[BDMastiff]

I'm wondering why people put a GPS on their bikes. I ride an average of 20K a year and I've never had a use for one. I know all of the roads in So. Calif. and I always map out my route when I do a big road trip. I've ridden thousands of miles using an Auto Club fold out map and it always works. I guess it's also part of the adventure of a road trip (for me). So, I'm not knocking people who use a GPS and I assume that most of us know the areas where we ride on a regular basis. Comments please.

 

[Dead Bird Dog]

For general riding around your home area you don't need one. However on long road trips they are infinitely superior to paper maps. Maps don't give you locations of hotels and gas stations. Maps don't show all the roads either...unless you want to carry a whole bag of them. I wouldn't even think about long-distance touring without one.

 

[BillyBob]

Since I'm not from Mississippi, but Live here now, I get lost a lot. Some of these roads lead nowhere and who wants to be stuck --down by Bobby's house when the gas runs out

 

[DED HD]

I rarely use it on my bike. If I know where Im going or someone Im riding with knows where they are going its not needed.
but if im supposed to meet up with people somewhere I have never been to
i will use it as it shows more detail of the area.
Also I like to be able to know in advance where the next turn is.
It doesnt replace a map, it just tells me where I need to turn.

 

[ScooterDog]

If my GPS says I'll reach my destination in 3 hours, I try to beat it. Fun!

 

[ThunderBueller]

Well because when I visited CA these last two years a lot of the roads we were on weren't in the map. And not being local we wouldn't know if they turned to gravel or not or even where they ended up and being we're on a trip it's kind of nice to not waste a lot of time backtracking or getting lost. GPS is a tool like any other, why NOT use one? I don't get this anti-GPS bias, what's the big deal? Why care whether or not someone uses it? Some of us aren't afraid of technology and have embraced it for the better. I know my riding buds who gave me crap about it at first sure have come to appreciate it over the years as I've led them down some pretty cool roads they had no idea existed.

 

[Dead Bird Dog]

I agree...but will add the caveat that GPS does not distinguish between paved roads that turn to gravel halfway down and fully paved roads. Trust me on that one.

 

[doc]

I always get a lot of flack from my riding buds until............we went for a ride from MI to the Bear Tooth and took a lot of two lanes along the way. Guess who was usually leading the way. They are handy when you're running low on fuel and you need to know where the next gas stop is.

 

[ThunderBueller]

I agree...but will add the caveat that GPS does not distinguish between paved roads that turn to gravel halfway down and fully paved roads. Trust me on that one.

So far so good. In my preferences for routing in the Garmin software I chose avoid gravel and so far it has. I still research my routes but the info is only as good as a state reports. It will be getting harder to just wing it for awhile as a few states like ND are de-paving some rural highways. Like I said, GPS is a tool, it's not perfect but it's a great help and helps me maximize the time we have on our trips.

The first year I went with the guys I ride with they stuck to main roads all the time. That's boring. Now that I'm doing the routing we have a lot of turns and it would suck to have to keep stopping to check the Delorme atlas to keep on track.

 

[ThunderBueller]

They are handy when you're running low on fuel and you need to know where the next gas stop is.

Oh man that feature has been really great!!

 

[ROADEAGLE]

I like the back roads that GPS cannot locate

 

[ThunderBueller]

I like the back roads that GPS cannot locate

If they're in the mapping software it will locate them. Garmin's damn near has goat trails from what I've seen. Most GPS' are made to either send you on the shortest or quickest routes because that's useful for most people. To counter that I use the software and pre-load a trip route that uses the roads I want to go on and that has included gravel a time or two, on purpose.

 

[Dead Bird Dog]

It's pretty hard to beat Garmin. My Nuvi 765T has performed flawlessly. I've yet to see any roads that you could actually ride on that weren't on it. Of course I keep the maps updated so that makes a real difference.

I wish the OEM GPS in my Silverado was as good as the Garmin....

 

[TracyB]

Averaging about the same miles as you BD, we havent had the need for one either. Everything gets mapped out before hand. We carry the truckers version road atlas that lists rest stops and gas stations just in case we need to refer to it. When on secondary roads, finding a gas station has never been a problem.

 

[dres22]

I like toys and a GPS is another toy. However when I went to the HD 205th annivesity I stayed in Chicago and made the trip back and forth everyday. getting out of downtown at night was a serious pain with criss-crossing highways and exits everywhere. My budys GPS was so nice as it tells you where to go. I now have my Garmin from my car with me when I ride and use it when needed. I just plug it into the cigerret lighter and suction it to my windshield.

 

[dklanecky]

I'm wondering why people put a GPS on their bikes. I ride an average of 20K a year and I've never had a use for one. I know all of the roads in So. Calif. and I always map out my route when I do a big road trip. I've ridden thousands of miles using an Auto Club fold out map and it always works. I guess it's also part of the adventure of a road trip (for me). So, I'm not knocking people who use a GPS and I assume that most of us know the areas where we ride on a regular basis. Comments please.

You know how we Harley riders always say, if I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand? GPS is (IMO) similar to this. Once you get one and start using it, it becomes as much a part of the ride as almost any other part of the bike.

I told myself when I got my first one (Nuvi 550), that I wouldn't use it except for the road trips and then only in an emergency. HA!

Now I make sure it's with me and in it's little cradle, and powered up all the time. It tells me the speed liimit (in case I forget), it tells me what my choices are for gas stations, and exactly where they are, and how long it will take me to get anywhere in the US.

My new Zumo 665 also has the XM radio built in, and I use the XM Weather, and XM traffic too. It has unfortunately become almost indispensible for me.

I realize everybody has different levels of acceptance for technology, but as someone above said, it's a tool that greatly increase my enjoyment of the ride.

 

[BDMastiff]

Thanks for the replies. I've never had a use or a desire for one but I now understand why some people do.

Averaging about the same miles as you BD, we havent had the need for one either. Everything gets mapped out before hand. We carry the truckers version road atlas that lists rest stops and gas stations just in case we need to refer to it. When on secondary roads, finding a gas station has never been a problem.

When I do a road trip part of the fun is whipping out the map on the side of the road or while eating. It's also a part of the adventure to get lost and go down a road I wouldn't normally travel. I'm never in a hurry on road trips and usually end up reaching my destinations after the sun goes down.

 

[ROADEAGLE]

There are back roads in VA. all I can say is my buddy had a GPS and the roads did not come up might have been his GPS but nice to see a tech geek
ponder ..... Where are we?

 

[dklanecky]

It's also a part of the adventure to get lost and go down a road I wouldn't normally travel. I'm never in a hurry on road trips and usually end up reaching my destinations after the sun goes down.

I'm with you.

That's one of my favorite uses for the GPS. I always plan my route ahead of time, and then load it into the GPS. As I ride, if I see something that looks interesting, maybe just a sign for a tourist attraction, or maybe it's just a road that looks interesting, I can jump on it, and go exploring, for as long as I want to.

The GPS always knows exactly where I'm at, and more importantly, how to get me back on my original track, no matter how far off track I wander. Trust me when I say, I wander off track a lot too.

They are also portable, and (some are) battery powered, so they can go in the diner with you just as easily as the map can go.

 

[Grizzled Wizard]

Better road choices + more efficient = more fun

Got my 1st GPS a year and a half ago. I don't carry many maps anymore. I plan longer trips out on Harley trip map site and down load to GPS. It made my trip out to Great Smokies area from Wisconsin perfect. I found all the twisties ahead of time and did not fool around trying to find those roads after getting there. also, as other have said its slick for gas stops, hotels, etc as those are pre-loaded on the GPs by the manufacturer. Its fun to check elevation sometimes. It allows one to plan a trip for maximum time and mileage vs. just winging it, which can be ok sometimes too. I beleive the GPSers will generally get far better routes than those on their own when on strange roads. No one uses it on the home turf where they know it all already. Now I use it in the car too to make destination locating easy on the fly and efficient. I like it a lot when going to larger cities. It is kind of like having other improved equipment, which gets better over the years. Good boots, good rain suit, good seat, good helmet, good oils, good tires, good maps (or even a good GPS!). Of course, one can still get there the old way with a 1965 model Honda, tennis shoes and granny glasses, and its nice to see the vintage hardware and practices. I felt the same way as you did until I thought about all the maps to carry and read on the highway in the rain. Then I got the Road Glide and knew there had to be a better way to travel longer distances with such a road machine.