Motorcycle Apps for IPhone

[Bull Durham]

Just got a IPhone 4 today, was wondering what type of Motorcycle Apps people have gotten for theirs and how they would rate them.

Also, does anyone use a GPS App on their IPhone? Pro's and con's over a dedicated GPS unit?

[moloprintz]

My phone GPS will get me from home to Maggie Valley the quickest way.
If I want to go there via the twistiest way I'll need my dedicated GPS and route planing on my laptop.

Mike

[upside22]

I use an app called GreatestRoads to find nice rides to take.

[Bull Durham]

I already downloaded the Greatest Roads last night, haven't had time to check it out yet.

Mike, what app are you using for the GPS app?

[moloprintz]

I already downloaded the Greatest Roads last night, haven't had time to check it out yet.

Mike, what app are you using for the GPS app?

The one that came with the Droid X.

[moloprintz]

I already downloaded the Greatest Roads last night, haven't had time to check it out yet.

Mike, what app are you using for the GPS app?

It's from Google.

[mobandy78]

Also, does anyone use a GPS App on their IPhone? Pro's and con's over a dedicated GPS unit?

I have the 3GS and find that the map app that comes with the phone works great. I haven't put a GPS app on the phone. I can also find places on the map with phone numbers listed faster than using Google. It's really handy for finding places to eat, stores, etc.

[mc88]

Mike, you can plan your routes in Google Maps on the computer and then save it to "Your maps" and it should show up in Google Navigation. Not sure how flawless it works, but it should work at least a little bit.

I just use my Droid Incredible as a GPS. I haven't added cables to the nomad yet, but I'll wire in a charger and have the charge wire go right to the holder and then I can charge my phone and then I use a blue tooth adapter hooked up to some speakers in my helmet so then I can listen to pandora radio while I'm riding. It's quite handy.

I'll be home in like two weeks so I'll be taking pictures of my setup shortly after I have time when I get home

[reaper]

I use Navigon for iPhone, works great. No complaints

[tonik]

Just got a IPhone 4 today, was wondering what type of Motorcycle Apps people have gotten for theirs and how they would rate them.

Also, does anyone use a GPS App on their IPhone? Pro's and con's over a dedicated GPS unit?

I am on a droid, but I can offer some advice on here. For GPS/Nav it is pretty hard to beat Google Maps/Nav for free. They have it for the Iphone. However....Google only works if you have a live internet connection. So if you find yourself lost out in the middle of nowhere with no signal you are, well lost. So I also bought CoPilot Live. It is about 30 bucks and you get all the streets for North America downloaded on your phone. So as long as your phone can see the sky to get a gps fix the maps will work. Also the new version of CoPilot will allow you to create custom routes and it will nav you down the route. That is unique in the phone nav business, no other one will do that.

I use several streaming music apps. Pandora, Slacker, IHeartRadio. Very nice to have free streaming music.

Look for a Speedometer app. It uses GPS to tell you your speed. I don't use it often, just a few times to test my spedo for accuracy. Did it at several speeds so now I know how far off it is.

Weather apps. Get several, and make sure they can show you live radar. Can't begin to tell you how many times I have stayed dry because I saw it comming in the sky...stop and hit the radar and adjusted speed/route to miss the storms. Weather.com, Weather Bug and Radar Now are my favorites.

And I will say this, Nav on a phone is useless on a bike unless you have a way to listen to the commands. The screen is too small and the sun kills it to safely look at it going down the road. So you bluetooth it to your stereo or helmet, or you stop and look at it when you get lost. Still well worth having, but it has its limits that you need to be aware of.

Google Lattitude is nice, it plots my travels on a map for future reference on their website. And if you choose to do it you can share your current location with people. I share it with my wife, so when I am on long trips she can see where I am at. It eases her mind.

I have the phone blue toothed to my helmet to a Chatterbox. It is awesome. I can stream music...and my turn by turn nav will interrupt the music...tell me to turn and then play music again. Also can answer and voice dial calls, but I do not do that on the bike. My wife knows the secret pattern to get me to answer...call, ring two times, hang up and call again in five minutes. I know when I get those two rings that it is time to pull over, and she knows it has to be important.

[tonik]

Mike, you can plan your routes in Google Maps on the computer and then save it to "Your maps" and it should show up in Google Navigation. Not sure how flawless it works, but it should work at least a little bit.


As soon as you fire that map up in your phone Google Maps recalculates your route and messes it all up. Two ways to get that to work....put in a ton of stops/waypoints so it forces the app to honor your route...or get CoPilot Live.

[rhodyrider401]

I have used MyTracks. It runs off Google I think, and is like a reverse GPS; after you get home from one of those long meandering rides, you can see on a map where exactly you went (and a bunch of other random data).
I also use an app (can't remeber name right now) that track gas mileage. You punch in your mileage and gallons eveytime you fill up and it keeps track for you. I am averageing 39mph (with aftermarket pipes, fuel processor, hypercharger and a heavy foot. Beast was 51mpg on the highway, doing 65 the whole time). Over 4,000 miles of using it, I am spending 10.4 cents per mile.

[Bull Durham]

Thanks everyone for your input. And first of all, Mike Argo, glad you are coming back home from oversea's safely! Now, be careful on that bike when you get back!!

I downloaded that fuel app, mine's called AccuFuel. I know it's going to come in handy, as I always check my mpg every fill up, using the trip odo and my phone calculator, so this will be nicer. Only filled up once since I've gotten it, so don't know yet how well it works.

This weekend, I tried the app Mapquest 4 Mobile. Plotted the course, started up the iPod, stuck the iPhone in my bag (had earphones in) and away I went. Worked nice for most of the time, I'd veer off and it would recalculate and tell me what to do (just like my wife). Not sure what happened, I did a detour route I like, it didn't recalculate and tell me. I checked it later, and it said on the screen "off route" or something like that. So will try that for a while and then maybe try that one for $30 bucks.

Question I have, my plan (AT&T) comes with a 2 Gig data plan. Is that a lot for what people are using these for, with the GPS and stuff? Has anyone every gone over their 2 Gig data plan?

[mobandy78]

Question I have, my plan (AT&T) comes with a 2 Gig data plan. Is that a lot for what people are using these for, with the GPS and stuff? Has anyone every gone over their 2 Gig data plan?

I feel like I use a bunch of internet/streaming music on my phone. My last bill shows that I only used 262 MB of data, which is not that much over the lower plan that AT&T offers. I am grandfathered in to the unlimited plan for $30, since I had my IPhone before they made that change. Now, if you're taking daily trips and using your GPS every day, all day, you may run over some, but more importantly, you'll probably use up your battery faster than you'll go over your data plan.

I could be completely wrong about this too... so if someone else knows for sure, don't hesitate to correct me. ;)

[tonik]

I agree with MO, 2GB is really a lot of data. You should be able to get to your ATT account via the web and see your data usage history in there somewhere. Keep an eye on it as you expand the use of your phone. But I doubt you will hit 2 GB. Most I have ever hit is half a Gig.

MO is right, next thing you will need is a way to plug your phone into your bike. I just put in a cig lighter and use the regular car charger for that. Put mine under the left cover, I just pull it out and run the wire inside my jacket to it from the phone. Usually have the phone in my jacket. Just remember to unplug before you get off the bike.

[Bull Durham]

Last winter I put three power sockets on my bike, two fused at 10 amps on either side of the shield, and one running straight to the battery under my left side cover, so I'm good to go.