Modern Vespa

My new Beeline Motto 2 just arrived with the optional mirror mount which isn't optional if you plan to mount it on your Vespa. Looks and feels solid, has an easy-to-read display, locks in nicely, is secure with the quad lock type mount, and is easily removable. It was a bit pricey but has a lot of nice features for going out on new journeys. I also figure it's a lot cheaper than the risk of losing my cellphone which is much more valuable to me. Anyway, I'll let you know if it lives up to the hype after I charge it and have a chance to use it. for now, just a pic of it mounted!

I'll be interested to hear your feedback on this device. I like the simple clean look.

I know it connects to your phone for navigational data, but does it have it's own app where you can build custom routes?

not a GPS

it mirrors your cell phone data.

must connect to cell phone thru bluetooth and cell phone GPS must be on.

just a fancy display unit IMO

I like the idea of this device, at least for an urban setting. I wish it had real GPS, but it's still an interesting concept.

I'm rocking a Moto 1 and really like it. Going on long distance adventures through Europe, my phone was everything to me - hotel bookings, Google translate, Apple Pay etc - so I didn't want to risk having my phone on the bars. The Moto 1 is a lot more minimalist and took a bit of adjusting to, whereas the Moto 2 looks like it'll be easy to follow out of the box. The app is really nice. Let's you drop multiple pins and it joins the dots. Can also swap between "fast" and "fun" routes where it looks for more twisty roads connecting two points.

App is free, so you can download and have a look.

I didn't have much chance to get out today with some bad weather passing through but I did catch a quick ride around the corner to Dunkin for an iced coffee. The unit is a great upgrade from the Moto 1 as was mentioned by JakeM. It is more like what you're used to seeing on your Waze app or Google Maps with arrows and a small glimpse of the streets. The single beep when close to your turn and the double beep at the turn is very loud as I hear it fine with my helmet on which I was surprised. Pairs seamlessly with their app and the app has some great modes for different routes. It gives you some good info about your drive if you're into numbers, on the app. The screen is great provided you're not wearing sunglasses, much like the electronic display on the Vespa. You can still see it with sunglasses but not great. I would have liked to see them put a button on the mount that clicks when mounted correctly and needs to be pushed in to release as I've heard stories of others that have lost their units by not screwing it in the quad lock correctly. Of course, I've heard the same thing happening to phones using the quad lock, and to me better this than your phone. The only other downside is that they charge $4.99 a month if you want to add audio directions and auto roundtrip directions as well as upcoming betas. Not a big deal as none of that interests me at the moment but the audio would help when wearing sunglasses. It's just the fact that they look to charge you a monthly fee after you pay a premium for the device. In any case, I'll have to use it more to really appreciate it but so far it looks like a nice addition to my upcoming journeys.

This may be interesting for some of you: I have switched the moto II easily between an Android phone and an iPhone multiple times by disconnecting it in the app. On the iPhone you need to delete the device in system settings once it's disconnected, if you intend to reconnect later, but the app tells you that. This works absolutely flawlessly.

With the cheapo Android phone the connection dropped after navigating for 5 minutes. The moto's screen just went black. I had to stop many times to reconnect on my first ride. By that I mean I simply had to unlock the phone and the navgation picked up immediately. No pairing necessary. Impressive and annoying at the same time.

I suspected power saving settings in Android, made the necessary changes, but that did not fix it. Then I looked at the excellent beeline FAQ and sure enough, they told me to check all the things I already checked. But then there was a note saying, if problems persist check this external help site. I did, expecting to find tips for the usual phone vendors. I was surprised to find the no-name brand of my Android phone there. They explained the problem and had a good fix. By that I mean it tweaked the power saving specifically for the beeline app. I was very happy.

A GPS however needs a wired power supply which is difficult to achieve neatly on a Vespa.

The Moto 1 had a battery life of around 30 hours, and the Moto 2 is 14 hours - so it easily can be run for a full day of riding.

Your phone can then be charging out of sight in the glove box.

I went through many different options before settling on a Beeline for my European adventure, and it was definitely the best option for my circumstances.

I was also surprised how much the options like Quadlock and SP Connect run to once you install a compatible phone charger, and then add an "anti vibration" mount to protect the phone camera.

A couple of weeks ago, I flew to Lake Garda in Italy and rented a Vespa for a day trip lap of the lake. The Vespa there had a phone mount, and so I ran Google maps on the bars. In 35c / 95f, my phone actually overheated and I had to pop into a shop to buy a bag of frozen vegetables to cool the phone back down - yet my phone never overheated in the glove box when running the Beeline.

I don't like the idea of having my phone on the bars either. That is one of the things I like about riding a scooter/motorcycle is the phone stays in your pocket until you pull over and check the map.

This gives a little break to stretch legs as well as helping memorize the various routes...yeah old school I know trying to remember. I also think I don't want the distraction. For me and from my experience it's a dangerous thing to ride with a buddy especially in heavy urban traffic because it is a distraction. Same thing with the phone on the bars.

That being said if you have the self discipline to not be distracted by it the display on the bar with phone in the pocket is the way IMHO.

One of the cooler modes that I haven't used yet is where the Moto effectively acts as a compass. You can literally input a single location and it gives you a constant arrow pointing in that direction - you then make up your own route and adventure as you travel.

well this is a false statement. there are many many GPS units that don't need external power plugged in. I currently have 2 different units from Garmin that use internal batteries, and both also have a back up battery option to install some double a batteries as well. Then you have the gps units that are used for those whom do hiking and they also don't have a power cable running to them. kinda hard to do when your climbing a mountain on foot. So if you can charge you phone in a glove box why cant you use the same power source to charge a GPS unit?

What's the battery life? When I looked, the Garmin Zumo was around 3.5 hours on full brightness which is nowhere near enough for a decent trip.

The issue is running external wires when everything is tucked under plastics on a Vespa. The phone charges neatly in a closed glove box. To run a power source to a GPS you've either got to ride with the glovebox open, or you've got to bend / drill out some of the plastics to run a cable.

The beeline works without internet as long as a route has been saved. It then uses the GPS chip in the phone (not the mobile data) to function.

really you cant look up specs on various GPS units. the montana 700 is 18 hrs. the 64 sx is 16 hrs, garmin 276 is 16 hrs on battery pack or 8 hrs on AA batteries. SHALL I CONTINUE? there are soooooooo many posts here on MV on wiring GPS or phone chargers

Agree to disagree. I still see a dedicated GPS as an inferior product on a Vespa.

I can't see the point in dropping so much money on a GPS when pretty much most phones now have GPS hardware built in, and you just have to install the necessary maps / app to have offline capability. Beeline goes one step further by adding a second screen yes, but it makes more sense than having a whole second unit, with second GPS antenna, second lot of maps etc etc.

a GPS mounted to the handlebars / mirror is a target for thieves ever time you stop. taking it on and off each time and storing it gets tedious during a day trip with plenty of sight seeing stops. a beeline is less of a target and could gamble a bit more on leaving it in place.

I prefer to keep my phone in my pocket for a variety of reasons...(overheating, weather, vibration damage, dropping from the mount).

I've previously had a Zumo 660 and now a Zumo XT using powered cradles mounted at the base of the mirror stem for many years. I run wiring for power into the headset at the left brake lever and tap into the high beam wire inside the headset for power. Switched power means I never worry about draining the scoot battery. It's a pretty clean install and never any issues with the bike or the gps unit in over 50k miles of riding in all kinds of weather. Taking the GPS off the mount is not a huge hassle; it takes about 10 seconds to take it off and put it in the top case or in my pocket.

The new Moto 2 unit looks interesting and I like it's simplicity. Given that it uses your phone and an app for directions, this makes for a great alternative/proxy to having your phone out in the open for all the reasons I listed above. It's moderately affordable (compared to a Zumo or new phone) and it's something I might consider in the future. The only thing I really dislike is the optional $4.99 monthly subscription for audio prompts...that's bull$hit revenue stream gouging.

Quick Edit - I downloaded the app to my iPhone and was able to draft a route with 6 stops totaling 250 miles in about 2 minutes. It's pretty easy to use. You can either manually enter an address or simply tap the map to create the waypoint.

I have a beeline and I prefer it to a phone on the handlebar. In city riding a phone on the handlebars is an easy target for thieves. I have found in the city when navigating it can tell you to turn a bit later than you need. It helps to have the audio on too so you have an earlier prompt to turn.

Beeline's seem to be gaining traction with the classic motorcycle fraternity and the modern retros eg Triumph speed twin / RE Interceptor etc.

They are small discrete and quite frankly a Garmin 340lm like mine would look like an laptop on top of a Chippendale sideboard when attached to say a 1959 Bonny or Vincent shadow

Op I will be interested to hear what the battery life is like on the moto 2 as they have added a lot more functionality and features.

Incidentally beeline sell a version for bicycle's, they call that a Velo 2

OK after using it for a while I understand why they're selling the $4.99 voice commands. While I think it should be free and it is ridiculous that they're charging for it after paying a premium price for the unit itself. Today on my first longer ride I got extremely lost. i'm not 100% sure what happened but not hearing the beeps because of high speeds and other cars was the first part and I guess after passing the space and not looking down to see I was there, I don't know why it led me to a different area. Anyway, I'm going to try it again before I make a final decision, but it seems without the voice. It's pretty much useless to me, as God knows where I wind up

Neat concept, but if it's not a standalone model and your phone still has to be used, I'll just stick to my phone (inside my jacket) through my Sena right into my ears. Also keeps me from looking down.

the only standalones are full size like garmin or tomtom

Having ridden a couple of cannonballs across the US, I can say with certainty that you are incorrect.

Maybe on a small island off the coast of France...

The standalone isn't an issue for me, it's just needing to hear it and $4.99 a month is a bit steep.

Always nice to see new stuff, however imho, a few years old Android phones are 10 a penny and can easily use any free nav software like here we go etc, google play store is full of them, no need for simcard, just create a gmail account and away you go, if it gets stolen, no biggie as no personal data in phone, just grab one with biggest battery possible if mounting on mirror stem.

What do you feel the advantage of a full GPS is?

The beeline works with offline saved routes, so an internet connection isn't necessary.

The reasons I will stick with my TomTom over a Beeline or using a phone for a navigation system is primarily my Rider 410 tells me where the speed
cameras are including telling me how fast my average speed is in those dreaded average speed camera zones and importantly to me when touring on a Vespa with it's small fuel tank, how far it is to the nearest fuel station.

Then there's choosing the option of avoiding motorways, avoiding toll roads, take the shortest route, take the twisty route, downloading routes from myrouteapp etc

I could go on but you get the picture.

The Beeline does have avoiding motorway, avoiding tolls, and then there's a fast / fun option which prioritises either twistys or quicker routes. There's also a way you can give a particular road a positive or negative rating. I need to look into this more and see whether this info stays on the device, or whether it updates on Beelines side and uses this info to select routes for other riders.

It doesn't have speed cameras though, which I did miss - but for my trips in France, it seems you couldn't have speed cameras displayed on any app for legality reasons - I couldn't even get them to show on my Google maps as it's against French law. They were also grey and hidden which was a big pain to spot in comparison to our bright yellow ones in the UK!

For my longer routes, I tend to break the trips up into each coffee stop, rather than the ultimate end destination for that evening.

Thanks OP (and others) for the updates/feedback. I like hearing the 1st person feedback on this device.

I do think it is a really nice alternative to having your phone out in the open. And I did try the app and it seemed pretty easy to use.

I'm giving this serious consideration for use on my bicycle for now. But it would also be a great option for a second scoot or motorcycle instead of buying and wiring a new garmin cradle.