Motorcycle navigation

An Android navigation tablet gives you above all more freedom in choosing your navigation software.

You can use DMD2, OsmAnd, Locus Map, Kurviger, Calimoto or Google Maps, for example. GPX tracks and digital roadbooks can also be displayed with the right apps.

That is particularly interesting if you use your motorcycle in different ways: on the road, on longer adventure trips or off-road.

A classic motorcycle GPS can be the simpler solution if you mainly want to navigate from A to B. If, on the other hand, you want to combine different types of navigation, an Android tablet gives you considerably more options.

For occasional tours, certainly. With a good mount, power supply and a suitable navigation app, a smartphone can be a usable solution.

The limits show mainly on longer rides and in demanding conditions. Smartphone displays are usually smaller and often less bright than the displays of dedicated motorcycle tablets. Especially when the device is mounted further forward in the cockpit, the map can be hard to read as a result.

Then there is the issue of heat. Particularly in direct sunlight while charging at the same time, smartphones can overheat. Some devices, iPhones for example, then first reduce the display brightness or stop charging. In the worst case the device shuts down temporarily.

Another point not to be underestimated is the risk in a crash. If your smartphone is mounted at the front of the motorcycle, it can be damaged in a crash. In the worst case you've lost not only your navigation but also the phone you could use to call for help.

Dedicated motorcycle tablets, on the other hand, are built for permanent use on the motorcycle. They offer particularly bright displays, rugged housings and a power supply designed for the job.

Our recommendation: for occasional road tours a smartphone can be perfectly adequate. If you regularly ride long adventure tours or spend a lot of time off-road, you'll benefit from a dedicated motorcycle GPS. Your smartphone stays protected in your pocket and is available in an emergency.

That depends mainly on how you use your motorcycle.

The DMD NOR7E is a good choice if you're looking for a compact and versatile navigation device. It suits adventure bikes as well as lighter enduros where cockpit space is limited.

The DMD T865X and T880X, with their 8-inch displays, offer more room for maps and additional navigation information. In return they also need more space on the motorcycle.

The Carpe Iter Caretta combines a particularly bright 7-inch display with a practical charging mount from which the tablet can be removed quickly.

The F2R Y1000 was developed specifically for digital rally navigation. Its display format and the way it shows roadbook, tripmaster, CAP and waypoints make it particularly interesting for demanding roadbook rallies.

We recommend not deciding on display size or technical specs alone. Mounting on the motorcycle, the power supply and the navigation software you want to use also matter.

DMD2 is an Android navigation app by the manufacturer DMD. You have to distinguish between the DMD navigation devices and the DMD2 app.

On the DMD navigation tablets the full DMD2 app is already unlocked. You can use all functions without an additional subscription and without ongoing licence costs. The app is built into the device software and remains in place even after a factory reset.

You can also install DMD2 on Android tablets and smartphones from other manufacturers. The free version already offers extensive functions for map and GPX navigation as well as digital roadbooks. It is not just a time-limited trial version.

Certain advanced functions and online services on these devices require a paid subscription.

The current subscription prices are shown directly in the DMD2 app or in the Google Play Store.

Yes. DMD2 can be installed from the Google Play Store on compatible Android smartphones and tablets. Many functions can be tried out and used free of charge permanently.

If you have taken out a paid DMD2 subscription via Google Play, you can use it on other Android devices signed in to the same Google account.

The licensing arrangement is particularly interesting for owners of a DMD navigation tablet:

If you register your DMD device in your DMD-HUB account, you can use the full DMD2 app on other compatible Android devices as well. To do so, install DMD2 on the additional device and sign in with the same DMD-HUB account.

So you can, for example, use your DMD tablet on the motorcycle while also using the full DMD2 app on your Android smartphone – without having to take out an additional subscription.

Yes. Determining your position via GPS or other satellite navigation systems requires no internet connection.

With apps like DMD2, OsmAnd or Locus Map you can download maps in advance and then navigate fully offline.

Following GPX tracks also works without mobile reception.

An internet connection is mainly useful for additional functions such as online address search, current weather information, downloading new maps or synchronising data.

Especially for off-road tours and rallies we recommend downloading the maps, tracks and roadbooks you need before you set off.

Not necessarily. In principle you can operate the tablets directly via the touchscreen.

Off-road, however, a handlebar controller is one of the most useful additions. It lets you pan the map, zoom in and out or switch between functions, for example, without constantly having to reach for the display.

That makes operation with gloves easier and lets you keep both hands on the handlebars.

For digital roadbooks, on the other hand, we consider a handlebar controller essential. When riding to a roadbook you regularly have to scroll to the next instruction and correct the tripmaster if necessary. Reaching for the touchscreen every time is an unnecessary distraction and can become dangerous, especially off-road.

For occasional road tours you can often get by fine without a controller. For regular off-road tours we recommend a suitable controller, and for roadbook riding we consider it part of the basic equipment.

No. Many controllers can be connected to different Android devices via Bluetooth, but that doesn't automatically mean every function is supported in every navigation app.

DMD controllers are tailored specifically to DMD2. SilverFox and Carpe Iter offer their own software solutions that let you adapt the control functions to different navigation apps.

Controllers from ARN are geared more towards digital roadbooks. Remotek in turn offers compact, wireless controllers for various navigation applications.

So what matters is not only whether a controller can connect to your tablet. Just as decisive is which app you use and which functions you want to operate with it.

With DMD2, using controllers from other manufacturers on third-party Android devices may also require a corresponding licence activation.

Yes. All Android navigation tablets in our range can also be used for digital roadbooks.

Which app you need depends on the format in which the organiser provides the roadbook.

At the Bosnia Rally, for example, the TerraPirata app is used. The organiser provides the roadbooks via this system. TerraPirata can be installed and used on the Android navigation tablets we offer. The matching handlebar controllers can also be used to operate it. What counts is the respective app and controller configuration.

Other events provide their roadbooks as PDF files. For these there are dedicated roadbook apps such as Piste Roadbook, which offer tripmaster and CAP functions in addition to the roadbook display.

DMD2 also has a function for displaying digital PDF roadbooks.

That means you can use the same hardware for very different events – for example the Bosnia Rally, the Hellas Rally, the Dinaric Rally, the Transitalia Marathon or our own roadbook trainings.

The only important thing is to find out before the event which app and which roadbook format are required.

Our recommendation: install the required app in good time, load a test roadbook and check before you leave that operation via your handlebar controller works.

In principle you can use digital roadbooks on all of our Android navigation tablets.

For occasional roadbook trainings or hobby rallies, the DMD NOR7E and the Carpe Iter Caretta, for example, are very well suited.

The larger DMD T865X and T880X can display roadbooks too. Because of the wide display format, however, showing roadbook, tripmaster and CAP at the same time is a compromise.

If you regularly ride demanding rallies, the F2R Y1000 is particularly interesting. It was developed specifically for digital roadbook navigation and can display roadbook, tripmaster, CAP and waypoints clearly at the same time.

With the other tablets we often recommend an additional tripmaster for ambitious rally riders. That way you can display the roadbook larger while still keeping all the important information in view. Tripmasters and roadbook accessories can be found in our category Roadbook.

That depends on the tablet and the motorcycle.

Many adventure bikes already have a navigation bar with a 12 mm diameter. Suitable tablet mounts can be fitted there. Alternatively there are mounts directly on the handlebars or special solutions for rally towers.

It is important that the mount not only fits the tablet but is also sufficiently sturdy. Off-road in particular, impacts and vibrations put considerable forces on the navigation device.

The power supply also differs depending on the model.

Some tablets are powered via charging contacts in the mount. Others need a separate power connection on the device.

The F2R Y1000, for example, has no internal battery and always needs an external power supply.

We therefore recommend treating tablet, mount and power supply as one system that belongs together. Especially with rally conversions, it pays to plan the installation carefully before buying.