Customer Reviews

TomTom Rider 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this unit. The GPS directions are spot on. The convenience of having a GPS on a motorcycle can't be overstated. There's no such thing as reading a map while riding, and unless you can memorize the directions you printed off the Internet, they're no good to you.

In searching for a GPS, I looked at a lot of different units that are currently on the market. There are a variety of different features, and a wide range of prices, this particular one being in the high end.

Top on my list of features were water resistance, route mapping, and spoken directions. This model has each of these. In addition, it has some motorcycle-specific features (included mounting hardware, glove-on menu selections, etc.) that make it great for a biker.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the purchase and would buy the same product again.

That said, I have some nit-picky things worth mentioning.

One of the things that sold me on the TomTom RIDER was the fact that it had a motorcycle-specific bracket included. The bracket itself is fine. When the GPS is not in place, though, the pins from the power connection are exposed, albeit somewhat blocked by the cradle itself. This aspect is definitely not waterproof. I'm hoping I don't find out the hard way how easy it could be to short the pins out and blow a fuse. (See the user picture I uploaded.) I'm probably going modify my installation to add a toggle switch somewhere on the bike so there's not power running to the cradle when it isn't in use. I'm also going to add an in-line fuse, which also isn't included. (I'm drawing power from the headlight bucket. I wouldn't mind blowing a fuse and losing power to the GPS, but I can't afford the risk of losing my headlights if the pins ever do short out.)

The power connection for the cradle leaves the individual wires showing at the connection point. The casing isn't attached to the connector, so it slides back and exposes the wires inside. (See my photo.) I'm not sure what the purpose of a casing around the wires is if it doesn't go the entire distance. I guess I'm going to have to use some electrical tape or possibly some heat-shrink tubing on it.

Tip from a frustrated installer: install the power cord onto the cradle before putting any of the mounting hardware on the cradle. The snap-in connector is so close to the mounting plate, it's impossible to get it to snap in place with the plate installed on the cradle. I had the cradle completely installed on the bike when I ran the battery connector, and had to remove it and start again from scratch.

Also, when installing the power cable to the cradle, the installation instructions have no indication of which color wire goes to hot and which to ground. (In fact, other than appearing in the list of items included in the package, there's no mention of the power cable anywhere in either the quick install instructions or user manual.) There was a black wire and a red wire, so I just had to assume red was hot. Nothing has blown up, so I guess I got it right.

When researching my purchase, I thought the bluetooth connection between the GPS and the helmet was a great feature. The down side to it, though, is that it's a second thing that has to be charged. So, even if your GPS has a direct connection to the bike's power source, you're still limited by how long the headset holds a charge.

The GPS and headset share a single charger. You have to charge them one at a time.

There's no speaker jack on the unit itself or the cradle. You have to use the bluetooth device to hear the directions. If using an intercom system on the bike, and desiring to connect the GPS to that intercom, you'll need to use a patch cable between the bluetooth receiver and the intercom. This means the receiver needs to be installed somewhere accessible because (a) it still needs to be recharged after use, and (b) it needs to be turned on and off. Many intercom systems install beneath the seat, and aren't readily accessible. (Prior to purchase, I emailed a question to TomTom asking if there was any intercom system that would interface with the RIDER using bluetooth. I also asked them if the optional additional receiver were purchased, if both headsets could hear the instructions at once. The answer in both cases was "no.")

The car version of the cradle isn't available yet. The description says, "Speakers not included" so I'm not sure if it will be necessary to wear the earpiece while using the GPS in a car, or if it will be possible to connect speakers. Connecting to speakers will probably require use of the bluetooth receiver and a patch cable. I'm still crossing my fingers, though, that the automobile bracket for the RIDER, unlike the motorcycle version, will have an audio out jack on it.

At 100% volume, the voice prompts can be heard okay at 50-55 MPH. At higher speeds, though, it becomes difficult. It is also more difficult to hear if you are in a group of bikes. I notice that the ear-piece is rather slim; I may just need to put some more foam behind it to bring it a little closer to my ear. (I've got an HJC helmet with built in earpiece pockets. They may be too deep.)

I don't have a cell phone. Even if it did, though, the microphone that comes with the RIDER is designed only for full-face helmets. I wouldn't be able to use it with my 3/4 helmet, as there's no boom on the mike. There's no compatibility chart on the TomTom web site to indicate if the unit will work with any of the bluetooth-enable helmets that have become available recently.

The unit comes with a small protective case to keep it in when it isn't in use. (This isn't the same as the leather one advertised as an accessory.) There's no pocket or pouch to accommodate the bluetooth receiver and patch cable, though. I usually wind up sticking them inside my helmet.

I have the earpiece installed permanently inside my helmet, with the connector sticking out just slightly in the back. There's no room inside my helmet for the receiver to fit comfortably. The receiver has an alligator clip on it, but I'm not sure what they're thinking I'm going to clip it to, my leathers? I usually put it in an inside pocket and run the wire down through the neck opening. It would be nice to be able to just attach it to the side of the helmet, however, the location of the alligator clip, buttons, and power indicators don't leave a surface large enough for a piece of double-sided tape.

Even with all this nit picking, I still would have given the unit five stars.

Here's my biggest complaint: TomTom's Customer Support, or lack thereof. When I got my unit, there was a technical problem with the secure data card that contains the US & Canada maps. This disk is required to get the unit to function. The RIDER wouldn't recognize the card. When I put it in, it gave me a message that it wasn't a valid TomTom disk. I couldn't get it to read from the SD reader on my PC, either. I understand that in mass production, it is nearly impossible to find every flaw, and usually roll with the punches when I experience a problem like this. When there is a problem with a product that was missed by the quality control processes, though, as a customer, I expect the company to respond promptly to resolve that problem.

The customer support representative who answered my call to their toll free number was not able to help me with the problem. He took my contact information and informed me that a level two technician would contact me in one to two business days. This was on a Thursday. On the following Monday when I got home from work, there was a message on my answering machine giving me a mailing address and FedEx account number to return the unit for repair/replacement. While I would have much preferred to speak to someone directly during my initial phone call reporting the problem, TomTom did eventually respond and make the problem right.

This thing ROCKS. No more looking up directions, printing maps and then trying to follow them (from a tank bag) while riding. Now I just plug in the address (with gloves on, if you are finger endowed carry a stylis in your pocket) and ride. You can route to, route around, get weather information, traffic information, answer phone calls, send and receive emails (not supported with the Samsung A900 blade) all from your TomTom Rider. All turn-by-turn instructions and phone calls are routed to the included bluetooth headset, which fits comfortably in your helmet. Actually two earpieces are included: a thin speaker and an earbud. It will work with other bluetooth headsets as well. Nothing beats just going for a ride, getting completely lost and then "route to home" after the woman calls. Its IPX7 water resistant, battery powered (can run off your bike battery) and extremely well made. Not many US phones (non-GSM) are supported. So most likely you'll need to do some web research to manually set up the web access with your bluetooth phone. Example Sprint Samsung A900 blade are not even mentioned as a phone or a carrier. I found the correct Power Vision codes and it works great with the A900 except for the email function. I read a review at another web site that stated there was no charging status for both the TomTom unit and the bluetooth headset - both statements are false. The unit I have with version 5.420 software clearly indicates the charging status and battery level on the Status Summary screen (with or without a route planned). Additionally as the battery level runs down to about 1/3 to 1/4 it constantly flashes on the main screen. Also the headset displays a red LED while charging. Finally the power switch - just push it in, as the rubber moves you'll feel a slight click. Don't use a finger nail or anything sharp. If you have it connected to your bike correctly (switched DC) you'll never turn in on or off by the switch anyway. It automatically turns on when you start and off when you turn off the bike or remove it from the DC cradle. This thing ROCKS.

Installation was a snap. Took less than a half hour. Moving it from the bike to the car is a nice touch. You have to use the bluetooth headset for the car also but so what...with the car stereo blastin if you didn't have a headset you'd never hear it anyway! With it plugged into one ear you can't help but hear it. I'm COMPLETELY happy with mine! Only drawback is showing it off to everyone that sees it and wants a demo.

I am an owner of a Tom Tom Go 300 and have been nothing short of satisfied with it. I got word that Tom Tom was coming out with a motorcycle specific model and I was foaming at the mouth for it but then I saw the price $1,000+ WOW! Well needless to say I skipped on buying one. Well low and behold there is a store here called GB and they had a promotional sale and the units were going for 399.00 Euro. Even with the conversion rate of 1 Euro = $1.20 it was still $200.00 cheaper than anything I saw anywhere online. So I snatched it up. My biggest concern was the ability to transfer it from the bike to a vehicle since my wife who lives in Germany claimed stake on the 300. Also I had to make sure the maps for the 300 were compatible with it, which they are. I did a search online and nowhere was there a vehicle mount. I then went straight to Tom Tom and there it was! So for an additional $45.00 I got the mount which is very similiar to the 300 and volia! The unit itself is very very sturdy. I did run into one problem when starting it for the first time. It completely locked up on me and I had to let its batteries run all the way down. Luckily with this unit it comes with a wall charger and I was able to charge it back up and it started and booted with no problems. The interface is almost identical to the other Go products and the navigation is spot on. Tooling around Europe, esp for us Americans, can be an adventure beyond adventure but the software takes almost all (nothing is 100%) uncertainity from navigating. The mounting system I used worked pretty well. The tape used to circle your handle bars snapped several times and this led to some small frustration but in the end it worked as described. I did crack one of the mounts, it comes with but in the end I didn't need it and it comes with three for different mounts. The wireless system works well with a full face helmet and at 100% volume, which I think you will need regardless, worked well. I do have a European Nolan helmet that is designed to accept an array of different communication systems with bluetooth capability so I will probably upgrade to one of those and utilize it in place of the one which came with it. All in all I highly recommend this unit esp for the price I paid for it.

When TomTom came out with a bluetooth GPS unit for motorcycle, I was excited about going wireless. However, I've found some disappointing features, which include: inadequate volume of the bluetooth headset, lack of software support for my Blackberry 8703e and Motorola V710 phones, poor quality, poor service, poorly design desktop computer software, poor mount for car use.

Because of the lack of support for my cell phones, I cannot use traffic report and other neat features available that require data connection through my cell phones. I cannot sync my address book to the Rider, I cannot use the Buddy feature, the weather report feature, etc. Make sure your cell phone is supported for use with the Rider before buying it.

The Rider was defective soon after purchasing. I also bought a Go 910 that was also had to be sent back for a replacement.

No strap was offered, even though I registered for one that was supposed to be provided free. I get nervous whenever I go over bumpy roads with the Rider on my bike.

The car mount is very cheaply and poorly designed to accommodate the Rider, although the mount is sturdy and sticks well to the windshield of a car. To get the unit in and out of the mount, the power connector has to be unplugged manually from the unit. It's a pain to deal with a tiny plug and disconnecting/connecting it when I have to make many stops and have to take the unit off and store it out of sight of would-be thieves.

There is no built-in speaker. Therefore, in order to hear spoken direction from the Rider when in a car, a bluetooth headset has to be available and connected to the Rider. When used while riding my bike, the volume from the bluetooth headset is audible below 45-50 mph. Beyond that, it's almost inaudible. The higher the speed of the motorcycle, the less can be heard through the bluetooth headset.

The on/off button is very difficult to activate.

The Rider has very poor documentation/manual.

I've dealt with support from TomTom, and, even though the people there seemed genuinely nice and tried to be helpful, they didn't have their act together. For example, my Rider repair and return was delayed despite their promise to send it out promptly. The repaired unit was not sent to my office as requested. So I had to drive 40 minutes each way to Fedex to pick up the repaired unit.

Since this is one of five GPS units that I own or have owned, I think the Rider does a few things well, as GPS units should, but its design and the desktop software that is used to manage the Rider are so poor that I cannot recommend buying this unit, especially at the high price that I paid as an early adopter.

The Tom Tom Rider 32 MB GPS leaves a few things to be desired. There appears to be no viable customer support to contact for assistance. The 4 mounts supplied with the Tom Tom are flimsy and none of them provided me with optimal viewing of the GPS on my Harley Heritage Softail. I wound up getting a RAM mount for an additional $40 and am quite satisfied with that. The screen fades out in the sun shine significantly. The DC wiring for the battery does not contain an in-line fuse, which may be necessary for some applications. The specs are non-existent in the manual and CD for electrical capacities. But the Tom Tom works. Too bad they have little customer contact.

The Tomtom is right on the button. Naming the streets and showing on the screen the spot you are on the ground. If you missed a turn, within 5 seconds, has re figured the route, keeping one on the right track. Easy to operate and viewing. We haven't used it on the motorcycle yet, (winter in Wiscosnin) but have taken along in the vehicle. Only draw back we have with it, that it doesn't have a speaker for use in a vehicle other that the earphones. We have attached a pair of speakers to the bluetooth device and it works. Would be nice if it would locate the local police cars and show them on the screen. HA HA

On my first day with this unit the charging system did not work and the blue tooth wirless system failed to work. I tried to get factory support and all I got was failed promises. After five unsucessful calls, I'm in the process of trying to get my money back. I'm very unhappy with Tom Tom and I'd recommend looking elsewhere. This unit has all the great features but for nearly $900 I expect to get good service.

i have a garmin quest fitted to my bike but recently had the chance to use a tomtom rider for a few days. they do not compare. considering the rider is twice the price, it is no more glove friendly than the quest, and the bluetooth feature is a complete pain. why no simple headphone socket? the directions were difficult to hear on the motorway, full volume is only about a quarter that of the garmin. with helmet speakers (of your choice) the quest gives simple to hear directions, in stereo.
the quest comes with full european mapping, for no extra.

i will not be rushing to buy one and do not reccommend it as particularly "motorcycle friendly", obviously no bikers were involved in the development!

I read all 10 reviews before writing this one. Like many other items reviewed, the range of scores is from the lowest to the highest, making it difficult for the potential buyer to reach a firm conclusion. I gave the TomTom Rider a 4, and the only reason it fell one star short is (as others have said) both poor documentation and (apparently) poor support.

As soon as you get your Rider go to the TomTom website and check for upgrades. This is a MUST. You need to install TomTom Home--it's free on their site, in order to check for updates, create backups and lots of other stuff. Anything less than the 6.0 version of software is not reliable in my experience. Also, check for the latest maps. I bought my unit at the end of March 07. A check in late May revealed that the US/Canada map had been updated since my purchase. It cost $107 delivered to my door and was easy to install.

Another reviewer pointed out that the contact pins on the mounting bracket are exposed when the unit is not in use and wondered if they might short (presumably from rain). I thought about this too, but think it is extremely unlikely. They are partially protected, but more to the point: If you have a lawn tractor, try (at your own risk!) hosing the battery down to clean it. You can soak the positive stud and cable and nothing happens as far as shorting. Not sure why this is so. Maybe the water is heated enough to prevent a zero impedance condition. Still, an in-line on/off switch would be nice and should be easy to do.

There were many complaints about the Blue Tooth headsets. Mine works fine, but I only use it if I use the TomTom in my car. It's just not needed on the bike if you are paying even miniscule attention to your navigator. It tells you (e.g.) that you will be turning in 4 miles to the left. As you get closer it points out with increasing frequency that the turn is approaching and puts a large green arrow (default American colors) on the screen. I took a 2,069-mile bike trip to Key West from NC and never used the headset.

The on/off "button" is on the side of the unit and blends in so well with the case that I had trouble finding it. Then I had trouble activitaing it. It requires a good deal of pressure and normally I use two fingers. This is presumably a condition of being waterproof. With the latest software, the unit comes on when it receives current from the bike's electrical system, but you must turn it off manually. This MAY be something that can be changed in preferecnces, but I don't think I would if I could.

Last week the unit failed to come on after I started the bike. Nothing I did would get it to come one and I figured it was dead. I called the distributor (Crutchfield) and talked to a tech. He told me that there is a small pinhole located in the compartment where the USB connects and to simply push a paper clip through it to reset the processor. That did it! One of the reasons I bought from Crutchfield is their excellent reputation for customer service. There is nothing in the documentation about the reset or even troubleshooting in general.

It is true that the screen is sometimes difficult to see in full sun, but I would imagine that is true for any GPS. One of the reasons I went for TomTom as opposed to Garmin was that the screen is much bigger. And if you have any kind of vision problems, the bigger screen is a must.

I really cannot see how we made it without cell phones in the old days. Now I cannot see how I rode around "blind" without my TomTom. I have become aware of so many more local roads that I did not know even existed, and I have lived in the same area for 30 years!!!!