Garmin Streetpilot 2610

We recently sold our trusty GPSMAP 176 and got ourselves a new Garmin StreetPilot 2610.

I bought it through the internet, from www.digiwoo.com at a very reasonable price. At last, Garmin included little Greece, even though not all of it in its latest Version 7.0 of Mapsource City Navigator. If one wishes to add more of Greece, they can always find some excellent maps of Greece at www.elsinga.net. CN includes practically only Athens and the surroundings. Elsinga's maps cover the whole Greece, and you can download them either in whole, or by regions.

Car installation

  
I used the cigarette lighter extension cable again. For securing the GPS on the Skoda facia all it took was just lock the unit on the "beanbag" that was included with the GPS. The miracle beanbag will never move around, no matter how hard one drives! Trust me, I've tested it extensively!

The c-l extension does not really intrude into the footwell, disturbing me when I'm driving.


The antenna was again routed as it was with the GPSMAP176's and it never intrudes as well... and... it never fell off even at an indicated 200km/h! (188 according to the 2610!)

Bike Installation


I bought the Touratech MVG mount, made especially for the 26XX family of GPS units. It was a simple bolt-on job on the handlebar crossbar, and then installed the Garmin cable at exactly the same place where the 176 cable was. Another very simple operation. The installation was actually performed at MAKAN, the Greek Touratech importers, and lasted the best part of 30 minutes!

  
Looking at it from the side. And then from the driver's seat. It really doesn't obscure the idiot lights a lot, only slightly.

  
I also test-fitted my Bagster tank cover and tankbag, and made sure it would not interfere with the steering operation. In fact I had to raise the handlebar 5-6cm away from me, so that the GPS mount does not contact the tankbag. I re-adjusted the brake/clutch levers and everything's nice again!
One small problem arose with the 2610 antenna: When mounted on the bike, at random times it will lose the sattelite signal. And it does it with an annoying frequence! I guess I'll have to somehow mount the car external antenna on the bike as well...

Speaking of accessories, I bought the antenna from Gilsson.