GPS, YES or NO on a motorcycle

[Dragbike]

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

Cool I will check it out and tell some friends..............Thanks 
Brent

[Vlad]

It's a no-brainer for me, because:

- Less time spent reading paper maps = more time spent riding.
- Planning trips is waaaay easier.
- I'm never lost, even if I have no idea where I am.
- Provides the accurate log of my travels. I can superimpose those logs on Google Maps or Google Earth and share them with other people.
- I can import other people's GPS logs and follow in their footsteps.
- Provides geo-tagging for all the pictures I take on the road. I'll never forget where I've taken a picture again. Check this photo location for an example: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/r05NQmCPRNM0eXeUyDgmMA?feat=directlink
- Gives me cool statistics of my travels, such as altitude profiles, time spent moving, average speeds, etc. Example here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vBfkP5efM88g5mnO2zDXPA?feat=directlink
- With some practice and care GPS can be used as a heads up display when the visibility is impaired (blind corner, fog, etc.).

There's more, but these are the major points. I have omitted the obvious reasons for using a GPS, like quickly finding the nearest Outback Stakehouse in Vegas to have dinner before your flight back home.

I have a Garmin E-Trex Vista HcX and use it for hiking, driving, motorcycle and bicycle riding. It's compact, light and portable. Runs on two AA rechargeable batteries for more than 24 hours (generic USB power supplies work for car/bike). It has a micro SD slot, and one 2GB card can hold the entire US/Canada detailed map and months worth of track logs. No voice prompts or Bluetooth, but it's a good trade-off for price and portability.

[scooter trash]

Well there you have it. Some say yes and some say no. Some say they have it but not on the bike and some say it’s the only way to go. I say whatever you feel comfortable with is the thing for you. Paper or plastic so to speak.  Like I said in the beginning I think it’s a waste when you want to get lost and are out trying to find yourself just aimlessly riding. But if you have a time table and an agenda, it’s the only way to go. Vlad even takes it to a whole different level than just finding your way to a destination.

Thanks for the comments. This is a pretty good thread.

I never get lost. I have been misplaced more times than I care to mention.

[China Greg]

GPS -
No, thanks. One of the best parts of biking is getting lost and finding new territory.

Maybe unless the ride is purely functional that day

[Vlad]

GPS - No, thanks. One of the best parts of biking is getting lost and finding new territory.

That's a wrong reason for avoiding GPS. GPS will not prevent you from getting lost if you want to. It will just give you an opportunity to find your way when you need to and it will also help you to "find new territory". In the mean time you can use it for many other purposes I mentioned before without ever having to see where you are or where you are going.

Bottom line: GPS will not ruin your riding experience, but it's up to you how much (if at all) it will enhance it.

[snofrog]

here`s mine
http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10106

[H2RICK]

Sorry, but a GPS is not required on my bike(s). One more gadget, I do not need. Heck, I don't even have a cell phone.
Paper maps do it for me. Stick the appropriate map in the window on the top of my tank bag and I'm good for the day. Paper maps never have bad batteries or signal outages.
As a famous man once said on another board (or maybe it was this board): I don't get lost. I investigate alternate destinations.

[snofrog]

Sorry, but a GPS is not required on my bike(s). One more gadget, I do not need. Heck, I don't even have a cell phone.
Paper maps do it for me. Stick the appropriate map in the window on the top of my tank bag and I'm good for the day. Paper maps never have bad batteries or signal outages.
As a famous man once said on another board (or maybe it was this board): I don't get lost. I investigate alternate destinations.

I certainly dont consider it as required equipment but it does come in very handy . I also use it on my snowmobile in the U.P. of Michigan . more than once it has come to the rescue with local food and gas stops in unknown territory

[PaulVS]

GPS - No, thanks. One of the best parts of biking is getting lost and finding new territory.

That's a wrong reason for avoiding GPS. GPS will not prevent you from getting lost if you want to. It will just give you an opportunity to find your way when you need to and it will also help you to "find new territory". In the mean time you can use it for many other purposes I mentioned before without ever having to see where you are or where you are going.

Bottom line: GPS will not ruin your riding experience, but it's up to you how much (if at all) it will enhance it.

I agree.

Like I said, I keep mine in my jacket pocket... only taking it on 'long trips to nowhere'.

When I don't need it, I don't see it.... but if there's an area I'm curious about exploring.... I can pull it out and get a birds-eye view of what roads might be interesting... and which ones will be dead-ends.

It also came in particularly helpful last summer when I was out riding with my brother-in-law.  We had just split up to return to our respective homes, and I got caught in an unexpected downpour.  I was a little unsure of my surroundings since we had done a 3 hour wandering/meandering trip in an unfamilar area

I pulled into a covered gas station, pulled out the GPS... and figured the quickest way back.

Still got soaked though.   

[CWO4GUNNER]

For me anyway its all a question need based on actual usefulness. Being a dirt bike and trail rider I know the need for a GPS where even occasionally traveled unmarked trails can change and the ability to distinguish their crossing in the middle of the wilderness is difficult without a GPS. This sheds allot of light on the "must have" attitude that has gotten us all in trouble and now supposedly requires a "social mutual bailout". So no for me its is plainly evident that GPS use for fully marked, mapped and paved roads, highways and cities, is nothing more then gizmo jewelry.

[PaulVS]

For me anyway its all a question need based on actual usefulness. Being a dirt bike and trail rider I know the need for a GPS where even occasionally traveled unmarked trails can change and the ability to distinguish their crossing in the middle of the wilderness is difficult without a GPS. This sheds allot of light on the "must have" attitude that has gotten us all in trouble and now supposedly requires a "social mutual bailout". So no for me its is plainly evident that GPS use for fully marked, mapped and paved roads, highways and cities, is nothing more then gizmo jewelry.

So by that logic... you also don't own:

A cell phone
A DVD player or VCR
An FM radio
A vehicle with A/C
A calculator
A flat-panel TV
or... a computer?

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Its never easy to face the truth or to stay on topic when faced with it. 

Posted by: PaulVS
So by that logic... you also don't own:

A cell phone
A DVD player or VCR
An FM radio
A vehicle with A/C
A calculator
A flat-panel TV
or... a computer?

 
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