GPS on a motorcycle?

Who wants a GPS on a motorcycle? Well, me. Through work I have been involved with GPS systems for quite a few years. We started out with Garmin handhelds and their simplistic displays and worked up to laptops in the vehicles with the Earthmate USB receivers connected to the docking stations. We use GPS for tower locations, RF propagation studies and driving directions to out of the way locations. GPS is an integral part of the Motorola Canopy wireless network system.





Each GPS satellite transmits data that indicates its location and the current time. All GPS satellites synchronize operations so that these repeating signals are transmitted at the same instant. The signals, moving at the speed of light, arrive at a GPS receiver at slightly different times because some satellites are farther away than others. The distance to the GPS satellites can be determined by estimating the amount of time it takes for their signals to reach the receiver. When the receiver estimates the distance to at least four GPS satellites, it can calculate its position in three dimensions.




My task was to determine what model and style I wanted and what features were important. We bought a Magellan RoadMate for our youngest son at Christmas and he really likes it. The drawback to that model is it's a little large for a handlebar mount and it can't take direct exposure to the elements. I was also looking for a diverse mounting system so the GPS could be used in Debbie's Xterra, my Jeep Wrangler and the Ultra Classic.






I didn't like Harley's cowl mount since the GPS had to go on the right side (throttle side) and their GPS offering was about $200.00 more than I felt it was worth. I did discover that the Harley GPS was actually a Garmin Quest with the Harley logo and in a darker color.






With a little on line shopping I discovered the best pricing was actually through www.thegpsstore.com and they are in Ocean Isle Beach here in North Carolina. The Quest seemed to fit what I wanted and the small size allows totally hand held portable use for up to 10 hours. The folks in Ocean Isle Beach new just what accessories I needed and even with a Friday afternoon order the goodies arrived on Monday.


There was a windshield mount and a more permanent mount in the box as well as a home charger for the hand held user. The software loaded on my PC easily and allowed me to unlock the maps and transfer the ones for my area. I created a couple of routes using way points since the GPS is going to choose the most efficient route and not necessarily the most scenic. I also added the location for the boys and our home so it will be just a couple of buttons and were off to visit or return.


The assembly of the 4 piece motorcycle mount (shrimp mount) was simple and after a minute or so an acceptable angle was achieved. The audio jack in the picture allows you to connect the Quest to the Aux input so the voice prompts come through the bike audio system.





The audio is monaural on the GPS side and stereo at the Aux jack on the Ultra's radio. Solder up a mono 1/8 inch plug the standard way on one end with about 3 feet of wire. On the stereo plug end, solder the left and right pins together and you have created a mono to stereo adapter. The wiring can be routed in and out of the handlebar openings in the fairing. The included automobile mount has a self contained speaker with volume control that works quite well.


At first I thought the mount was too high but I quickly realized that it raised it out of my view of the instrument panel and reduced the amount eye travel while riding. There is a slide lock on the upper right side to secure the Quest in the holder.






I originally intended to connect the power wiring to the fuse area under the seat and on the left side of the bike. I couldn't locate a satisfactory wiring route that was away from engine heat so I opted to use the handy cigarette lighter in the lower fairing. You can get the lighter plug from Radio Shack. The excess wiring is tucked away under the fairing so if needed it can be quickly removed. There is room in the opening so the fuse can slide out for replacement.




This view is approximate for what I see in the riding position. All my gauges and controls are clear and the speaker path is unobstructed as well.






The whole setup works well and I am quite satisfied with the results. The Quest is quickly movable from vehicle to vehicle and is easy to view in direct sunlight. The mount allows location in almost any position and it works well on the Ultra. Just with one trip down to Oriental we discovered some awesome scenery we had never encountered and never would have without a GPS. It looks like many alternate routes are in our future.