm stopped at intersections is enough to keep me on-track.

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Maybe one of these will work for you. http://www.tripit.com/destinations/11-excellent-motorcycle-trip-planning-websites/. There is also an app for the iPhone and android called Greatest Road. It is interactive in that you can search routes and post routes. You can also make your own routes with gmaps save them and email a gpx file to pc for download to gps. I can't vouche for how the last part works as I have not tried to do it..

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The pace (motorcycle podcast) just did a review on one in the last couple weeks that is iPhone based and pretty user friendly, directions thru earbuds. I'll see if I can find it in the next day or two

-VanDy

please let me know what it is. ive been looking for an iphone based one.

i have motionx, but as far as i know it does not do ANY route planning.

i have been putting off buying a sumo in hopes one would come out for the iphone

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The pace (motorcycle podcast) just did a review on one in the last couple weeks that is iPhone based and pretty user friendly, directions thru earbuds. I'll see if I can find it in the next day or two

-VanDy

Yes. Please let us know.

Doorfront Parking like a BOSS

NoBama 2012

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I've been using the Harley trip planner for setting up routes for longer trips but it will not upload to my current GPS. Anybody have any recommendations for a GPS that can be used for this or any other ideas for route planning in general. Thanks.

Mary

Tyre will lay out routes and then save them to either Garmin or TomTom.

Works great, free, and versatile.

http://www.tyretotravel.com/

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  • 2 weeks later...
Found it!! Look into navigon for iPhone, never used it personally but the pace podcast guys speak highly of it

FWIW Navigon is available for Android also. Navigon used to be the best. Then they turned to total crap, the worst ever. Then Garmin bought them and they are very very good again. Also Co-Pilot Live for Android and IPhone is very good. I have that one. Best part is I have maps for all of North America on my phone. I don't need a data connection just a view of the sky for a GPS lock.

Sometime this summer Google Maps is updating to allow you to force it to keep maps on the phone....just have to tell to ahead of time. We will see how that goes. Google Maps use of phone memory only and not the SD card is pretty much a deal killer for me though.

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I use "Waze" for my iPhone... It'll show on-screen and give audible directions through earbuds, and it also allows users to tag where they see cops :)

Waze has a pretty big user base, which makes it work better, since the more people that use it, the better it works. It keeps track of traffic as well as giving directions and telling you where cops are :)

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Also Co-Pilot Live for Android and IPhone is very good. I have that one. Best part is I have maps for all of North America on my phone. I don't need a data connection just a view of the sky for a GPS lock.

Does Co-Pilot Live let you build routes with a bunch of waypoints beforehand and guide you from waypoint to waypoint on the road?

I've tried this with the stock Navigation/Maps app on Android but after more than a few waypoints it freaks out and doesn't know how to handle the routing. I'd rather use the phone I already own and a 10$ app to follow a 300+ mile route for a day than buy a standalone GPS unit.

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Does Co-Pilot Live let you build routes with a bunch of waypoints beforehand and guide you from waypoint to waypoint on the road?

Yes. A couple of ways to do it. You can export from google maps but that is a PITA. Or you can put in the basic destinations into the phone program and then drag the route around anyway you want. Doable but a bit annoying on a small phone.

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Yes. A couple of ways to do it. You can export from google maps but that is a PITA. Or you can put in the basic destinations into the phone program and then drag the route around anyway you want. Doable but a bit annoying on a small phone.

Excellent! I figured it would do that or it wouldn't have been mentioned here, but I'd hate to blow ten bucks on an app (the most expensive one I'd have bought to date) only to find out that it didn't do what I wanted. Thanks!

*edit*

Downloaded the Premium version and this looks like it is exactly what I needed :D

Edited by Harb67
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