Thork Racing: A Rugged Navigation Ecosystem
The DMD2 navigation unit and mobile application has recently become very popular among motorcyclists. I wrote about the application and its user interface in the Dec ‘23 issue. Thork Racing, the company behind DMD2, used to work with another vendor, Carpe Iter, as a complementary business partner. The latter provided the head unit device, joystick controller, and mounts, while Thork Racing handled the DMD2 Android application.
The two firms’ business paths separated about a year ago. Carpe Iter continued working with hardware, focusing on selling motorcycle navigation units and accessories. Any Android-based navigation application, including DMD2, can run on these devices. Meanwhile, Thork Racing has vastly expanded its offerings with a comprehensive suite of products that combines hardware, software, and cloud-based solutions. The company’s current catalog includes two kinds of rugged head units, joystick controllers, OBD2 Bluetooth dongles, and various mounts. Effectively, Thork Racing and Carpe Iter are now rivals, but the former has a strong advantage due to its software with more than 200,000 downloads.
Yet, healthy competition is only good for the consumers, since it encourages innovation, better value, and lower prices.
DMD2 Head Units
The DMD2 app used to be a standalone app with a subscription model for different plugins, particularly the maps. You can still install the application on almost any latest-generation Android phone or tablet (there’s no Apple version at the moment). However, if you buy a DMD2 device, the DMD2 app is included, with the plugins enabled and an unlimited update policy without any recurring costs, which is an attractive deal.
The DMD2 head units come in two variants:
1. T665: A smartphone-sized device with a 5.7-inch screen
2. T865: A phablet-sized device with an eight-inch screen
Both units run the same Android 12 operating system with virtually identical software. They are rugged with military-grade specifications (MIL-STD-810G) that include a thick protection frame, strong glass, waterproof sealing (IP67), and resistance against impacts, vibrations, and other abuse that motorcycle riding can cause. There are other bells and whistles as well, such as support for multiple satellite navigation systems with a highly accurate GPS processor, 4G wireless cellular support, dual SIMs, and bright screens for daylight viewing.
The units come with the DMD2 app preinstalled as the default home screen. You don’t have to install or configure anything—turn on the unit and DMD2 will automatically start as if it is a standalone navigation unit. Once connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile data network, you can download maps for free and without limitations, for any region of the world. After downloading, the maps will become available for offline navigation.
T665: The Off-Road Workhorse
The T665 is the smaller head unit model in Thork Racing’s lineup. One of the special features of this, and other DMD2 units, is the built-in mounting system. The T665 comes out of the box with a robust metal mount that has a magnetic area in its base. When the unit is close enough to the base, it snaps on firmly, aligns automatically, and stays in place with mechanical spring-loaded latches.