GPS, YES or NO on a motorcycle

[scooter trash]

There are those that would say a GPS has no place on a motorcycle and most of the time I would have to agree. I mean the reason we ride is to get away, to freely roam where we may. However, there are times when time is at a premium and roaming is not an option.

Case in point. My wife only has two weeks vacation a year. We live in Virginia Beach, VA and want to go to Sturgis, South Dakota (not for bike week). Here is what we did and what we accomplished in 7 days (two days flying and 5 days riding).

Contacted SD department of tourism. They sent catalog of all the places to see, stay, eat whatever in SD. Wife and I go through catalog highlight interests. Set addresses in GPS with hotel in Rapid City as “HOME”.

In seven days we flew out to Rapid City, SD, rented a motorcycle and rode 844 miles in 5 days seeing everything on our lists plus some then fly back to Virginia.

Now the beauty of the GPS was that we never got lost and never wasted time finding something and had a beautiful riding experience. The landscape and scenery was magnificent. Plus we were able to roam when we wanted because all we had to do was hit “HOME” and the GPS would take us back to the hotel. I hate back tracking. So when we got to our last destination for the day I would take off on an interesting road for a while then turn on the GPS and hit “HOME”. It would take us back to the hotel.

Everyday riding back and forth to work, riding on the weekends, NO, why waste the money. However, if time is your enemy and you need to get there and see as much as possible then I would have to say YES.

What do you say???.

[PaulVS]

I have one... but I bought a cheapie that doesn't have a motorcycle mount available.

So I keep it in my jacket pocket, and for those days when I 'wander' and get a little lost... I have it there to put me straight again.... not while I'm riding, of course.   

[pmackie]

I'm an old "Map" guy, so I try to research the area I'm going to ride in to find the best "Motorcycle Roads" and then plan it out on a map. It make me feel comfortable seeing the route on a map. However, having a GPS c/w mapping software is having maps for ALL the areas, so I can see the advantages of it.

What I don't like is that most GPS units only have a small screen (compared to unfolding a map) and don't always let you zoom out and keep the details. Someone in our group usually has a GPS unit, so combined with the maps, that's the best of both worlds.

[PitterB4]

Way back when I used to get out and ride for fun...  I had a riding buddy that had one.  He didn't have a m/c specific mount for it.  He just kept it in the map pocket of his tank bag and used an earpiece to hear it.  It was great because we could ride areas we both knew a little but set it to avoid all highways and it helped us discover some cool back roads.  It was also useful helping us get "unlost" a couple times too.  I was a big fan. 

[97af]

I've got one on the Venture and ONLY use it if I'm really lost. I almost got myself in trouble on a back road where the road met another road at its arc.
Well at night it looked like it it just flowed right into the road like a T...Well it didnt.The intersection was like a J and I I almost went enduroing on an 800lb motorcycle. My problem was paying too close attention to the not quite right mapping software on the GPS and not what the road was doing.
Highway driving is probably a little safer using it but after the close one,I just leave it off unless absolutely neccesary.

[bigrus]

On my must have wish list 

[Sven]

I wouldn't use one on a regular basis, because like many other riders, I pick roads based on good riding (low traffic, scenic, curvy, etc.)

But it would be good to have one so that when you are on some back highway and can't figure out where that connecting road shown on the map is Bumf*ck County Road 567 is (and it turns out to be Mumford-Daisy Road three miles back), it would be handy.  My Blackberry has some sort of rudimetnary GPS service, but try rolling a trackball and pushing those TINY buttons with gloves on, while riding...

I did have one on my rental bike in Los Angeles last month, and it was handy trying to navigate the kludge of roads that make up I-5.  But trying to read it while buzzing along at 70MPH was dicey, too.

[Dragbike]

My Blackberry has some sort of rudimetnary GPS service, but try rolling a trackball and pushing those TINY buttons with gloves on, while riding...

I have some frends that have that on their Blackberry and other cell phones,,, the cell phones only use cell towers to triangle the position and is pretty good for city.... bad for bumphuck anywhere. That is why Garmen is getting into the cell phone business next year.
Last Nov. while at the Pig Trail in AR. a friends battery went dead.. "I have had it 5 years now got to be the problem". Ok, I drive 47 miles to Fayetteville, AR (one way) to find one, I get back and the guys said.....while you where gone Rick had a new GPS on his bike and it told them there was a Wal-Mart just 12 miles south (the other direction) at Ozark, AR.
 
I said "Next time Rick needs to tell me and/or learn how to use this thing before hand!
Point........... I think they would be good to have, just in case!
See Ya
Brent

[Sven]

while at the Pig Trail in AR. a friends battery went dead.. there was a Wal-Mart just 12 miles south

Ha ha!  On the Pig Trail, you're never more than 12 miles from a Walmart!   (And let's avoid jokes about pigs and Walmart customers...)

[97af]

I have some frends that have that on their Blackberry and other cell phones,,, the cell phones only use cell towers to triangle the position and is pretty good for city.... bad for bumphuck anywhere. That is why Garmen is getting into the cell phone business next year.

Brent,
Not entirely true. I use a bluetooth GPS receiver that sends positioning data to my Palm 700wx. I went with the Bluetooth GPS because I didnt want the big Garmin,Tom-Tom,ect... units and no monthly charges from the cell company.I throw the reciever in a jacket pocket and it you dont have to worry about it. Battery lasts all day (about 10hrs) and recharges with a cig lighter adapter. You need to have a phone that has a Windows operating system on it and then you're off to the races with your choice of mapping software.
This is my receiver. The picture doesnt do justice to how small it really is.Only about as long as size 9 fingers.

http://www.globalsat.com.tw/eng/product_detail_00000076.htm

[aussiebandit]

You know it's strange, I'm the Systems Administrator for the business I work for, yet I flatly refuse to use a GPS, I much prefer to read on old fashioned paper map and 'study' the route before I leave, ok yes sometimes I print said map off a website.

Having said that, I have recently used a GPS to check the speedo on my wifes M750 because I suspected it was somewhat out, and I found out it's further out than I thought.

GPS - 50km  Speedo - 55km
GPS - 60km  Speedo - 65-70km
GPS - 80km  Speedo - 90km

[Sven]

You know it's strange, I'm the Systems Administrator for the business I work for, yet I flatly refuse to use a GPS

This would be an ever better assertion if you worked for a GPS manufacturer!

[Vidrazor]

I have a Magellan Roadmate 2200 GPS I got a little over a year ago for $250. I think the best use for it is when you've wandered for quite a bit and are low on gas (or maybe hit your reserves, if your bike has one), but it has other good uses as well, as when you want to find food of any kind (Italian, Chinese, etc.) or lodging.

The 2200 is great 'cause it's waterproof to IPX-4 spec, which basically means you can ride in the rain with it, if you happen to be in such a situation.

However, riding with one of these suckers on your bike is, if you're not cognizant, an invitation to an accident. After I almost rode into X object for the third time trying to follow the map did I finally realize I better rethink how to use one of those suckers.

That aside, it's best, in my opinion, to use one as a last resort when you've had one hell of a great day and rode yourself into the middle of nowhere, and probably don't really have a good handle of where the hell you are. I mean, what's the point of riding by one of these things anyway? Kinda takes away some of the reason we ride, no?

If you plan a ride well, getting that lost should rarely happen however. Personally I like working with a good printed map before I go out because you can not only get a big picture of what and where, but it places you in a better navigational head. I think it makes for better seat of the pants navigation if you've scoped out the lay of the land on a map. You can't do that on a GPS.

That said, there's no denying the benefit of having one on hand. Highly recommended. Unfortunately the 2200T is no longer sold and Magellan makes no more IPX-4 spec units. The only unit like that today is the overpriced Garmin Zumo series, although they're finally coming a bit more down to earth. I think that when it comes to getting a motorcycle GPS the only game in town is one that's waterproof, and right now unfortunately the Zumos' are the only game in town, save for a few stray 2200Ts like this one: http://tinyurl.com/cjzd3b

[aussiebandit]

You know it's strange, I'm the Systems Administrator for the business I work for, yet I flatly refuse to use a GPS

This would be an ever better assertion if you worked for a GPS manufacturer!

Sorry this is off topic, but in my youth I worked for Winchester making ammo, but never went shooting, that was until I left there and joined the Air Force.  I was in the Air Force for 13 years and only flew 3 times.  I now work for a transport company and have never driven a truck.....

[DaveG]

i keep mine in my pocket
only use it to find my way home