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accessory recommendations please - GPS tracker, throttle assist, etc.

5K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  jonlong 
#1 ·
Hey all. Lately I've been considering doing some longer trips than the current norm. I was curious if you guys had some recommendations on:

GPS Tracking - either bike or cell phone based

I am interested in the bike mounted version as a theft recovery option, however the main goal is that my wife can check in on a whim and see where we are. We currently use Life360, however she's complained several times that she'll call me and it says I'm in one place when I am in fact in another. Generally, it hasn't updated at that point. (one time I was in a bad cell area and it showed me in the middle of a field for a half hour so she got worried because I also wasn't receiving calls) It has also failed to update correctly while in areas with strong cell reception.


Throttle assist - not necessarily the throttle lock variety, more the kind with a plastic loop and shelf that reduces the need to grip the throttle lever so hard. I've found a few on amazon, but many reviews indicate breaking within a few days... One day I may spring for the Kaokao, but I don't necessarily want to drop over $100 for that atm.

TIA!
-Patrick
 
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#5 ·
I'm more interested in the GPS tracking app/devices. Anybody?



I picked up the little "cramp buster" item shown on a used bike I bought 20 years ago or so. It's soft rubber and adds just enough leverage to relieve the hand. It doesn't get in the way, doesn't ding the tank at full lock and, with time, becomes so automatic you only notice your right wrist isn't sore at the end of a long day. I have no idea where to get one.
 

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#8 · (Edited)
#7 ·
REVER works pretty good. Not hard to plan a route if you subscribe, and by the year cost very little, there is a free version also but you dont get all the features of course.
Also use WAZE, it is a social based app that is damn good around here for avoiding performance awards.
As for a throttle lock I use a Go Cruise.
 
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#9 ·
Throttle assist -- I've been using BrakeAway, which can be tedious to install/tune, but once it's set, it's great.


That being said... I had Throttlemeisters installed the heavy ones. I bought them to help make my hands stop falling asleep due to high frequency vibration I didn't realize this bike has. My hands no longer fall asleep. 110% worth it. If you're coordinated enough to use a twist throttle lock, just use these. I'm not, so I still use the BrakeAway.



GPS -- Garmin Zumo, it's made for the job. Mine's mounted with the bracket that uses the gas tank bolts.

I bought it after seeing that the google maps don't work when there's no cell service.



Rever has new features and claims to be usable without cell service, I haven't tried it. So far just using them to track rides.



I just got back from a 6-day ride, 1800 miles. Enjoyed how the bike is set up.

Let us know what you decide to go with.
 
#10 ·
Thank you for the various recommendations on throttle assist.

To clarify once again, when I say GPS I don't mean navigation. I mean something that my wife can check to see where we're at when I'm on my rides.

Thanks
 
#11 · (Edited)
#12 ·
Nothing wrong with a DIY setup, but if you want a commercially available product that you just buy, activate, and go; then the two options I know of are products either from SPOT or Garmin's (formerly Delorme's) inReach brand.

I have no personal experience with SPOT's products, but I do have an inReach SE (1st gen SE) that I've been using for the past 4 years, and it has provided very reliable service.

Based on your original post, and if you have no interest in sending messages or the ability to trigger an Emergency SOS request, I would suggest looking at the SPOT Trace. It offers satellite tracking that includes Anti-Theft features.
 
#15 ·
For GPS tracking, I use (and really love) an app called Bluelane for iOS. I’m not sure if it’s available for Android, but I’m sure similar apps exist.

It has real time location tracking and it shows the route history for each trip. People can view your location/route without the app, and can do so on a phone or on a computer. You just send them a link via text or email and they can use that to see where you are. It’s easy to pause the app overnight or when you stop for a while.
 
#16 ·
The trouble with any app that uses cell towers is coverage. I know it's not an issue in a lot of areas but where I am north of Seattle it's just a short jaunt to BC/Alberta & northern Montana all with great mountainous areas that provide great scenic, curvy roads with very spotty/poor cell coverage. So whatever I get it kinda has to be satellite based. It's almost a definitional thing, the worse the cell coverage, the better I like the roads!
 
#19 ·
Thanks, I've been looking at those from this comparison.
https://www.rei.com/blog/news/which-satellite-messenger-should-you-get
What I was hoping for is some real experience from some of our members. It can be a pricey item with ongoing subscription costs so I'm doing a lot of research. The Garmin Inreach Mini and Spot Gen3 bubbles to the top of my list. Each has a slightly different feature set and different prices.
 

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#20 ·
I use a smartphone APP for GPS tracking and carry an InReach Mini. I’ll share my thoughts/experiences with both.

For the app, I use Bluelane, for iOS. I don’t believe that it’s available on Android, but I’m sure there are similar products. I’ve been using it for several years and really love it. You pay a small subscription fee in order to be able share and export your route. It’s very simple to use. When you send a link to friends/family to view your location, it works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer without any special software. It shows where you are, AND where you’ve been on your route. It also shows current speed, and they’ll be able to see your location moving on the map. If you are riding in an area without cell reception, the app continues to log your route and will update it as soon as it has a cell connection again. You can pause your route when you stop for a meal, or when you arrive at a destination for the night. You just need to remember to resume the route when you start moving again. The app stores your prior trips/routes, and you can export the GPX files. The only downside to this app is that it relies on a cell connection to broadcast your route.

I also have an InReach Mini, which I bought primarily as an emergency device. But I do like the ability to send out messages to check in, when I know that my cell phone doesn’t have reception, so my Bluelane route/location won’t be updating. The InReach requires a paid subscription, which can be on a month-to-month basis. The messaging options are kind of complicated, so its worth understanding the different types of messages and what is included in your subscription. All plans let you send out unlimited preset messages, which can include your location. The way I would use this is to send a “Just checking in” message whenever I stop for gas or food if I know that I’m in an area without cell reception. People can also ping your InReach and get your current location. It doesn’t show current speed or anything; just your location. I don’t use the InReach for tracking my route, because the phone does a better job of that. The InReach only records a route in intervals of a few minutes (I forget the exact interval options). But if you’re moving fast, like on a motorcycle, then your route is going to be a series of line segments. The Bluelane app records your route in realtime, so you get a much more natural looking path that follows your location exactly.

So, the short version. The smartphone app is my primary tool. I use it to record and share my route and location. The InReach is an emergency tool that I can use if I need help (SOS function), or to be able to have some level of communication and location sharing when I don’t have cellular service.
 
#21 ·
I forgot to mention my thoughts on the InReach vs the Spot, which you are also looking at. The InReach Mini is smaller than the Spot Gen 3. The Spot subscription plans are a little cheaper per month, but you have to commit to a full year. You can’t turn off the subscription when you’re not using the device, like you can with InReach. But the most important difference is that the InReach Mini can be used to communicate with GEOS (the initial responding agency, which coordinates with police, fire, search and rescue, your family, etc...). Because you have the ability to communicate with GEOS, rather than simply sending a one-way SOS signal, you can get information from them without triggering a full on search and rescue operation. I read a report about a guy who was hiking when a wildfire broke out. He was able to use the InReach to ask if a particular trail would get him out of harms way before the fire came through. GEOS communicated with local police and fire departments to confirm that he was safe to proceed on the trail he was one. GEOS then tracked his location until they knew he made it out safely. No rescue was needed. That’s not something you could do with a Spot.
 
#22 ·
Thanks to all who responded, especially jonlong.

It looks like the InReach Mini is the path I'm going to take. I'm off to Alaska this summer and the wife wants all the protection I can lug along. I'm not sure what cell coverage there is up there outside of populated areas. Being able to turn the service on and off by month is a big selling point since I only take one or two big trips a year. Add in the ability to communicate with the outside world in an emergency and that seems to be the way to go.
 
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#23 · (Edited)
I’m glad the information was helpful. If you pick up the InReach, I definitely recommend activating it in advance of your trip and practice using the different features. Also make sure that friends/family understand how to access you.

For example, they can’t just send you a message without you first messaging them. If they want to contact you first, they need to do it through your Garmin MapShare page.

Also, they’re on sale for $50 off right now!
 
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