Beeline Motorcycle Sat Nav review and Road Test
Tim gets out and about with the Beeline Motorcycle sat nav; a sleek and simple alternative to bulky navigation devices.
Available form Urban Rider:
www.urbanrider...
The small, circular device gives you directions by virtue of its clever dot and arrow interface, telling you exactly when and where your next turn is coming up. It is instinctive and straight-forward to use: connect the Beeline to your smartphone app via Bluetooth and put your destination in the Beeline app, the little device will take care of the rest. The Beeline comes with a pivoting sticky mount and elastic handlebar mount which attach to your bike in a matter of seconds. Battery life is impressive, even when you ride in the dark and the backlight automatically comes on. We found navigating with the Beeline a breeze, even when making our way through a busy city. The little unit has definitely earned its spot in our jacket pocket. It's so small we often forget it's there, until we're getting lost again and the Beeline comes to the rescue.
Пікірлер: 69
I bought the metal case version and I love it . once you get used to it it so easy and far less distracting than a phone. Get one you wont be disappointed. By the way it looks good on retro bikes . 👍
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing!
Tim! You’ve got your duc running!
Got the Beeline for Christmas and started using it this season. It took a couple rides to adjust and get my distance bearings. But I do like it a lot.
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Great to hear!
What a great bit of kit!
Ive got one ,i have only done about 100 miles but its so much easier to use on the go than a normal sat nav.
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing!
Great review and nice to get out of the studio. Clearly not needed on something like a GS but for the right bike this looks great and really discreet, with good gadget value. I want one even though I don't need one...
@pennryan970
3 жыл бұрын
great for pedal bikes as well
Ok-ish in the countryside but finding it wanting in towns or cities where roads and junctions are close together. Difficult to tell when to turn especially with heavy traffic close behind if two right turns are within 100 yds of each other. As other reviewers have said, it may warn you that you are turning right soon but if two roads are close together, it’s a lottery. Same with staggered crossroads, separate slip roads that are close together as I have found. Maybe needs more getting used to but have been using for 6 months. Great idea, looks great on the bike just wish they could squeeze in the name of the next road - maybe around the edge where the bike icon sometimes appears
@UrbanRiderlondon
11 ай бұрын
Hi David, thank you for sharing your views!
What great little device. Just ordered mine :-)
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Great to hear!
Write down directions and keep in pocket until needed. During fuel stops refer to notes for names of towns and A road. That worked fine for decades and decades with the main benefit that you actually remember routes. I'm not against sat-navs per say, but they do take away an important element.
Bought one today 👍
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Hope you enjoy it!
The digital speedo option is also good if you don't have one on your bike, also more accurate generally
I used mine in South Croydon the other day. It was awful ! For example, 145mtrs before a left turn when the left turn was actually immediate. It didn't cope well with large obvious round abouts. I was surprised as I have been using it for 14months with no real issues, just usual gps gremlins. For something that has a lot hype, I do actually expect more from it. I'm a courier and used to mapping my ride 12hrs before and always equipped with nav systems. I bought this as an additional dash piece in high hopes but, frankly I recommend a Garmin etc all day long. I feel beeline could actually develope this to a screen not too much bigger than existing product that behaves much like a satnav as we know it. That would potentially be something quite impressive. My overall score would be around 2.5 out of 5
@informedcarpet
2 жыл бұрын
I agree , there are better options now.
@Galf506
2 жыл бұрын
@@informedcarpet such as? I'm in the market for a motorcycle nav system that I can quickly remove (big city) with no fuss, 200€ ish is my budget
@andreatilli6227
Жыл бұрын
@@Galf506what did you get ?
The Beeline's battery life is a bit irrelevant considering that it needs to be connected to your phone to work. I've been caught out a few times, glancing down only to find the Beeline logo on its little screen instead of that helpful arrow, and of course my fall-back device - my phone - isn't working. So if it's a long day, or your phone's a bit long in the tooth, take a battery pack with you, or for a USB socket to keep your phone topped up.
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Hi Alex, Thanks for the feedback!
@grumpygumo9775
2 жыл бұрын
I thought Beeline says the gadget works on its own after it gets the direction from your phone, as it has its own gps.
Great review, thanks! I'm also on scrambler ✌🏻
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Nice!
It’s a shame there’s no audio to compliment it. Having said that I bought one today!
@informedcarpet
2 жыл бұрын
That’s exactly what it needs.
Thanks for the video. Good review. I have a TomTom Rider but need a GPS everywhere I go so is something that does interest me
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
Really good bit of kit. Pity you have none in stock at the shop!!
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
We are working on it!
Bar mount and phone can’t be beaten.
I'm unable to do the action that you do at min 4:46 (like or dislike the route). 🤔
In that second mode, does it just point at the destination as the crow flies and tell you how far you are from it? That would be a really neat way to ride, it's that way, figure it out yourself.
I purchased the Triumph version of the moto, only used it occasionally and it was in as new condition. Went to used it a couple of weeks back and it started up normally but saying there was an update available. So in the middle of the update it stopped. I contacted Beeline an they told me to try a few things which all failed and acually caused the display to bleed pixels. They then told me the unit has hardware problems and stated I would have to pay to have it repaired. The support email process took two weeks due to each time you reply to an email you get an automated response sayign the team will be in touch. Buyer Beware.
@UrbanRiderlondon
Жыл бұрын
HI Tony, Sorry to hear about the issues you had. If this was bought from us and you are still having issues please drop us an email at info@urbanrider.co.uk - Iza
I use mine a lot, however it doesn't take into consideration accidents, road closures and other real time snarl ups. It still insists on taking me down a road that's been closed for repairs for over a month.
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Hi Alan, Thanks for your feedback on this! - Iza
Would you recommend it for city use as in courier work? I have my phone strapped to the bike which I'm not happy with for security reasons.
I bought the metal case version, just over a year later with only occasional use, it is no longer working. Don't waste your money, buy a decent phone mount...
@mateogaleano1074
2 жыл бұрын
At least yours stopped working over a year later. Mine stopped working after just one month of use, after the first rain, it just stopped working. Don't believe the hype, don’t believe Beeline manufacturers when they say is IP67 weather proof technology, cause is not. It just went dead after its first rain shower. Really pricey for such a delicate toy.
@informedcarpet
2 жыл бұрын
Agree, they are overhyped.
What happens if i put a gpx file in with off road route
Anyone know name of the mirror reflex on his bike?? I need to find it to buy
Hi there, really nice video. After watching the video I ended up ordering a couple of them. I’ve also like the mirror that you have on your scrambler. Would you pass on the brand/model of it? Thanks, Leo
Really, forget the beeline, what we really want to know is how did you reposition the gauge on your scrambler?
I tried one with my Samsung S21 phone and the App caused it to overheat, and my phone shut down also shutting down the Beeline. It is JUNK!
All the points regarding using the phone is under the assumption that you have a mount which is open to the elements, all of this is removed if you actually use a waterproof case to mount your phone 🤷🏻♂️
Are you starting out from Willow Tree Farm in Harefield?
Hi Tim, a few Qs: How good is the app (this is crucial for satnav), does it allow you to avoid to avoid M-Ways / dual-carriageways, does it let you plan an interesting route like some other satnavs? How does it deal with missed waypoints (major bugbear of satnavs ihmo which usually try to drag you back to a missed waypoint), i.e. will it ignore passed waypoints after a while or require you to stop, dig out your phone and deal with it? It seems (from other reviews) that this needs a connection to your phone to work on the road, what effect does it have on your phone battery life or your phone charges if you're using PAYGO?
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Hi Jim, let me try my best to answer. The App works pretty well in my opinion, it's simple and intuitive and if you use google maps it will feel quite familiar. You can avoid motorways and toll roads if you like. You can import GPX files if you want or plan an interesting route with waypoints. It will however keep waypoints on until you have passed them so if you take an adjacent road for example it won't get rid of it until you have ticked it off. On occasion that has meant me stopping to cancel off a waypoint but not often. It does need to connect to your phone while you're using it but I haven't noticed any problem with battery life, it won't drain any more than using google maps with headphones for example but obviously that will depend on your phone and whatever other apps you might be using at the same time. I'm using a Galaxy S21 Ultra at the minute and i never have a problem with battery life and i commonly use the beeline whilst i have other apps working in the background with no issue. Hope that helps. Tim
@jimmarshall807
3 жыл бұрын
@@UrbanRiderlondon thanks Tim, I picked one up as I wanted to navigate to a cafe in a village near Rotherham (as you do) last Saturday. It worked well, only issues were getting a couple of roundabout exits wrong (following the road signs worked) and the avoid highways planning option being happy to send me down the A1 (a couple of way points sorted that). Did drain my phone battery after a few hours, need to keep an eye on that (I left it running while at the cafe for two hours, probably not wise)
@Rubiodiamante
2 жыл бұрын
@@UrbanRiderlondon I today purchased a Beeline based on your brilliant review and I was pretty happy using the product on the first ride. I set up a route with waypoints. The first two waypoints went as expected. However, the Beeline never understood I had arrived at the third waypoint. No matter what I did, it kept on rerouting me back to the third waypoint. I tried riding back to the third waypoint twice but Beeline never realised I was right at the correct waypoint already. I did not find a way to manually mark the third waypoint done nor remove it from the route. Is there a way to do this? I could complete only the first 30km of the route. The Beeline kept on trying to reroute the remaining 50km to the third waypoint. Have you had this kind of issue with the product?
Great review, do u know if i can use this on an old vintage bike to tell the speed but without carrying a phone?
Thanks great review, love the gear you’re riding in too, can I be a pain and get a rundown of it please?
The only real problem with Beeline Moto is absolutely horrid customer service if you have a problem with your unit. Most folks with issues are just blown off and they don't respond at all, research this before you buy!
How does the battery life on your phone fare while the Beeline is in use? Does the navigation app have to remain open throughout the journey?
@LITTLEbigREG
3 жыл бұрын
Yes you have to have the app open but you can put the phone into standby so your screen isn't on.
Great video thanks, love that helmet, what kind is it?
@UrbanRiderlondon
3 жыл бұрын
Hi Jamie, it's HJC RPHA70. - Iza
Is it compatible with quadlock mount?
@UrbanRiderlondon
2 жыл бұрын
Hi. It is not I'm afraid but it does come with it's mount that you can use! - Iza
A pitty that you don't talk or don't have the experience when using GPX tracks because there the use of the Beeline gets frustrating and limited. The 'recalculating mode' does not work with a preplanned GPX track. So if you encounter an obstacle on your road and you need to deviate from you route, the Beeline does not guide you back to your track. You have to take out your phone, put out your gloves and try to find an alternative road on the screen of your phone to get back on track. This might force you to stop a few times and look on you phone. Very annoying! I hear you saying that in compass mode the arrow is pointing to the magnetic North. I doubt it. It is pointing to the destination. A third point. If you wear or need reading glasses it is rather hard to see the small figures. And last, the user guide is very very basic.
but as it depends on phone, 30h battery will not help as your phone will run out of the battery quicker... nice gimmick but not worth the money at the end - you can get cheaper real GPS for that amount...
Too expensive for what it does.