Tomtom Rider woes

[Jim66a]

After being caught out by an Ebay scammer selling a Garmin Quest I had a look at online stores and Decided that I'd have a Tomtom Rider. So 1st June 06 I took the plunge and typed in my credit card number. As promised My sparkely new Tomtom arrived and I duly installed it using the mirror mounting under the left hand mirror. Fitted great, didn't obstruct anything and I could read it easily with or without tankbag.
After about 1000 miles of trouble free use I was out near Skegness and I noticed the battery warning sign come up but didn't think anything of it. Then on the way home the thing shut down. Battery flat! On closer inspection the plastic casing of the TomTom had started to wear away sufficient for the charging pins in the cradle not to make contact.
The following weekend was Assen WSB so a quick fix with an elastic band did the trick and the Tomtom took us from Calais up to Groingen straight to the Hotel. Some lovely scenic backroads to the circuit and back for the couple of days. Straight to our Hotel in Amsterdam and home again without any troubles. I couldn't have wished for a better navigator.
The following Wednesday eve we decided to have a run out to the MFN. Tomtom was fully charged so just sat in its cradle. The car driver we were following through Nottingham decided to flick his Fag out the window which bounced off the headlamp then as I overtook I thought I saw a fag packet and felt it hit my leg. I called that driver all the names under the sun!! then when I'd done staring in the mirror I looked down and the Tomtom had gone!!
We went back scouring the road and eventually found it somewhat flatter and mangled than it looked before. obviously it had gone under the car wheels. While we were stopped I noticed the top rubber clip was hanging loose, The plastic frame just below the hinge had cracked.
I've contacted Tomtom and they have paid for the courier to ship it back to them, But thats as far as its got. I've not heard a thing since!

Has anyone had any dealings with Tomtom?

[Paivi]

I haven't yet, but am about to, as will be returning mine to them for a replacement, too. Mine kept freezing, and I suspect I have the same problem, as it won't charge off the bike. TomTom have actually admitted there's a problem, but they don't care enough to do a recall of the pieces of sh1t that they sell for about £500 to unsuspecting bikers.

[Duncan]

I have a map cost me £1.99. Its very good and gets me everywhere but in all honesty I only look at it occasionally. There again I only drive about 50,000 miles a year so who needs help.

On the bike I know where I am going and if it goes badly wrong, I use the sun, moon, stars and even lichen on the north face of trees to get my directions.

I cant believe how many people on the work run have the satnav switched on. Cant they remember where they been going for the last 4 years?

[Spanner]

I have a map cost me £1.99. Its very good and gets me everywhere but in all honesty I only look at it occasionally. There again I only drive about 50,000 miles a year so who needs help.

On the bike I know where I am going and if it goes badly wrong, I use the sun, moon, stars and even lichen on the north face of trees to get my directions.

I cant believe how many people on the work run have the satnav switched on. Cant they remember where they been going for the last 4 years?

I'm with you all the way on that one mate.

[SazzaG]

Although I do have sav nat, I view it as and AID to navigation - not the bible! Common sense should always prevail.

For example, we've just moved into a new office in a different town, so someone was tasked to develop a map and directions for customers. Apparently, all they did was plug the details into multimap (which often uses the same directions as a lot of sat navs), and it came up with the most convoluted and confusing route I've ever seen, which takes you right through the centre of Burgess Hill (never a good idea), and winds round a very large industrial estate. But no, it must be right, the computer says so, so it was duly put onto our internet, and sent to everyone. If they had just looked at a map, they would have seen that there's a bypass round the town, and we're 50 yards off it.

I sent some "constructive feedback" about it, and was told "well it was approved at the time, and we're too busy to get round to changing it". Grrr. Oh well, I'll just blame them if we keep losing our customers in the depths of Boggy Hole (sorry, Burgess Hill).

Sorry for the rant - this kind of thing bugs me.

Jim, I ended up buying a Quest 2, even after being scammed by that damn ebayer. Very happy with it, and it hasn't fallen off the bike (yet), even when I use it for off-roading. Sorry you haven't had much luck - maybe you're just destined to only use maps!

Saz

[Will]

After being caught out by an Ebay scammer selling a Garmin Quest I had a look at online stores and Decided that I'd have a Tomtom Rider. So 1st June 06 I took the plunge and typed in my credit card number. As promised My sparkely new Tomtom arrived and I duly installed it using the mirror mounting under the left hand mirror. Fitted great, didn't obstruct anything and I could read it easily with or without tankbag.
After about 1000 miles of trouble free use I was out near Skegness and I noticed the battery warning sign come up but didn't think anything of it. Then on the way home the thing shut down. Battery flat! On closer inspection the plastic casing of the TomTom had started to wear away sufficient for the charging pins in the cradle not to make contact.
The following weekend was Assen WSB so a quick fix with an elastic band did the trick and the Tomtom took us from Calais up to Groingen straight to the Hotel. Some lovely scenic backroads to the circuit and back for the couple of days. Straight to our Hotel in Amsterdam and home again without any troubles. I couldn't have wished for a better navigator.
The following Wednesday eve we decided to have a run out to the MFN. Tomtom was fully charged so just sat in its cradle. The car driver we were following through Nottingham decided to flick his Fag out the window which bounced off the headlamp then as I overtook I thought I saw a fag packet and felt it hit my leg. I called that driver all the names under the sun!! then when I'd done staring in the mirror I looked down and the Tomtom had gone!!
We went back scouring the road and eventually found it somewhat flatter and mangled than it looked before. obviously it had gone under the car wheels. While we were stopped I noticed the top rubber clip was hanging loose, The plastic frame just below the hinge had cracked.
I've contacted Tomtom and they have paid for the courier to ship it back to them, But thats as far as its got. I've not heard a thing since!

Has anyone had any dealings with Tomtom?


Apparently this is not an uncommon problem with the TomTom supplied bike mount - do a search of the http://ukgser.com website and you will see that you are not the only one to have had it fall off the bike - I believe that most GSers dump the Tomtom mount and use one of the arternatives.

[Paivi]

I have a map cost me £1.99. Its very good and gets me everywhere but in all honesty I only look at it occasionally. There again I only drive about 50,000 miles a year so who needs help.

On the bike I know where I am going and if it goes badly wrong, I use the sun, moon, stars and even lichen on the north face of trees to get my directions.

I cant believe how many people on the work run have the satnav switched on. Cant they remember where they been going for the last 4 years?
I don't have a tank bag, and have a particularly bad memory. I'd have to keep stopping at every junction to get off my bike and dig the map out from the tail bag to see if it's the junction I need to get off. Kind of ruin the freedom moment... Also helps when I'm about to enter a foreign city I've never been to and need to find a garage when the directions given by the garage people on the phone were (a) in a language I don't speak and (b) not clear.

[Jim66a]

Still no response from Tomtom!
Originally Posted by Duncan
I have a map cost me £1.99. Its very good and gets me everywhere but in all honesty I only look at it occasionally. There again I only drive about 50,000 miles a year so who needs help.

On the bike I know where I am going and if it goes badly wrong, I use the sun, moon, stars and even lichen on the north face of trees to get my directions.

I cant believe how many people on the work run have the satnav switched on. Cant they remember where they been going for the last 4 years?I pretty much know my way around the country using the major routes. The Gps systems come into thier own when your out somewhere your not so familiar with, I've found some awsome B roads and like Paivi said City navigation becomes a piece of cake.
If you just use your bike to commute or just ride the same old roads over and over again then Gps is a waste of money, But if you adventure that bit further afield then its worth it for sure.

SazzaG, I'm not having much luck am I, Maybe it will be back to the old paper maps!!

[Redkite2]

Sorry to hear about your problems. While the rider itself is quite good at what it it does, the assorted fitting accessories are made of cheese.
Getting acknowledgement from TomTom is a bit like trying to get blood out of a stone - I live in Amsterdam and have tried unsuccessfully to ask questions at their office. I have (had) similar problems to you, although mine has never fallen out of the cradle. I thought that seemed quite flimsy from the start and attached a safety chain (which I can also lock so that I can leave the Rider on the bike when paying for petrol). See link:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~redkite2/TTrider02.png
The mount I ditched after a few weeks coz it bent and wouldn't tighten round the bars - I replaced it with a Ram mount, which is excellent.
My personal feeling is that TomTom are at best customer unfriendly and at worst total rip-off merchants. If I had to replace my Rider at my own expense, I would buy a Garmin.

[Jim66a]

Hi Redkite, That chain looks a good idea should I get my Tomtom replaced.
They have tonight replied to my email asking of the 'progress' they were making.
The Tomtom arrived at their offices 10.59am 25/09/06

Dear Mr B,

Although the item has been delivered, it has not been logged into the system yet. Please allow a few days for this to happen. As soon as this happens you will receive an e-mail from us saying the package has been received. It is then that the status will change to processing and then the repair will be done.


With best regards,

The TomTom Customer Support Team

My Cradle snapped off just bellow where the rubber is hinged to the plastic.
http://www.ram-mount-uk.com/tomtomrider/ramholto2small.jpg

[Jim66a]

Movement at last!!!
Wonder why it didn't go straight to Scotland in the first place!

Dear Mr B,

Following your enquiry on the status of your repair we have now received a response from our logistics team. Your repair has been forwarded to our Scottish repair centre. The item is due to be repaired in the next few days. It should be returned to you within the next week.

We apologise for the delay.


With best regards,

The TomTom Customer Support Team

[Paivi]

Good to hear you had a result! Did you need to have a receipt for the TomTom? I'm still waiting to receive one from the seller...:mad:

[Jim66a]

I printed out and sent the order confirmation i had recieved by email when I paid for the Tomtom. Wasn't really an invoice but they have accepted it.

[nambduke]

I cant believe how many people on the work run have the satnav switched on. Cant they remember where they been going for the last 4 years?

I have my sat nav on most of the time in the car mainly for the TMC rerouting. I'd rather keep moving than sit in a traffic jam, even travelling to work.

Listening to the guys TomTom reports, I think I'll give the 'Rider' a miss and revert to a map in the tank bag as usual.......I can think of better ways of throwing money down the road......

Regards,
Mark Nambduke

[nambduke]

I'm a hypocrite!!:flamed:

Now the TomTom Rider is only £249.99 in Halfords...I've bought one:eek: .

Noticed on the screen shot previously posted, the rear ball mount is different on mine? It mounted into the same rear mounts but onto a square plate with 4 screw and not 2 as shown previous?

The bluetooth is not very reliable....maybe it's the way I've configured mine...time will tell.

[Jim66a]

the rear ball mount is different on mine?
Hi Nam, The ball mount is from a RAM mounting system. I had the Tomtom mounted on the left mirror using the mirror mount from tomtom.

Still waiting for it to be returned after promises of it'l be with you within the week!!!! 10 days now!!!!!

[nambduke]

Think I'll be using lanyard with mine........

Just need to identify a switched live as I currently have it hooked direct to the battery via a 2A fuse.

Does anyone else have any issues with the bluetooth? Only used mine yesterday for the first time and the bluetooth seems to drop in and out?? I've downloaded the latest 6.1xxxxxsoftware, so maybe it may be better now....a few more features appeared.

Also, to remove the restriction on when moving, I've read somewhere if you tap over I think the second connector on the rear, all menus remain available on the move......might be a little dangerous on the move though.......

Regards,
Mark Nambuke

[russ77]

Sorry to hear about the problems people are having. I hope they all get sorted soon.

I'd really like to know how you all get on with these. Since the price dropped on the Tomtom Rider, I'm seriously thinking about getting one. Driving around at night it's surprising how many dashboards you notice lit up by these little boxes recently.

My boss managed to get our company to buy a satnav system for his car about two years ago. It uses Tomtom via a pda mounted on his dashboard. A very untidy setup that's often quite unreliable. I've only seen it getting confused in town, which is when it ought to come into its own. It is quite old now, so hopefully things have moved on a bit. I remember the first GPS system we got for sailing. It took about half an hour to find the satellites and could only cope with one waypoint at a time. And it cost almost two grand! That was about twelve years ago mind.

I will rarely need the unit in London but would be buying it for trips away, including a planned solo silly tour in the next couple of weeks. Can I justify the cost to myself (or other "concerned" parties)? How well does it perform? Will I leave it behind one day and kick myself? I've left my key in the ignition three times outside my office recently. I think my brain's starting to go. I want more toys while I can still work them.

[nambduke]

Just come back from Maastricht in Holland and whilst I was there, I checked out the prices of the Rider...it's where it's made....!!! 699Euro...found one place discounted to 639Euro.....but they do come with full Europe maps though....seems we've got them cheap at £249 for the minute!!

Regards,
Mark Nambduke

[Redkite2]

Just come back from Maastricht in Holland and whilst I was there, I checked out the prices of the Rider...it's where it's made....!!! 699Euro...found one place discounted to 639Euro.....but they do come with full Europe maps though....seems we've got them cheap at £249 for the minute!!

Regards,
Mark Nambduke
I live in Holland and you can get them cheaper than that. Think you'll find that the cheap er UK ones are old stock (just as good though) with only the UK map and old firmware. Once they've been moved, prices will probably rise again as the newer models filter in.

[Jim66a]

I still don't have mine back from TomTom. I've resorted to emailing them every day now but they just come up with limp excuses.

The TomTom unit itself is very good but its badly let down by the aftersales and its mounting system.
I couldn't recomend it to anyone after my experience.

I see Garmin are advertising a dedicated bike system now. I'll be heading for thier stand at the show next week and the Bl**dy TomTom will be on ebay if I ever get it back!!!!!

Take a look:

http://www.garmin.com/zumo/

[nambduke]

I live in Holland and you can get them cheaper than that. Think you'll find that the cheap er UK ones are old stock (just as good though) with only the UK map and old firmware. Once they've been moved, prices will probably rise again as the newer models filter in.

I didn't look that hard....mind you, I haven't seen any for £249 (350Euro). Firmware is easily downloaded...mine was upgraded to 6.xxxxx the day I bought mine so it's upto date. Loads of cheap speed camera and add ons around. Just need to get a Europe map in time for next year.......if anyone knows where to get a cheap copy let me know!!

Regards,
Mark Nambduke

[nambduke]

....as my Tomtom Rider V1 standard mount failed in the classic manner on the way back from Whitby on Sunday! The whole of the mounting bracket has sheared off at the rear mounting position. Always knew they were crap. I'll see if Tomtom will replace free of charge?

Regards,
Mark Nambduke

[Nickj]

Got an old half brick size Garmin Steetpilot III, Touratech mount (no way that's falling off). It's handy as my speedo has retired and there's the fun of chasing average speeds LOL

[Redkite]

It's the first model rider presumably? Pretty good going then if it lasted 2 years, the fittings and cradle were completely unacceptable and not up to the job and TT just seem to rake in the cash and say FC*K u to all the customers.
I really hate this money grabbing company.
I ditched my 1st model rider and have a Zumo 550 which in terms of customisation isn't as good as the rider but Garmin does seem to acknowledge the value of customer support.

[nambduke]

It's the first model rider presumably? Pretty good going then if it lasted 2 years, the fittings and cradle were completely unacceptable and not up to the job and TT just seem to rake in the cash and say FC*K u to all the customers.
I really hate this money grabbing company.
I ditched my 1st model rider and have a Zumo 550 which in terms of customisation isn't as good as the rider but Garmin does seem to acknowledge the value of customer support.

I might have had the Rider for 2 years but in reality, if it's been used for 1000miles I'd be exaggerating. The design is ok, but the materials of construction are rubbish. If it was cast alloy or something more substantial, it would be ok. Oh well, I'll have to see what Tomtom will do if anything!

Regards,
Mark Nambduke

[ladybird]

I do love my rider (orginal version), but it has had a few issues.

Their CS is indeed a bit poo, but when you evetually get some action out of them the turn round is quite quick.

After about a year of pretty much constant use the connections on the back of the unit became dented from the pins and would no longer connect and charge from the bike.

CS replaced the dock first, this worked for about 15miles.
CS replaced the back of the unit, this worked for about 100miles, no further denting has occured but the dock has now failed, so I am still no longer charging from the bike.
It is now well out of warranty and I can't be bothered to buy a new dock.
On the way back from Belgium I managed to snap the holding part of the dock and it is now covered in gaffer tape and seeing as how it no longer charges from the bike I have left it like that.

Last thing to happen was that the touch screen failed in an annoying way.

I was unable to select anything other than items on the far left of the screen.

After several software solutions were tried, I have just replaced the screen with this one (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=260306226358)
and everything is back to normal.

You do need something to remove the tamperproofing on the allen bolts (brute force with a screwdriver) and it more than likely has invalidated my warranty (which CS told me has expired now anyway).

CS did offer for me to send it in to be looked at and they would call me and let me know what the charges would be for repair, I'm fairly sure it would have cost me more than £40 though :)

[Stafford]

OK guys and gals whats good and whats bad? (apart from a map)
Tomtom or Garmin?
I see the car version of the Tomtom is around £200 cheaper than the Rider!
Why it seems to cost that much to make it waterproof is beyond me.
Anyway your reviews appreciated.

[uksurfer]

i ogt a tomtom for the car, i have used a garmin previously and find the tom tom easier and more user friendly, i have never tried one on a bike, but a friend has one in a tank bag, you could also try the waterproof camera type of bag? might be cheaper?
I only use one for the 'end of journey' type of navigation, or, getting an eta for when i'm getting home!!
I use a stick from a Nintendo DS game to program mine, i think my fingers are too fat to push the screen buttons.
________
Yamaha motif specifications (http://www.yamaha-tech.com/wiki/Yamaha_Motif)

[STIVH]

I have brought a Binatone Sat nav thingy from Tesco for £52.00 it is ten times better than any of the Tom Tom units i have tried via work - they are all crap. With a little bit of work I can adapt the cradle to fit the bike by using a bicycle speedo clip. Covered in cling film it's perfect or just slot it into the top of a tank bag with the map. It also works fine with the Pro rider. No blue tooth I must admit but then I have never found that a problem either.

No problem using it with a gloved hand either.

I was also given a tip by another gent I met who used another dirt cheap sat nav he glued a small rubber nipple (looked like one of those tiny chocolate whirls you get for cake decorations) onto the end of his gloves forefinger which acted as pointer stick so he had no problem using the LCD screen functions.

[JR]

A couple of the guys who deliver small car parts by bike around the Bristol area use Tom Tom 1, in a plastic bag, with the standard type windscreen mount. The mount is zip tied to the mini cockpit/headlamp of the bike. Cant remember if they charge the unit on the bike, or have to do it at the end of each day. Anyway, it is very Heath Robinson but it works for them 5/6 days every week whatever the weather - they navigate looking at the screen only, no voice commands. Cheep as chips.

[rollo22]

Try one of these from buybits.com
No need to buy a dedicated bike system

RAM MOTORCYCLE AQUA WATER-PROOF BOX with HANDLEBAR MOUNT - RAM-B-149-AQ6U (SKU 3561)

It large enough to accomadate the large Tom Toms