How To Choose Your Motorcycle GPS System

A GPS system for your motorcycle can turn your journeys, into adventures. Opening up a whole new experience, you can find amazing places to explore by planning your trips at home, and downloading your routes to your GPS device. New landscapes, destinations, and road trips await; with the security and confidence of never getting lost again.

How To Choose Your Motorcycle GPS System

How To Choose Your Motorcycle GPS System

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How To Choose Your Motorcycle GPS System

How To Choose Your Motorcycle GPS System

A GPS system for your motorcycle can also help to make your journeys as comfortable and stress-free as possible. If you fancy a break, or you're running out of petrol, your GPS can help. More importantly, your GPS unit can guide you back to safety when you get lost, or accidentally take the wrong turning. With voice guided directions, and brimming with points of softwareinterest (POIs), such as petrol stations, restaurants, service stations, and hotels; your GPS can guarantee you a journey of uninterrupted enjoyMent.

Sound like the perfect toy? Well, with GPS systems becoming mainstream, and new features and models endlessly hitting the shelves, it can be a hard task deciPh Meters. However, many of the newer GPS models are designed with a WAAS (Wide Area AugMentation System) capability, resulting in accuracies of 3-4 Meters 95% of the time. The Garmin Quest 2 for example, has a flip-ups external antenna equipped with a 12-channel WAAS GPS receiver; Supplying position accuracy of up to 9 feet.

If you enjoy riding in dense woodlands and urban areas, it is worth noting that GPS devices incorporating the new SiRF Star III Chip Set, are units to look out for. This high performance, low power consumption chipset has superior sensitivity in high foliage surroundings. It is also worth noting that GPS units with external powered antennas are great inmaintaining a signal into deep woodlands.

Does the Battery Life of Your Motorcycle GPS Suit Your Needs?

With the freedom to ride just about anywhere with a GPS; battery life is an important component to consider. Most GPS units use 2, 4, or 6 ' AA ' batteries, which can last up to 6 hours. GPS units with integrated rechargeable batteries are the ideal choice if you occasionally lose track of time. With GPS systems like the TomTom RIDER, you can charge your battery at home, while planning your next route, or continuously keep topped up with power, by charging your GPS directly from your bikes battery.

How Resistant Is Your Motorcycle GPS To Vibration & Hard Ware?

With thefreedom to ride just about anywhere and not get lost, it is guaranteed your GPS will get a great deal of use (and reverberation). So, it is important to consider how durable your GPS is in withstanding such conditions.

GPS devices designed exclusively for Motorcycles, like the TomTom RIDER have been designed with this in mind. Not only weather proof, its tough outer case and rugged shock proof mount has been designed to absorb any external friction.

Although most GPS devices come with a mount, it is an absolute must that you use a vibration isolated mount if your GPS will be used regularly on your motorcycle. The RAM mount by NPI, which is Fast becoming the industry standard, manufacture anti-vibration ball and socketmounting systems allowing you to mount practically anything, anywhere with vibration protection and durability. This would be an ideal addition to the Garmin Quest 2 GPS if you were purchasing this portable GPS for a lot of use on your motorcycle.

Do You Want Your Motorcycle GPS To Have 2-Way Communication?

Some of the most recent GPS systems to be launched for motorcycles have taken 2-way communication to a whole new level.

If you own a Bluetooth GPRS enabled mobile phone, it is worth knowing that many Sat Nav 's, like the TomTom RIDER, have incorporated a Bluetooth receiver, amongst their many features. With the ability to connect your phone via Bluetooth, and receive incoming phone calls through your> GPS and Bluetooth headset, you need never have to take your gloves and helmet off to answer your phone again.

You could even use your Bluetooth enabled wireless Internet phones ', and with certain models of GPS, receive real time information on traffic conditions.

Enjoy riding in groups? It is worth knowing there are some recent hand held units that can offer built in radios that will not only allow you to communicate with other members of your group, but will also display everyone's location on your screen.

How Easy Is Your Motorcycle GPS To Update?

With Roads constantly changing, the ability to update your device easily, and at a reasonable cost, are very important factors to consider when selecting your GPS.

Enis important to realize that each type of GPS will be updated in a different way, and so you need to choose which process is better for you.

Those which are attached to a PDA, like the Mio A201 for example, are usually updated on a PC, whereas dedicated in-vehicle units tend to be updated via CD. These have to be purchased from the road map data supplier.

Some specific software vendors have solutions for preparing maps which can be downloaded to your GPS unit. Most notably, TomTom TomTom PLUS service operate the.

The Choice: Budget Considerations

In essence, your choice can be reasonably simple: Buy the most expensive GPS that you can afford, that suits your needs.

It is important, using my pointers above, to decide whichfeatures are most important to you. If you want an up-to-the-minute GPS for your motorcycle; with features like real-time, on-demand traffic information, hands-free calling, turn by turn voice instructions bluetooth headsets, alerts for speed camera locations, plus thousands of useful points of interest, GPS systems like the TomTom RIDER start from approximately £550 Inc. VAT.

If, however, you are looking for more of a toy to play with, and a GPS that will simply get you from A to B, then a hand held device could be a better choice. With a range of features, like simple voice guidance, compass mode, MP3 player, and essentially portability, GPS devices like the Garmin Mio 268 and the Latter 2 are ideal for motorcycles, and arange of outdoor activities. The Mio 268, and hand held GPS units with similar features, start from approximately £ 250 inc. VAT.

To browse a variety of discount GPS Systems For Your Motorcycle, or Accessories & Software For Your Motorcycle GPS Systems, visit http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk.

How To Choose Your Motorcycle GPS System

High Speed Golf Carts: Choosing Your Options

Electric Low Speed Vehicles (LSV 's) are becoming treMendously popular these days for a number of reasons. They are quiet, fun and relatively comfortable to drive, but more importantly, they do not use fossil fuel. New LSV's like the GEM and others can be very expensive though and not a practical purchase for those who would only use them occasionally or on weekends. Welcome the "lease turn in", "out of warrantee, golf course, Fleet Vehicles (golf carts) to the rescue. Three year old Club Car, EZ-Go and others show up by the thousands at auctions across the u.s. every year. Some end up in neighborhood classified ads or used car lots after a quick cosmetic makeover. Many of them make their way to "chop shops" where they are stripped of their original golf paraPh Meter of the drive Tires increases the distance they will roll for each revolution of the axle, thus increasing the speed your cart will go. You first need to know how Fast you can go with the standard 18.5 inch tall Tires. Most portable GPS units can be used as a speedoMeter to find that. If you don't want to crunch themath, there are several free online calculators to help you determine how much speed you will gain with the new taller Tires. A very good one is located the Digital Overdrive Systems website. Although increasing the Tire size will increase you speed, the torque will suffer somewhat. That means you may have to leave your mother-in-law's home! Tire size is also limited by the wheel opening. Most large tires require the cart be "lifted" which may not always be desirable and can be costly. The speed gain is relatively small (a couple of mPh Meter one. To go Faster, you need to advance to the larger drive sprocket. The bike goes Faster, but it is harder to pedal. In a golf cart speed gear sets, the ratio is similarly changed by increasing the drive gear diaMeter, and the cart runs Faster. Like the Bicycle though, the motor has to provide more force "torque" to the axle. This type of modification is great for speed but will sacrifice low-speed torque (your mother-in-law again) and is not recomMended for hilly areas. Installation can be messy due to the gear lubricant and requires some skill and expertisehow.

• Increase Motor RPM -Increasing the Revolutions per Minute or RPM's of the motor is one of the most popular techniques for increasing golf cart's speed. This type of modification does not sacrifice low-end torque like the two previously mentioned ones. Golf cart electric motors are designed to operate at a certain RPM (typically around 3600 RPM) at either 36 volts or 48 volts and provide a good balance between speed and torque of the end product. Aftermarket motors have their field and armature windings redesigned such that they achieve greater RPM than the stock ones. If the motor spins at twice the original RPM at 12 mph cart could reach as much as 24 mph. The motors are safe and reliable but can require the addition of a high currentController to operate at full potential. Aftermarket "speed motors are available from a number of vendors but can be rather expensive due to all the copper wire in the windings. There is one vendor that provides a really simple and easy upgrade for Club Car IQ carts called a SpeedyLink, which increases the RPM of the stock motor by about 50% without any additional modifications.

Whichever method you use to increase the speed of you golf cart, be sure to use good judgment and utilize proper safety equipment. Carting can be fun and functional for everyone and has many applications. Be safe enjoying your fast golf cart. Watch for more articles about golf cart upgrades and maintenance.

High Speed Golf Carts: Choosing Your Options

High Speed Golf Carts: Choosing Your Options

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High Speed Golf Carts: Choosing Your Options

High Speed Golf Carts: Choosing Your Options High Speed Golf Carts: Choosing Your Options

Free Australian Maps for Garmin GPS

Not often you find free maps but a very smart guy nicknamed Shonky Logic decided to create maps that Garmin haven't considered for Australia. Australia is renowned worldwide for it's vast tracks and ancient landscape, something that many Australian's find they need to be part of by getting in a 4WD, Biking, walking or Caravaning and visiting. Australia's outback though is not a place you want to get lost, something many visitors and tourists find they don't take heed of ensuring they have enough of the essentials such as plenty of water, Food and communication. Like anywhere you go remote, it is always good to let people know your itinery know that if they don't hear from you at a specific time, it makes it so much easier to find you in the thousands of square kilometres ofland that no one visits.

GPS has exploded onto the recreational market, it is the Fastest growing technology worldwide. You find it in your Watch, shoe, mobile phone (Cellphone), Emergency Beacon (EPIRB), planes, trains and automobiles. Everyday, without realising it, you will have come across GPS and thankfully many people have realised the benefits of these little devices in such circumstances where there is often no tracks or roads, maybe a river, an odd rock or tree, and maybe even a Kangaroo!

Free Australian Maps for Garmin GPS

Free Australian Maps for Garmin GPS

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Free Australian Maps for Garmin GPS

Free Australian Maps for Garmin GPS

Garmin is probably the largest manufacturer of recreational GPS worldwide but they are still developing maps for the world. However, the Australian's couldn't wait any longer and so, the developMent of Shonky Maps. The term or name of the maps is not accuratebecause there is nothing shonky about it at all. The map is based on the Geoscience Australia (GA) Natmap Raster Maps, and GA is the Federal Australian Mapping Agency. The original maps are designed to work with products such as OziExplorer, TrackRanger and many more similar products. However, the Natmaps would not work on Garmin GPS until now.

If you are looking for free maps of Australia for your Garmin, containing lots of detail including highways, major roads, river, tracks and much more then you must acquire a copy of this map.

Free Australian Maps for Garmin GPS

Motorcycle Intercoms-How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You

Without a motorcycle intercom, motorcycle riding is a solitary experience. When you're riding alone it's a good way to clear your head or get your thoughts together. But if you've got a passenger, or you're riding with another biker, inevitably you'll want to talk to them. Motorcycle intercom systems that mount in your helmet let you do that.

Motorcycle Intercoms-How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You

Motorcycle Intercoms-How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You

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Motorcycle Intercoms-How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You

Motorcycle Intercoms-How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You

The problem is that there are so many to choose from in such a wide price range. It's hard to decide which one to choose. And given that motorcycle intercoms have to work in an extremely difficult environMent, choosing the right one can make the difference between enjoying your new purchase or hating it. This motorcycle intercom review will hopefully make your decision easier.

Let's startwith a broad overview of the types of motorcycle intercoms available.

Acoustic Motorcycle Intercom

The most basic form of motorcycle intercom is the acoustic intercom. By acoustic I mean that it doesn't use electronics at all. It just uses hollow tubes that your voice travels through. They're like the old ships where the captain yells down a tube to the engine room to tell them to "give it more steam."

These systems have rubber-tipped tubes that insert into your ear the same way an earPlug would. There is also a mouthpiece tube for you to talk into and all the tubes connect into a junction box.

One of the positives is that there are no batteries or electronics to mess with. That makes them very dependable. However, there is noamplification which means there is no way to adjust the volume or Filter out wind noise. So at higher speeds, it will be more difficult to hear. Another problem is that some people find the "earPlugs" uncomfortable in their ears for long periods.

Obviously these acoustic intercoms only work for rider-to-passenger and bike-to-bike.

Wired Motorcycle Helmet Intercom

The next step up is wired intercoms. These systems have wires that run from the rider and passenger into a central control box that houses the electronics and battery.

Just like the acoustic, with a wired intercom system you don't have to worry about any external interference like you do with wireless technologies, unless you add a handheld radio communicator for> bike-to-bike talking to your system. Some wired units let you Plug in an FRS/GMRS radio, which is described in the wireless technology section below. The radio requires voice activation for it to work.

One of the issues some people have is that the wiring can be a little bit of a pain. Every time you and a passenger get on and off the bike you have to remember to unplug the units. Depending on how you have it set up, this could be two or three plugs.

Wireless Intercom Technology

There are four types of radio technologies used in the U.S. for motorcycle intercoms. They are GMRS, FRS, FM, and Bluetooth. There are also wired intercoms that enable you to plug into a handheld Citizens Band (CB) radio that has voiceactivation.

Frequency Modulation (FM) radio is similar to the radio you listen to FM, but for motorcycle intercoms to narrower frequency is used. Like FM radio, these systems can produce clear sound, as long as the distance between them isn't too great. FM radio works best when there are no obstructions such as hills between the transmitter and receiver. If long range is the most important feature, then GMRS intercoms will provide better performance.

The Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) are the modern equivalents to the old walkie talkies you may have had when you were a kid. FRS radios typically have a maximum range of two miles with few obstructions in between, while GRMS radios communicate up to several miles. Like FM, these arepublic frequencies so other people can hear your conversations and vice versa. In some heavily populated areas these FRS/GRMS radios are heavily used, while out on the open road you should have fAirly private conversations.

One nice thing with the FRS and GMRS radios is that you can go to your local discount store and purchase a cheap handheld radio that will communicate with these units. If someone were following you in a car, or they had a wired intercom system motorcycle that lets them plug in an FRS/GMRS handheld radio, they can communicate with you. The downside of this was just Mentioned in that there are millions of these radios out there so in heavily populated areas you'll pick up lots of other transmissions. Also GMRS radios require an FCC license for legaluse.

Bluetooth is the latest technology to hit motorcycle intercoms. Not only can these systems communicate totally wirelessly from rider to passenger, they can be used to communicate from bike to bike. Although with these systems the range is not in miles, it is in hundreds of feet. Since you are likely riding close to your buddies, this is not usually a problem. Although, the range can be as much as 800 to 1600 feet.

The Bluetooth range limitation actually works as an advanTAGe since it limits the amount of outside interference you'll get. Also, since you must program two units to work together, you won't pick up conversations from other people with Bluetooth devices ... and they won't be able to hear you. You won't have to worry about your conversationslistened to by anyone else.

If you want Bluetooth wireless communication there is one thing to Watch for. Some say they are units that use FRS or GMRS Bluetooth to communicate bike-to-bike and the Bluetooth is just used to communicate with a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or other device.

Bluetooth intercoms also usually have some other features you won't find on other types of intercoms such as:
Integrated with Bluetooth enabled cell phones and automatically answer calls totally hands free. Enjoy your favorite music from your stereo A2DP enabled cell phone or MP3 player Listen to the audio navigation message from your Bluetooth enabled GPS.

Some Bluetooth intercoms only have one ear Speaker while others have two.

Motorcycle Helmet Intercom Features >

Here are features to look for as you are shopping for an intercom to use with your motorcycle helmet:
If you may be riding in the rain, get a system that says it's waterproof and not just water resistant. Some riders will put a water resistant system in a plastic baggie and that works for them. You can get systems that have a headset Speaker for one ear or both ears. Installation and moving the intercom to another helmet is easier for systems with only one ear, but some people want to hear sound in both ears. Most systems have voice activation of some kind to keep the headset quiet when no talking is occurring. This voice activation often has the ability to be disabled and a push-to-talk switch used instead.Many intercoms have noise reduction capabilities with digital signal processing to help reduce the noise they pick up from the microphone. The Faster you drive, or the windier it is, the more important this feature is. If you want music, look for a system that has a built-in FM stereo radio tuner or an auxiliary stereo input for a Walkman, MP3, iPod or satellite radio unit. You can also use this input to receive driving directions from a voice prompted GPS unit. Some systems mount on your helmet, while others have capability to mount on your belt clip or bike. If the system is big and bulky, you may want the ability to mount it on your bike. You can integrate some intercoms with cell phones so you can talk while you ride. They require special cables oryou can get motorcycle intercoms that have Bluetooth capability so they connect to your Bluetooth-enabled phone wirelessly.

Once you find the right motorcycle intercom for you, it will really make your ride with other people much more enjoyable. You'll wonder how you got along without it. You typically get what you pay for when you buy motorcycle intercoms, but even a bad motorcycle intercom is better than none at all.

Motorcycle Intercoms-How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You

Clean Air Filters on Trucks is Extremely Important

Clean Air Filters on Trucks is Extremely Important

Clean Air Filters on Trucks is Extremely Important

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Clean Air Filters on Trucks is Extremely Important

Clean Air Filters on Trucks is Extremely Important Clean Air Filters on Trucks is Extremely Important

The Best GPS For the Money

The best GPS for the money ( GPSautomotive) will usually be found in a clearance model once the model has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Recently, the chip sets that makes GPS units function have not been significantly updated and the discontinued units still perform very well. If you don't need the latest and greatest, you can find a really good buy.

The Best GPS For the Money

The Best GPS For the Money

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The Best GPS For the Money

The Best GPS For the Money

When you are looking for the best GPS for the money, always look for a unit that speaks street names. The prices on these discontinued units will be low enough that you do not want to buy a unit that does not speak street names. Taking your eyes off the road to read the street name on the GPS display is extremely dangerous. Do not compromise on this feature!

Other featuresto look for in the best GPS for the money are screen size, MP3 player, Bluetooth, and free shipping.

For many months, the Garmin Nuvi 350 was the best GPS for the money. Its price dipped down to $ 160.00 in January 2009. It was loaded with features for the $ 160 price with standard screen size, MP3 player, picture viewer, (no Bluetooth). However, at the time of the writing of this article its price has risen to over 5 USD so forget it.

In April 2009, the best GPS for the money was the Garmin Nuvi 360. This unit has been discontinued by Garmin, but it was selling for the incredibly low price of under $ 150 on Amazon. It has a standard screen (2.8 x 2.1 inches), MP3 player, picture viewer, and Bluetooth.

The key point to take away from this articleis there is always a best GPS for the money. You just have to know how to find it. This best GPS for the money will change periodically as manufactures compete and as GPS units are discontinued and the stores clear the discontinued inventory.

You can find the best GPS for the money on the-best-GPS. com. It contains instructions with pictures that show how to use Amazon.com as your research tool to find the best GPS for the money.

Be a smart shopper, save a bundle, and learn how to buy the best GPS for the money.

The Best GPS For the Money

Most Popular Sports Around The World

All types of sports are popular globally, but what sports can we call THE most popular in the world? Some of the answers may surprise you.

Most Popular Sports Around The World

Most Popular Sports Around The World

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Most Popular Sports Around The World

Most Popular Sports Around The World

It's no surprise that football, or what Americans call "soccer" is the world's most popular sport to play and to Watch. An estimated 3.5 billion people either Watch or play football. The World Cup is the global championship of the sport and this tournaMent is played every four years. The World Cup itself is one of the highest rated sports on television, with many countries tuning in en masse to watch their country's team play. Football is popular in all of the UK, Europe, Asia as well as South America. However, with so many other sports being popular, the Unites States still lags behind in their interest in "soccer".

Next, we have cricket. This sport which consists of a bat and a ball, has been around for hundreds of years and originated in England. The sport is popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, some African countries, some Caribbean countries and it is the most popular sport in the countries of India and Pakistan. An estimated 3 billion people watch or play cricket each year.

The next most popular sport is a sure surprise, and that is field hockey, with an estimated 2 billion players or watchers, mostly in Asian countries, European countries, Australia and around Africa. This sport tends to be played in high schools in the United States, usually by girls only.

Coming up next is tennis. Not so surprising, but there are an estimated 1 billion players and watchers of tennis around the world. Tennis tends to be popular in richer countries, including the United States, Asian countries, Australia and Europe. There are four main tournaMents in tennis, called "Grand Slams" at which players from many countries play. The first is the Australian Open, then the French Open, Wimbledon and then the US Open in late August. The Grand Slam tournaMents tend to get the most attention during the tennis season.

Next we have volleyball. Yet another surprise, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players around the world. Volleyball is popular in the United States, where the sport originated, as well as in Brazil, all over Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Volleyball is a popular high school sport in many countries due to it's team centered play and lack of specialized equipment requirements.

Also popular is table tennis, otherwise known as Ping Pong. This is another surprisingly popular sport around the world, with an estimated 900 million watchers or players. Table tennis originated in England as an after dinner activity for Victorians in the late 19th century. Table tennis as a competitive sport is popular in many countries but is especially popular in China, Korea and Singapore.

After these sports, we have a triumvirate of more mainstream American sports including baseball, golf, American football and basketball, with each sport attracting between 400 and 500 million players or watchers worldwide.

Most Popular Sports Around The World