Tom Tom Rider

The TomTom Rider the sat nav designed especially for those on 2 wheels. TomTom re-designed their GO device for use on a motorbike and the RIDER was born. Utilising a similar form factor to the original GO range they added the latest SiRFStarIII GPS Chipset as well as a water resistant case and a Bluetooth Headset.

The TomTom Rider comes complete with hands free mobile connection. This enables a compatible Bluetooth handset to be paired with the TomTom Rider. When an incoming call is received the sound is diverted to the Bluetooth helmet headset and the callers name and telephone number appear on the Tom Tom Rider display. I don't make calls when riding but it is great to be able to take them and as an ex and Traffic Police Officer I'm used to using communications on a motorbike but I would caution that safety is the first priority and you should not use this feature if it is going to distract you from your primary task of observation.

But what's it like? I've been riding motorcycles since I was 16 which having just celebrated my 40th birthday is now quite some time ago. I've owned and used a StreetPilot in my BMW KT1100 days and so was looking forward to the opportunity to evaluate the TomTom Rider GPS in a real world scenario. By day I'm an IT consultant and use my motorbike whenever possible to visit clients, in so doing I rack up about 15,000 bike miles a year. A GPS solution is a boon to me and as many of my clients are based in London being able to navigate around the metropolis like a cabbie would be great!

Technical differences to other TomTom models

* GPS Chipset: The TomTom Rider UK sports the newer and much more efficient SiRFStarIII Chipset. This receiver far more sensitive than earlier chipsets.
* Map data Provider
For reasons known only to TomTom themselves, TomTom Rider 2 is provided with map data courtesy of Navteq. As some of you may know, every other TomTom product uses TeleAtlas Map data. TomTom have never explained why this situation exists but in reality it makes little difference to the user experience. If anything it puts an end to the many suggestions that Navteq is better than TeleAtlas and vice versa as direct comparisons between a GO running TeleAtlas and a TomTom Rider running Navteq reveal that each suffer from data inaccuracies and missing roads etc.
* Speaker: As the TomTom Rider UK is intended for use on motorcycles, it contains no internal speaker. Instead, voice instructions are relayed to the rider using Bluetooth. The Tom Tom Rider comes complete with a bluetooth headset intended for installation in a motorcycle helmet as well as a standard ear bud type earpiece for use in other situations. More of this later.
* Safety Screen:
Whilst the motorcycle is moving, access to menus is restricted . Full access to menus is only available when the motorcycle is at a standstill.