This is the fifth review I'm watching of this device and the first one that's taking an actually critical look with important insights for me. Thanks for that and my sympathies for the state of British roads 😐
Good review. A couple of noteworthy points.... You can create and save routes whenever you have a signal (phone network or WIFI, home or hotel). You can load a 'saved' route and use it even when you do 'not' have a signal. A friend rode a 12k trip coast-to-coast in NA in both directions only using a Beeline Moto, which worked just fine in remote places where he didn't have a cell signal. Re-routing is supported for app created routes, but is not supported for imported GPX routes - however you can easily check the map (Beeline phone app) to see where you are currently and then ride in the direction of the nearest entry point on route, where the Beeline will automatically pick up the route again. OSM base maps work the best for GPX creation to use with the Beeline IMPO. It's nice and discrete, accurate, and has great battery life. But like any app, it will drain your phones battery if it's talking to it all day while sat in your pocket. All said and done - in Beeline We Trust.
Love the form factor, as I often think that my Zumo XT is too much. But it’s far too expensive for what it is, and then add the subscription …”I’m out.” 😅
There's undoubtedly a correlation between my dwindling eyesight and my refusal to ride around with a phone attached to my handlebars. Be that as it may, I found the first generation Beeline to be useful if not stellar. My Beeline II arrived a couple of days ago (after the first one got lost in transit) so I haven't had many opportunities to use it yet but so far it seems like a solid step forward. By the way, you've put together a very sweet fleet of motorcycles.
I’ve just picked this up and used it for a few days, really good bit of kit, but as you say it’s a bit of a bitter taste having spent £200 and then they want extra money for fairly basic features that you get with other apps.
Great review. Couple of points to make, 1) the beeline Moto 1 wasn't just an arrow. It had a compass mode but it also had a nav mode that displayed a lot more information. It was still really basic, but just wanted to point out for editorial accountability 2) I am long sighted and cannot read close up without glasses, but because the beeline is generally over an arms length away I can read it fine. Just want to make this point as it's unfair to say that people with close sight vision issues may struggle. It's generally ok.
I have absolutely zero interest in putting my phone on my bars, for a multitude of reasons. So my only option is a third party device like a Zumo XT2, Beeline Moto 2 or a CarPlay unit. Appreciate the review, haven’t made my decision yet. Leaning Moto 2 due to price and simplicity.
Very thorough review, much appreciated. I've nearly been tempted by these but I'll hold out for a unit that's excellent at lanes and big roundabouts because that's where I'm most likely to need a wee bit of guidance at times.
Every bike should come standard with something like Beeline. See Royal Enfield did it and their bike price still good. Hope the other bikes manufacturer start soon offering this type of navigation integrated.
Very good review. I'm enjoying it so far. I'm thinking about putting one on my Honda Rebel 1100. My only question would be is this going to work well in Europe when I travel to Normandy and places like that?
Thank you for your video..! now I know that I need to subscribe to get the live traffic data 16:55 It is a game changer to me to not to buy it as the traffic in Jakarta is dynamic
With new phone-use-while-driving restrictions and penalties, I am really thinking about getting one of these for my car that has a very basic radio. It should fit perfectly on the round vents
Thanks for this review, probably the most thorough and thoughtful one I’ve seen. I bought the original Beeline and once you get used to the way information is presented on the screen, it is a very useable device, and looks totally unobtrusive in between the handlebar clamps on my Kawasaki W800. I’m glad to see changes which I found to be the limitations of the original - you could only charge it off the bike using the little dock it came with, the small buttons on the side were hard to use with gloves, and the lack of a map resulted in wrong turns when junctions were close to each other. But there remains a couple of issues which you have mentioned in the video and the cost of the device, the accessories, and the subscription services, along with the fact that if the phone it’s connected to looses signal or runs out of battery, the device becomes useless. You could power the phone from the bike, but if it’s in a pocket, it means having a cable running into your clothing.
This is a really good review and mirrors much of my own experience with the original Moto. The 'phone App is the limiting factor when designing routes, which you've explained well. For off-road route planning on my mountain bike, I use Komoot and then upload the GPX file to my Moto App, so, it can be done. For me, the most frustrating aspect is the "laggy" response especially for busy road interchanges and large, multi-junction round-a-bouts in particular, where smaller junctions can be missed, which then confuses the Moto. This of course may be as a result of the interaction between the 'phone and Moto when the phone signal is poor (which does seem to be most of the UK!!!) or you're travelling with some speed. On one last point, the Moto is easily stolen, as I found at a bike meet where people are circulating "looking" at the bikes!
Thank you. Yes, I was going to mention the tendency to forget to remove the Moto from the bike. I've done this a few times, but thankfully, it wasn't stolen. Sorry to hear that your was. Maybe Beeline could come up with some kind of security screw to secure the device to the mount. At least that would stop an opportunist.
Good review, thank you! How does it look in the night? And another question - you said that you cannot use it with your google maps, but on the video I can see Google logo on the map in Beeline map itself. Does it mean that Beeline app still uses Google navigation and addresses?
Hi. It's great at night. The screen is very bright, but you can adjust it to suit. There is no direct integration with Google Maps on the Beeline, I not sure what logo you saw, but it's not the Google logo. I suspect on the backend, the maps are being powered by Google via an API. Having said that, you are limited to only using the Beeline app to send instructions to the hardware. The only way of using third party maps is to design your route and then export/import the GPX file into the Beeline. I've not tried this out, but it is supported.
Hi WM…hope you and yours are well.. Any more vlogs coming on the BMW? Did you manage to tour on it this year? I followed the rebuild hence interested to see how you’re getting along with it…atb…Alan
Hi Alan. Yes the BMW is going great thanks, although it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been out on it. We did a couple of long weekends around the UK in summer/ autumn time. I will get a new video up soon, just been having a bit of a break from RUclips due to an insane work schedule at the moment. Hope you are doing well?
Hi wild life motto, your review of the bee line two was very well done and put over and it looks a very thought out peace of kit and the extras look good . I have the bee line 1 and am getting use to it and what it can d ,Will have too see about the bee line two may be .
Cheers Paul. The Beeline II is a big upgrade over the first addition if you value the turn by turn maps. If you’ve got used to the arrow it might not be such a big deal. Thanks for watching. 👍
Your assessment of the fun mode made me laugh out loud, because those "sketchy tiny back roads" are, for me, the best part of riding. If the asphalt looks like it hasn't been maintained since before I was born (and, well, I have grandkids) and you suspect gravel would be easier to ride, that's my kind of ride. Which is why I usually DON'T use navigation, because any and all I've tried don't go those roads unless you get very creative with waypoints. Needing a phone, however, is all but a no-go for me, because I usually don't take mine - I only have it for work and frequently forget to charge it for a week or two. Oh well. Edit: I downloaded the app and tried a few sample routes, and, nope, all main roads even in fun mode, just like on Calimoto and the like. Shame. You had me hopeful for a second, there.
You can use the waypoints to force it down the back roads. You just need to get a bit more manual with it. I have found that fun road has sent me down several roads that I can only describe as dirt tracks. Not much fun on a sports bike 😂
love the device, but don't really like the idea of a subscription... wonder if installing a bicycle GPS unit like a xoss nav (also black and white display, no backlight afaik) could work on a motorbike 🤔
Had the old one never a problem with it did thousands of miles worth it. Now have the new model even better than the old model although it does appear the battery looses charge a bit sooner .
Subscription is not necessary for navigation. Most people turn of audible prompts on navigation anyway. Subscription adds really nothing else. That said, this is a small startup and I don’t blame them for trying to stay in business.
I understand its appeal. I’m currently using on bar mirrors so I got absolutely no space for my big phone on the middle of the handlebar and this would fit perfectly there instead. My issue is the price. It is objectively a very expensive gimmick price purely because it’s unique and stylish. It’s literally a fancy second screen for the phone in your pocket since its proprietary ecosystem isn’t anything special. One of those cheap mini smartphones will do the same and more than it. Again, compact and stylish is awesome, but not for their price.
Or you could just have audio directions in your headphones and put your phone in your pocket. It is a bit of a luxury item. I get a lot of use out of mine though.
Since this is a pretty long video, can you add bookmarks to make it easier to re-watch some topics? Im still on the process of deciding if I want to invest on this or not, and your video is key
Is it possible to use this on my cycling bike aswel? I know they make a Velo version, is the software the same? Being able to use this on both my bike and my motorcycle would justify the price for me.
Do you have any issues moving the way points on an iphone, Android is terrible, ive told BeeLine and they are working on it. Also you didnt mention the Good and Bad road markers, and on mine i sometimes get at 7 o'clock position the road/route number. a new update is a warning for low battery, the major downside for me is the routing app. It needs waypoints and shaping points.
so sad that it needs the app and the Internet. Would be so cool when it would work with apple or google maps... really really sad... would have bought it
I live in the mountains and loose the internet during rides all the time. If the route is already plained where I have a connection, it's all good. Better than Google maps in my experience.
So if I’m riding along, and my phone loses cell service, the Moto 2 will instantly just fail and I won’t know where I’m supposed to go anymore? It doesn’t keep going like Google or Apple Maps would in a similar situation?
No, it will keep working. It needs data to set up your route, but once you are riding it no longer needs cell reception. However, if you go off course, it won’t be able to adjust your route unless you have a data signal. In which case it will start leaving a traceable “bread crum” trail back to the point where you went wrong.
I’ve got this in gunmetal gmg with the extra bar mount on my xsr 900 and travel pouch and it’s fine as long as I don’t really ring it out. The shitty aspect here is the app. Had it since we got it in Denmark in august
just like when mobile phones got really, really small and then folks realised the small size compromised functionality, this device as clever as it may be is just way too small for me! I'd rather be able to see at a glance as quickly as possible which way I should be going, I certainly don't want to be squinting at this little device and then ploughing into the back of a stationary vehicle! I'm lucky enough to have had excellent eyesight my whole life but now I'm sixty years old I'm struggling a bit with close up vision, I don't want a distraction, give me big and clear please!
Great review,,but not for me ,my eyesight ain,t good enough... All the way through the review I kept thinking ,"Why not test some cheap Chinese screen ,,same job but it would have some size to it... Mr Wildlife you and your partner looked happy during that small bit of English weather ,we live in such a green and pleasant land !!!
I'm sorry but in this day and age of free apps on phones/tablets, you have to be an utter mug to pay for a subscription on a device like this. Whilst I think the device is great its simply not worth a subscription with the overwhelmingly better freely available apps.
It’s worth saying that it works well without the subscription. I don’t pay the extra as I don’t need the features. Even my flipping doorbell requires a subscription to get the most out of it. Crazy times.
***Now with chapter markers***
This video is quite long, so I've added chapter markers to help you skip to the various sections.
This is the best review of the new Beeline Moto II I have come across. Well done.
Thank you.
This is the fifth review I'm watching of this device and the first one that's taking an actually critical look with important insights for me. Thanks for that and my sympathies for the state of British roads 😐
Good review. A couple of noteworthy points.... You can create and save routes whenever you have a signal (phone network or WIFI, home or hotel). You can load a 'saved' route and use it even when you do 'not' have a signal. A friend rode a 12k trip coast-to-coast in NA in both directions only using a Beeline Moto, which worked just fine in remote places where he didn't have a cell signal. Re-routing is supported for app created routes, but is not supported for imported GPX routes - however you can easily check the map (Beeline phone app) to see where you are currently and then ride in the direction of the nearest entry point on route, where the Beeline will automatically pick up the route again. OSM base maps work the best for GPX creation to use with the Beeline IMPO. It's nice and discrete, accurate, and has great battery life. But like any app, it will drain your phones battery if it's talking to it all day while sat in your pocket. All said and done - in Beeline We Trust.
Love the form factor, as I often think that my Zumo XT is too much. But it’s far too expensive for what it is, and then add the subscription …”I’m out.” 😅
There's undoubtedly a correlation between my dwindling eyesight and my refusal to ride around with a phone attached to my handlebars. Be that as it may, I found the first generation Beeline to be useful if not stellar. My Beeline II arrived a couple of days ago (after the first one got lost in transit) so I haven't had many opportunities to use it yet but so far it seems like a solid step forward. By the way, you've put together a very sweet fleet of motorcycles.
Is it possible to hide the map and show only the arrows with the Beeline II?
I’ve just picked this up and used it for a few days, really good bit of kit, but as you say it’s a bit of a bitter taste having spent £200 and then they want extra money for fairly basic features that you get with other apps.
Unfortunately, it's the way things are going. Even my flipping doorbell wants a subscription to unlock all of it's special "features" lol
Hi mate, what your thought on it after using it for few month
Google maps is pretty hard to give up for me. It's the only map I've found that's always up to date for most road closures.
Great review. Couple of points to make, 1) the beeline Moto 1 wasn't just an arrow. It had a compass mode but it also had a nav mode that displayed a lot more information. It was still really basic, but just wanted to point out for editorial accountability 2) I am long sighted and cannot read close up without glasses, but because the beeline is generally over an arms length away I can read it fine. Just want to make this point as it's unfair to say that people with close sight vision issues may struggle. It's generally ok.
Thank you sir. Some helpful notes here.
I have absolutely zero interest in putting my phone on my bars, for a multitude of reasons. So my only option is a third party device like a Zumo XT2, Beeline Moto 2 or a CarPlay unit.
Appreciate the review, haven’t made my decision yet. Leaning Moto 2 due to price and simplicity.
Great demonstration my friend, I would have to put this device in the novelty category.
Very thorough review, much appreciated. I've nearly been tempted by these but I'll hold out for a unit that's excellent at lanes and big roundabouts because that's where I'm most likely to need a wee bit of guidance at times.
Thank you.
Every bike should come standard with something like Beeline. See Royal Enfield did it and their bike price still good.
Hope the other bikes manufacturer start soon offering this type of navigation integrated.
Very good review. I'm enjoying it so far. I'm thinking about putting one on my Honda Rebel 1100. My only question would be is this going to work well in Europe when I travel to Normandy and places like that?
Thank you for your video..! now I know that I need to subscribe to get the live traffic data 16:55
It is a game changer to me to not to buy it as the traffic in Jakarta is dynamic
With new phone-use-while-driving restrictions and penalties, I am really thinking about getting one of these for my car that has a very basic radio. It should fit perfectly on the round vents
Thanks for this review, probably the most thorough and thoughtful one I’ve seen. I bought the original Beeline and once you get used to the way information is presented on the screen, it is a very useable device, and looks totally unobtrusive in between the handlebar clamps on my Kawasaki W800. I’m glad to see changes which I found to be the limitations of the original - you could only charge it off the bike using the little dock it came with, the small buttons on the side were hard to use with gloves, and the lack of a map resulted in wrong turns when junctions were close to each other. But there remains a couple of issues which you have mentioned in the video and the cost of the device, the accessories, and the subscription services, along with the fact that if the phone it’s connected to looses signal or runs out of battery, the device becomes useless. You could power the phone from the bike, but if it’s in a pocket, it means having a cable running into your clothing.
Ha I ordered one of these yesterday ,looks like it would be good for me . Cheers mate
This is a really good review and mirrors much of my own experience with the original Moto. The 'phone App is the limiting factor when designing routes, which you've explained well. For off-road route planning on my mountain bike, I use Komoot and then upload the GPX file to my Moto App, so, it can be done. For me, the most frustrating aspect is the "laggy" response especially for busy road interchanges and large, multi-junction round-a-bouts in particular, where smaller junctions can be missed, which then confuses the Moto. This of course may be as a result of the interaction between the 'phone and Moto when the phone signal is poor (which does seem to be most of the UK!!!) or you're travelling with some speed. On one last point, the Moto is easily stolen, as I found at a bike meet where people are circulating "looking" at the bikes!
Thank you. Yes, I was going to mention the tendency to forget to remove the Moto from the bike. I've done this a few times, but thankfully, it wasn't stolen. Sorry to hear that your was. Maybe Beeline could come up with some kind of security screw to secure the device to the mount. At least that would stop an opportunist.
Good review, thank you! How does it look in the night? And another question - you said that you cannot use it with your google maps, but on the video I can see Google logo on the map in Beeline map itself. Does it mean that Beeline app still uses Google navigation and addresses?
Hi. It's great at night. The screen is very bright, but you can adjust it to suit. There is no direct integration with Google Maps on the Beeline, I not sure what logo you saw, but it's not the Google logo. I suspect on the backend, the maps are being powered by Google via an API. Having said that, you are limited to only using the Beeline app to send instructions to the hardware. The only way of using third party maps is to design your route and then export/import the GPX file into the Beeline. I've not tried this out, but it is supported.
Thanks I was looking to buy but they lost a sale once you got to subscription for some basic features 👎
Saved maps can be used offline while riding.
Hi WM…hope you and yours are well..
Any more vlogs coming on the BMW? Did you manage to tour on it this year? I followed the rebuild hence interested to see how you’re getting along with it…atb…Alan
Hi Alan. Yes the BMW is going great thanks, although it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been out on it. We did a couple of long weekends around the UK in summer/ autumn time. I will get a new video up soon, just been having a bit of a break from RUclips due to an insane work schedule at the moment. Hope you are doing well?
Dumb question but, does it have a tachometer option? I just need to know how fast I'm going.
It has a dedicated display for speed if you select it. Just to clarify, a tachometer is for RPM, it won’t do that.
Hi wild life motto, your review of the bee line two was very well done and put over and it looks a very thought out peace of kit and the extras look good . I have the bee line 1 and am getting use to it and what it can d ,Will have too see about the bee line two may be .
Cheers Paul. The Beeline II is a big upgrade over the first addition if you value the turn by turn maps. If you’ve got used to the arrow it might not be such a big deal. Thanks for watching. 👍
Your assessment of the fun mode made me laugh out loud, because those "sketchy tiny back roads" are, for me, the best part of riding. If the asphalt looks like it hasn't been maintained since before I was born (and, well, I have grandkids) and you suspect gravel would be easier to ride, that's my kind of ride. Which is why I usually DON'T use navigation, because any and all I've tried don't go those roads unless you get very creative with waypoints.
Needing a phone, however, is all but a no-go for me, because I usually don't take mine - I only have it for work and frequently forget to charge it for a week or two. Oh well.
Edit: I downloaded the app and tried a few sample routes, and, nope, all main roads even in fun mode, just like on Calimoto and the like. Shame. You had me hopeful for a second, there.
You can use the waypoints to force it down the back roads. You just need to get a bit more manual with it. I have found that fun road has sent me down several roads that I can only describe as dirt tracks. Not much fun on a sports bike 😂
love the device, but don't really like the idea of a subscription... wonder if installing a bicycle GPS unit like a xoss nav (also black and white display, no backlight afaik) could work on a motorbike 🤔
You don’t need the subscription for the basic navigation features so you might be ok without it. I don’t pay for it and it does everything I need.
Had the old one never a problem with it did thousands of miles worth it. Now have the new model even better than the old model although it does appear the battery looses charge a bit sooner .
You lost me at subscription just for audio directions. I'll die on that hill just to not support a company that would do that.
Subscription is not necessary for navigation. Most people turn of audible prompts on navigation anyway. Subscription adds really nothing else. That said, this is a small startup and I don’t blame them for trying to stay in business.
@@jessherbst810 make a good product and continue to improve you will always make money. You don't need subscriptions.
BTW navigation audio instructions only available with an extra subscription :(
Yep. I covered that. The bleeps are free though.
So, it’s great if you have 20/20 vision.
That rules a heck of a lot of people out.
Including me and my one eye which is long-vision.
I understand its appeal. I’m currently using on bar mirrors so I got absolutely no space for my big phone on the middle of the handlebar and this would fit perfectly there instead.
My issue is the price. It is objectively a very expensive gimmick price purely because it’s unique and stylish. It’s literally a fancy second screen for the phone in your pocket since its proprietary ecosystem isn’t anything special. One of those cheap mini smartphones will do the same and more than it. Again, compact and stylish is awesome, but not for their price.
Or you could just have audio directions in your headphones and put your phone in your pocket. It is a bit of a luxury item. I get a lot of use out of mine though.
@WildlifeMoto Believe me. I definitely get the urge to finally buy it now and then. It's just so beautiful haha
Since this is a pretty long video, can you add bookmarks to make it easier to re-watch some topics? Im still on the process of deciding if I want to invest on this or not, and your video is key
Good idea. Done :)
@@WildlifeMotoyou're the best ❤
Is it possible to use this on my cycling bike aswel? I know they make a Velo version, is the software the same? Being able to use this on both my bike and my motorcycle would justify the price for me.
Yep. There is a bicycle mode in the Beeline app.
Can this unit clip onto the original mount ?
No, but they make an adapter.
Do you have any issues moving the way points on an iphone, Android is terrible, ive told BeeLine and they are working on it. Also you didnt mention the Good and Bad road markers, and on mine i sometimes get at 7 o'clock position the road/route number. a new update is a warning for low battery, the major downside for me is the routing app. It needs waypoints and shaping points.
It’s fine on iPhone. I can’t comment on Android but you are not the first person to say similar.
so sad that it needs the app and the Internet. Would be so cool when it would work with apple or google maps... really really sad... would have bought it
I live in the mountains and loose the internet during rides all the time. If the route is already plained where I have a connection, it's all good. Better than Google maps in my experience.
So if I’m riding along, and my phone loses cell service, the Moto 2 will instantly just fail and I won’t know where I’m supposed to go anymore? It doesn’t keep going like Google or Apple Maps would in a similar situation?
No, it will keep working. It needs data to set up your route, but once you are riding it no longer needs cell reception. However, if you go off course, it won’t be able to adjust your route unless you have a data signal. In which case it will start leaving a traceable “bread crum” trail back to the point where you went wrong.
I’ve got this in gunmetal gmg with the extra bar mount on my xsr 900 and travel pouch and it’s fine as long as I don’t really ring it out. The shitty aspect here is the app. Had it since we got it in Denmark in august
just like when mobile phones got really, really small and then folks realised the small size compromised functionality, this device as clever as it may be is just way too small for me! I'd rather be able to see at a glance as quickly as possible which way I should be going, I certainly don't want to be squinting at this little device and then ploughing into the back of a stationary vehicle! I'm lucky enough to have had excellent eyesight my whole life but now I'm sixty years old I'm struggling a bit with close up vision, I don't want a distraction, give me big and clear please!
Great review,,but not for me ,my eyesight ain,t good enough... All the way through the review I kept thinking ,"Why not test some cheap Chinese screen ,,same job but it would have some size to it... Mr Wildlife you and your partner looked happy during that small bit of English weather ,we live in such a green and pleasant land !!!
This kinda tickles my geek fancy.
Got to agree with that! 👍
I'm sorry but in this day and age of free apps on phones/tablets, you have to be an utter mug to pay for a subscription on a device like this. Whilst I think the device is great its simply not worth a subscription with the overwhelmingly better freely available apps.
It’s worth saying that it works well without the subscription. I don’t pay the extra as I don’t need the features. Even my flipping doorbell requires a subscription to get the most out of it. Crazy times.
Definitely not for me