Show your nav and or phone setup!

[Boyca]

Hey guys,

I'm currently looking into finding the right nav app or hardware set up. While doing so I was looking at locking systems like Quadlock and SP-Connect. I'm curious to see how my fellow T7 riders have their phones and systems mounted on their bike. I was personally thinking of getting a Quadlock mirror system to attach to the top crossbar above our dash display, I imagine it to be easier to check on my route and map with the phone or nav being way up high compared to down on the handlebar. Either way I'd love it if people could share their set up, I'm still open for alternatives!

[BADDANDY]

[Hibobb]

11 minutes ago, BADDANDY said:

 

Now THAT's something I could read!!!!!!

[Ray Ride4life]

Just pulled a picture from a video from yesterday.

 

The Garmin XT has a RAM ball and the short arm plus the Camel ADV display support.
The phone is fixed with a RAM ball on the riser bolt and the RAM quick grip cradle.

[Hammerhead]

Haven’t gone beyond what you’ve suggested with just the quad lock mirror mount on the top bar. Old Android with apps (GAIA preferred) is dedicated so not to shake the iPhone camera to death. Android also has the OBD2 & drive mode dashboard apps (rarely used) 
  Use NAV apps mostly just for locations & general directions. And almost exclusively when stopped. Because being screen distracted is not only a hazard, but just not why I’m out there. 
  This new era of tech addiction is hardly my bag & leads to an unhealthy dependence & serious degradation in dead reckoning skills if you ask me. 
   Very handy for sure & much appreciated. But like anything, can be taken way too far. I’ve rode with guys who had nothing short of 3 screens available (not counting their dash!) & who spend a LOT of time buried in them at almost every stop. Whatever twists your grip…
  Get my face stuck in a screen for too long & way too much of what’s really going on either gets missed &/or nearly blindsides me.

  I’ll be keeping it simple & enjoying the ride, even if that includes feeling lost occasionally. 

  

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Hammerhead

[Boyca]

@HammerheadI just want to explore routes people have made through gpx importing. I get your drift but objectively speaking I think the time I look down is very minimal. Also the reason I think I want the mount to be on the top, to reduce that time even more. I appreciate the skill of readings physical paper maps, but when I'm on a ride for an entire day the last thing I want to be doing is getting off my bike to figure out where I am and where I'm  heading on a paper map. That's a skill for another circumstance for me personally. 

[Hammerhead]

@Boyca yeah, I completely get their utility & practically vs paper maps & am not trying to be dismissive or

too critical. 
   I just reflect on the countless miles we logged before these gadgets ever existed & yet now it seems some peoples first priority & they’re damn near lost without them. 
   I had an old school piloting instructor years ago who cursed gps avionics as they were being introduced. His concern was over dependence & loss of (or under developed) basic navigation skills. He was right. 
   Guess I’ve become like him, only on a motorcycle. 
   You’re right about keeping the thing high to keep your eyes up when using it on the fly. Even with mine on the top bar, I’ve been caught out more than once lingering on it a split second too long. That’s why I’m trying to restrict use primarily to stoppage time. 
   Admittedly, the Gaia app has helped me get through to places I never would have otherwise, so they certainly have their helpful place. 
  Eyes up & rubber down dude, ride on! 
   

[Hibobb]

19 minutes ago, Hammerhead said:

I’ve been caught out more than once lingering on it a split second too long

100% correct on that!!

I like mine a lot, but it spooks me on how much I find myself looking at it.

[BADDANDY]

On 6/5/2022 at 2:06 PM, Hibobb said:

Now THAT's something I could read!!!!!!

I only sit down and look at it before and after a turn to ensure I'm on track.  Offroad, I'm mostly standing so I miss non-brainless turns frequently. I moved up to the Tab so I don't have to fish for my reading glasses all the time.  I still use the Kyocera on my dirtbikes so yes, I'm always fishing for the glasses.

[Tenerider]

On 6/5/2022 at 9:46 PM, Boyca said:

Hey guys,

I'm currently looking into finding the right nav app or hardware set up. While doing so I was looking at locking systems like Quadlock and SP-Connect. I'm curious to see how my fellow T7 riders have their phones and systems mounted on their bike. I was personally thinking of getting a Quadlock mirror system to attach to the top crossbar above our dash display, I imagine it to be easier to check on my route and map with the phone or nav being way up high compared to down on the handlebar. Either way I'd love it if people could share their set up, I'm still open for alternatives!

Using this Quadlock setup, so far I'm quite happy. Will post some pictures and details later .

[LeighA]

I use the same Quadlock up high method, with the QI charger and vibration dampener. I use it to enhance my awareness and overall experience. Great to glance down briefly and see the bends coming up to eliminate surprises etc… I’m endlessly searching for the perfect app that will remain open/unlocked and show the map without having to input a destination. If anyone has any ideas or advice on how to do this? Google Maps is my favourite if I log a destination, Bike GPX is my favourite for following a defined route.

[Tenerider]

2 minutes ago, LeighA said:

I use the same Quadlock up high method, with the QI charger and vibration dampener. I use it to enhance my awareness and overall experience. Great to glance down briefly and see the bends coming up to eliminate surprises etc… I’m endlessly searching for the perfect app that will remain open/unlocked and show the map without having to input a destination. If anyone has any ideas or advice on how to do this? Google Maps is my favourite if I log a destination, Bike GPX is my favourite for following a defined route.

Calimoto does it, but it's not free and won't do turn-by-turn navigation on offroad tracks. But it allows tracking.

Onroad routing is superb, you rarely have to take a look at the display (assuming you are riding with earphones or a comm system). Announcements come early enough.

 

OsmAnd should work as well.

[LeighA]

2 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Calimoto does it, but it's not free and won't do turn-by-turn navigation on offroad tracks. But it allows tracking.

Onroad routing is superb, you rarely have to take a look at the display (assuming you are riding with earphones or a comm system). Announcements come early enough.

 

OsmAnd should work as well.

Just downloaded Calimoto. I’ve heard/seen others using it but never went further. I really like the look of the ‘round trip’ function. Going to take it for an explore at the earliest opportunity and consider upgrading for the ‘twisty’ road option. Thanks @Tenerider

[Peter M DK]

I use a Garmin XT on a 3D printed bracket, that replaces the OEM pin. 

 

There is no problems with stability and vibrations. I think it's because the center of gravity is pretty close to the pin axis. 

 

If anybody want the same bracket, i can send the file. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Peter M DK

[Boyca]

@Peter M DKVery clean! If the XT was within my budget I'd get it, it's such a sleek design.

[Black Dog Moto]

4 hours ago, Boyca said:

@Peter M DKVery clean! If the XT was within my budget I'd get it, it's such a sleek design.

They're $100 off right now. 

[LeighA]

On 6/7/2022 at 4:20 PM, LeighA said:

Just downloaded Calimoto. I’ve heard/seen others using it but never went further. I really like the look of the ‘round trip’ function. Going to take it for an explore at the earliest opportunity and consider upgrading for the ‘twisty’ road option. Thanks @Tenerider

Ok, I’m converted. Calimoto seems to do all I need to and a bit more. Took it on a shopping trip today using the track function which shows the map and records the journey. Not exactly full Rally Raid but it was to Go Outdoors for camping supplies. Then planned an Elan Valley more-camping trip a bit later. Here’s my setup (answering the thread question).

[roygilbo]

2 hours ago, LeighA said:

Ok, I’m converted. Calimoto seems to do all I need to and a bit more. Took it on a shopping trip today using the track function which shows the map and records the journey. Not exactly full Rally Raid but it was to Go Outdoors for camping supplies. Then planned an Elan Valley more-camping trip a bit later. Here’s my setup (answering the thread question).

What kind of  display is this? 

[tenerecanada]

2 minutes ago, roygilbo said:

What kind of  display is this? 

Tenere 700 World Raid edition stock TFT display w/ iphone

[LeighA]

Thanks, you are correct @tenerecanada iPhone 12 mini and the T7WR Raid screen. @roygilbo I posted a picture of each of the T7WR screens earlier in this thread. This screen appeals to my minimal desires. The Road screen option is horrendous (I’m my view).

[Spuzvica]

I have used various means of navigating with my motorbikes but most have been aimed at adventure & offroad riding. To put it into perspective, it means lots of TET and occasional road navigation to get from A to B in an unknown city. Now after having done around 13000km of TET Spain and Portugal, I can safely say I am happy with the setup I describe below. I would not change a thing. Maybe it helps someone else deciding on what sort of navigation setup to go for.

 

Here is how I progressed through various devices:

• It started with a basic Garmin Zumo on my old Africa Twin. I liked the Zumo, it was always powered, never ran out of battery, handled the rain and the vibrations and was clearly visible in the sunlight. What I hated was: really slow, just one type of map on it, needed a laptop to upload anything to it. I know there are newer devices mitigating most of just listed niggles but for the time being I am not going back to this type of device which I shall explain in a bit.
• Having moved from the Africa to the AJP PR7, the PR7 came with a Samsung Active tablet already mounted on it. While the tablet is now a flexible Android device with a larger screen, I had too many issues with it to really go back: charging would stop working, small droplets (not heavy rain) made it unusable as it went crazy, it was also quite slow and one could not take it out of the mount easily to take it with me to configure it for next day's riding.
• Having sold the PR7 for giving me a bunch of problems overall, I moved to Tenere 700 and did not want to spend lots of money on navigation anymore. So I mounted a Sony Xperia phone which took me through a recent 13000km ride of TET Spain and Portugal and I was very happy with it.

Here is the hardware set up:

• Phone: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. It's my old personal phone so it did not cost me anything but it is quite old and outdated by today's standards but updates are still available for all the Google Play apps. However, it is IP68 water/dust resistant and it survived the trip. I had a spare Samsung Galaxy S8 with me that a friend gave me but I did not use it. Additionally, I had my main personal phone that I could use for navigation if both failed.
• Phone mount: Ram Mounts Quick-Grip Phone Holder (27EUR), see photo. I have tried other holders but really like this one for the following reasons:
  • It's flexible and can be adjusted to carry any average size phone (it cannot hold some really large ones I think).
  • Having done lots of pretty hard offroad the phone never budged. It stayed safely in place at all times.
  • It's easy and quick to put the phone in or take it out when leaving the bike unattended.
  • It's light. I have bought another steel holder with a lock but that thing weighs 600g which is just too heavy to put so high up on that tiny bar.
  • It mounts to any AMPS-compatible adapter (I am using the rally raid adapter https://www.rally-raidproducts.co.uk/yamaha-t7-tenere/gps-multi-mount ).
• Charging cable: The importance of high quality cables is often overlooked. I used the following one: https://titanpowerplus.com/pages/titancable It's rugged and uses a 90degree charging plug design which handles lots of vibrations well. I used the short 0.5m one that costs 15EUR. I also had a spare with me I did not need.
• Remote control: Home made solution using cheap waterproof buttons and some resistors wired up to a standard headset plug of the Sony Xperia. This allows me to zoom in/zoom out the map without taking my hand off the handlebars. Worked wonderfully! You can read more about it here: https://www.tenere700.net/topic/2745-handlebar-controller-for-zoom-inout-trip-computer-switch/
• Good quality USB charger. I had two on the bike, a permanent waterproof one I bought online and a standard 12V socket one.

From a HW perspective, I find this setup great for the following reasons:

• It's cheap.
• It's light.
• If I fall off the bike, my personal phone is still on me in case an emergency call is needed. I also carried a Garmin Inreach. The Garmin device broke after 2 days and I could not get it fixed until the end of the trip which is an additional reason I am not going back to Garmin. Not because of the poor Garmin quality but because this can happen and having an extra Garmin would be too expensive.
• Using your personal phone as navigation is a bad idea. Vibrations can easily kill phones so getting stuck without navigation and a phone connection in the middle of nowhere would really suck.
• I can take the phone out easily overnight or when going for coffee and doing route adjustments.
• And what is most important, it's a redundant setup using widely available parts. I had a spare phone (Samsung Galaxy S8) already preconfigured with the same setup as my Sony Xperia and could quickly replace it in my RAM mount if the Sony died. If the second one dies, I can walk into any store and buy another cheap Android phone, the RAM mount is flexible enough to support any average size phone. I also had two USB chargers on the bike, one permanent and one 12V socket one. When doing long travels off-road, redundancy is king.

Now, let's move to the software side. 

• Let's start with the base app/launcher. As a base android home launcher, I use the Drive Mode Dashboard (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thorkracing.dmd2launcher ). It came with the AJP PR7 tablet, I really liked it and it can be installed on any Android device.
• As a main navigation app I have now been using OsmAnd+ for years but did start out by trying a few different apps. It does a lot of things really well:
  • It's free (but I am so happy with it that I use a paid version now just to make sure the authors get a bit of credit)
  • It allows you to have as many offline maps installed as the phone memory allows you to. Besides the standard maps I also have Contour Lines installed which allows me to find my way out of a pickle when offroading. Or even better, make sure I don't get into one I cannot get out of. Quite important when you are riding solo offroad.
  • It records tracks.
  • It works with my external zoom-in/zoom-out buttons.
  • Customizable screen so you can pick what is displayed at all times (speed, elevation, distance to next marker, etc)
  • Can display multiple GPX tracks in different colours which comes handy when doing day-trips and having multiple options in the same area that I can then combine into a daily route.
• Track repository app: Google Drive. I have all the GPXs stored on my google drive. When I need to download another GPX to the phone, I simply share my phone's connection as WIFI or if I am at home I am already connected to WIFI in the garage. Same goes with recorded tracks, they get stored to the Google Drive which means I can view them, edit them or share them on my laptop.
• For on road adventures, I find the Kurviger app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gr.talent.kurviger&hl=en&gl=US ) really good as it allows you to plan a trip through unknown twisty roads anywhere. It has a mobile app you can use on the fly or a desktop one for planning ahead.
• For turn-by-turn, Google Maps is still the best but I need to share the connection on my phone for it to work. OsmAnd+ turn-by-turn fails too often.

Safe travels!

Edited July 24, 2022 by Spuzvica

[Zero600]

My setup:

 

• Kyocera Duraforce Pro phone purchased just for nav.  No cell plan required. See the extensive thread on Advrider for info. Available for $50-$60 on eBay.  I did replace the battery for about $20.
• Hondo Perfect Squeeze holder. Expensive but very high quality.
• Gaia GPS software. It has some flaws, but I like being able to plan and organize online and sync all that data to my phone.  Best I have found.
• USB port installed in place of the OEM 12V socket.
• iPhone in my pocket or tank bag as a backup, also able to run Gaia.

All in about US$200, and $35/year for Gaia.

 

Note, this is my backcountry solution. For road rides I use Google maps and voice instructions through my headset. I feel this is safer on the road.

 

Cheers. 

 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Zero600

[anth]

Super easy (budget) way to fit Tomtom unit to nav bar.

A couple of pipe clamps!

 

 

 

[PNGL]

I've got my Zumo XT mounted above the dash, with the Camel bracing bars in use. Then I've got my phone (S22 Ultra) mounted to the handlebar, in a wirelessly charging, waterproof case. Seated, the top of the phone case cuts off right at the bottom edge of the multi-display numbers. Standing, I can rotate it up on its ball mount and see it and the Zumo.

[Zero600]

I recently rode in some 100F+ temperatures (not my usual weather) and had problems with the Kyocera Duraforce Pro overheating in the sun. It turns the screen to low or off when it gets hot.  A consideration for anyone in hot climates. My friend’s Garmin was unaffected.