Carpe Iter V4C review | The ultimate motorcycle sat-nav

Date reviewed: October 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £710.27 with mount (from A Bike Thing in UK) | carpe-iter.com

Yes, the Carpe Iter V4C on review here is a lot of money, but it’s honestly no exaggeration to say that I now get even more out of every ride with it, from those opportunistic afternoon trips to my longest tours.

If you love exploring new roads – whether on your doorstep or across continents – and can afford it, the Carpe Iter is a piece of tech that I’d thoroughly recommend investing in. I’ve been using the V4B on my 2019 BMW R1250GS for almost 18 months, and now the upgraded V4C to find out what it’s like for a typical road rider…

OsmAnd is just one of many options available as navigation software, and I love the clear labelling of fuel stations and the add-ons like the weather widget

Features and mapping included

The Carpe Iter V4C is, at its heart, a ruggedised Android tablet with a great battery life and incredibly bright screen that can run your choice of navigation software. The Prague-based company supplies the tablets with a year’s Premium Gold subscription to the excellent Locus Maps, but what you use is entirely your choice… Here are the main features of the V4C:

• 7” 1920x1080 display with outstanding 2,6000 nits maximum brightness

• In-Plane Switching (IPS) and Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS) screen for wide viewing angles and superior colour rendition

• Specific Ublox M9N GNSS chip with up to five location updates/second. Works with GPS, Glonnass, Galileo, Beidou, SBAS and Assisted GPS for accurate coverage pretty much anywhere.

• Rugged alloy frame with IP67 protection, MIL-STD-810G/Method516.6/Procedure IV drop proofing and vibration resistance of 1-19Hz/1.0mm ; 19-200Hz/1.0g

• Runs Android 13

• Use ANY Android navigation software

• 8 Core Helio P60 CPU

• 8GB RAM

• 128GB Internal storage plus optional Micro SD card up to 128GB

• 9,650mAh battery

• 4G SIM card slot for data and calls

• Auto power on and off option

• Charge via ‘pogo pins’ on the rear, dedicated M8 charging cable, or USB-C

• Well-made powder-coated lockable motorcycle mount

• Download apps from Google Play

• Comes with one year of Locus Maps

• Compatible with bar-mounted controllers

• Replaceable screen protector fitted as standard

• Works in landscape or portrait orientation

• Front and rear cameras

Locus Map is another great navigation app and is brilliantly featured. I love how I can use real Ordnance Survey maps on it if I want

Being an Android tablet with compatibility with the Google Play store, you can run any navigation software you want on the Carpe Iter tablet. When I need to get from A to B as quickly as possible, I use Google Maps. If I want software to find me a great winding route, I use Calimoto, and when I want to just explore with a map open in front of me, I use OsmAnd or Locus Map. Of course, these two can also perform excellent turn-by-turn guided navigation, and all of this software is free to try (and not expensive to buy).

I use the ‘LightRS’ map style in OsmAnd, and have POIs set to display filling stations

I’ve settled on OsmAnd as my favourite software and bought the lifetime Maps+ package for unlimited map downloads and offline navigation at just £19.99 (one-off payment). It takes a little time to learn how to use it (though I find it more intuitive than Locus), but you can set different profiles depending what you’re using it for. Also, as you register an account with the software itself, you can use it on different devices – I have it on the Carpe Iter V4C for motorcycle navigation and on my phone for walking and  cycling (it finds brilliant cycle ways if you want it to).

OsmAnd allows you to plan and navigate routes or explore with the map open in front of you. With the Points of Interest (POIs) set to ‘Filling Station’, even at very wide zoom views it shows all the petrol stations around you. You can choose from several map styles, including on and off-line (off-line ensure you don’t need a SIM, and that if you’re out of signal the navigation will still work perfectly), with my favourite map for motorcycling being ‘LightRS’ as it makes the more minor roads very clear even when zoomed a long way out – on every other app I’ve used they disappear very quickly.

Another popular app is Drive Mode Dashboard (DMD2), which is more focused on off-road riders but uses the same open-source mapping data in the background as Locus and OsmAnd. DMD2 of course runs fine on the Carpe Iter, but I find OsmAnd is my go-to for road riding due to the more useful filling station POIs at wide zooms, and what I find is a clearer map design. Locus Maps tends to be more versatile than DMD on UK byways and green-lanes thanks to the fact that I can run actual Ordnance Survey maps on it if I want, or of course download the Ordnance Survey app, which gives you full access to all the Ordnance Survey maps for just £34.99 a year – for anyone trail riding in the UK, this is arguably the best option.

Buying the Carpe Iter V4C as a kit with the mounting bracket is the best value. Even better if you want a controller and buy that at the same time too. A Bike Thing is the UK distributor, or in Europe you can buy from various stores or direct from Carpe Iter

There’s plenty of storage in the Carpe Iter V4C and I used to have all my music on a micro-SD card, which made it easy to transfer from my Mac and allowed me to control it right from the tablet while connected via Bluetooth to my intercom. However, I’ve since started using Plex and now stream all my music from my home ‘server’.

You don’t need data, but it’s handy

Mapping software like OsmAnd and Locus don’t need a data connection as the maps are stored locally – great if you’re out in the wilds – but if you want to use satellite imagery or software like Google maps online, you’ll need a connection (besides the built-in WiFi obviously).

You could tether to your phone’s hotspot, or you can use a SIM in the Carpe Iter V4C pad. Check with your phone contract provider for SIM-only deals as there might be good options there, but I’ve found TalkMobile (using the Vodafone network) to be excellent. If you buy through SIM Sherpa you can get a rolling one-month contract of 12GB for just £5.95, which includes roaming.

Glasswire is a handy app for keeping track of how much data you’re using on individual apps, but remember that, depending on what software you use and how you use it, you might not need data at all. I found that Google maps used 26MB over 165 miles, but that was without offline maps; I could have used no data if I’d downloaded the maps, or if I’d used OsmAnd for instance.

All the weatherproofing flaps and the buttons can be cheaply and easily replaced if needs be (though mine show no signs of undue wear)

Why not just use a phone?

Of course, many people will simply use their phone on their bike, and you can run all the same software (assuming you have an Android phone, as not all nav software works on iOS), but there is a risk involved…

If you’re in the wilderness – especially overseas – if anything happens to your phone you’ve lost your navigation AND communication, which could be a disaster. Vibration can damage a phone (not just the camera) and research carried out by Bennetts in collaboration with a leading engineer has indicated that it’s possible that bikes with large single-cylinder and twin engines could reduce the effective lifespan of phones.

You could use an old phone to keep your main one safe, but there’s also the fact that it’s a smaller screen so harder to read. For basic navigation this isn’t a problem, but if you want to be able to see a map and make decisions on where to go on the fly, it’s important that you’re not taking your eyes off the road for any length of time so a large, clear display that’s close to your line of sight is essential.

In many situations a modern mobile phone can offer good location accuracy, but it often depends on having a data connection. The Carpe Iter V4C includes a Ublox M9N GNSS chip for GPS, Glonnass, Galileo, Beidou and SBAS for reliable coverage, and 5Hz position updating

Finally, you might be limited to USB charging with a phone, which can be unreliable in the rain: my Samsung Galaxy S21 was water-resistant but the charging port stopped working for a full day after getting damp. And in hot environments, especially with the screen on high brightness (only the most expensive phones tend to get up to 1,000 nits), wireless charging can be ineffective or even stop altogether.

Investing in a tablet like the Carpe Iter won’t suit everyone, but for those who love finding new roads, it can be brilliant.

The V4C (on the right) has an even brighter, sharper screen than the older V4B

Display layout & clarity

The Carpe Iter V4C has a 7” 1920x1080 pixel display that measures 158mm by 90mm, which is an upgrade from the previous V4B. The older model was great, and the lower resolution of 1280x720 never bothered me, but the V4C is now noticeably sharper.

Compared side by side, the V4C has a slightly warmer display, but what matters most is the maximum brightness, which has gone from an impressive 1,000 nits in the V4B, to an amazing 2,600 nits in the V4C.

The Carpe Iter V4C is now the brightest, highest-resolution navigation tablet on the market.

The V4C on the right has a higher resolution display

I always found the older model to be more than bright enough to use in the UK’s summer sun, but if you’re riding in extremely hot and bright environments the higher performance could well be invaluable.

Turning on the screen’s ‘adaptive brightness’ will cover most situations, and at its maximum the V4C is noticeably brighter (brighter than I’ve need it to be so far this year). But to access the full 2,600 nits you’ll need to turn on ‘Ultra Brightness Mode’ in settings/display. You can quickly and easily set up a shortcut widget on the home screen to get to this in one tap.

The bright screen is essential sunlight

It's worth noting that, indoors, the screen is absolutely perfect on minimum brightness, but when riding at night it can be too bright. A ‘Night Light’ mode has been incorporated that tints the screen amber to the level of your choosing and can be scheduled to turn on at a custom time or from sunset to sunrise to take the glare away, and the V4C now has an ‘Extra Dim’ mode, which can be reached by swiping down from the top of the screen.

If you still find the tablet to be too bright, make sure your mapping software is set to switch to a darker night mode in the evening. I have tried the Lower Brightness Pro app, but it can be buggy at times and at one point made my entire screen go black.

The bracket is aluminium and steel, with an excellent powder-coated finish. The locking mechanism is positioned on the side, making it easy to access when mounted behind the screen. You can position it vertically or horizontally.

Mounting to the bike

The price shown includes the active holder, which is a powder-coated aluminium and steel bracket that can be easily locked from the side to hold the tablet securely. While the V4C is a relatively large tablet for its screen size thanks in part to the very effective protection fitted, the mounting hardware is well designed to not have any power cables sticking out of the bottom to get in the way of your bike’s dash.

The bracket is available in an active version – which has pogo pins on the rear to charge the tablet and an M8 screw-fit charging cable for very harsh environments where the pogo pins might not create a reliable connection – and a passive version that only has the M8 charging lead. Keep in mind that this needs screwing in each time you use the tablet, so I’d go for the active version unless you’re using it pretty much only off-road.

The bracket has the same AMPS mounting pattern as Garmin and TomTom, so there are lots of options available. You do need to make sure it’s good and solid; the bracket itself weighs 250g, and the tablet is 680g which isn’t a huge amount but if you’re riding hard on bad surfaces you don’t want it to shift.

And hard on bad surfaces is what this tablet is capable of, being used by pro rally racers in some of the harshest environments.

Using the Carpe Iter Short Bracket 12mm on the R1250GS positions the bracket perfectly and holds it very securely

On my R1250GS, the £49.99 Carpe Iter Short Bracket 12mm is perfect as it allowed me to position the tablet above the bike’s dash without fouling the standard windshield whether it’s up or down (I’ve since fitted the excellent Puig Racing screen). For the OE screen I added a small rubbery pad to one corner of the bracket as at speed the windshield flexes back and touches it in the highest position, which could start to scratch.

After removing and refitting the Short Bracket a few times for various other product tests, I overtightened it and stripped one of the threads in the aluminium assembly. It’s important that the bracket is tight, so I drilled the hole all the way through, tapped it and used longer screws for what is now an absolutely rock-sold fixing again. It’s unlikely you’ll need to do this, but if you do and you haven’t got a tapping set, you could simply run longer screws and nuts through the bracket once drilled.

One thing to note is that you mustn't leave the V4C connected to the bike for long periods of time as it can slowly discharge, causing damage to its internal battery. All devices – even bike chargers – can have some degree of parasitic drain, so over time the power circuit to the tablet can flatten its battery and cause it to fail. Of course, this is covered in the instructions so just pop the tablet out when you put the bike away. I made a holder that screws to the wall by the bike for mine.

While the cradle is lockable, it’s not required to have it locked when riding as the design means the tablet is kept very secure. The lock barrel is on the side, making it easily accessible even when mounted directly behind the bike’s screen.

The lock’s fine for popping off to pay for fuel, but like any navigation device I wouldn’t leave it on when I’m away from the bike for any length of time, and certainly not outside overnight. The temptation would be too great for a thief, and brute force will overcome most cradles.

I’m using the Carpe Iter BMW Control, which uses a brilliantly-designed set of buttons along with the bike’s jog wheel to give complete control. You can also use the Adventure Control on other bikes

Using bar-mounted controllers

The Carpe Iter V4C of course has a touch-screen like any other tablet. Where a dedicated sat-nav might have an advantage is that it can work even with thick motorcycle gloves that aren’t designed to be touch-screen compatible. Like a phone, the Carpe Iter will need some conductivity in the gloves to sense your touches.

Of course, with the large screen comes larger icons to press, and it’s a lot easier to control a tablet like this than some sat-navs and certainly a phone (especially when it’s wobbling around on a mount). It’s also easier than even the Chigee AIO-6 Android Auto / Apply Carplay reviewed here.

But there is an even better way… using a bar-mounted controller with the V4C is by no means essential, but it can let you zoom in and out of maps and pan around them without ever taking your hands off the bars. There are a wide range of Bluetooth controllers available, though do make sure they’re designed for use on a motorcycle, and that they’re compatible with the software you’re using.

Carpe Iter controllers

Full review of these fantastic accessories

In my experience, the best option is to use one of the Carpe Iter controllers, which have a dedicated app that runs in the background on the tablet (or any Android device) to offer not only compatibility with pretty much all the main mapping software including Google, Waze, OsmAnd, Calimoto, Locus, OS Maps, Kurviger and many more (you can see a full list here), they also allow you to move around the home screen of your device to select other apps, as well as adding extra features like the quick and easy ability to lock the screen from touch, which is hugely valuable when riding in the rain with any tablet, phone or even sat-nav.

I’ve reviewed the Carpe Iter Adventure Control here – which is pretty much a universal fit – and the Carpe Iter BMW Control here, which utilises the Wonder Wheel fitted to many BMWs, including the GS and XR.

The benefit of quickly and easily zooming in and out of your map by just spinning the Wonder Wheel really can’t be underestimated. Whatever touring or adventure bike you have the V4C could work brilliantly, but if you’ve got a BMW I’d say that, with the BMW Control fitted it’s the very best implementation of a navigation device – even better than BMW’s own.

A handy bonus with a device like this is that you can use it to play games and watch video when you’re not riding…

Set-up and updating

The Carpe Iter V4C tablet runs Android 13, which might seem a bit behind given that my Google Pixel phone is on Android 16, but it’s more than enough for all the software I’m running on there, including things like Plex, the Insta360 app, Netflix and of course all my mapping software.

This is primarily a navigation device of course, and the most popular software is designed to work on older versions of the operating system – Locus for instance can run on Android 5, while OsmAnd needs just Android 6.

Ruggedised motorcycle navigation tablets like this tend to be based on a relatively generic platform from a specialist manufacturer, with features incorporated that are specific to the brand; for instance the GPS chip, pogo pins, storage etc are all specific to Carpe Iter. Devices like this don’t have the updatability of a ‘normal’ tablet from a big brand like Samsung (though these only support a few years of updates), but the benefits of an incredibly bright screen and far superior charging, for instance, outweigh any less important limitations.

At its core, the Carpe Iter V4C is an industrial tablet, and there are plenty that look similar on AliExpress and the like, but they’re not the same inside.

Because the Carpe Iter V4C is integrated with the Google Play store, updating apps from there is very simple and can be automatic. The only software that isn’t downloaded from the Play store is Carpe-specific, and the dedicated pre-installed manager app makes updating that a simple one-button press. Otherwise, the Ublox GPS chip has its own app that sends some commands to it, but I’ve not needed to use this and at most it’s a matter of pressing the clearly-labelled buttons to reset it.

Being able to control an action camera from the tablet can be handy

That Google Play store integration also means you can run some very useful apps on the V4C. I’ve already mentioned Netflix and Plex (you can run Spotify, Amazon Music etc if you prefer), but it can also be handy to run the Insta360 app and control my X5 360 camera, Ace Pro 2 or GO Ultra (the app wants to display in portrait on any device, but you can still use it).

When using the DJI Mimo app on the Carpe Iter, I needed to switch the wireless network on the DJI cameras over to 2.4gHz or the connection couldn’t be completed. I can’t connect to my DJI Flip drone via the DJI Fly app on the Carpe Iter pad, which is no deal breaker at all, but if you’re the one other person in the world who might want to try this, now you know it won’t work.

Carpe Iter is also developing its own launcher app, which can be run as the main home page on the V4C if you want, giving fast access to mapping (via Locus), a dashboard and other apps. While a welcome development, I prefer to run the tablet in its ‘normal’ mode, and find it quick and easy to switch between the apps I want, especially when using the Carpe Iter BMW Control on my R1250GS.

Switching to a satellite view or running entirely different software can be just a button press away

Security

Unlike many mainstream Android devices, security updates are very rare on dedicated navigation tablets. This shouldn’t be an issue as long as you use apps downloaded from trusted sources, and as this is a device that you’ll have on your bike it’s not intended to be used like you would your smartphone anyway.

Although a Google account isn’t required to set up the Carpe Iter V4C, it is recommended as with any Google Services-enabled Android device. Many users of this and other tablets will create a second account to ensure their main one is kept safe in the event the tablet was stolen or lost, while others enable two-factor authentication for additional security. It’s easy to do from within the Google app or on a browser, and I linked my ‘special’ account to Google Family so I could share previous purchases across it. This means I can run Locus on my phone, which is logged into my main Google account, as well as on my tablet, which uses my navigation account.

A screen lock can be a pain on a navigation tablet like this, so I’ve turned it off in order to be able to just touch the power button and go straight back to the last screen I had active. That means that when I’m filling up with fuel I can leave the tablet locked in the cradle and just power down the screen to avoid unwanted attention. When I come back, I just touch the power button and it’s back up and running.

But of course, that means there’s no security on the tablet, which is why I won’t run any banking apps on there, and why my passwords for my main Google account aren’t accessible.

If you want a do-it-all tablet that you’ll use for banking and everything else, I wouldn’t recommend this or any other device designed for motorcycle navigation. Buy an iPad or a standard Samsung tablet for that… But don’t put it on your bike.

The Carpe Iter V4C is IP67 rated, which means it stands up to short periods of immersion

Waterproofing and shockproofing

The Carpe Iter V4C is properly ruggedised with an alloy chassis contributing to its MIL-STD-810G validation. Using ‘Method 516.6 Procedure IV’ means the tablet has been proven to withstand drops during handling.

While it made me wince, I repeatedly dropped the tablet from one meter onto concrete on all edges and faces, yet saw nothing more than a slight marring to the corners of the case. I kept the display on and didn’t see any glitching or problems. The case adds bulk to the Carpe Iter, but it does protect it well.

The V4C is also IP67 rated, which means it’s fully protected from dust, and against immersion in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes.

A motorcycle is an incredibly harsh environment, and Carpe Iter points out that even military drop tests and waterproofing standards aren’t always enough. If any device is positioned out from behind the screen and is exposed to enough heavy rain at high speeds (you could be blasting water into it at 70mph+), it could suffer issues.

While the V4C is fully sealed, and I’ve tested it by immersing it in water and using it in the rain, you must ensure the port seals (which can be a little awkward to open) are fully seated and pushed firmly in to be truly water-tight. If ever they were damaged though, they can be easily replaced with spares from Carpe Iter.

As with any device, try to locate it behind the bike’s screen to avoid those potentially high pressure water jets, but over nearly two years of use now, I’ve had no problems whatsoever.

The V4C is a seriously rugged device – far more resilient than is needed for most of us – and for those riding hard off-road it’s got the spec that should see it keeping you on the right track in even the toughest environments.

The case is thick on the Carpe Iter V4C, but that, along with the alloy internal chassis, helps it stand up to knocks and scrapes easily. Including repeatedly dropping it onto concrete…

Accuracy and ease of navigation

Thanks to the dedicated GPS chip, the Carpe Iter V4C is extremely accurate – usually under 1m – while the ease of navigation will depend on the software you choose to use. If you only travel UK roads using standard nav apps on a phone you might not often notice any inaccuracies as a lot use ‘snap to road’ features, but when riding off-road it can be really important. Equally, if you’re riding trails near main roads, that snap-to feature can be irritating. You’re still at the mercy of the scale of mapping and of course how accurately it’s drawn, but a dedicated device like this is almost always more accurate than a phone.

If all you want is to get from A to B on motorways as quicky as possible, then Google maps is all you need and this device is probably overkill. However, the whole point of using a rugged motorcycle tablet for navigation is to have access to a huge range of apps, and to find the one that works best for you. Locus and OsmAnd of course can do excellent turn-by-turn navigation, and with Calimoto offering the best winding routes of any software or device I’ve tried, I have everything I need here in a very clear, easy to use package.

Another option is using the tablet for rally roadbooks, and software is included for this (or downloadable). It’s not something I’ve ever tried, but a lot of owners do make good use of it.

Additional features

The V4C’s built-in speaker is fine for general use and even watching movies, but it’s not up there with the best smartphones (which also cost a lot more in many cases). Still, Bluetooth headphones work great (I used this tablet to watch films on a long-haul flight), or you can use the 3.5mm port as long as your cans don’t have an unduly large plug as the aperture isn’t very big. Mine fit fine.

A 13MP camera is fitted to the rear, with a 5MP one on the front. As you’d expect of a rugged tablet these don’t have any image stabilisation, but they’re also poor quality by today’s standards. If you desperately need a photo of something they’ll get you out of trouble, but the chances are that your smartphone will give far better results. Still, it’s infinitely better than having no camera on a Garmin or TomTom!

The SOS button that sits next to the camera button displays key info like allergies, blood type and emergency contacts, though the tablet needs to be unlocked for emergency responders to see it. Whether they’d find the button is questionable though.

As long as you have a SIM installed you can use the tablet as a phone too, which could be valuable in an emergency. It also gives you the option of only your partner, for instance, having that number and being able to contact you while you’re on the bike.

Another potentially useful feature for BMW owners is having the Hex GS911 software on the Carpe Iter, which means you can run the diagnostics kit quickly and easily from anywhere.

Here you can see the Chigee AIO-6 running the same software as the V4C

Battery life

The Carpe Iter V4C’s large 9,650mAh battery provides plenty of power for normal use and hours of viewing when on a plane. When navigating, if the screen is on full brightness it’ll draw more power of course, but based on my measurements using AccuBattery, this is the tablet’s approximate current draw while also running OsmAnd:

Realistically, a fully charged tablet will easily last all day indoors, but as the screen brightness increases, expect anywhere between about five and 12 hours of use, depending on the conditions and software being used.

The tablet can be charged via USB, but Carpe Iter says you must use the included (two pin, so you’ll need an adaptor in the UK) 2A charger. The reason for this is that, while unlikely, using a defective or cheap charger with higher current capability (like a PD or QC3.0 charger) could damage the tablet’s USB port. I mistakenly used my Omnicharge Mobile 12,800 PD power bank with no issues, but it should be avoided. Any good quality standard USB charger up to 2A should be fine, and is what I use, but generally you’ll be unlikely to need to charge the tablet off the bike much.

The sprung pogo pins of the 'Active' bracket provide power to the tablet, just like on a Garmin or TomTom

For most road riders, the active mounting bracket will supply the 2A pulled by the tablet reliably via the pogo pins when mounted to the bike. This can vary, and depending on how bright the screen needs to be charging can be fairly slow but it’s still usually gently topping up the battery. With the screen at maximum brightness, navigating a route in OsmAnd, and streaming music from Plex the current draw varies between 1,789mA and 2,206. In Ultra Bright Mode at full power, with the same software running the current draw is between 1,998mA and 2,566mA, so if you push the screen hard the tablet could be pulling a little more than the power supply can deliver. Theoretically this could mean it loses up to around 500mA per hour, but that’d still mean it could last 19 hours from a full charge, and I’ve yet to ride in conditions that see it not slowly reach and maintain a full battery.

If the going gets really tough or wet, the pogo pins might not provide a reliable enough connection (this isn’t an issue I’ve found on the road), but the M8 connector gives a totally dependable supply if ever needed. It’s not higher power than the pogo pins, but vibration, moisture and dirt won’t affect it.

For tougher environments, the V4C has a waterproof M8 charging port that connects to a cable on the cradle

In extremely hot conditions (even British summers) many lithium-ion batteries will stop charging, but overheating shouldn’t be an issue with the V4C and certainly users even in central Africa have found it fine. Leave it baking in the sun at a standstill and it might get hot, but with the airflow over the device while you ride there should be no issues.

USB ports are not suitable for wet or high-vibration areas, so the one fitted to the Carpe Iter is only for topping the battery up if you need to when off the bike. There’s also no wireless charging capability, but this can cause overheating very easily – I’ve had my phone fail to charge via wireless in the UK, and it’s a very inefficient method.

Customer support

Carpe Iter is a very small company, so don’t expect a call-centre to be on hand 24/7 for an immediate response. Having said that, before I bought my Carpe Iter Adventure Control I had a question so used the company’s support ticket system to raise it during the evening, hoping for a reply in a day or so. I got my answer within an hour.

It is important to understand that there are some Facebook groups related to the tablet but they’re not owned or monitored by Carpe Iter, so they’re not suitable for technical support.

Earlier this year I had a connection issue with my Carpe Iter BMW Control, and again used the ticket system. The agent I dealt with was very helpful, working out what the issue was and quickly helping me resolve it.

The instruction manual supplied with the V4C tablet is very well written and easy to follow, so do use it as almost everything is covered there. You can download the Carpe Iter instruction manual here in 12 different languages and it’s worth a look before buying to get a more full understanding of the device.

If you do have a question though, check out the FAQs here, or use the Carpe Iter Support ticket system here.

Five alternatives to the Carpe Iter V4C

If you’re looking for clear and tough navigation on your bike there are a few other options to consider too…

• Samsung Galaxy Active Tab, £509 | Some riders use the Samsung, which is available very cheap second hand, but bear in mind that the Active Tab 2, for instance, won’t go past Android 9. This doesn’t matter for OsmAnd or Locus, but Calimoto demands Android 11. The Active Tab 3 is popular too and supports up to Android 13 and is available fairly cheaply online, however the battery capacity of the Active Tabs is almost half that of the Carpe Iter, and the 8” 1920x1200 pixel screen’s brightness is only 600 nits. The new Active Tab 5 has 128GB internal memory, but you’ll need to source or make a suitable mounting bracket. Charging is via pogo pins or USB, but be prepared to have to find a way to seal the USB cable in harsh environments. I’ve not used the Samsung tablet so can’t compare it directly to the Carpe Iter beyond the spec.

• Thork DMD-T865X, £825.30 with mount | This tablet comes preinstalled with DMD2, but can also run other apps being an Android 14 device. Internal storage is 64GB, it accepts a removable SD card, has an 8,000mAh battery and 1,400 nit 1280x800 pixel 8” screen. I’ve not used the Thork DMD tablet so can’t compare it directly to the Carpe Iter beyond the spec.

• Garmin Tread Overland, £1,119,99 | The Garmin Tread Overland is a costly piece of kit that’s really intended for use in cars, but it can be fitted to bikes and has an 8” screen in a rugged body. You can’t install your own navigation software (or anything else), and it doesn’t work as a phone, but it’s the top-end of dedicated sat-navs. I’ve not used the Garmin Tread Overland so can’t compare it directly to the Carpe Iter beyond the spec.

• Garmin XT2, £529.99. At the time of this review the Garmin XT2 is arguably the best totally dedicated motorcycle sat-nav (TomTom has gone very quiet), but of course it doesn’t have the versatility (or screen size) of the Carpe Iter V4C, and it isn’t compatible with bar-mounted controllers. Still, it’s bright, tough and relatively simple to use. You can read the full review of the Garmin XT2 here.

• Android Auto / Apple Carplay device, around £150-£450 | There are various devices from Chigee, Carpuride and Aoocci with screens up to 7” that potentially offer good value for money. Just keep in mind though that Android Auto and Apple Carplay units leave your phone to do all the work, so if anything happens to that you’ve got no navigation. A large number of apps work on these devices, including OsmAnd and Locus, but they don’t always have full functionality. Calimoto is also not available for Android Auto. They’ll keep your phone out of harm’s way though, and can be a good solution for many riders. Read the full review of the Chigee AIO-6 here.

You can find all the motorcycle sat-navs we’ve tested here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership.

I love exploring with a map open on the tablet, but there’s a huge choice of navigation software available to you

Carpe Iter V4C tablet review: Verdict

There are of course cheaper options when it comes to navigation, but the Carpe Iter V4C is extremely rugged, with a large capacity battery and a crisp screen than can go extremely bright if you need it to.

This is a serious piece of kit for the rider who wants the ultimate in motorcycle navigation. It’s not just for adventure riders either – while it’ll run software that’s perfect for exploring way off the beaten track anywhere in the world, it’s also absolutely superb for exploring the back-roads of Britain, or just getting to your next meeting. It’s honestly transformed my rides.

I’m off to Spain with Helen next year, and the Carpe Iter will be key to navigating the routes I plan around the north of the country. If you can afford it, and there’s space for it on your bike, I thoroughly recommend the V4C.

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“I use one” Peter Livsey

“I've had a Carpe Iter pad for a couple of years have used it for adventure riding across America, Africa and Europe on various bikes with no problems through -5°C in Norway and 50°C in Nevada. I've also raced digital roadbook with it and been involved in several spectacular crashes.

“I chose it because it seemed to be the best all-inclusive system at the time, complete with a mounting, charging and bar-mounted control solution. This was convenient without having to research and find a tablet, and a bracket, then figure out a waterproof charging method before finding some kind of controller that would work.

“Software I use includes DMD2, Google Maps, OsmAnd, YouTube YouTube Music, WhatsApp, and Digital Road Book navigation software. Mine is still on Android 9 and I haven’t bothered updating it as everything works perfectly.

“It’s proven tough, versatile and reliable, and the support has always sorted my issues in good time via the ticket system. The unit is still going strong!”

“This is a seriously solid bit of kit” Ben Cordy.

I use my Carpe Iter V4B tablet for on- and off-road navigation, as a data dashboard and for general browsing while away on two-wheeled adventures. It’s seen all weather conditions and been subject to bouncing around in luggage, work rucksacks and around various campsites. Its rugged design is more than just appearance… it’s proven immensely durable with no signs of damage.

As a daily iPad Pro user I was impressed how well the Carpe Iter stacked up, functioning smoothly even with quite complex tasks and multiple processes running at once. This is impressive given its relatively modest internal specifications. It’s not had a problem with recording/tracking a route while also providing navigation, playing music and displaying GPS speed, location and journey information.

I have had some connectivity issues with Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS each having an occasional blip, but these were resolved with a mixture of trial and error and assistance from the extensive support documents available on Carpe Iter website. The customer support team has been very responsive in the past too, when seeking help with my older Carpe Iter products.

The mounting hardware is really well put together – along with the Carpe Iter short bracket the tablet is perfectly positioned to within glancing distance while not in the way on my Honda CB500X.

I've absolutely loved the flexibility of using different mapping and dashboard applications appropriate to the riding I'm doing. I'll often make use of Google Maps or Waze for functional journeys from A to B, switching to Calimoto, Kurviger or other mapping apps for more adventurous journeys or to discover new roads. The chance to run whatever software fits your need in any given moment is fantastic and the Carpe Iter  acts as a perfect base for this. I've tried 10 or more mapping apps, multiple 'dashboard' style software with everything from basic functionality to full OBD connection and features. The tablet has handled these apps flawlessly without any lagging, crashing or any other issues. I really love the idea of not being bound to any one manufacturer’s maps or software, and to have the future-proofing of being able to install alternatives at will.

If you want to just open a box, turn on a device and hit go for a destination, this probably isn’t for you. It does require some fettling and it’s not necessarily a ‘simple’ solution initially, but then again it’s a product aimed at the adventurous… and for that it’s ideal.