The Beeline Moto II may be simple on the outside but ever wondered how the tech inside works?

Not everybody wants a huge tablet funnelling information towards them as they ride their motorcycle. For many riders, a simpler setup is a welcome antithesis to the huge electronic screens that now adorn many modern machines. 

British concern Beeline have offered such a solution since they first stepped onto the scene in 2015, with their initial Moto device standing as a welcome antidote to the established sat-nav offerings – telling you what you needed to know without any additional distracting information. 

The micro nav maestros introduced a more advanced Moto II range earlier this year, which starts at around £179.99 and offers more advanced capabilities, whilst still retaining its diminutive size.

“This device is the result of extensive research and development, as well as valuable feedback from our existing users, who have travelled over 150 million kilometres with Beeline,” Co-founder, Mark Jenner said. 

The Moto II is just three millimetres wider overall than its predecessor but packs a screen almost twice as big at 1064 square millimetres – compared with 507sqmm on the outgoing Moto navigator.  

It’s also more advanced internally, with more computing power and a nine-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). Fundamentally, these IMUs are used to help the product set its orientation, with every Beeline featuring one since the beginning. They offer an immediate response to direction changes too, whereas GPS data can sometimes give a short delay. 

This IMU packs three accelerometer axis, as well as three for gyroscopic effect, and three magnetic sensing axis, offering a more fluid feeling to the device. All updates to the device are also done over the air, rather than plugging it into a computer.

There’s also a bevy of features including customisable mapping, GPX file uploading, unlimited worldwide route coverage, smartphone connectivity, map view with 3D display, speed limit recognition, and turn-by-turn directions. 

Whilst Beeline still peg the Moto II as an antidote to big, attention distracting sat-navs, it is in effect now more akin to a ‘proper’ sat-nav than ever – whilst still being no bigger than a wristwatch. To achieve this, the team have made a consorted effort to pack in the parts in the most compact way possible. 

“With each iteration, it gets denser and denser on the inside,” Head of Product Design, Sam Lucas told MCN. “We really wanted to retain a similar sort of size whilst getting a bigger screen on there.” 

Firmware and Electronics Engineer, Charlie Bruce added: “Packaging rectangular components into a cylindrical shape is naturally less efficient. So what we did was take a cuboid battery and fill the extra space that would otherwise be wasted with [internal] buttons.

“The circular shape has been pretty fundamental to all of the products that we’ve done,” Bruce continued. “It feels a bit more organic, fits better on the handlebars. It’s given us a few challenges and on the cycling Velo II design we started looking at more rectangular packages, but we keep coming back to the cylindrical look, despite the challenges it throws at us.”

These new buttons are operated by a rocker mechanism, which alongside providing a minimalistic look, makes the new device easier to use when wearing large motorcycle gloves. 

Lucas added: “The biggest change for us compared with the previous product is the way of navigating. 

“With the previous one, you use the arrow and dots which is brilliant when you’re on the open road, but ultimately, in some circumstances, we knew that it was quite weak if you had lots of turns coming up in short succession. 

“We designed a different interface that’s more of a typical map type, but that retains the minimalist approach that we have with arrow. So, making sure that you have everything you need and nothing you don’t.”

Beeline Moto II tech in detail

Going green

Beeline have worked to make the Moto II more fixable, incorporating Torx screws on the bezel to allow users to open up the device giving easy access to replace the 600mAh battery. Circuit componentry is also clipped into place rather than soldered for simple servicing. The battery itself is also said to offer 14 hours of usage between charges.

Back to basics

Whilst there’s a host of upgrades with the new unit, users can still opt to use it just like the original device, with an arrow mode pointing towards your destination as the crow flies, letting you work out your own route with just a hint of gentle guidance. 

Up to date

Updates come through via the Beeline app which the company say these come in regularly to keep the device as accurate as possible. These firmware updates are also supported for older units, including the first Moto. 

Built tough

The Moto II is constructed and tested to withstand various levels of vibration frequencies, by strapping it to a mount – similar in function to a massage gun – capable of delivering differing levels of movement. Specialist jigs are also used to test against UV rays and waterproofing, with tests subjecting the device to the equivalent of years of sunlight prior to public consumption. It is said to be IP67 waterproof and dust proof. 

The rigorous testing stems from past experience, with Beeline’s Sam Lucas adding that there was an issue with early silicone straps for their original Moto device.

“The factory forgot to add – I think it was a plasticiser – and it basically meant they all turned to gunge within about two months of being in the sun,” he explained.

“So, ever since that experience of having to literally having to sit there and fill envelopes with these replacement bands and send them out to hundreds of people, yeah, we take that kind of thing quite seriously.”

Development time

Development of the Beeline Moto II took around 18 months, with work starting late 2022. The design was then locked in six to eight months before the reveal, with a year of development prior to that.

What we thought of the Beeline Moto II we tested

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