Hear the Drumbeat
Hear the Drumbeat
Put the frustration in the rear view mirror. Stop banging your head on the concrete. Embrace the Drumbeat.
Meet the TomTom Rider 550.
My "Garmin Era" began sometime in 2011, but it definitively ended February 1, 2019. The tipping point came when investigating adding a European map to the Nav V that came with my F800GT, in preparation for shipment to the Fatherland. $99 to add the map...each time...despite the "lifetime maps" feature of the Nav 5. Apparently, that is only for the market in which it is bought. Enough.
TomTom is a Dutch company, and the TomTom Rider 550 is their latest device. Good reviews, fast processor and an extraordinarily intuitive mapping program called MyDrive which allows you to create complex routes. The best part: they load immediately and automatically into the 550 when you are connected to wifi. For anyone that has gone through the frustration of Garmin's Basecamp or dealt with the various workarounds, TomTom is simplicity itself.
But wait, there's more. Preloaded are ALL the European passes and a variety of motorcycle-oriented hotels. Simply pull up the list, it ranks them by distance from your current position. One touch and you've got a route...adjusted to your preferences for "twisty" and "mountainous." Perfect for wandering. What's the nearest pass? Furka, Grimsel, Stelvio, San Bernardino...all a touch away.
Even more...I sold the Nav 5 for almost the cost of the TomTom. Another TomTom mount is on order for the GS. I'm a convert! A little $18 bluetooth dongle connects to the Rider easily so I can get voice prompts streamed to my earbuds and adjust the volume. Perfect.
Here it is mounted on the GS
And in Nigel
Put the frustration in the rear view mirror. Stop banging your head on the concrete. Embrace the Drumbeat.
Meet the TomTom Rider 550.
My "Garmin Era" began sometime in 2011, but it definitively ended February 1, 2019. The tipping point came when investigating adding a European map to the Nav V that came with my F800GT, in preparation for shipment to the Fatherland. $99 to add the map...each time...despite the "lifetime maps" feature of the Nav 5. Apparently, that is only for the market in which it is bought. Enough.
TomTom is a Dutch company, and the TomTom Rider 550 is their latest device. Good reviews, fast processor and an extraordinarily intuitive mapping program called MyDrive which allows you to create complex routes. The best part: they load immediately and automatically into the 550 when you are connected to wifi. For anyone that has gone through the frustration of Garmin's Basecamp or dealt with the various workarounds, TomTom is simplicity itself.
But wait, there's more. Preloaded are ALL the European passes and a variety of motorcycle-oriented hotels. Simply pull up the list, it ranks them by distance from your current position. One touch and you've got a route...adjusted to your preferences for "twisty" and "mountainous." Perfect for wandering. What's the nearest pass? Furka, Grimsel, Stelvio, San Bernardino...all a touch away.
Even more...I sold the Nav 5 for almost the cost of the TomTom. Another TomTom mount is on order for the GS. I'm a convert! A little $18 bluetooth dongle connects to the Rider easily so I can get voice prompts streamed to my earbuds and adjust the volume. Perfect.
Here it is mounted on the GS
And in Nigel
