Best Motorcycle Sat Nav

Considering buying a sat nav for your motorcycle? A GPS system is a good investment if you want to ride without getting lost or finding new roads.

The price of motorcycle sat navs is relatively low, with some models under $100, so it won’t break your budget. This article covers the best motorcycle sat navs out of the many available models.

PRODUCTS FEATURES
Top Pick
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  • Glove-friendly
  • Shock resistance
  • Europe map
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  • Easy to use
  • Mounting system
  • European maps
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  • Glove-friendly
  • Easy map updates
  • Rider alerts
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  • Compatible with Siri and Google Now
  • Handsfree Calling
  • Smartphone Messages
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  • Free Lifetime Map Updates
  • UK and Europe Maps
  • Driver Warnings & Alerts

Top Pick!

One of the reasons it's the best motorcycle sat nav is that it's glove-friendly, crisp HD resolution, rain-resistant (IPX7) and built to military standard 810G for thermal and shock resistance. The large clear screen and fast processor is great, and is easy to use. The screen is bright and feels solidly made to the touch.

There’s nothing to dislike, quite simply the best Garmin SatNav for a motorcycle. You’ll also find it one of the best sat navs for Europe since it has preloaded topographic maps and global BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, so you always have the ideal map for your ride. Well done, Garmin.

What we like

Built for bikes: it has a compact 5.5-inch ultrabright and rain-resistant display.

Different maps: You can get additional birds-eye view maps that can be downloaded free of charge. 

Adventure routing: Garmin will find curvy or hilly roads for a fun riding experience if you’re just going for a ride. 

Pros
  • Glove-friendly
  • Shock resistance
  • Europe map
Cons
  • Battery only lasts 4-6 hours, without power

Why get a motorcycle sat nav instead of using your phone?

With a satnav app for your smartphone, you can get virtually all the features of this unit for a fraction of the price, and with a typical car satnav, you can get the same experience for less than half its price! Despite this, I still purchased one!

Firstly, you can’t waterproof mobile phones/car satnavs, so you have to put them in bags, etc. You then have to consider how to power them up safely, even when raining. That’s why getting a product designed for the task is ideal for this purpose.

You’ll also find the mounting usually can be fitted into the middle of my upper steering yoke. You can also run a cable easily, connect it to a spare port on a 5 port relay that is ignition activated, and then route the cable under my tank.

Can you use your phone as a GPS on a motorbike?

An iPhone or Android phone will function as a GPS for most people. As described above, you only need a solid mount and a power source. However, you lose the additional features of a product designed to be on a motorcycle, like the weatherproofing and a brighter screen to see in daylight. Here’s how to make an effective GPS replacement for your bike or motorcycle for less than $100.

Is Waze good on a motorcycle?

Waze, a sat nav app owned by Google, has added a new motorcycle mode to the app, which has been tweaked for two-wheeled riders in the UK. The update has improved arrival times that differ from those of cars and added routing on roads where vehicles are prohibited. And it’s free!

How do you get motorcycle routes on Waze?

It has never been easier to ride your bike on the open road. Enjoy more accurate arrival times, motorcycle-friendly routes, and the wind in your face as you avoid traffic, hazards, and more when you update your Waze app in Settings > Navigation > Vehicle Type > Motorcycle.

How does Google Maps know I was riding a motorcycle?

In complex technologies like the one employed by Google, gyro sensors in your smartphone are used to detect whether you’re on a motorcycle by comparing your “rotation” to that of a car, especially when combined with an accelerometer.

Garmin vs TomTom

We will quickly cover the topic, but we have an entire article on Garmin vs TomTom. You’ll find these two brands are the top brands in the industry so often get compared. Both come with lifetime updates and easy to view maps. 

They vary in price for both brands depending on the features of each model, but you’ll find the pricing to be very similar.

Motorcycle Sat Nav Reviews

This TomTom is built for motorcycles. It even comes with a handy handlebar fixing bracket. It's straightforward to use, comes with lifetime updates, and saves destinations, so you don't have to write them down.

You’ll find it responsive and even works when you have your thick winter gloves on. Other excellent features are the route sharing and speed camera warning, which is a must if you travel on new roads. Overall it’s a great product from TomTom.

What we like

More hills and more thrills: Enjoy all the corners, hills, and thrills you can handle with TomTom’s Rider Motorcycle Sat Nav! You can search, create, or import routes, then start riding.

Weather-proof build: The IPX7-certified weatherproof design and capacitive touchscreen allow you to operate it even when wearing gloves.

Quad-core processor: A quad-core processor runs commands simultaneously, doubling your GPS Sat Nav’s processing speed and increasing its start-up speed by five times.

Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Mounting system
  • European maps
Cons
  • Can take a while to set up handsfree

The 346 is an affordable option that is easy to use and has many facilities such as connecting your phone for traffic updates etc. You can play music through it to your bike headset. However, it's probably best to use your phone or get a helmet with speakers, but it's nice to have this option. 

There are plenty of cool features like customisable warnings. There are good mounts that come with it, and it’s easy to take on and off the bike. It seems pretty sturdy, and it fits into a pocket easily.

What we like

Map updates: Built-in Wi-Fi for easy map and software updates without a computer.

Music settings: Easily access music and playlists from your smartphone, with convenient control from the zūmo display.

Weatherproof: 4.3″ sun-readable display; resistant to fuel vapours, UV rays, and harsh weather.

Pros
  • Glove-friendly
  • Easy map updates
  • Rider alerts
Cons
  • The mounting bracket is not the best

The TomTom 620 is a bit wider, having a 6 inch display; this makes it a bit easier to see and navigate the maps. Even with the bigger display, you can do everything hands-free, like calling or sending and receiving texts, and Facebook and WhatsApp messages because of Siri and Google Now. You also get lifetime free updates on world maps, so you can keep your routes up-to-date. 

What we like

World lifetime maps: Connect your TomTom GO to your Wi-Fi network to access free updates every season for the life of your device.

Lifetime TomTom traffic: TomTom GO can intelligently plan routes around traffic based on accurate traffic information.

Updates Via Wi-Fi: Update your TomTom VIA via the built-in Wi-Fi; no computer required.

Pros
  • Compatible with Siri and Google Now
  • Handsfree Calling
  • Smartphone Messages
Cons
  • NO Lane Assist

Although this is not a motorcycle sat-nav, it can still be used as one with the right mounts. It comes preinstalled with the latest maps of the UK, Ireland & Europe. Plus, it comes with lifetime updates, so you'll get accurate maps wherever your road trip takes you. 

Like the others on the list, it’s a touch screen device so you can quickly set destinations without a stylus. It’s a great alternative to TomTom and Garmin, which comes with a lifetime warranty and 90 day money-back guarantee. 

What we like

Navigation features: Features Postcodes, Address, Coordinates & POI, Active Driver Alerts, Street name Broadcasting, Lane Guidance, Estimated Arrival Time, Current Speed, Intelligent Route Planning with Fast or Economical Routes, and much more.

UK Brand: Navpal is a 100% British brand with 24/7 customer support in English via phone or email, understanding our customers’ needs and issues with language barriers.

What’s included: NAVPAL Sat Nav, Vehicle Charger, Sat Nav Holder, USB Cable, LIFETIME Replacement Warranty + 90 Day Money Back Guarantee, 100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back.

Pros
  • Free Lifetime Map Updates
  • UK and Europe Maps 
  • Driver Warnings & Alerts
Cons
  • Not as well known
  • Not motorcycle designed so not waterproof

Verdict

You’ll find all the picks to do the job of getting you from A to B. However, the Garmin Zumo XT is our top pick because of the bright display and map features. Either way, the choice is yours, and you’ll find most picks will do the job. 

Enjoy the long rides with your new nav!