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I enjoyed my early rally navigation system – a piece of cotton used to carefully measure the distance of a winding route on an AA road map. Barely legible directions were scribbled on to notepaper and Sellotaped to the headset of my Vespa before heading to an unknown country, far, far away. Mobile phones weren’t available then to help in an emergency and we’d always leave after work on a Friday night, often riding through the night on ‘A’ roads. I spent many an hour lost in the middle of the night heading to far-flung nether regions like Aberystwyth. Unsurprisingly I was sold on the convenience of a sat nav as soon as they arrived.

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TomTom Rider 400

 

I had a version 1 TomTom Rider a decade ago. Since then things have moved on and the price has dropped considerably, making them much more affordable. The original Rider retailed at £500 but came with Bluetooth speakers as standard. It also came with a very temperamental mounting bracket, I snapped about a dozen of them. The latest Rider costs from as little as £279.99 (with Western Europe mapping) and doesn’t have a headset included. That’s because many riders have an intercom with Bluetooth. If you also want a car mount (handy), security device and a travel case the top of the range 400 Premium pack costs an extra £120. I opted for the middle of the road (pardon the pun) 400 at £319.99. It comes with lifetime maps for the whole of Europe, speed cameras warnings and live traffic updates. You can also buy the car mount separately for £49.99 if you want one.

 

 

 

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Key features

 

The Rider comes with the excellent TomTom mapping (including Europe) and also includes free lifetime map updates. There are a few other bike specific functions most riders will appreciate.

 

  • Winding roads: Get yourself out on the twistiest route
  • Hilly roads: Plan your altitude for those breath taking views
  • Round-trip planning: Choose a starting point, plus any places worth visiting along the way and the Rider will plan a circular route
  • Plan a thrill: Choose an adventurous route, does what it says on the tin

What’s in the box?

 

  • Rider 400
  • Ram mount
  • Motorcycle mount
  • Battery cable
  • USB cable
  • Booklet
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The 11cm screen can be used in either portrait or landscape mode and is large enough to be seen easily. It’s a touch screen, so can be used whilst wearing gloves. The Rider can also link to a Bluetooth headset for hands free calling, or so directions can be heard inside your lid.

 

Other features

 

  • Lifetime TomTom Traffic: Aside from lifetime mapping you also get real-time traffic information to help you steer clear of congestion.
  • Lifetime Speed Cameras: Speed camera locations to help you avoid those ‘accident blackspots.’
  • Bluetooth file sharing: Share your route via Bluetooth with other Rider users so you can all get lost in the same place.

 

How long does the battery last?

 

Unlike most car specific sat navs, the Rider has a built in battery with a six-hour life so you can use it on a classic scooter without wiring it in, depending of course on how long you’re riding for.

 

Non battery scooter?

 

If you spend a lot of time in the saddle and have a vintage scooter you can buy a 12v ‘Modcharger’ adapter. It’s easy to wire in and will power or charge accessories whilst you ride. They cost £24.95.

 

Hard wired?

 

I’ve got my Rider mounted to a Vespa GTS, it’s hard wired in but was simple enough to do. I just threaded the cable through the headset and down to the wiring harness inside the left knee pad. Two connections, done – tidy and simple.

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Mounting

 

The Rider comes with a universal Ram mount, although scooters aren’t as easy to mount to as a bike. I used an additional ball mount on the fly screen stem (bought from the GTS Facebook group). The Ram mount simply clamps to the ball. I also stuck a bit of foam on to the headset top to allow the Rider to rest on it and reduce vibration/prevent it marking the paint. It’s neat, tucked away and works.

 

Is it any good?

 

I’ve been using the Rider 400 for almost a year now, it stands head and shoulders above the earlier versions – not that they were bad but the original bracket was troublesome and snapped regularly. This latest Rider has a much more substantial and easier to use mounting system so no issues there.

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Amongst other trips, I used my TomTom to ride to Croatia and back last summer. It not only guided me through the 2500-mile trip but also gave me the confidence to trust the petrol station locations, even whilst traversing remote mountain passes in the Alps. Being able to pinpoint fuel stops in a strange country is worth the cost of the unit in itself and helps make travelling much less stressful. It also means you can make fewer fill ups, a great time saver. It also meant we weren’t searching for campsites and hotels at the end of long, hot days.

 

The mapping itself is clear, easy to read, accurate (thanks to regular updates) and with the European maps as standard it meant we had no problems in any of the 10 countries we visited. Using foreign postcodes to find a destination was also invaluable, much easier than entering a full address. I can’t fault the device, it’s a must have accessory for anybody who likes to travel.

 

Alternative option

 

Of course you can just use a car sat nav costing less than £100 if you’re on a budget. Coupled with a bike mount and waterproof case. It’s an option but they are nowhere near as easy to use as the Rider. You’ll get sick of the case fogging up in warm, or wet weather and not being able to see through the clear plastic in the sunshine is a pain. They also look a bit unsightly, splash the cash and buy the proper job.

 

To celebrate ten years of the TomTom Rider a special edition Rider 410 is being launched in April. The 410 includes all the features of the 400 but also comes with 100 of Europe\’s top biking routes pre-programmed. 

 

 

Lab rating: 9.2