TomTom GPS - Rider 550

If you are going to ride a motorcycle, you will need a GPS. Yes, you can use your phone but mounting it to the bike may prove costly since the constant vibration may end up destroying it (or se we have read). In any case, we opted for a GPS not only its host of options but also to have the ability to use a memory card to import routes (such as the TAT).

I opted for the TomTom. I have owned one before and liked it. I thought about the Garmin but decided to save the $150 and get the Rider 550. It has all the options I need and the screen is large enough.

Overall the unit is nice. I have hard wired it to the bike so all I need to do is put it in the mount and instant power. Never without a charge. I have integrated the Bluetooth to my Shoe GTII Air helmet and can hear every turn (more on the helmet in another post).

One feature I do like is the Winding Roads. It will take you off the beaten path and see some interesting sights. I have not used it extensively off-road yet but I was able to load a sample .gpx file from the TAT and it worked just fine.

The mounting hardware is OK at best. I do not like the generic u-bolts and opted to purchase a new ball mount to replace those. It is a circular mount with the 1 inch ball. This is working our perfect.

I have opted to mount it to my handlebars. It is not intrusive and is also easy to see. I would love to mount it more in the center but I see no reason to buy yet another mounting bar. This will do just fine.

I did wire the GPS to a power source on the key switch. That way I do not have to worry about accidentally leaving the GPS mounted and draining my battery.

Overall I am quite happy with the purchase.

On a sad note, TomTom will no longer be selling their units in the USA anymore. I knew that this brand was extremely popular in Europe but I guess the Garmin marketing machine was too much for them. It is truly sad as this is one the easiest units to operate.