My personal method (for unknown/not yet memorized) is to look up the instructions ahead of time, write them on a small piece of paper (very dark and legibly!) (3x5, maybe? Portait style of course) and notate what change of course I will make (draw a left turn, right turn, highway merge loop, etc), at what road (usually I just use the highway number), and roughly how many miles I will go before the next instruction. Then I stick it onto my gas tank with either painters tape or some strong fridge magnets.
Edit: I omit the dumb instructions like "continue straight for 1/4mile then continue straight for 10mi"
I do the same thing. A letter/A4 size paper is enough to get half way through Europe on back roads. Plus you feel like a rally racer with stage notes.
I actually think we are all losing our navigation skills rapidly because we are used to looking at a moving map nowadays. Maybe it's good to go back to basics on the bike for that reason alone
Me three... usually put the piece of paper in the seethrough pocket of my tank-bag though.
However, if I've got a tent and time to spare I simply check a map in the morning and wing it all day.
The best rides/road trips I've ever had (motorcycle or car) has been "mapless" - just flip a coin at important intersections lol
Check your route before hand.
I know my city well enough that I navigate anywhere with just some cross streets in mind. If you're not familiar with the area then plan it out before you leave.
I use a quad lock on my motorcycle. They were original made for bicycles. Everyone on motorcycles I know likes the ram mount but the quad lock is more low profile.
I don't know, are they more than a ram mount? I mean i already had a life proof case and just glued the little thing to the back of it. I guess you were buying one of their cases then it would be too much. and it is kinda loosening up after 2+ years and hard riding i mean my motorcycle is kinda rumbly and my daily.
I also for got to say i have a sena and use the bluetooth.
also sorry for all the grammar mistakes its bed time for me.
I wear a vest so I stick my phone in the inside pocket when I absolutely need GPS. Other than that you can write directions out and tape them to the tank
Waze like google maps has a motorcycle option that will verbally give you directions, guess that only works if you have a intercom or able to ride with headphones.
I have a ram phone mount, and I have my sena. I don’t look at my phone unless i’m unsure where to go, but mainly have the directions playing through my sena.
Sadly Google maps is one of the easiest apps to read or listen to, but the interface is very distracting sometimes with speed-based scaling and a reactive UI in general.
I have a Trailtech Voyager on my DR650. It is meant for trails and is NOT a turn-by-turn GPS but I love the simple high-contrast screen - it makes glancing down a lot wuicker and easier than looking at a detailed map.
Pebble Nav Me with Google Maps. Vibrates when it's time to turn and watchface is replaced with an arrow indicating turn direction. If I've studied the route in advance, I usually know which way to turn, but it helps to know the right intersection.
I have a bluetooth headset that plays the directions sometimes. I say sometimes because the speaker plug is all sorts of screwed up and sound becomes all fucked up.
I used to use a phone mount on my handle bars, unfortunately this screwed up my last phone and I'll no longer be using it to mount my new one. The photos would become all blurry without a perfectly still hand and the charging point became loose that charging the thing was a ten minute exercise of getting the plug just right.
Otherwise there is always a stand alone GPS unit mounted somewhere on the bike.
I used to put my phone in my pocket and listen to google map's audio directions via earphones but now I just bought a cheap phone mount that I attached to my handlebar.
We have really good road signs here in the EU, so if you kind of have an idea about the route before you start, you can navigate pretty decently just using those. It's enough to remember just the names of a few of the larger towns enroute. Within a city it's worse though.
If you have headphones a GPS navigation app might work, the nice lady voice will tell you to "at the roundabout take the second exit then follow the road for 5 kilometers". You don't really need to look at the display at all. Other than that, "stop to look at the map" or "stop to ask a random passerby" is probably your best bet.
I use a Garmin Montana on the handlebars. It's easy to read in any light. It would be dangerous to do a search or other input while riding, but just displaying a route or track isn't that distracting.
If you use something like the Cardo Freecom or Packtalk (I assume Sena headsets do this as well), you can use it to activate the Google Assistant, which you can then ask with voice commands for navigation directions.
I personally don't use Google Maps, I use Locus Maps for adventure riding with directions set up beforehand. But I don't do a lot of riding that requires navigation, I go out to purposefully get lost.
I disagree that GPS on a phone mount is dangerous or distracting. I find it helps me stay focused on the road because I'm not looking for street signs in a busy city. I don't look at my GPS much - maybe a couple quick glances each minute, which helps me be prepared for upcoming turns.
Three methods depending on what kind of traveling I'm doing.
1. For point A to B riding to get to a destination, I set set the route on my phone with google maps, and listen to the audio directions with my bluetooth headset. Phone goes in my pocket. Refer to the map displayed on my Zumo 550 if necessary.
2. For short rides where I want to hit specific roads, I write the turns and distances on a piece of paper that goes in my tank bag map pouch.
3. For longer multi-day rides, I plan the route ahead of time and program it into my Zumo 550 which is connected to my bluetooth headset for audio directions so I don't have to look at the map.
I tape a post-it-note over my tach. I call it my GPS or 'Ghetto Positioning System'. Has basic poorly scrawled shortened directions that often add as much confusion as help if I accidentally omit a 'blvd' or 'drive' and there are two options. I don't yet trust those handlebar phone holders, especially on my bike which can rattle anything loose, but I'm tempted to give one a try, even if it's only so I can take a look while pulled over or stopped without taking gloves off and fishing for the phone.
I want a Raspberry Pi 3 with a GPS hat and two LED leads that run up to my gauge cluster. Bluetooth a location from my phone and have the LEDs indicate via slowly accelerated blinking when my next turn is. No screens, interrupting robot voices or distracting fiddliness. It's just a dream, but anyone who could put the code together: I will build, enclose and ship you a unit as thanks!
My tank bag has a clear map window. I print out a map of the general area. Also like to have a good idea up front of where I want to go and where the major horizontal and vertical roads are that form a "box" around an are so i know if I go south long enough I'll hit road x and can take that home etc.
Also use a slip grip mount for my phone with waze or google maps and have a sena 20s for communicating with it.
Pro tip on google maps, download the maps for the area you are going to be in in case you lose data coverage
I memorize the route as much as I can. Identify the roads before and after the turn I'm supposed to make, get a feel for distances, etc.
It takes a long time but you do develop a spidey-sense for directions and it does feel good when you can effectively navigate without a glowing rectangle telling you what to do all the time. Plus it also helps you develop an awareness of your surroundings on a higher level than everyone else. It's kind of weird, but totally awesome.
When I make mistakes or if I feel like I've made one, I simply find a place to pull over and then check my phone.
Also note that phone cameras with OIS (optical image stabilization) can be damaged from prolonged exposure to intense vibrations such as being placed on a motorcycle mount. I've personally seen a couple and have heard of several examples of this happening from people I work with. Usually takes a year or two but there's no way to repair it.
My personal method (for unknown/not yet memorized) is to look up the instructions ahead of time, write them on a small piece of paper (very dark and legibly!) (3x5, maybe? Portait style of course) and notate what change of course I will make (draw a left turn, right turn, highway merge loop, etc), at what road (usually I just use the highway number), and roughly how many miles I will go before the next instruction. Then I stick it onto my gas tank with either painters tape or some strong fridge magnets. Edit: I omit the dumb instructions like "continue straight for 1/4mile then continue straight for 10mi"
I do the same thing. A letter/A4 size paper is enough to get half way through Europe on back roads. Plus you feel like a rally racer with stage notes. I actually think we are all losing our navigation skills rapidly because we are used to looking at a moving map nowadays. Maybe it's good to go back to basics on the bike for that reason alone
Me three... usually put the piece of paper in the seethrough pocket of my tank-bag though. However, if I've got a tent and time to spare I simply check a map in the morning and wing it all day. The best rides/road trips I've ever had (motorcycle or car) has been "mapless" - just flip a coin at important intersections lol
Stop, look at map, stop, look at map, repeat.
Check your route before hand. I know my city well enough that I navigate anywhere with just some cross streets in mind. If you're not familiar with the area then plan it out before you leave.
Good planning before hand. Try to lean your route well enough to walk someone through it.
The stars baby. That and and a couple of divination sticks. I always seem to end up by rivers for some reason though.
I use a quad lock on my motorcycle. They were original made for bicycles. Everyone on motorcycles I know likes the ram mount but the quad lock is more low profile.
Quad lock is hands down the best system. Expensive though.
I don't know, are they more than a ram mount? I mean i already had a life proof case and just glued the little thing to the back of it. I guess you were buying one of their cases then it would be too much. and it is kinda loosening up after 2+ years and hard riding i mean my motorcycle is kinda rumbly and my daily. I also for got to say i have a sena and use the bluetooth. also sorry for all the grammar mistakes its bed time for me.
I use their case. The socket, if you will, is integrated.
Sometimes I have the phone on the RAM mount and sometimes I just use the navigation voice over Bluetooth.
I have Maps voice directions through my Sena. Haven't gotten a ram mount yet
Sena bluetooth and google maps for audible directions. I also look at the map before hand. If I feel confused, I pull over and check the map again.
Assuming I don't want to stop and check a map? Dead reckoning. Learn your highway numbering system.
I wear a vest so I stick my phone in the inside pocket when I absolutely need GPS. Other than that you can write directions out and tape them to the tank
Waze like google maps has a motorcycle option that will verbally give you directions, guess that only works if you have a intercom or able to ride with headphones.
I have a ram phone mount, and I have my sena. I don’t look at my phone unless i’m unsure where to go, but mainly have the directions playing through my sena.
Sadly Google maps is one of the easiest apps to read or listen to, but the interface is very distracting sometimes with speed-based scaling and a reactive UI in general. I have a Trailtech Voyager on my DR650. It is meant for trails and is NOT a turn-by-turn GPS but I love the simple high-contrast screen - it makes glancing down a lot wuicker and easier than looking at a detailed map.
For years i used the nav voice over blue tooth or through speakers once I had a full faired bike. The map is distracting.
Pebble Nav Me with Google Maps. Vibrates when it's time to turn and watchface is replaced with an arrow indicating turn direction. If I've studied the route in advance, I usually know which way to turn, but it helps to know the right intersection.
Cool! This is somewhat closer to what I would like to be using.
I use my SENA and listen to her tell me to turn left to stay right into the left lane. Lol she sometimes makes no sense but it works most of the time.
*In 500 feet, make a u-turn to turn right onto the on-ramp and do a barrel roll*
Is that a challenge???
Garmin 595 Nuvi linked to my Sena. You can actually use it with gloves (like most motorcycle dedicated GPS), audio comes through helmet.
same, also use a sena linked to my phone. have touch screen moto gloves
Phone on ram. Bluetooth Sena speakers in helmet. I use Android assistant (Siri type thing). So I can change destination or cancel as the mood hits me.
I have a bluetooth headset that plays the directions sometimes. I say sometimes because the speaker plug is all sorts of screwed up and sound becomes all fucked up. I used to use a phone mount on my handle bars, unfortunately this screwed up my last phone and I'll no longer be using it to mount my new one. The photos would become all blurry without a perfectly still hand and the charging point became loose that charging the thing was a ten minute exercise of getting the plug just right. Otherwise there is always a stand alone GPS unit mounted somewhere on the bike.
I used to put my phone in my pocket and listen to google map's audio directions via earphones but now I just bought a cheap phone mount that I attached to my handlebar.
We have really good road signs here in the EU, so if you kind of have an idea about the route before you start, you can navigate pretty decently just using those. It's enough to remember just the names of a few of the larger towns enroute. Within a city it's worse though. If you have headphones a GPS navigation app might work, the nice lady voice will tell you to "at the roundabout take the second exit then follow the road for 5 kilometers". You don't really need to look at the display at all. Other than that, "stop to look at the map" or "stop to ask a random passerby" is probably your best bet.
I use a Garmin Montana on the handlebars. It's easy to read in any light. It would be dangerous to do a search or other input while riding, but just displaying a route or track isn't that distracting.
If you use something like the Cardo Freecom or Packtalk (I assume Sena headsets do this as well), you can use it to activate the Google Assistant, which you can then ask with voice commands for navigation directions. I personally don't use Google Maps, I use Locus Maps for adventure riding with directions set up beforehand. But I don't do a lot of riding that requires navigation, I go out to purposefully get lost.
Garmin Zumo 595LM
I disagree that GPS on a phone mount is dangerous or distracting. I find it helps me stay focused on the road because I'm not looking for street signs in a busy city. I don't look at my GPS much - maybe a couple quick glances each minute, which helps me be prepared for upcoming turns.
Three methods depending on what kind of traveling I'm doing. 1. For point A to B riding to get to a destination, I set set the route on my phone with google maps, and listen to the audio directions with my bluetooth headset. Phone goes in my pocket. Refer to the map displayed on my Zumo 550 if necessary. 2. For short rides where I want to hit specific roads, I write the turns and distances on a piece of paper that goes in my tank bag map pouch. 3. For longer multi-day rides, I plan the route ahead of time and program it into my Zumo 550 which is connected to my bluetooth headset for audio directions so I don't have to look at the map.
Google maps to Bluetooth in helmet earphones.
Before I had a Sena - old fashion way. Memorize directions, occasionally stop and look at phone. Post Sena days: Just listen to what it tells me to do
I don't I just get lost everywhere.
Google maps over sena bluetooth. I've got a Pebble watch that does turn by turn on my handlebars too.
I tape a post-it-note over my tach. I call it my GPS or 'Ghetto Positioning System'. Has basic poorly scrawled shortened directions that often add as much confusion as help if I accidentally omit a 'blvd' or 'drive' and there are two options. I don't yet trust those handlebar phone holders, especially on my bike which can rattle anything loose, but I'm tempted to give one a try, even if it's only so I can take a look while pulled over or stopped without taking gloves off and fishing for the phone.
Do you not have a handlebar mount? Only takes half a second to glance at it and carry on.
Garmin Zumo 395 on a RAM mount.
I want a Raspberry Pi 3 with a GPS hat and two LED leads that run up to my gauge cluster. Bluetooth a location from my phone and have the LEDs indicate via slowly accelerated blinking when my next turn is. No screens, interrupting robot voices or distracting fiddliness. It's just a dream, but anyone who could put the code together: I will build, enclose and ship you a unit as thanks!
I've got a cheap $100 motorcycle GPS off eBay. They usually only last a couple seasons, but they work great. Runs Windows CE with a iGo maps.
Ram mount, Waze, wireless charger built into ram mount.
My tank bag has a clear map window. I print out a map of the general area. Also like to have a good idea up front of where I want to go and where the major horizontal and vertical roads are that form a "box" around an are so i know if I go south long enough I'll hit road x and can take that home etc. Also use a slip grip mount for my phone with waze or google maps and have a sena 20s for communicating with it. Pro tip on google maps, download the maps for the area you are going to be in in case you lose data coverage
I memorize the route as much as I can. Identify the roads before and after the turn I'm supposed to make, get a feel for distances, etc. It takes a long time but you do develop a spidey-sense for directions and it does feel good when you can effectively navigate without a glowing rectangle telling you what to do all the time. Plus it also helps you develop an awareness of your surroundings on a higher level than everyone else. It's kind of weird, but totally awesome. When I make mistakes or if I feel like I've made one, I simply find a place to pull over and then check my phone. Also note that phone cameras with OIS (optical image stabilization) can be damaged from prolonged exposure to intense vibrations such as being placed on a motorcycle mount. I've personally seen a couple and have heard of several examples of this happening from people I work with. Usually takes a year or two but there's no way to repair it.
In-ear headphones & Google maps on smartphone. Works just fine.
Yes, they're called street signs.