I had high hopes for this product. A lot people seem to like TomTom's other offerings, and this was a GPS geared specifically to motorcycle riders. The design of the case is solid, weatherproof and fairly resistant to the elements. However, it lacks many features I would expect in a motorcycle GPS unit.
The route planning software is worthless. I installed the software, and after about 2 days of trying to design a route to take through Virginia's mountains, I gave up on it. It is not user friendly in the least. The only thing worthwhile about their software is the ability to update maps, which is the first thing you should do when you get your unit, because the preloaded maps are god-awfully inaccurate. I found an online application the lets me generate maps on Google Maps and convert that to a TomTom itinerary, which to be frank is the only reason I have kept this unit. However, even this solution is imperfect, as the TomTom stores its LAT/LONG entries only to the 5th digit, while Google Maps stores theirs to the sixth digit. This causes rounding errors for some of the waypoints, leading the navigation to tell you to take a right and then make a U-turn, instead of taking a left. This can be remedied by following the entire route on the units "Route Preview" function (which is a nice addition), but it makes adding custom routes that much more difficult. The rounding error isn't necessarily TomTom's fault, except for the fact that their method of generating any custom route is so difficult as to be practically impossible that you have to use an outside application like Google Maps and port it over.
The route generation issue is a huge minus for me. I (like many others) am a recreational rider. I like taking country roads around the mountains and the woods, through small towns, and as far off the beaten path as I can get without riding on dirt and gravel. Don't expect to do routes like that on a TomTom Rider2 unit without the benefit of a computer. Adding a single destination is easy, be it an address or town. Try to add an entire custom route to enjoy a day of backwoods riding and prepare yourself for disappointment. This would be great for a commuter or a taxi driver, telling the user the fastest way to get to one place. Try to enjoy a Sunday ride, and you're boned if you didn't plan it correctly before you leathered up. You may as well go home. But at least it will tell you how to get there fast.
I do share some of the reviewers' other criticisms of the unit. It is hard to turn off and on because of a stiff button, and there is no audio out save for Bluetooth. The battery life on this thing is horrid - six hours away from a wall is too long if you don't have this wired on your bike. Don't look forward to a full day ride without sitting down somewhere and letting this thing charge. Even if it's not turned on, the battery will run itself down. Two weeks in the bottom of my backpack and I couldn't even turn it on because it had no juice left. In that respect, it's a very poor design.
The manufacturer touts the touchscreen as being glove-friendly. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Try to load an itinerary, and you're ok. Try to dial a phone number, and you may as well be punching it with your fist to get the right numbers. Also, the screen is not particularly visible in bright sunlight, and the night colors are a still little too bright and distracting when riding evenings.
But the biggest drawback is price. I bought mine used for half of what it would have cost me retail, and that has played heavily into my decision to keep it despite the drawbacks. I certainly couldn't recommend playing MSRP for this item unless you light your cigars with $20 bills. The value just is not there for this unit's level of performance. Buy another "non-Rider" GPS that keeps inputting custom routes easy and you'll be better off.Get more detail about TomTom Rider 2 GPS Navigator for Motorcycles and Scooters.
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