How to Hardwire your Garmin GPS with Traffic to a Motorcycle

Garmin, why did you integrate the traffic receiver into the cable?  A lot of owners of a Garmin GPS don’t even realize this is the case.  You would be amazed of how many people we heard from over the years that never realized this.  They would lose the charger then buy an inexpensive GPS charger, plug it in, and voila, no traffic! I’m not a cable expert so can’t tell you why Garmin opted for this design.  Each traffic GPS has the actual traffic subscription tied into the cable itself.  This means if the charger stops working or you left … Read more



Mounts for Vespa Scooters

Like many motorized bike owners, Vespa owners like to mount things on their scooters.  The most popular items mounted are cameras, cell phones and GPS units.  Mounting locations for a Vespa isn’t as easy as a motorcycle because there isn’t much of a handlebar.  It’s a way different design from a conventional motorcycle such as a Harley or Suzuki. There are three good locations for mounting devices on a Vespa which are reviewed below.  Although you might be tempted to use a suction cup somewhere on your Vespa, we don’t recommend it.  Suction cups in high vibration environments can become … Read more



How to Prevent GPS Theft

So we’re eating dinner at a local restaurant on Route 46 in Northern New Jersey.  We leave after a 90 minutes meal to find a bunch of glass all over the parking lot.  I look at my car to find the passenger window smashed, my GPS stolen and the glove box all over the floor of the car.  I remember walking into the restaurant and several people from the kitchen staff were outside smoking and checking us out.  This is New Jersey and that’s the way the state rolls so I didn’t think anything about it at the time.  When … Read more



Waze Versus Google Maps

Readers of this site know how fond I am of Waze.  A very popular competitor to Waze is Google Maps.  Ironically Google is not only the owner of Google Maps but they also own Waze thanks to a large purchase completed in 2013.  The $1.3 billion purchase made a small bunch of employees millionaires overnight at the Israeli company.  Let’s do a Waze versus Google Maps comparison. On the surface, you might wonder why Google would invest over $1 billion on a product that is so similar to one they already have.  Both applications are in the GPS category, gives … Read more



Mounts for Garmin Aera 795 796 GPS

The Garmin Aera 795 and Garmin Aera 796 were released earlier this year for aviation use.  These are great units that feature 3D Vision technology which shows a virtual 3-D behind-the-aircraft perspective of surrounding terrain derived from GPS and the pre-loaded terrain database.  It’s touchscreen so simply slide your finger across the screen to rotate the view and show land and water features, obstacles, runways and airport signposts in relative proximity to the aircraft.  That’s just one of the many neat features of this GPS line. This article isn’t about the Aera.  It’s about the mounts so let’s get started with that discussion. … Read more



Arkon GPS032 Water Resistant GPS Handlebar Mount Product Review

Today we take a closer look at the Arkon GPS032 Water Resistant Mount.  We have been asked many times over the years whether or not a car GPS can be used on a motorcycle or bicycle.  We decided to write a detailed article on the subject which you can read here.  We refer to weatherproof cases which are available for added protection against the elements.  Coupled with a good mount, this is a good way to use your car GPS outdoors. The case that accompanies this mount features a clear cover which allows the GPS to be responsive to human … Read more