Every ADV Rider Should Have This: Garmin Montana 700i

[@JustMe-dv5ix]

I carry a 700i, I nav with it, but when I am in a scetchie area where I could go over a clif, or seperated from the bike, I place it on my chest mount, so If I am hurt and can not get to the motorcycle I can pull it out of the chest mount and activate SOS. I still use paper maps and check my position every once in a while, to make sure I am still on track. You gave very good info and I will not leave Home without the 700i.

[@Impedancenetwork]

I tell people this all the time. But I say don't get the inReach functionality in the GPS unit. Use a GPS unit for navigating. If that thing is on your handlebars and you go flying off your bike and can't get to your bike that inReach functionality will do you NO FRIGGING good. Get the small inReach device and put it in your pocket. Even wearing it externally it could get damaged when you hit the pavement. I have ruined helmet mounted Gopro cameras after hitting the concrete. I bought the Montana without the inReach technology and bought the separate inReach device which I put in my motorcycle jacket. Fine if you are a hiker or boater then do your thing, but on a motorcycle where the greatest danger of you dying out in the middle of nowhere is when you get "YEETED" off your bike. Don't be stupid.

[@davetoms63]

How accurate are they? The old garmin i had was often off 30-49 feet which can make a huge difference riding at night

[@samstock6565]

I’ve gone with the zumo xt and have my PLB attached to me in case I get separated from my bike.

[@hamish3766]

same, but my reasoning is it the 700i gets smashed in a crash, I want the inreach to be operable. Sucks that Garmin won't let you share one inreach account between 2 devices even for use at different times

[@priv9468]

Best lockable motorcycle mount?

[@horizonsclairs5936]

Thanks a lot !

[@BeGoneForGood]

Absolutely. I hope this helps.

[@annewilliams2020]

I live in the Pacific Northwest. I noticed it is water resistant. Any thoughts how will this handheld will preform on a motorcycle?

[@BeGoneForGood]

So I went through some MONSTER rains while I was using it last year and it held up great. The only downside is that the rain eventually acts like a thousand finger touches so the screen is jumping all over. It hops in and out of zooms and goes haywire with what it thinks is hundreds of touches. For all intents and purposes it is unusable at a certain point of wetness. Granted, that is a LOT of wetness but when it gets to that spot, it’s impossible to use while riding.

[@MrTmax74]

​@@BeGoneForGoodinteresting, I wonder if the zumo is the same way. 🤔

[@hardworkingamerican8847]

This unit has been around for several years . The 750i gives you a camera and what else I don't know . That SOS button is useless if you are down and immobile , you need to be able to get to it . Still barring that it's a good thing to have and for the people who say just get a smartphone with a rugged case well this works directly with satellites not cell towers , much greater coverage .

[@BeGoneForGood]

The SOS isn't useless, especially if you are riding in a group but yes, I think there is value to keeping strapped to your body which obviously the 700i isn't meant for. I have considered keeping my inReach on my body with the base plan PURELY for emergencies and using the 700i for navigation and communication. It is obviously overkill but for the very reason you mention it would be good to have one on my person.

[@hardworkingamerican8847]

@@BeGoneForGood Good idea to have the InReach in a pocket . I have seen guys on utube with multiple devices on their bars and my thoughts were about theft . I guess it's less likely in rural America to have someone grab something off your bike than in a bigger city . I have ideas on theft resistant panniers and such , will they come to fruition is another story . As for myself I just last week rode my Tenere 700 for the first time in 16 months , been a very humbling time for a few reasons . Tipped it over each day , the first time was at a stop sign and I was just spacing out on why my back brake was totally not working . I was just taking it easy in town and practicing getting used to the bike and everything again . Got the brake fixed the next day and as I stalled it pulling away from the curb and down we go . Yeah she's a top heavy beast but with more seat time I should have more control over things like that .

[@BeGoneForGood]

Sometimes the falls are the best reminders that we can't control everything. They are just the right about of humbling to keep you respecting the bike. I am glad to hear you are back out there enjoying your ride again.

[@Impedancenetwork]

@@BeGoneForGood That's not overkill. That is common sense. You guy the inReach to save your life. But a more important tool that can save your life is to use your BRAIN. Use that brain to think about likely events. I don't know about the rest of these fools but my life is worth the extra $500.

[@CharlesForeman-y6z]

I have the 750i which is fitted to my bike but I also carry the Garmin in reach mini 2 which is always on me, it’s a bit like over kill but you can never be too prepared.

[@scottjoy1]

Why would you opt for this over the Tread? Aside from inreach.

[@BeGoneForGood]

Honestly, given the price point of both I don't know why one would opt for the Tread. Maybe the screen is a little better but the advantages with the Montana are so numerous comparatively speaking. Now if you already have an emergency locator maybe the Tread is the better route but the SOS capability of this is, in my opinion, worth the cost alone. Secondly, having the ability to get messages out and received while out of signal is something I have found exceptionally useful while traveling. There are a few other reasons but that would be the big ones for me. Ultimately, I don't know that the advantages listed for the Tread are significant enough to warrant sacrificing the added features of the Montana over it.

[@KyleLavigne-l2r]

Do u need buy sd card for maps I’m not seeing slot for sd card

[@MrJoshr1]

It’s in the back.

[@mindfulicious]

Is a screen protector an option?

[@BeGoneForGood]

There are aftermarket screen protectors available like the one linked below. amzn.to/49e27HP

[@richardharris5819]

I've got both... Try using an Android in the rain, I've got the S24 ultra, and as soon as the screen gets wet, it goes berserk, unlike my Garmin 701I...

[@sellsn01]

They gotta get the battery and screen situation sorted out, in my opinion. It's not going to matter much when it's broken or the battery is dead.

[@lnorange]

Hi, I have just bought one of these, is it normal for the torch to flash every time you turn it on or connect to USB?

[@BeGoneForGood]

I have not seen that happening with mine but I’m sure it is an option you can shut off as needed.

[@lnorange]

@@BeGoneForGood Looks like it's a fault on some units running firmware 19. Garmin are looking into it after I've reported it and one other dealer confirmed they were aware of it.

[@BeGoneForGood]

So thankful for the extra info. I’m glad there is a fix coming.

[@thomasbinder5288]

Deutsch wäre lässig, da es auf KZbin so gut wie keine ausführliche Erklärungen für Routenplanung etc. für neue Garmin Montana 700i oder 750i Nutzer gibt. Hast du vielleicht Infos über eine ausführliche Erklärung auf deutsch?

[@MxGuru1]

I bought ZumoXT2 and it sucks. Buying 700i now

[@Bikesbikesbikes500]

Xt2 is great for road use

[@aaronjones4285]

mount for a montana 700?

[@jean-claudefauchere880]

Thank you for this well-made video! I just wondered if you could compare the Montana 700 to the Garmin Nuno xt. Moreover, would be nice to see the mount/cradle you use for the Montana on your motorbike. Regarding the in reach function, I would always separate this from the GPS mounted on your bike, this life-saving device needs to be on you (in reach mini or iPhone 15).

[@garylafreniere9194]

How do you get your device to go to English language? My name is Gary.

[@MrUled]

Nowadays it’s harder to justify these devices when you can just get a cheap android phone, put on a rugged case, get free offline maps (including trails) and go

[@TwonieProject]

I'd agree, except that last week it was so hot that my phone shut down because it was too hot. First, it stopped charging, then it shut down all the apps, then finally it just shut down. The Garmin I was running at the same time didn't. Oh, and the phone screen is nowhere near bright enough. My Garmin isn't perfect, but has proven to be more reliable in hot weather.

[@BeGoneForGood]

MrUled, I think the advantage to the Garmin is the ability to change course on the fly in a way the phone won't do. I also appreciate the SOS functionality perhaps more than anything else with the Garmin and that is something the phone cannot do, at least to the same degree. My communication off line is my other top priority and the Garmin is always my best option there. It certainly isn't for everyone but I find it hard to believe with the investments we make to travel, it wouldn't improve almost anyone's gear far beyond the cost.

[@richardharris5819]

I've got both... Try using an Android in the rain, I've got the S24 ultra, and as soon as the screen gets wet, it goes berserk, unlike my Garmin 701I...

[@slimturnpike]

@@BeGoneForGood does the SOS work outside the US?

[@Allmec]

come to England. Go to Wasdale and navigate with a mobile…. Nada signal.

[@BillBonkar-o8m]

Hello, I just got a Garmin Montana 750i. I want to use it for mapping but I am strange to GPS. Can I get a course in this direction on line? I am Bill Bonkar live in Monrovia, Liberia West Africa.

[@ChatGPT1111]

GPS and Iridium, just needs Sirius/XM!🤓

[@williamhudson3208]

I don’t think I will buy another Garmin. I like them but phone is very good. Garmin stuff is overpriced the computer maps are rubbish and the customer service is really bad.

[@BeGoneForGood]

I haven't run into any of those issues and some phones now have emergency services available just like the Garmin with a pushbutton. Maybe that will kill the greatest advantage the Garmins provide...maybe not.

[@mindfulicious]

What do you mean the computer maps are rubbish?

[@Moriority]

I bought a Montana 700i for my first GPS unit for my ADV riding and the device sits in my tool box because it's one of the worst devices I've tried to use. It won't connect to wifi, Bluetooth and is hell to try and get a map installed. When I pick the option for it to connect to wifi or Bluetooth it just sits there and says it's connect to and never connects.

[@anonymous_friend]

I've had one of these for years. I'm not happy with it at all. I can go outside and send text messages, and there is no way to know if it actually sent. The people I test send to usually dont get the message. It's not very reliable. The software is crap. I downloaded gpx routes from adventure bike groups, and I cant get them to display the tracks or routes properly. I am going to just use an iphone for gps mapping. I'm tech savvy too. I've tried software on ipad, iphone, mac os, pc. It will sync sometimes. Sometimes it wont. If you want aerial maps, its a real pain and time consuming. All negatives so far unfortunately.

[@path7436]

Want to sell it?

[@robinghunt]

This has a lot of talk but didn’t teach one thing. Can I get a rebate for my time?

[@BeGoneForGood]

Absolutely. Our claims department is ready to assist you anytime. Although, we took into account your desire to waste everyone else’s time by leaving a comment we all had to read, so it turns out your balance is actually negative. We would appreciate a check whenever you can deliver. Thank you very much for your inquiry.

[@ericbaier]

Buy a tripod. Thanks.

[@slimturnpike]

What's a good motorcycle mount for his unit? Also is it possible to upload foreign language keyboards?

[@BeGoneForGood]

Garmin has its own mount that I used for mine. I don’t know about the keyboards but I’d imagine they have those options as a download from the website.