Navigation specialist Garmin has collaborated with BMW on the company's latest motorcycle-friendly GPS unit, the BMW Motorrad Navigator IV. Due to hit shelves in Europe and North America in Q3, the Navigator IV features a faster processor, flatter housing and a larger 4.3-inch, 16:9 touchscreen with big buttons to accommodate gloved hands. Software improvements include a lane assistant, junction views and 3D building representations while Bluetooth capability lets you listen to phone calls, MP3s and more importantly, spoken turn-by-turn instructions.
Based on Garmin’s zūmo™ 660, the Navigator IV comes preinstalled maps of 40 countries in Western and Eastern Europe with over 1.5 million points of interest. The readout can be configured to preference with information such as arrival time, remaining travel time, average speed and direction. There's also a customizable fuel gauge that can be modified to the motorcycle’s maximum fuel range and a lane assistant designed to ensure you don't miss the right freeway exit.
Being designed for motorcycles, the unit is waterproof, and the lithium-ion battery's claimed five hour operating time should make it useful for when you swap the motorbike for the pedal powered variety or hit the streets on foot.
The Advanced Mount Cradle mount system suits all BMW motorcycles including the recent R-and K-series. A car kit is also available.
Bluetooth is A2DP profile for stereo transmission in helmet and there's four gigabytes of internal storage capacity, so you'll run out of fuel before you run out of MP3s.
The BMW Motorrad Navigator IV is slated for release in August at a cost of 750 euros.