MaximusPro Product Review – six-month update

Gallery Maximus Pro Product Review What we liked Shortcomings Verdict Product details

Maximus Pro Product Review

Until I got my hands on the MaximusPro, I was dependent upon my phone to navigate through cities while touring on my motorcycle. Over the last six months however, the MaximusPro has become an important accomplice for my rides. Here are the things we liked about the MaximusPro, and a few shortcomings –

What we liked

While setting up a ride, the app gives you different options for the route, the data for which is fetched from Google Maps. Now, there is a chance that you know of a better route, which isn’t showing up in the list. In such a case, the app offers an option to set ‘via points’. You can ask the app to chart the route according to these points. The app also shows a list of fuel pumps, restaurants and hotels so that you can plan the route accordingly.

Even after you have set up a route and started riding, you can take a detour on the way, and the MaximusPro will configure a new route taking your detour into account. While the MaximusPro was mainly targeted at touring enthusiasts, I have been equally comfortable using it to navigate through the maze of concrete jungles.

It takes around six hours to fully charge the DM which will last for three days with usage of around eight hours per day. It is very handy when touring in remote areas where charging electronic devices is a challenge.

The DM displays just the basic navigational information, aimed at having minimal distractions for the rider. Once you start using it, it hardly takes any time to get the hang of what the symbols signify.

The DM is very compact and convenient to carry around. The device ships with a mount for the handlebar. When you are done riding, you can just unscrew the DM from the mount without any tools and carry it with you, removing concerns about theft. It is also very easy to install, you can refer to this DIY guide for more details.

The developers keep releasing new updates for the device every once in a while, both for the app and the DM. Thanks to the option of OTA updates, it hardly takes a few minutes to get your app and DM up to speed.

Shortcomings

It is not perfect. There have been times when the MaximusPro tried to lead me into thick foliage and even onto a bridge which had the river overflowing. This isn’t the device’s fault, for it was merely mirroring instructions fetched from Google Maps. Nevertheless, you cannot completely rely on the device to lead you on.

You cannot set destination through a link or a WhatsApp location sent to you by someone. You need to enter the precise name of the location in the app to set the destination.

The two buttons on the display module are of soft-touch type, which lack feedback. I still haven’t gotten the hang of using them with my gloves on, despite having spent six months with it. There are times when I end up clicking the button twice, which can lead to loss of pairing with the phone in some scenarios. This can get very frustrating.

While navigating through a city, there are times when the DM shows 20 meters to go even though you have already reached the turn. This is not a glitch, but can be down to the angle and the structure of the turn. You just need to keep this in mind that the DM sometimes might throw up latency.

Ideally, you would expect a navigation device to bail you out when you are touring on a bike in some remote place, without any cellular network. However, the MaximusPro app can function only as long you have data connection. So you need to remember to chart your route beforehand and keep it stored in the app.

Verdict

The MaximusPro used to be cumbersome to use and full of glitches when I started using it. But now it has evolved into a very user-friendly and convenient product. The development team is very active towards feedback passed down by customers, and the latest version is close to being perfect. There are a few shortcomings, but I am sure they will eventually be taken care of.

The MaximusPro that I have installed on my Apache is a full version featuring a connectivity module with its own GPS and cellular network and a bunch of safety features. It is priced at Rs 12,999. However, the MaximusPro that is currently available in the market is a lite version, with just the display module. It only gets the navigational and social-networking features, and is priced at Rs 5,999. It might not be as fancy as a Garmin, but then it is way more affordable too. While I find it hard to justify the price of the full version, the MaximusPro lite is a value-for-money proposition.