Hi Firegus
If you read though the GPS section here, you'll get more information than you thought possible! It's a bit confusing at first, but it becomes clear with a bit of reading. A few things for you to consider:
Realistically, how much do you want to pay? To get a decent unit, you'll need to allow for a minimum of about £400. Why so expensive? It's not really the unit itself, it's the cost of the mapping software that Garmin have to buy in from companies such as NavTech.
New or secondhand? Yes, it's nice to have a warranty, but Garmin GPS units seem to be very reliable in general - most are waterproof, have strong cases and are resistant to dirt, oil, etc. As with (for example) cars and computers, buying last year's model can (sometimes) save you cash. Mind you, costs are coming down and there are a couple of European based retailers that are offering new units at not much more than the cost of a second-hand unit in the UK (
SportExtreme and
Aspid Export).
You HAVE to read up a bit on GPS or you can get burned. Look at the
Garmin site and make sure you understand a few basics.
Garmin units come with a 'basemap' permanently burned into the unit. These CANNOT be changed. The basemap contains details of major towns and roads, but does NOT contain streets, small villages etc. Many 'cheap' GPS units on offer contain the US basemap - that's not much use to you - check that any unit you're considering has a European (sometimes called Atlantic) basemap.
Next is the routing data (software) that you load into the unit. For full A to B routing in Europe, you'll need a unit that comes with (or can use) either City Select or City Navigator software. They're similar - both contain all streets and suchlike, City Navigator contains a bit more info on things like roundabouts (and is a bit more expensive).
If you buy a unit with routing, you'll also get software called MapSource. This is installed on your PC and manages your selection of what maps to download to the unit, routes you have built and waypoints (special places) that you may have selected.
Phew! Almost there. Next you must have some sort of computer memory in your unit to hold the maps you download from the PC. Three main option here. Firstly are small, battery powered units that have fixed internal memory. They are the cheapest units, but BEWARE - with one exception (the 'Quest') they don't have enough memory to take a whole country. From what you said, despite the low(ish) cost, I'd avoid them (GPS V and GPSMap 60c). For occasional local use they are great.
Other units use Garmin's proprietary (and very expensive) memory modules. Best known is the Streetpilot III - a wonderful unit, now available at good prices. Another possibility is the 276C. For most users, they are fine (esp. the SPIII), but the highest capacity module generally available is 128Mb - probably OK for most trips, but you'd need to be careful to load only the maps for your intended route.
Lastly, the latest units (2610, 2620) are fastest, easiest to use and accept cheap Compact Flash memory cards. The 2610 is essentially the same as the BMW Navigator II that you were shown - except you can buy it for half the price from the European retailers mentioned above! Highly recommended - first choice for many riders here. I'd suggest you avoid the 2620 - it's a more expensive version with no separate map data - it's preloaded and can't be changed.
Lastly, you need a means of fixing the GPS unit to the bike and (preferably) hearing the voice commands. MiGSel (a member of this site) sells a natty mount that fits on the 1150 dash, other alternatives are available from RAM and Touratech. Rainbow and other dealers sell simple earpieces that attach to the units and allow you to hear commands without using an intercom system.
OK, that's it - you MUST decide on your budget - if you have £700, the 2610 would be most people's recommendation, if you have less, the SPIII would get the nod (especially a cheaper second hand one), less again and you'll start making compromises (with the possible exception of the new Quest). Any further info, send me a PM and I'll try and help.
Cheers!
