TomTom brings RIDER 2nd Edition to US shores

TomTom on Thursday announced that it had released the RIDER 2nd Edition for North America, bringing the enhanced features for the map unit previously only available for Europe. Riders now have an improved RAM mount that fits on to almost any motorcycle with extra resistance to loosening in bumpy road conditions. The new Cardo Bluetooth headset also carries over for improved calling and GPS directions inside a helmet. This upgrade is also waterproof and includes a dynamic direction system which switches from voice to beeps when speed makes it difficult to understand explicit instructions, the company says.

The 3.5-inch touchscreen device loads map data on SD cards and includes a 1GB card preloaded with maps and points of interest for Canada as well as the US. Although it can be powered with a standard 12-volt vehicle port, battery life lasts up to five hours on the new RIDER for completely independent power. TomTom anticipates its RIDER being available in cycle shops today for $700.