8 Best Handheld GPS Units for Motorcycle Adventure Riding

I’ve been strapping GPS units to adventure bikes for the better part of a decade, and I’ve killed a few along the way. Sand in a charging port, a cracked screen after a slow lowside in Nevada, one unit that cooked itself against a hot engine on a 100 degree day. So when I tell you a handheld GPS is worth the money, it’s because I’ve paid the price for the wrong one more than once.

Handhelds still beat phone apps for one simple reason: they keep working when your phone doesn’t. They survive vibration, rain, heat and dust. They run for days on a set of batteries or a single charge. And they have screens I can actually read in direct sunlight with gloves on.

Below are the eight units I’d genuinely trust on a long adventure ride, in the order I’d rank them for real world motorcycle use.

1. Garmin Montana 700i — Best Overall Handheld GPS for Adventure Riding

If I could only own one handheld for adventure riding, this is the one sitting on my bars right now. The Montana 700i has been my primary unit for two full seasons, and it’s the only device I’ve used that feels purpose built for a motorcycle rather than adapted to one.

The headline feature is the 5 inch glove friendly touchscreen at 480 x 800 resolution. That sounds like spec sheet filler until you’re trying to tap a waypoint at 60 mph in the rain with winter gloves on. It just works, and the brightness holds up in full midday sun.

Build quality is where the Montana earns its keep. It’s IPX7 rated, MIL-STD-810 tested for shock and vibration, and it feels like a brick in the best possible way. Mine has been dropped on rock, rained on for six straight hours and buried in dust, and it still boots every time.

Battery Life and Power

Garmin rates the internal lithium ion battery at up to 18 hours in standard GPS mode. I typically see 14 to 16 hours with the backlight around 60 percent and track logging running the whole time. Expedition mode stretches that into multiple days if you can live with slower tracking intervals.

Garmin sells a powered motorcycle mount for the Montana series that wires straight into your bike’s 12V system, and that’s how I run mine. I still carry a USB-C cable and a small power bank for campsite top ups.

Navigation and Satellite Safety

The 700i ships with preloaded TopoActive maps and supports BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, and it swallows GPX tracks without complaint. Multi-GNSS support across GPS, GLONASS and Galileo means it holds a fix in canyons and dense tree cover where older units give up entirely.

Then there’s inReach: two way satellite messaging, location sharing, and a 24/7 SOS button routed to Garmin’s emergency response center. I’ve never pressed it and I hope I never do, but knowing it exists genuinely changes how I plan remote routes.

• Pros: Huge glove friendly screen, inReach SOS, extremely rugged, powered mount available
• Cons: Heavy at roughly 14 ounces, pricey at around $650 to $700, needs a subscription for satellite features

For me this is the best handheld GPS for motorcycle adventure riding if you want one device that covers navigation, tracking and emergency comms.

2. Garmin GPSMAP 67i — Best Compact Rugged Handheld

Some riders hate touchscreens, and honestly I get it. Wet gloves, dusty fingers and a bouncing bike are not a great combination. The GPSMAP 67i solves that with a full set of physical buttons and a 3 inch 240 x 400 display that stays readable no matter what the weather does.

It’s smaller and lighter than the Montana, which matters if you’re running a tight cockpit with a rally tower or a small bar clamp. It also fits in a jacket pocket when you park up, which the Montana never really does.

The Specs That Matter

The 67i supports multi-band GNSS, meaning it locks onto both L1 and L5 satellite signals. In practice that gives me noticeably faster fixes and better accuracy under tree canopy than my older single band units ever managed.

Battery life is the standout. Garmin rates it at roughly 35 hours in standard GPS mode and up to 180 hours in expedition mode. On a five day trip I’ve charged it once.

It ships with preloaded TopoActive maps, around 16 GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless syncing, and USB-C charging. It’s IPX7 rated, same as the Montana. Price sits around $600.

• Pros: Multi-band GNSS accuracy, superb battery life, buttons work with any gloves, inReach built in
• Cons: Small screen for planning routes, no camera, still needs an inReach subscription

If you ride in constant rain or you simply don’t trust touchscreens, this is my pick over the Montana.

3. Garmin Montana 750i — Best Handheld GPS With a Camera

The 750i is the Montana 700i with one meaningful addition: an 8 megapixel camera with geotagging. Everything else, the 5 inch screen, the IPX7 and MIL-STD-810 ratings, the inReach satellite hardware and the multi-GNSS receiver, is identical.

I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it too. Your phone already has a better camera. But on a long ride my phone is usually buried in a tank bag or running low on battery, and having a camera on the device already mounted to my bars means I actually take the shot.

Why Geotagged Photos Matter

The real value isn’t the image quality, it’s the geotagging. Every photo gets coordinates baked in, so when I get home I can drop those pins onto a map and rebuild the exact route, including that unmarked overlook or the camp spot I’d never find again otherwise.

The camera is fine, not great. Low light shots are noisy and the autofocus hunts a bit. For documenting a trip it’s completely adequate. For anything you’d print, use your phone.

• Pros: Everything the 700i offers plus geotagged photos, same rugged chassis
• Cons: Roughly $750, which is a lot for a camera you’ll use occasionally

Buy this one if you’re a trip documenter. Otherwise save the money and get the 700i.

4. Garmin GPSMAP 66i — Best Value inReach Handheld

The 66i is the previous generation of the 67i, and that’s exactly why I still recommend it. It has the same 3 inch button driven layout, the same IPX7 rating, the same inReach satellite messaging and SOS, and the same preloaded TopoActive maps. What it lacks is multi-band GNSS and the newest battery tuning.

In the real world the difference is smaller than the spec sheet suggests. I ran a 66i for two seasons and never had a problem getting a fix on open trails. It only fell behind the 67i in deep canyon country and heavy canopy.

Who Should Buy It

If you find one discounted, and you often can for around $450 to $500, it’s the cheapest way into a Garmin handheld with genuine satellite SOS built in. Battery life is rated around 35 hours in GPS mode, and it charges over micro USB rather than USB-C, which is the one annoyance I had with it.

• Pros: Full inReach features for less money, proven reliability, buttons work in any conditions
• Cons: Single band GNSS, micro USB in a USB-C world, slower processor than the 67i

It’s the smart buy if you want satellite safety without paying current generation prices.

5. Garmin GPSMAP 65s — Best Handheld GPS Without a Subscription

Not everyone wants a monthly satellite bill, and that’s the case for the GPSMAP 65s. It has no inReach hardware at all, which means no subscription and a lower purchase price of roughly $350.

What you do get is multi-band GNSS, which is genuinely excellent for a unit at this price, plus a 2.6 inch button driven display and preloaded TopoActive maps. It runs on two AA batteries and Garmin rates it at up to 16 hours, which means I can carry a spare set of lithiums and ride indefinitely.

The AA Battery Advantage

I’ve come to appreciate AA power more as I’ve ridden further from civilization. You can buy AA batteries in virtually any gas station on earth. When my rechargeable units are flat and there’s no outlet for 200 miles, the 65s keeps going.

It’s IPX7 rated, has generous internal storage plus a microSD slot for extra maps, and syncs wirelessly over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The screen is small at 2.6 inches, so it’s better for following a track than planning a route.

• Pros: No subscription, multi-band GNSS, runs on disposable AA batteries, affordable
• Cons: Small screen, no satellite SOS, slower map panning than the Montana

If you ride in groups, carry a separate satellite messenger, and just want bulletproof navigation, this is a fantastic value.

6. Garmin eTrex 32x — Best Budget Handheld GPS

The eTrex 32x is the unit I recommend to riders who aren’t sure they’ll stick with adventure riding, or who want a spare in the pannier. It costs around $250 and it does the core job properly.

You get a 2.2 inch 240 x 320 color display, GPS and GLONASS support, preloaded TopoActive maps, around 8 GB of internal memory and a microSD slot. It’s IPX7 rated and runs on two AA batteries for roughly 25 hours.

What You Give Up

Plenty, honestly. No touchscreen, no inReach, no multi-band GNSS, and a screen so small that following a complex track takes real concentration. Panning the map is slow and route planning on the device is genuinely unpleasant.

But it’s tough, it’s cheap, it holds a fix, and it survives crashes that would destroy a phone. I keep one as a backup and it has never let me down.

• Pros: Very affordable, AA batteries, IPX7, genuinely rugged
• Cons: Tiny screen, no satellite comms, slow interface

For a first GPS or a backup unit, the eTrex 32x is hard to argue with.

7. TwoNav Aventura 2 — Best Non-Garmin Option for European Riders

Garmin dominates this category, and there’s a reason for that. But if you ride in Europe and want proper IGN and TopoHispania mapping without paying for BirdsEye imagery, TwoNav is worth a serious look. The Aventura 2 is their adventure focused handheld.

It has a roughly 3.7 inch touchscreen, an IP67 rating, a barometric altimeter for accurate elevation tracking, and a large battery that comfortably covers a full riding day. It runs TwoNav’s own Land software, which handles GPX and KML files cleanly and gives you fine control over how tracks and waypoints display.

Where It Wins and Where It Doesn’t

The mapping ecosystem is the big draw. TwoNav bundles or sells detailed national topographic maps for several European countries, and they’re excellent for trail and fire road navigation where generic global maps fall short.

The catch is support and community. In North America, TwoNav has a much smaller user base, fewer tutorials and less third party mounting hardware. I found the learning curve steeper than any Garmin I’ve owned.

• Pros: Excellent European topo maps, big battery, accurate barometer, IP67
• Cons: Smaller ecosystem, limited North American support, no satellite SOS

If you ride primarily in Europe and want to move beyond Garmin, this is my pick.

8. Garmin inReach Mini 2 — Best Backup Emergency Tracker

The inReach Mini 2 isn’t a full navigation device, and I want to be clear about that up front. It has a tiny screen and no topographic maps. What it does have is the most important safety feature on this entire list in the smallest possible package.

It weighs about 3.5 ounces, which means I can clip it to a shoulder strap and forget it’s there. It provides two way satellite messaging, location sharing with family, TracBack routing back to your starting point, and a dedicated SOS button.

Battery and Pairing

Battery life is remarkable. Garmin rates it at up to 14 days with 10 minute tracking intervals and up to 30 days at 30 minute intervals. It pairs with your phone through the Garmin Messenger app so you can type messages on a real keyboard instead of tapping out letters on a tiny screen.

Price is around $400 plus a subscription plan. If you already own a GPSMAP 65s or an eTrex, this is the cheapest way to add satellite safety to your setup.

• Pros: Tiny and light, superb battery, full SOS and messaging, pairs with your phone
• Cons: No real maps, requires a subscription, not a standalone navigator

I ride with one of these even when I have a Montana on the bars. Redundancy in the backcountry is not paranoia, it’s planning.

What I Actually Look For in a Motorcycle Handheld GPS

After enough broken gear, my criteria have gotten pretty narrow. Here’s what I check before I’d put anything on my own bike.

Glove Friendly Controls

This is the single biggest factor for me. Touchscreens are great until you’re wearing insulated winter gloves in the rain. If a unit can’t be operated with gloves on, it’s a passenger on my bike, not a tool.

IPX7 Waterproofing at Minimum

Anything rated lower than IPX7 is a gamble. Rain at 70 mph finds every gap, and a unit that fogs up internally is done. Every device on this list is IPX7 or IP67.

Real Battery Life, Not Spec Sheet Battery Life

Take the manufacturer’s claimed runtime and cut it by 25 percent. That’s what you’ll actually get with the backlight up and tracking on. Then decide whether you need a powered mount or spare batteries.

Mounting, Power and Keeping It Alive on the Trail

A GPS is only as good as the mount holding it. I’ve watched a friend’s unit launch into the desert at 50 mph because of a cheap clamp, and I’ve never made that mistake since.

Go Powered If You Can

Garmin’s powered AMPS and motorcycle mounts for the Montana and GPSMAP series wire into your bike’s 12V system, so the device charges while you ride. It removes battery anxiety entirely and it’s the single best upgrade I’ve made to my cockpit.

Vibration Isolation Matters

Adventure bikes vibrate hard, especially twins and singles. A RAM mount with a rubber dampener, or a proper vibration isolated cradle, will dramatically extend the life of any handheld. The screen connectors and solder joints inside these units do not enjoy 6,000 rpm buzz for hours at a time.

Do You Still Need Paper Maps?

Yes, and I’ll keep saying it. Electronics fail, batteries die, and satellites occasionally get blocked by terrain. A laminated overview map of the region costs almost nothing, weighs nothing, and works when nothing else does.

I also screenshot my planned route onto my phone before every long ride. Three independent sources of navigation is not overkill when you’re 80 miles from the nearest paved road.

Final Thoughts on Picking a Motorcycle Handheld GPS

If I had to hand someone a single recommendation, it would be the Garmin Montana 700i. It’s heavy and expensive, but it does everything, and it has survived everything I’ve thrown at it. For riders who prefer buttons and want maximum battery life, the GPSMAP 67i is the better tool.

On a budget, the eTrex 32x will still get you there, and pairing it with an inReach Mini 2 gives you satellite safety for less than the price of a flagship handheld alone.

Whatever you choose, buy the rugged mount, keep a paper backup, and test the whole setup on a short local ride before you trust it a thousand miles from home. That’s the advice I wish someone had given me before my first cracked screen.

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