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The Tom Tom Rider 2 GPS for motorcycles makes riding much easier. It is common sense that you cannot thumb through a map while riding a motorcycle the way you can when driving your car; well this new Gps system for motorcycles has many benefits and features that help you while driving to your destination. Bikers were the ones who made this system so every feature on it is perfect for the everyday cyclist. It is waterproof and has RAM mounting hardware so it fits onto nearly every bike.
Other great features that the The Tom Tom Rider 2 GPS has are a Cardo scala wireless headset that has quality sound, a design that is smooth and has a satin matte silver finish, improved maps, and a crystal clear screen. The instructions on the screen are very realistic and include a scrolling display map. The map also includes a choice between a bird’s eye view in 3D and a 2D map-format that has great graphics and is traditional.
The touch screen on the The Tom Tom Rider 2 GPS is glove-friendly, and has a battery cable that provides charging while on your bike. It also includes predictive address entries; if you put in the first two letters of an address it will pull up the most common name you are looking for. The instructions are accurate and very precise, given in a decent amount of time. The screen is also UV resistant for the best view at all times. The weight of this GPS system is only 11 ounces with dimensions of 4.46”x3.79”x20.8”. It is also is equipped with 50 different voices and 36 different languages. This is a great GPS system to have if you are a biker; it will make riding your bike much easier and safer on the busy roads.
Enjoy worry-free door-to-door navigation with this TomTom RIDER 2 Portable GPS Navigator for Motorcycles. Developed by bikers for bikers, the RIDER 2 features a host of rider-friendly features whether you're cruising on two wheels or four. TomTom RIDER 2 Portable GPS Navigator for Motorcycle Features: Complete maps of the US and Canada on SD card 3.5 LCD touchscreen easy to use even when wearing gloves Cardo scala-rider wireless Bluetooth headset high-quality in-helmet voice instructions Millions of points of interest Intuitive visual instructions with smooth-scrolling map display 3D bird's-eye view and traditional 2D map-format graphics.
It also has Fast destination selection with just 7 clicks Route choice and itinerary planning. The On-bike drive mode — offers 4 large icons and essential functionalities Hands-free Bluetooth call kit incoming calls are automatically routed to your earpiece. TomTom Speeding alert Waterproof and rugged design — handles the toughest weather you can imagine. The universal RAM mounting hardware fits almost any bike and easily adapts instantly to any car.
Additional Product Specifications include a 20-channel GPS receiver, 380MHz 32MB RAM Internal rechargeable Lithium-ion battery up to 5-hour battery life Waterproof to IPX7 standards USB 2.0 port for PC connection and supports leading Bluetooth-enabled helmets. The integrated GPS antenna Security strap attaches your RIDER to your bike mount for extra peace of mind.
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 An excellent GPS for bike or car |
| Review Date: January 2, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Colin Lawson, |
I received this unit for Christmas primarily for my bike, but once I purchase the car mount adapter it will be used in the car as well.
This is an excellent unit, to say the least. One reviewer mentioned that it's too difficult to turn the unit on- I say "hogwash". The pushbutton is stiff, yes, but that's done to keep the unit from turning on accidentally while in your jacket pocket or carry bag (and with a touch screen, you can well imagine how much mischief one could accidentally create if it turned on without your knowledge). Ditto with the Scala Rider headset- you don't want the thing accidentally turning on, running the battery down, do you?
Another reviewer mentioned that it doesn't have a "speedometer" or trip meter function- it most certainly does have a speedometer, and what I assume is the "trip meter"- but since TomTom set the unit from the factory to eliminate as much extraneous information as possible, you have to activate it in the menus. Once that has been activated, it'll be there until you turn that feature off. In fact, there are a great number of features you can turn on and off in the menus.
I found the documentation to be adequate, and to the point. The printed documentation is to get you up to speed until you charge the units and turn them on- it's easy sailing after that. The unit is very easy to use, and it has tutorials right on the unit, so in my opinion further paper documentation is rather redundant- actually, I think it's pretty smart on TomTom's part to include tutorials on the unit itself rather than supply a printed book- that way I don't have to carry around the book, as all of the information is already on the unit! They really don't say much about the bike power cable, but I can certainly understand why- it's not possible to provide information about every bike out there, and if you aren't familiar enough with your bike, or can't figure out how to install it, it's probably best to get someone who is (like your bike dealer) to do the installation.
I've got a Motorolla Razr phone, and the TomTom easily hooked up to my phone via Bluetooth, and it painlessly downloaded all of my phone numbers I have stored on the phone (thank you for providing this helpful feature!).
I do wish that it gave the street name when it gives you instructions to turn, but I soon got used to how it works- not only does the display give you very clear instructions on where to turn, it also gives you the street name. Once you get used to it, it's easy. But I would like the option of hearing the street name (my PDA does, but the map display isn't as easy to see as the TomTom). While playing with the unit as my father-in-law drove the car, I discovered one potential issue with having the street name spoken to you- what happens when the street name is changed, but your maps haven't been updated? If you rely on the spoken street name, you might miss it- it's best to take a glance at the screen to make sure you're taking the correct turn (I found one such road- the name has recently been changed, but the map showed the old name instead). Still, I'd prefer to have it spoken, and visually double-check the map.
Overall, I give the TomTom an A-. TomTom, if you're reading this, I'll give you an A+ if you guys update the software so that it'll give you the street name by voice- then you'll have the best bike GPS available! However, I'd still buy the unit as is. It would just increase the functionality by including this feature. |
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