Motorbike navigators: a GPS or a smartphone?

Published on : 02 April 20212 min reading time
When you are on a motorbike tour or trip, it is ideal to have a Motorcycle Navigator. You can buy a GPS navigator dedicated to motorbikes or choose to use your smartphone and install a navigation application on it. Each of these systems has advantages as well as disadvantages. A GPS system makes it possible to locate yourself using satellite networks. You can then establish a route using your device.

A Motorbike GPS navigator VS a smartphone: the maps

Maps on the GPS Navigator 6 BMW Motorrad for motorbikes are preloaded. You have the possibility to update the maps in the GPS navigators. To do this, simply connect the device to a computer and install the latest available updates. However, if you use your smartphone as a navigator, you can update directly using the cellular network or when you connect to a Wifi terminal. It is even possible to access a map in real time. The only drawback with a smartphone is that if you don’t have a cellular signal, you can’t access the navigation system. 

Precision

Manufacturers of GPS navigators say the devices they make are remarkably accurate compared to smartphones. The real answer, however, is fuzzy because both use the same satellite signals, even though it’s normal for a GPS navigator to be specially designed and to have superior performance. It’s hard to say which one performs better: the smartphone or the Motorcycle Navigator. BMW motorbike parts and accessories are made of highly resistant materials with a 2-year warranty.

Ease of handling

Specially designed devices can be handled easily even with motorbike gloves. However, you can’t usually use the touch screen of your smartphone with motorbike gloves. You must then remove them before handling the application, which is not very practical. Also, there are smartphones that are not resistant to bad weather such as rain, for example, while GPS navigation models for motorbikes follow IPX7 standards. They are more suitable for use on the road, whatever the climate is.