just pulled the trigger on a new Garmin 2610 from Amazon.com for $469.99 which was the best price i could find. they list them for $499.99 but if you apply for a credit card and use it, they give you an additional 30 bucks off. now i gotta figure out how to wire this thing, using a blue sea fuse box which will also power my Hella lights that i'm readying to install. when it comes to bike maintenance, i'm fine jumping in and working on it but for some reason i get real apprehensive about wiring, electrical work, and them sorta things. some discussion last week on the wiring provided for the "bmw" gps unit, would it be possible(and a good idea) to use that connection to power a Garmin 2610?
I don't see why not. I am still on the fence as far as a GPS, I don't know if I'd need one enough to justify the price but if I do get one it will probably be a 2610. Barry
Once you use the 2610, you'll wonder how you managed without it.. it's the first GPS unit that I've owned that I've been totally satisfied with.. previous generation Garmin Street Pilot models were ok, not great.. This thing's practically infallible. When you're travelling and you hit a big city, you really don't know if the GPS is really taking you by the best or shortest route. On my previous GPS unit, I would test it right here at home in Toronto. Going from point A to point B and see if the routing makes sense. It always took me there the way I would do it.. Previous models would have me on a wild goose chase!! And the recalculation rate when you're "off route" is fast.. As for wiring it, I have installed an accessory socket near the cockpit, where the 2nd option socket is supposed to go. If anyone here can figure out how to use the GPS harness already built into the bike, under the tank, please share it with us.. I'd like to make use of that tap!
how do you hook up the 2nd accessory port, where is it located and how do you use it with the GPS. do you simply plug it in with an cigarette lighter adapter (i have one for chargin my cell phone)? and then you only have to mount with a ram mount? pictures would be appreciated of your mounting and location of the accessory port. That seems like it would be easily done and quickly removed from bike for stops and overnight. would be great to plug it in to the wiring harness just like the bmw units, but there was no way i could jsutify spnding the coin on the bmw unit for the same features. i'm hoping to get this thing wired up soon so that i can get used to using it. i want to be comfortable with the use of it before my trip in early March.
I spoke to my dealer about this. He was a little fuzzy on the details but he said the Nav2 comes with a pig tail type splitter that connects to the canbus (where something else is connected) and then gives you an extra connector for the Nav2 power cable. Therefore the NAV2 is always hot and is not connected directly to the battery. He was not sure where the splitter is, I told him I thought it was under the tank and he said that sounded right. So I guess to have this extra deticated GPS power you would have to buy a NAV2. Sorry to hijack. Congrads on the 2610. Pretty hard to beat all the features of the 2610 for less than $500 and it comes with $200 worth of great software to boot. I would wire it directly to the battery so that you can easily plan routes when the bike is shut down.
Congrats, you're gonna love it. I've had a couple over the years and this one's the best I've tried by far. Great deal you got there as I paid double that when it first came out. At that price I've been trying to talk myself into getting a backup unit. You might want to purchase a memory card for it. With a 2gig card you can fit street level detail for the entire U.S.. I'm using a 2610 specific RAM mount with mine. It's attached to the cross bar behind the instrument cluster next to the speedometer. It's very stable. Another thing you'll need is a Garmin hard wire cable with earphone jack kit. I bought mine here along with the RAM mounts:http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/gps/detail.asp?prod=SP2610 Have fun, ride safely .
I bought the power/audio cord that has the raw connectors and wired it directly to my battery )since moved to a blue seas box). I just leave the big cig lighter adapter/speaker in the car. Works great for me, and I don't have to deal with a big plug.
This is for the 12GS: Just buy the kit from your dealer, then install it near the cockpit on the left or right. If you look at the plasic bridge going towards the screen (it's the same color as the bike) stick your finger under there and you'll feel a cut out locator that's round.. that's where you dremel the hole to fill it with the accessory socket. There's a cut out on both sides, so pick the side that works best for you. That accessory socket connects to the accessory socket jack under the seat. Simply unplug the under the seat accessory socket, and attach it to the wiring harness that comes with the 2nd accessory socket kit. That harness has 2 output and 1 input: 1 goes to the new socket, one to the under the seat socket and the third one plugs into the live feed that was going to the under the seat socket. Sounds complicated, but it's not.. it's all plug and play. But both sockets stay on for one minute after you turn the key off. So, if you want your GPS to stay on while the bike is parked, you have to hook it up straight to the battery.
Actually the cut-out locator, at least on my bike, is oval shaped so I'd make sure that's the shape you need before cutting it out. Barry
Ok mr. picky!! it's round-ish!! But the socket itself is NOT oval, so don't cut it as an oval!! :eek1 start small, and keep making the whole bigger as you try to insert the socket till it fits.. Each socket has a quick disconnect connector too..
Picky Picky....LOL Can you tell I'm getting cabin fever? Spent a few hours today scanning old pics. That's what I was wondering....from looking at my rear one it looked like it was round. I know I would be nervous cutting one out worrying about screwing up. Barry
For me, the Ram mount ($40) and Garmin motorcycle hardwire kit ($29) works just fine. At first I was worried that the Ram mount would transmit vibrations and make the unit hard to read, but it doesn't at all. Also, having it hardwired allows you to retain satellites when you stop for a minute or two or to find services or plot a route with the engine off. Another recommendation I would offer is to get a 2GB CF card (available for under $140 online these days) so you can load all the City Navigator North America into one card and be done with it. This unit works beautifully for me. I also ran a headphone extension wire back beneath the tank with a pigtail headphone jack socket coming out between seat and tank. When I had tried to just plug into the pigtail of the Garmin motorcycle wiring kit - which is near the power connector on the unit - the headphone wire was blowing everywhere. Hope this is helpful for you. David
Do any of you guys have pictures of your 2610 mounted ? I would like to see where you guys decided to mount your units. This will be my first GPS and can't wait for the unit to come. thx, hp
Me too! I just purchased a 2610 from Amazon two days ago - along with a 2gig card. Now I'm trying to figure out which mount to get - I'm confused
i'm looking forward to seeing how some folks have mounted but i'll likely mount mine wiht the RAM mount on the left side of the bars, and wire it ot the blue sea fuse box under the seat so i can retain power to it when necessary. spent the day in the hospital with my youngest son, printed out the manual to start reading up and am really looking forward to trying out the new gadget. I'll likely add the 2 gig card soon, but need to square up on the gps and mounts first. keep the ideas coming on the mounts, pics as well. any advice on getting started using the thing for navigation, quirks with the 2610 that you learned the hard way, or otherwise useful information on the proper/effective use of this model.
Here's everything you ever wanted to know and much more regarding the 26xx SP's: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=86 Here is a great source of tips, etc.: http://home.socal.rr.com/diverhank/SP26X0UndocumentedFeatures.htm That ought to keep you busy until the mail man arrives....
Thx, very good information sites. I'm sure i'll be referring to them quite often when i FINALLY get my first GPS !
