Table of contents

• Becker mamba.4 +, Garmin Zumo 390 LM and 590 LM, TomTom Rider 400 and NavGear Tourmate N4 Motorcycle sat navs in a comparison test
• All five candidates did well
• This is how MOTORRAD tests
• Practical and on the go
• Becker mamba. 4+
• Garmin Zumo 390 LM
• Garmin Zumo 590 LM
• TomTom Rider 400
• NavGear Tourmate N4
• Alternative smartphone?
• Final scoring

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24 pictures

Lohse

1/24
Thorsten Dentges tested five motorcycle sat navs from Becker, Garmin, TomTom and NavGear.

Dentges

2/24
NavGear Tourmate N4: The soft plastic screw of the bracket can only be loosened with a lot of force.

Dentges

3/24
Becker mamba.4 +: The strong suction cup (original RAM car holder) works perfectly, but is very bulky.

Dentges

4/24
The easy-to-understand brief instructions on handy paper are great with the Becker mamba.4 +.

Dentges

5/24
Garmin Zumo 390 LM: The input for headset jack plugs is considered a real bonus for some who despise Bluetooth.

Dentges

6/24
Garmin Zumo 390 LM: The integrated loudspeaker makes sense when used in the car.

Dentges

7/24
Garmin Zumo 590 LM: What should you do with the tangled cables? The numerous analog connections seem a bit oversized.

Dentges

8/24
A good thing about the Garmin Zumo 590 LM is the ability to install a replacement battery.

Dentges

9/24
TomTom Rider 400: Using the rotatable bracket, the navigation system can be easily brought into portrait format while driving.

Dentges

10/24
However, some buttons on the TomTom Rider 400 are a bit too small to be operated with gloves.

Dentges

11/24
NavGear Tourmate N4: Two fine-tuning screws prevent access to important interfaces – impractical.

MOTORCYCLE

12/24
It takes a lot of time, patience and usually a call to the service hotline until the devices run to the fullest satisfaction in practice. Hardware and software have to be constantly updated and often do not harmonize well with each other. Given the sometimes high purchase prices, it is difficult to ennoble even one system with “very good”. The quality of the NavGear Tourmate N4 is somewhat inferior, but all devices and brackets are robust and durable. They are good for motorcycling. But when it comes to the core topic of navigation: far from perfection. The TomTom Rider 400 does it best.

mps photo studio

13/24
When it comes to accessories, nothing is left to be desired: stable brackets and adapters, various analog and digital connections and a bracket for the car.

mps photo studio

14/24
Becker mamba.4 +: The latest motorcycle sat nav in the test works great and is well equipped. However, it is not a price hit and struggles against established competitors who are equally good at navigating. Nevertheless: the equivalent value fits.

mps photo studio

15/24
The “plus” equipment, well equipped with a protective bag and RAM mount (including car mount), costs 120 euros more than the device alone.

mps photo studio

16/24
NavGear Tourmate N4: In this strong test field, the NavGear Tourmate N4 can only hold its own with the cheapest price. It navigates properly, and there are nice features for tour planning. But malfunctions and cheap appearance are annoying. Second division only.

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17/24
For mounting on the motorcycle, there are tried-and-tested brackets from RAM Mount and the connection to the on-board power supply. For the car: suction cup holder.

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18/24
Tomtom Rider 400: Best navigation performance and it also pleases with top equipment (Premium Pack), brilliant touchscreen and contemporary menu navigation like on a smartphone. Works great on the motorcycle.

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19/24
The Premium Pack comes with a stylish protective bag, car holder set and anti-theft device. Surcharge for this: 100 euros.

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20/24
Garmin Zumo 390 LM: Except for the poor navigation result on the tricky test track, the pleasantly compact and very user-friendly Garmin Zumo 390 LM garnered a lot of popularity – great planning software, robust hardware, fair price. – Best buy.

mps photo studio

21/24
For mounting on the motorcycle, there are tried-and-tested RAM mounts and the connection to the on-board power supply. For the car: suction cup holder.

mps photo studio

22/24
Garmin Zumo 590 LM: Bold equipped with numerous functions and with the largest display in comparison. In addition, first-class workmanship and rock-solid. The expensive Garmin Zumo 590 LM is a top device, but it made a few mistakes in navigation practice.

mps photo studio

23/24
Weatherproof: protective cases including motorcycle mount protect that
Phone safe from wind and rain.

mps photo studio

24/24
Whether cell phone or tablet – there are numerous suitable brackets and handlebar bags on the accessory market.

accesories

Navis, communication, apps

Five motorcycle navigation devices in a comparison test

Becker mamba.4 +, Garmin Zumo 390 LM and 590 LM, TomTom Rider 400 and NavGear Tourmate N4
Motorcycle sat navs in a comparison test

At some point a motorcyclist is said to have disappeared without a trace in the roundabout. Without orientation, he must have circled himself up in the air. Maybe just a modern legend, but that shouldn’t happen with the five current motorcycle sat navs from Becker, Garmin, TomTom and NavGear. In fact…

Thorsten Dentges

08/20/2015

In a strange-sounding place, there would be a rustic beer garden in a rural atmosphere. Excursion tip. “Will the satnav find it,” it said. Well, let’s try. Would also fit well into the planned test round for five current navigation systems. So enter destination and … nothing. Said locality does not know any of the devices. Fortunately, the tipster had mentioned the neighboring town before, so we’ll try it. There the name is visible as a district on the map in the navigation system, but not recognizable for the address search.

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So far so bad. But let’s go there. But first it goes through dense city traffic. For the test, we chose a few mean intersections in Stuttgart with many lanes, roundabout passages, tunnels, stupidly located turns and residential areas with one-way labyrinths. Nice to see how clever or stupid the electronic tour guides installed on the handlebars are. A navigation system determines an arrival incorrectly because the destination address is only a few meters away as the crow flies. But a private garden gate blocks the free footpath, and the system only recognizes the necessary slalom through the residential area when you continue driving. Another sat nav wants to guide us against the wall on the left in the middle of the tunnel. Huh, what’s the point, Lady-Di mode?

All five candidates did well

But enough blasphemy, to be fair you have to say that all five candidates from Becker, Garmin, TomTom and NavGear did very well in the relentless MOTORRAD navitest with deliberately set traps and difficult tasks for the navigation systems. There is no question that the devices can navigate and usually guide them to their destination well. At prices between 270 and 600 euros, you can expect this. For comparison: very useful car notifications are available for as little as 150 euros. Motorcycle navigation systems, however, have to have much more robust hardware, and that costs. The housing should be dust- and waterproof (IPX7 standard, all devices in the test meet), because the handlebars are exposed to harsh conditions in rain and wind. Brackets must permanently withstand vibrations. Products from the American brand RAM Mount, which all manufacturers use in the test, except for NavGear, have proven themselves.

It’s also nice that all manufacturers (again except for NavGear) offer free map updates for life. On the other hand, motorcycle-specific features such as automatic calculations for attractive motorcycle routes arouse false expectations. The two youngest challengers from Becker and TomTom have individually controllable algorithms, which deserves praise, but the test results were at best satisfactory. Now to the question of whether the remote beer garden was found. Yes, he was. After all, the TomTom Rider 400 managed correctly. The other devices sent us to blocked farm roads – hum, hum, hum, always around in a circle – the main thing is not to our destination. And if we haven’t died, we’re still spinning today.

This is how MOTORRAD tests

Lohse

How well can you plan a route en route? The tester takes notes

Practical and on the go

For buyers and users of the devices, the practical value of motorcycle navigation on the go is particularly important. But we also have other test criteria.

Navigation practice: A defined test lap is entered as a route. How precisely and quickly does the system navigate? Also relevant: the battery life.

Motorcycle suitability: Clarity of the display (even in strong sunlight), operation with gloves, handling of the brackets, voice transmission while driving. How does the navigation system behave on the motorcycle??

Functionality: Can the navigation system find a satellite connection quickly? It is also good when menu navigation, destination entry and ease of use are convenient for the user. How extensive is the map material?

Route planning: Route import, rescheduling on tour and special routing functions (looking for winding routes, etc.) for motorcyclists are relevant for the rating. 

Equipment / processing: What does the scope of delivery include? How clean are the device and the mounts?

Becker mamba. 4+

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Becker mamba. 4+.

Providers: Becker, phone 0 63 31/2 23 75 01, www.mybecker.com

Price: 479 euros (for equipment “plus”)

Furnishing: 4.3 “TFT touchscreen, exchangeable lithium-ion battery (runtime according to manufacturer: n / a, capacity: 1150 mAh), RAM handlebar mounts, motorcycle mount, suction cup car mount, USB cable, on-board power connection, brief instructions, 12/24 V charger, protective bag, integr. speaker

Maps: Maps of 47 European countries (based on: Nokia here; unlimited possibility of free map updates), pre-installed motorcycle tours, Marco Polo travel guides, ADAC camping and parking space guides.

Functionality: Very simple and intuitive operation, comfortable zooming in the map view, address entry very easy thanks to large buttons and excellent responsiveness. The device is ready for use quickly and quickly finds the satellites.

Navigation practice: The big drawback is the battery life. In the MOTORRAD test, the device got out after about 100 minutes, worst value in comparison. In the city test round, however, it scored well: nimble calculation, clear announcements, precise and with a very useful lane assistant and a clear view of the intersection. Track recording and skipping of waypoints are also possible. Chapeau! In addition, good division of map view and information areas. However, navigating through a tunnel and a rural (tricky) destination address overwhelmed the device.

Route planning: Tour planning on the PC via the free online service Motoplaner. The device is stored there as a menu item for the GPS export. Helpful: altitude profile for the planned tour. (Actually) good: multi-stage algorithm for calculating winding routes. In the test practice, however, the suggested route largely coincided with the unattractive route on expressways.

Motorcycle suitability: The bulky device holder with fiddly knurled screw for securing looks a bit old-fashioned, but also valuable and fulfills its purpose. Glove operation: impeccable

Conclusion: The youngest motorcycle sat nav in the test works great and is well equipped. But the Becker mamba.4 + is not a price hit and struggles against established competitors who are equally good at navigating. Nevertheless: the equivalent value fits.

MOTORRAD verdict: Good

Becker mamba. 4+

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Garmin Zumo 390 LM

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Garmin Zumo 390 LM.

Providers: Garmin, phone 0 89/8 58 36 48 80, www.garmin.de

Price: 449 euros

Furnishing: 4.3 “TFT touchscreen, built-in lithium-ion battery (running time according to manufacturer: 7 hours, capacity: n / a), RAM handlebar mounts, motorcycle mount, suction cup car mount, USB cable, on-board power supply, Quick guide, 12 V charger, connectivity with Garmin VIRB action cam and tire pressure gauges (available separately), integr. speaker

Maps: Maps of 41 European countries with full coverage and four countries with partial coverage (based on Nokia here; unlimited possibility of free map updates).

Functionality: Entering destination addresses is a bit cumbersome in comparison, because you have to click through divided groups of letters. Otherwise intuitive menu navigation and quick auto-completion for entries. Good display responsiveness. Track recording possible, individual waypoints can usefully be skipped.

Navigation practice: The lane assistant provides the best service when traffic routing in conurbations is difficult with clear arrow displays, and a split screen view provides an additional overview. Very well thought out! At an urban destination, the navigation system stumbled when the tester deliberately drove wrong. The route was completely lost in a tunnel. The Garmin Zumo 390 LM also blundered roughly with the routing to the rural destination address and wanted to guide you through a blocked farm road, although the driver had already taken the right (and legal) route. Weak.

Route planning: The “winding roads” function led, at least in the test, to an acceptable result and spat out a nice “detour” – away from the fast main route. The planning software “Basecamp” enables a well-mannered tour preparation.

Motorcycle suitability: Stable brackets, a discreet connection to the on-board power supply and an overall compact device, fits wonderfully into the motorcycle cockpit! Inputs are not a major problem even with thick gloves.

Conclusion: Except for the poor navigation result on the tricky test track, the pleasantly compact and very user-friendly Garmin Zumo 390 LM garnered a lot of sympathy points – great planning software, robust hardware, fair price.

MOTORRAD verdict: Good

Garmin Zumo 390LM

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Garmin Zumo 590 LM

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Garmin Zumo 590 LM.

Providers: Garmin, phone 0 89/8 58 36 48 80, www.garmin.de

Price: 649 euros

Furnishing: 5 “TFT touchscreen, exchangeable lithium-ion battery (running time according to manufacturer: 4 hours, capacity: n / a), RAM handlebar mounts, motorcycle mount, suction cup car mount, USB cable, on-board power supply, quick guide, 12 -V charger, integrated MP3 player, connectivity with Garmin VIRB action cam and tire pressure gauges (sold separately)

Maps: Maps of 45 European countries, four of which are only partially covered (basis: Nokia here; unlimited possibility of free map updates), free smartphone link app, traffic warning service, weather radar

Functionality: The initialization of the device until the satellites were found sometimes took a long time in the test (over a minute). Entering the destination address via divided groups of letters is generously designed from the control surfaces, but cumbersome scrolling is annoying. Easy to use display, overall menu structure easy to understand, portrait format possible. Track recording possible.

Navigation practice: guides you safely and clearly even through the most difficult traffic routes with several lanes, map view large enough so that very anticipatory driving is possible. Finds the best route to the test destination addresses in the city quickly and precisely, even in spite of a spontaneous diversion through a tunnel. But fails with the routing to the remote small town address in the country. The measured battery runtime was just over three hours, but after 90 minutes the device indicated that the battery was weak. Irritating.

Route planning: Planning with the Basecamp software offers many good options after getting used to it; importing routes and creating a tour on the PC work very well in comparison. Worked well on the test drive: “Winding roads” and the suggestions for round trips.

Motorcycle suitability: Glove operation on the large display is flawless, the brackets are solid, but the thick cable harness is difficult to accommodate on some machines.

Conclusion: Bold equipped with numerous functions and the largest display in comparison. In addition, first-class workmanship and rock-solid. The expensive Garmin Zumo 590 LM is a top device, but it made a few mistakes in navigation practice.

MOTORRAD verdict: Good

Garmin Zumo 590 LM

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TomTom Rider 400

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TomTom Rider 400.

Providers: TomTom, phone 00 31/20/7 57 50 00 (The Netherlands), www.tomtom.com

Price: 499.95 euros (Premium Pack)

Furnishing: Capacitive 4.3 “TFT touchscreen, built-in lithium-ion battery (running time according to manufacturer: 6 hours, capacity: 3220 mAh), RAM handlebar mounts, swivel motorcycle mount, suction cup car mount, charging cable, theft protection, protective cover , USB cable, on-board power supply, quick guide, 12 V charger, integr. speaker

Maps: TomTom map material for 45 European countries (unlimited possibility of free map update), TomTom traffic warning service, TomTom radar detector

Functionality: The touchscreen reacts immediately to contact, images can be easily enlarged with two fingers. Intuitive menu navigation, individual menu items can be controlled by swiping like a smartphone user interface. Track recording possible.

Navigation practice: In the city center absolutely precise and exact navigation, clearly visible route guidance by lane assistant, also at tricky intersections foolproof guidance and very understandable map display. Except for a target address on the MOTORRAD test round, the task was done with flying colors. The TomTom Rider 400 will quickly find a suitable alternative route even if you consciously take the wrong turn into a tunnel. The battery lasted over five hours in the test.

Route planning: When planning on the PC with the “Tire Pro” software, beginners have to dig into the matter. The “Plan an exciting tour” function only proved to be a good tour guide to a limited extent. On the test lap, the TomTom Rider 400 offered a less exciting alternative to the fastest route, peppered with through-town traffic. The more mountainous, the better the multi-level function responds and finds beautiful routes. Good: round trip function

Motorcycle suitability: The swivel joint holder and the high-contrast display are completely convincing. Some buttons are difficult to operate with thick gloves.

Conclusion: Best navigation performance, therefore test victory. The TomTom Rider 400 also pleases with top equipment (Premium Pack), brilliant touchscreen and contemporary menu navigation like a smartphone. Works great on the motorcycle.

MOTORRAD verdict: Good

TomTom Rider 400

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NavGear Tourmate N4

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NavGear Tourmate N4.

Providers: Pearl, phone 0 76 31/36 03 50, www.pearl.de

Price: 269.90 euros

Furnishing: 4.3 “TFT touchscreen, built-in lithium-ion battery (runtime according to manufacturer: n / a, capacity: 1500 mAh), handlebar and motorcycle mount (with sun visor), suction cup car mount, USB cable, On-board power connection, 12/24 V charger, integrated MP3 player, tweezers (for SD memory card), integr. speaker

Maps: Maps for 47 European countries (based on: Nokia here; two free annual map updates within the first two years), access to the “POI-Base” software with over 1500 motorcycle-specific POIs (e.g. biker meetings, shops) and many routes.

Functionality: The responsiveness of the display is mediocre, destination entries take a long time and are cumbersome. The initialization time of the device is OK.

Navigation practice: The battery life in the test was almost six hours, but after 2.5 hours the device invariably switched to a power-saving mode with low screen brightness, which made it more or less unusable. When navigating the city with many turns in quick succession, the system reacted rather sluggishly, but found the addresses entered and was not upset by the tunnel diversion in the test. Good. However, it failed at the rural goal.

Route planning: Attractive motorcycle routes can be imported as a file and can then be easily called up in the device. In contrast to the other devices in the test, there is no special algorithm that recommends winding and / or mountainous stretches on the road. Third-party software (e.g. Motoplaner) must be used for planning on the PC.

Motorcycle suitability: Unstable, wobbly brackets, soft plastic material, screw for ball head must be closed and opened with a lot of force so that everything is firmly in place. Some small buttons can hardly be activated with gloves. The device could not be paired with a Bluetooth headset in the test. Hard to read in sunlight.

Conclusion: In this strong test field, the NavGear Tourmate N4 can only hold its own with the cheapest price. It navigates properly, and there are nice features for tour planning. But malfunctions and cheap appearance are annoying. Second division only.

MOTORRAD verdict: satisfying

NavGear TourMate N4

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Alternative smartphone?

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Whether cell phone or tablet – there are numerous suitable brackets and handlebar bags on the accessory market.

The thought is tempting: if you’ve already spent a few hundred euros on a great smartphone or tablet, why not use it for motorcycle navigation? The design and operation are familiar, and suitable protective covers and brackets are available in accessories shops for a relatively manageable price (under 100 euros). 

Indeed, the mounts available fit snugly and securely on almost any motorcycle, and with some tough plastic protective housings, you can even go diving. Stored in this way, rain, wind and dust can hardly attack the sometimes sensitive electronic devices on motorcycle tours. So there is a lot to be said for repurposed cell phones, especially since you can then also make phone calls, google hotels or restaurant addresses or chat on social networks. Everything with one device!

The problem with this type of alternative motorcycle navigation is usually the software. Corresponding route planning apps are usually only tailored for navigation in the car, the buttons provided on the touchscreen, on the other hand, are difficult to operate with motorcycle gloves – and overall there is a lack of a good overview. If the device is also not connected to the on-board power, mobile phone batteries can be drained after only half an hour due to permanent tracking. 

The greatest difficulty is that reception often breaks off while driving and reliable routing is therefore hardly possible. There are also apps that guide the driver with a GPS signal recorded on offline maps, but to do this, data of two gigabytes and more must first be downloaded. Conclusion: Mobile devices are well suited for navigating the last few kilometers to your destination, but they are overwhelmed with longer motorcycle tours.

Final scoring

MOTORCYCLE

Final scoring.

It takes a lot of time, patience and usually a call to the service hotline until the devices run to the fullest satisfaction in practice. Hardware and software have to be constantly updated and often do not harmonize well with each other. Given the sometimes high purchase prices, it is difficult to ennoble even one system with “very good”. The quality of the NavGear Tourmate N4 is somewhat inferior, but all devices and brackets are robust and durable. They are good for motorcycling. But when it comes to the core topic of navigation: far from perfection. The TomTom Rider 400 does it best.

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