XT/XT2 or Montana 700

[Davey B]

A conundrum. Ideally, I'd like one GPS unit with 2 or 3 'brackets'. I've just bought a trail bike so want something that I can upload tracks to (TET etc). I'd also like to be able to use it on the Africa Twin for road trips......and ideally I'd like a 3rd 'bracket' set upi yo use it in our new to us campervan rather than buy a seperate unit. Would an XT or XT2 do all of the above ? I see that the preferred off road one is the Montana 700...but at a price.
Help (a GPS humpty who still carries and uses maps)

 

[wilbjr21]

I've an XT that I move between bikes and I'm very happy with the setup. I don't use it in the car as it has it's own system as well as Apple Carplay for MRA and Google Maps, Waze etc.

I find it ok for trails too - can't use OS maps of course but tI'm fine with that.

 

[Davey B]

I've an XT that I move between bikes and I'm very happy with the setup. I don't use it in the car as it has it's own system as well as Apple Carplay for MRA and Google Maps, Waze etc.

I find it ok for trails too - can't use OS maps of course but tI'm fine with that.

Thanks, what mapping does it us for trails ? (I live in France so it wouldn't be OS but definitely want a set up that will have me going the correct way in the middle of noweher, off road)

 

[Berin]

I have both. The XT is much easier to use, but also has much less possibility to customise.

Montana
Customisable views
Profiles
OS Maps
Much better track handling

For example, you may want to set up a profile for trail riding, to include OS maps, track up, and data fields such as direction, speed, elevation, avoid motorways and major roads, allow unpaved roads, calculate for shortest route.
Call this the Trail profile.

A second profile might be for a road bike, using CN maps, dashboard showing speed, time to next turn, time to destination. Allow major roads and motorways, disallow unpaved roads, calculate for fastest route.

As above but in km not miles, for riding in Europe - I think you can do 9 profiles, so even set one for the car or 4x4 too, or your camper van

Switching between profiles takes 2 seconds, and to me (with different types of bike form enduro to adventure to road) is one of the strengths.
For trail riding it’s much better, the mount is much more secure, I’d say it’s more robust, it takes OS maps which makes UK trail riding much easier, and it has good track handling. You can navigate a track or a route, it takes bigger tracks and more of them, and track recording is easier to use.

But, there’s a learning curve and you have to sit down and set up all those profiles and dashboards and stuff.

In all honesty it’s not as good on the road as the XT (which is pretty easy to use as there are not many options to change) and it doesn’t have full 6 digit UK postcode search.

For road only, I would go with an XT/XT2.


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[JohnnyBoxer]

Montana 700 has bike charging issues
Garmin XT/XT2 has routing issues

My Montana 610 I found to be good off-road with ordnance survey or Topo maps and on road with city navigator mapping like other Garmin’s and more importantly it is stable in operating and doesn’t throw routing idiosyncrasies like my XT does
As Berin said I love the Montana series, Profile customisation where you can select different mapping and routing parameters for different activities like cycling or walking or road riding

 

[Berin]

Thanks, what mapping does it us for trails ? (I live in France so it wouldn't be OS but definitely want a set up that will have me going the correct way in the middle of noweher, off road)

Both have city navigator maps*, and the Garmin Topo active. Topo Active are really pretty useless. You can load OSM maps on both, or specific regional Garmin Topo maps which are routable and usually quite good, if expensive

(* Montana models with an i eg 700i)


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[Berin]

Montana 700 has bike charging issues
Garmin XT/XT2 has routing issues

My Montana 610 I found to be good off-road with ordnance survey or Topo maps and on road with city navigator mapping like other Garmin’s and more importantly it is stable in operating and doesn’t throw routing idiosyncrasies like my XT does
As Berin said I love the Profile customisation where you can select different mapping and routing parameters for different activities like cycling or walking or road riding

I’ve run a Montana 700i and so has Mrs Berin since they came out, on many different bikes and never had charging issues. The 700 is a much more competent unit than the 600, if only because the screen is bigger, higher res and brighter.


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[JohnnyBoxer]

I’ve run a Montana 700i and so has Mrs Berin since they came out, on many different bikes and never had charging issues. The 700 is a much more competent unit than the 600, if only because the screen is bigger, higher res and brighter.


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Many complain about the mount pins seizing up with corrosion and failing to charge the unit up

 

[wilbjr21]

Thanks, what mapping does it us for trails ? (I live in France so it wouldn't be OS but definitely want a set up that will have me going the correct way in the middle of noweher, off road)

Open Street Maps are fine - and free.

 

[Davey B]

Thank you all.

 

[cookie]

Many complain about the mount pins seizing up with corrosion and failing to charge the unit up

The mounts are expensive as well, and IIRC you don't even get one with the GPS!

I did look at buying a 700, but there are a great deal off reliability issues reported on the internet and Garmin are taking the piss on pricing as usual. I use a cheap rugged phone for navigation. Yes, there are downsides to that, but Garmin's are not vice less either.

Also, if you are riding off road on pre planned tracks then OS maps are more of a hindrance than a help as they are so detailed as to be cluttered. Great for planning on a PC, but I find OSM maps much better for navigating. If I need on the spot reference, i can use OS maps on my phone. This really only applies to here in the UK, and not sure what detailed maps you have available in France.

 

[Davey B]

The maps here are very similar to OS maps....reading all the above....this now has me looking at a cheap phone and OSMand app.

 

[Berin]

Many complain about the mount pins seizing up with corrosion and failing to charge the unit up

Maybe they haven’t heard of Wd40 and contact cleaner.


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[Berin]

The maps here are very similar to OS maps....reading all the above....this now has me looking at a cheap phone and OSMand app.

I use a rugged Android and Locus Maps as a back up on my 690. Charging is one issue here, the Hondo garage phone mount is the only one I have found reliable.

Perfect Squeeze Moto Bundle

Comes with everything you need: (1) Perfect Squeeze Phone Mount. Fits any phone and almost all cases. Can be mounted in landscape or portrait orientation. (1) Set of our Low-Profile mounting clamps. Quickly clamps to any bar or irregular shape from .375" to 1.25" in diameter. Our unique...

hondogarage.com

If you’re not off road, then you’ve more choice.

Also, the phones overheat, making them unusable till they cool down, they are not very sunlight readable and I’m pretty sure that all the phone apps require a data connection even you have offline maps, for everything except running a pre loaded gpx, which can be a pain if you’ve no mobile signal and just want the device to navigate you to a hotel or petrol station.

Garmin devices of course need no mobile signal.

OSM maps are variable- depends who maintains them. Locus provide paid but low cost OSM maps that are quite easy to use, but it’s fair to say that OSMand and Locus are less user friendly than the Garmin devices. And they are also buggy, so don’t expect them to be faultless.

If you just want to go from a-b on the road, then the TomTom paid app is very good. Still needs a mobile signal though.


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[Bigcats]

Also, the phones overheat, making them unusable till they cool down, they are not very sunlight readable and I’m pretty sure that all the phone apps require a data connection even you have offline maps, for everything except running a pre loaded gpx, which can be a pain if you’ve no mobile signal and just want the device to navigate you to a hotel or petrol station.

Garmin devices of course need no mobile signal.

Phones do not require a mobile signal to work when navigating as just like a tablet they have a GPS chip like your garmin device and in fact they can get a more accurate position when the GPS chip is used in conjunction with the cell tower triangulation, however they do not need a mobile signal (hence why I used a tablet for navigating in my campervan).

Apps like OSmand and Maps.me and even google maps all work without a data connection. Plus the maps are far more up to date than a stand alone sat nav.

Obviously having data is helpful as you get realtime traffic information that aids in navigating traffic jams for road biased journeys plus all local authorities now mostly pass on road closures etc to google which in turn updates all maps and navigation will auto avoid that road

Also Android (I do not know about Apple) have a settings to stop your phone charging once it reaches 85% which reduces the overheating issue and preserves your battery (though if your phone is old it may not have this setting)

They are called smartphones for a reason.....I see that the brand new XT2 is having routing issues......2023 and the made for purpose device is still having routing issues.

 

[Mzokk]

I use a rugged Android and Locus Maps as a back up on my 690. Charging is one issue here, the Hondo garage phone mount is the only one I have found reliable.

Perfect Squeeze Moto Bundle

Comes with everything you need: (1) Perfect Squeeze Phone Mount. Fits any phone and almost all cases. Can be mounted in landscape or portrait orientation. (1) Set of our Low-Profile mounting clamps. Quickly clamps to any bar or irregular shape from .375" to 1.25" in diameter. Our unique...

hondogarage.com

If you’re not off road, then you’ve more choice.

Also, the phones overheat, making them unusable till they cool down, they are not very sunlight readable and I’m pretty sure that all the phone apps require a data connection even you have offline maps, for everything except running a pre loaded gpx, which can be a pain if you’ve no mobile signal and just want the device to navigate you to a hotel or petrol station.

Garmin devices of course need no mobile signal.

OSM maps are variable- depends who maintains them. Locus provide paid but low cost OSM maps that are quite easy to use, but it’s fair to say that OSMand and Locus are less user friendly than the Garmin devices. And they are also buggy, so don’t expect them to be faultless.

If you just want to go from a-b on the road, then the TomTom paid app is very good. Still needs a mobile signal though.


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That is a good assesment. I use Garmin devices and OSMand as a backup on my 2020 ATAS as it has Android Auto. OSMand is more difficult to use and has more of a learning curve than the Garmin devices. (or I've been messing with that learing curve for a long time!)

 

[Davey B]

Blimey....I reckon I'll end up sticking to paper maps....

 

[Wapping]

…..and doesn’t throw routing idiosyncrasies like my XT does

I’m surprised you have kept the useless pile of junk, JB.