What did you do to or for or with your Laverda today?

Made this bargain basement version of a Quadlock to have my phone mounted to my RGS as a satnav. Used random bits from around the garage, some super strong heavy duty Velcro, a 12mm thick chunk of foam rubber as a vibration dampener after hearing so many stories of camera damage and a rattle-can of satin black to finish it off. It's hardly Allen Millyard fine engineering (just watched an interview with him) but nevertheless, I'm quite pleased with the result. It made it to and from Baskerville Hall rally without incident but only time will tell whether the vibration dampener works long term. Using an old phone rather than my current one - just in case!
 

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Make that 3! If I am going somewhere unfamiliar I will work out where I have to go before the ride and make notes.
I do take a phone but I just turn it on at the end of the day to see if I have any reception (often not) or messages.
Use the sun and let your mind expand the story purely from the noise of the wind and the bike....................
 
Try that in a mega city, especially one where Billions are being spent less than 100 metres from your house on road works. I have missed turns that I have used for 50 years that suddenly disappear in a day. Sure, it might not kill you unless you try a last-minute attempt at one of these sudden changes, BTW it has resulted in fatal accidents, eg the last untolled exit to Parramatta a few years back. People panic and just go for it. And that's not to mention thousands of Cameras, Speed Red light, too much noise, Seat belts and phone use. Everywhere I go in Sydney has its changes, eventually it will be heaps better, but just now it's pretty shocking trying to get about. My latest help for this is one of these. Phone goes away and this gadget contacts the phone by Wi Fi, so no wired connection. Completely waterproof, apparently, you can easily see the screen in bright sun, the touch screen works with gloves, any GPS app or music app on your phone can be used, and it's way cheaper than a GPS.
 
Vince said:
Try that in a mega city, especially one where Billions are being spent less than 100 metres from your house on road works. I have missed turns that I have used for 50 years that suddenly disappear in a day. Sure, it might not kill you unless you try a last-minute attempt at one of these sudden changes, BTW it has resulted in fatal accidents, eg the last untolled exit to Parramatta a few years back. People panic and just go for it. And that's not to mention thousands of Cameras, Speed Red light, too much noise, Seat belts and phone use. Everywhere I go in Sydney has its changes, eventually it will be heaps better, but just now it's pretty shocking trying to get about. My latest help for this is one of these. Phone goes away and this gadget contacts the phone by Wi Fi, so no wired connection. Completely waterproof, apparently, you can easily see the screen in bright sun, the touch screen works with gloves, any GPS app or music app on your phone can be used, and it's way cheaper than a GPS.
Click to expand...
Can't argue with that Vince, if you need it in the inner city then you need it, but I'd be turning the effing thing off as soon as I could.
I certainly try and avoid that sort of area.
I must admit when I rode down to Eastern Creek in 2017 I worked out best way to come in (from the NW) and most direct route, commit a few road names to memory and got there no worries, but when I left I took a wrong turn somewhere near Windsor (or somewhere like that) and was definitely on the wrong road, heading west toward the Blue Mountains instead of NW, had to double back and kept turning in the direction I wanted (went around in circles a few times) to find the road I wanted, couldn't wait to cross the Hawkesbury and get out. (yes I know not talking about inner city like you mention) I do try and commit the exit numbers I need if I have to travel on Southern freeways, which helps a lot.
I'll stick to regional areas and take pot luck if I have to venture into the lost world..........
 
We use GPS on all of our drives. We still wander down unknown lanes, still get “lost”. The difference is that we can always easily get back on our way. Or be sure our wandering is in the right general direction. No way will I ever go back. Paper maps are for planning. Not for in car or on bike use IMHO.

Plus having the navigation system means no fights with my spouse over routing or turns in unfamiliar locations. And everywhere we go is unfamiliar. Like nearly every scooter and bike in Vietnam, our rental scooter came with a phone holder to run Google Maps.
 
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100% agree, we are heading to Adiladie and then back to Sydney via the Snowy, and most of that will be easy navigation. I always write a day sheet of directions on rides and put that in the tank bag pouch, just so I get names of towns spelled right for the GPS. There are so many places heading south of Sydney that spell similarly and usually start with a W. I remember one ride where someone missed a turn and headed to the wrong W and ended up more than 200 km off the route and in the bush, which can get you running out of fuel somewhere remote very easily. At the end of a long day, not spending hours finding your accommodation even in the bush helps; there are a lot of Pubs in big county towns. I really remember the panicked search for the Tassie Ferry one year, 2 of us had GPSs set up, the first one suddenly too a turnoff and everybody sailed by leaving me as the leader and then especially the bit where someone missed a turn on a busy Melbourne Expressway and did a U-turn in the breakdown lane and rode back the wroung way to that missed turn. That was bloody scary. So they have their place, I won't be making phone calls, but music and GPS will be used a lot.
 
Nah not for me, I removed the temporary fitted charging gauge once my charging problems were solved as it was too much of a distraction and started pissing me off. As for music, nah not for me either. I stay away from cities so don't have your problems Vince.
 
Max said:
Am I the only person who still writes out directions in a kind of shorthand and sticks them in the tank bag clear pocket?
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No your not.

Normally I rely on the notes I write and carry in the map pocket of my tank bag.
I had spent quite a lot of time working out a week's worth of routes and notes for five bikers to have fun riding to and from Newcastle and the Galloway and around the Galloway Forest and peninsula.

This time, the first time for me, as I was leading four other people, two who had never ridden in on the left (UK) before,
one of whom had never ridden a Laverda for any more than short test rides.

It was important to me to keep the group together and be able to react to requests as and when required.
Finding fuel stations, cafés etc.

It was very useful but unfortunately it cost me my camera.
I have already taken off the phone mount.
L to R. Frank M., Bernd, Charley, Frank H., Felix.jpegShould I do anything similar in the future, I will buy a navigation dedicated unit or use a much cheaper phone where I do not need the camera.

Last photograph taken before the camera broke.
 
Charley said:
No your not.

Normally I rely on the notes I write and carry in the map pocket of my tank bag.
I had spent quite a lot of time working out a week's worth of routes and notes for five bikers to have fun riding to and from Newcastle and the Galloway and around the Galloway Forest and peninsula.

This time, the first time for me, as I was leading four other people, two who had never ridden in on the left (UK) before,
one of whom had never ridden a Laverda for any more than short test rides.

It was important to me to keep the group together and be able to react to requests as and when required.
Finding fuel stations, cafés etc.

It was very useful but unfortunately it cost me my camera.
I have already taken off the phone mount.
View attachment 99231Should I do anything similar in the future, I will buy a navigation dedicated unit or use a much cheaper phone where I do not need the camera.

Last photograph taken before the camera broke.
Click to expand...
For 30 odd years a group of us has been doing foreign trips - the satnav has revolutionised the amount of stress of losing people - our group number varies from 6-10 - if one gpx file is given to all plus hotel addresses we haven’t lost any since 😁

However I always carry a map !
 
iis_iis said:
Brand of Phone?
Click to expand...
"Blackview". a cheap android and using a very cheap data only PAYG SIM used for the specific purpose of Google Maps. 1GB of data lasts for ages when only used for this purpose. There are many perfectly good second-hand phones available or you might have an old one in a drawer. No need to worry about a camera being damaged if it's only used as a satnav. Your current "proper" phone can be kept safely in your jacket pocket for all the usual uses including the camera.
 
Charley said:
No your not.

Normally I rely on the notes I write and carry in the map pocket of my tank bag.
I had spent quite a lot of time working out a week's worth of routes and notes for five bikers to have fun riding to and from Newcastle and the Galloway and around the Galloway Forest and peninsula.

This time, the first time for me, as I was leading four other people, two who had never ridden in on the left (UK) before,
one of whom had never ridden a Laverda for any more than short test rides.

It was important to me to keep the group together and be able to react to requests as and when required.
Finding fuel stations, cafés etc.

It was very useful but unfortunately it cost me my camera.
I have already taken off the phone mount.
View attachment 99231Should I do anything similar in the future, I will buy a navigation dedicated unit or use a much cheaper phone where I do not need the camera.

Last photograph taken before the camera broke.
Click to expand...


Save journey and my regards to Bernd!
:)
 
RGSPhoenix said:
"Blackview". a cheap android and using a very cheap data only PAYG SIM used for the specific purpose of Google Maps. 1GB of data lasts for ages when only used for this purpose. There are many perfectly good second-hand phones available or you might have an old one in a drawer. No need to worry about a camera being damaged if it's only used as a satnav. Your current "proper" phone can be kept safely in your jacket pocket for all the usual uses including the camera.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I'll look it up. I do have old phones and may try one of those.

Unfortunately I was to trusting. I should know better.

My 'good' phone is/was an iPhone 12 mini. No doubt a number of people will now tell me "there was my first mistake".:ROFLMAO:

Now to find somewhere reliable to get it fixed.
 
Charley said:
Thank you, I'll look it up. I do have old phones and may try one of those.

Unfortunately I was to trusting. I should know better.

My 'good' phone is/was an iPhone 12 mini. No doubt a number of people will now tell me "there was my first mistake".:ROFLMAO:

Now to find somewhere reliable to get it fixed.
Click to expand...
Easy fix by the pros…….just use a anti vibe mount in future from quad lock 👍
 
Alzero said:
We use GPS on all of our drives. We still wander down unknown lanes, still get “lost”. The difference is that we can always easily get back on our way. Or be sure our wandering is in the right general direction. No way will I ever go back. Paper maps are for planning. Not for in car or on bike use IMHO.

Plus having the navigation system means no fights with my spouse over routing or turns in unfamiliar locations. And everywhere we go is unfamiliar. Like nearly every scooter and bike in Vietnam, our rental scooter came with a phone holder to run Google Maps.
Click to expand...
Same here...

But the missus always has a map on her lap when out and about in the roadster, she considers the satnav lady as her personal enemy. Missus is constantly correcting/detouring, describing Miss Satnav as a lying bitch :ROFLMAO: .

Can't imagine going back to maps on the bikes, memories of getting lost in lousy weather with nothing but soggy maps to rely on haunt me to this day! I have been using dedicated GPS devices since the first portable ones appeared at the turn of the century. Mates were more than skeptical at first but were pretty pleased at the end of the day, arriving at a set destination in time for dinner a couple more beers than usual... over a ride of approx. 400km on back roads, a good hour or 2 per day can be saved just by not having to stop at every second junction to check maps or notes, especially when road signs don't offer the necessary information. Miss Garmin hardly put a foot wrong during my North Cape trip. Fresh detours and construction sites brought her to her limits a couple of times though, hard to imagine managing with just a (far too large scaled) map without being able read detour signs in a language (Finnish or Estonian) that has no resemblance with anything that you're acquainted with.

piet
 
Same here 2.0! I'd also grow up with maps but switched to sat nav devices when they came up (ok, requirement of reading glasses did add to that too) ... ;)

Also leading groups very often on longer trips with no complaints whatsoever. Fond memories of the trip to Breganze last year and lots of others.

In the meantime, my device may also be seen as outdated by smartphone solutions, which incorporate active street / traffic conditions, which a passive device as I use can't. However, I don’t trust smartphones with regard to their vibration resistance (incl. the charging connection). Here they lack some improvements for kind of rough use - before I would imagine to turn to them.

Cheers,
Jo
 
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