Can I Use a Car GPS on a Motorcycle?

Roughly twenty years ago, TomTom and Garmin started to make GPS devices specifically designed for use with motorcycles.  The TomTom Rider and Garmin Zumo series were marketed specifically for motorcycle use.  They sold a lot of them.  There are several key differences between units made for motorcycles versus the car. Motorcycle vs Auto GPS Most motorcycle units are weatherproof.  Note we use the word weatherproof and not waterproof.  Waterproof implies you can dunk it in a bucket of water and have it come out fully functional and that’s not the case.  Under most normal driving, a weatherproof unit will serve … Read more



AMPS Pattern Mounts

The mounting industry does not have an official standard but the AMPS pattern might be as close as you can get (at least for small electronics).  The AMPS pattern is a series of four holes aligned in a rectangular pattern.  Some manufacturers use two of the four holes while maintaining the AMPS pattern spacing dimensions.  The mounting pattern consists of four holes in a rectangular pattern spaced 1.188 inches by 1.813 inches.  Some manufacturers also have 2-hole adapters that support the diagonal measurement of 1.912 inches. The AMPS pattern is fairly well-known in the HAM Radio industry where many head plates from … Read more



TomTom Rider Mounts

TomTom first introduced a GPS made specifically for a motorcycle called the TomTom Rider roughly ten years ago.  It was then followed up with a refresh known as the TomTom Rider v2.  The problem with the older TomTom Rider generations is that a few years after they introduced the GPS in the United States, they stopped selling accessories.  This left the TomTom Rider owner who potentially spent hundreds of dollars on a GPS in a real bind when it came to replacing a mount or cradle.  Fortunately there are options that aren’t always made by TomTom that may work as well as … Read more



TomTom Rider 400 Car and Motorcycle Mounts

After many years, TomTom has refreshed their successful line of motorcycle GPS devices with the recent introduction of the TomTom Rider 400.  The GPS features lifetime map updates and traffic.  It features a 4.3 inch screen.  The battery life of 6 hours is very good as most are typically topped out at three hours.  The included cradle has a hardwire cable integrated within which means that you should be careful not to damage the cable.  The back of the cradle has the industry standard AMPS pattern which is a 4-hole pattern supported by a lot of mount manufacturers. We applaud … Read more