I'm thinking about getting an iphone, in order to update my old phone (no gps) and use it for GPS on my motorcycle...instead of talking the wife into letting me buy an expensive ZUMO 550.

My only concern, is it easy to plan longer trips and make custom "scenic" routes? I know there are different GPS apps available, but I still want to be able to make my own routes or load GPX files? ALSO IT HAS TO WORK IN GERMANY/EUROPE.

 

The Native iPhone gps.... Atleast on my I 4 is not turn by turn navigational...
I use it... But to plan my route and keep me pointed in the right direction...
As you stated though... There are many you can download... Buy ... For it...

I love the iPhone... But a great gps, it is not....
That's my 80 dollar Tom Tom is for!!!

 

Ive spent quite some time trying to figure out a good solution to a true custom route. Ive got 3 different models of garmin and an android phone. None of them truly keep your custom route. With garmin using mapsource you can create a custom route which saves the route in a bunch of waypoints, when you send it to the garmin the unit will still make its own calculations between the waypoints which may or may not match the route you want to go.

I like using google maps, you can drag the route to the exact roads you want to take and it spits out turn by turn directions. I figured my android is basically a google phone, it has google maps and google nav...........thats got to be the ticket! I created a custom route, opened it in google maps on my android, there it was, the exact route! Hit the little blue Nav icon for google nav...........it recalculated everything from beginning to end

I know someone with a tom tom Im going to experiment with, dont think it will be much different though. Have no idea about an Iphone.

 

I just started using a program called tyre with my tomtom. It is like map source with the waypoints but it integrates with google maps.

One thing to keep in mind is that the more waypoints you have the more accurate your root will remain.

 

I have a couple apps on my iPhone that plan a scenic tour or the fastest route. And it shows other routes others bikers have planned and ridden. Get an iPhone. I absolutely love mine

 

Google Maps Navigation on the Droids....rocks. Turn by turn voice driven, and for many years I've founds Google Maps to be the most reliable mapping/direction service on the computer....it just rocks on the Droid combined with its GPS.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/18535..._shootout.html

 

I have an iPhone and use an app called Navigon. If you jailbreak the phone you can get it for free through Cydia. If not, it's like $60 in the app store. Download a thing called routeconverter (google it). This will allow you to use google maps to click and drag your scenic route, then convert it into a Navigon file to be emailed to your phone. I'm pretty sure it's available for alot of countries.

I have used other apps but they are slow when it comes to quick turns. Navigon tells you multiple turns if they are quick and it also tells you what lane to stay in before turning. Not sure of your setup, but I can plug my iPhone into my HK radio and my turn by turn directions run over my speakers. It will also work if you only have ear buds and throw the phone in your jacket pocket. I turn on Navigon and pandora and when the directions come on, the phone mutes the music. Much better than my earlier TomTom setup.

Hope this helps!!

 

I have an Iphone and IMO, it's just too small to use for GPS. Why not just buy a Garmin NUVI for less than $150.00? That's what I have on my bike (265WT) & it works great! It has traffic and lifetime map updates. I enter a destination and then set it to avoid highways & toll roads.

 

Good info. Thanks. Subscribed

 

I'm not familiar with the Garmins but the issue I always ran into was how to create a great route (nice turns and switchbacks) and be able to get it to the GPS. Turning off highways and tolls doesnt mean youll like the road it takes you. Also, the phone being too small isn't an issue with turn by turn directions. I never even need to look at it. I throw it in my center windshield pouch and go. No reason to buy another device if you already have the capabilities on your phone.