Does GPS enhance or detract from safety?

[Green RT]

I think this post belongs here. If not, a moderator will move it.

 

A couple of months ago, I was given a Garmin Zumo 550. As the streets in Colorado are finally free of ice, I have just recently had a chance to ride with it for a few days. So far, I have used it mostly for urban riding. I plug in the address I want to reach; it tells me when I will be there (a nice feature); and leads me there.

 

The Pros:

I spend less time looking for street signs and trying to read house numbers to figure out where I am. So maybe it is safer.

 

The cons:

I spend more time looking at the damn GPS.

 

I can't decide yet, whether it is a safety enhancement or a distraction.

 

Any thoughts?

[AdventurePoser]

Hi Will,

 

Glad the weather is allowing you to get out and ride. IMHO, a GPS isn't really a safety enhancement-it's just a tool to get you from A to B quickly and efficiently.

 

I think the danger with all of our electronic farkles is that we run the risk of playing with them when we should be 100% committed to the ride. While I am planning on buying a new Garmin myself, I think they can be a dangerous distraction...

 

Of course, YMMV!

Steve in So Cal

[chrisolson]

I purchased a Zumo also - never had a gps before ... around town mostly listen to mp3 or get an accurate speed reading which is good. On a trip or to an unknown town destination, I just plug in an address and let it do its thing...don't look at it much 'cause it tells me where to go - and nicely at that so I'd vote for safety enhancement.

[Mike O]

...I can't decide yet, whether it is a safety enhancement or a distraction.

 

Any thoughts?

Will,

 

Initially, I was enamored by the technology (being a gadget freak that I am) and probably focused a bit more attention at the GPS than I should have; at the expense of safety. However as time wore on, and just like most new gadgets, I find I'm far less distracted by the GPS for more than it's real intended purpose.

 

Mike O

[David]

For me it detracts from safety but enhances enjoyment, and I'm willing to make that trade off. My biggest riding mistake happened while fiddling with my 2610. It was a wake up call!

[Joel]

The cons:

I spend more time looking at the damn GPS.

 

Yup, at least until the novelty wears off. When mine was new, I found myself paying too much attention to mine, even when I knew where I was.

 

Another con is that, great as GPS is, it isn't infallible. Once mine tried to have me turn the wrong way up a one-way street (in downtown Boulder, as a matter of fact). After signaling, slowing, and starting to turn, I had to abort the turn after seeing the big red DO NOT ENTER sign. That was a dicey move in traffic.

 

One other risky situation is the potential self-incrimination of having your max speed displayed on the page you view most of the time. I was sure glad mine wasn't displayed when I got to have a little chat with a Jackson County revenue collector, er, sheriff's deputy last summer.

[Green RT]

Initially, I was enamored by the technology (being a gadget freak that I am) and probably focused a bit more attention at the GPS than I should have; at the expense of safety. However as time wore on, and just like most new gadgets, I find I'm far less distracted by the GPS for more than it's real intended purpose.

It is still a new toy, so I am still infatuated with playing with it. However, I think once the novelty wears off, I will concur with Mike and find it just useful and less a distraction.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

I've found similar experiences as noted above.

 

The interesting thing I've discovered about the GPS is that with it leading me somewhere, I tend to pay less attention to where I actually am and may not be able to find my way back without it. Whereas with a map, I usually absorb enough information to get a general understanding of the surrounding area to be able to get along without it, if need be.

 

OTOH, without the GPS's preprogrammed route, we never would have been able to cover the Oregon Backroads Discovery Trail in a reasonable amount of time. Way too many navigation decisions to have to pull out the map every time. (maybe a roll chart would have worked well)

[Agent86]

They are so damn accurate, I watched myself from a satellite run off the road.

[RichEdwards]

I think it's a personal thing. I find the GPS essential for travel. I find audio (satellite radio, iPod, etc.) a distraction. After a few minor "uh-ohs" I have learned to make big GPS adjustments after pulling off the road.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

As with any other accessory, it's a matter of prudently choosing when (and for how long) you can safely withdraw your attention from piloting the vehicle. Twisties, heavy traffic, or approaching an intersection? Keep your eyes and your mind on the road. Sparse traffic or calm road (or stopped at a signal), feel free to work with the GPS.

 

Interestingly, it's sometimes not enough to keep your eyes on the road. In the past I've tried to take CD's out of my car's radio and put them back in the case without actually looking at what I was up to. I kept my eyes on the road, but I was trying so hard to mentally visualize what I was doing with the CD that I literally watched my car veer out of its lane.

[tallman]

Extremely dangerous.

Send me yours for safekeeping.

 

I rarely look at mine if riding.

I do listen for directions and that makes it easier to get to unknown destination points, so that's safer.

If I'm in rural areas I set the scale to allow me a general preview of the upcoming road for curves and change of direction.

A useful tool.

[Albert]

I think anything that takes attention from the task at hand, namely riding, is going to be a form of distraction. I'm sure we've all seen instances where cell phones are contributing to someone's reduced ability to safely pilot a vehicle. That said, certain "distractions" we learn to manage, e.g. operating turnsignals, highbeams, etc. I think one can safely "learn" to operate a gps on a motorcycle but I also believe it can be a distraction at first.

 

My advice, if you feel your putting yourself or others in danger, is to practice operating the unit in your car. I know, I know, yes it's a distraction there too but most people are far more familiar with the operation of their cars than their bikes. Additionally, in a car, you can ask a passenger to give you feedback orally (that doesn't sound right does it?), so you don't need to take your eyes, and attention off the road. I think a gps can be one of the most useful (and fun) tools you have once you've mastered it's use without taking your eyes or attention from the road.

[pbharvey]

I bought a TomTom a week or so ago to keep in my truck. I've ran off the road twice looking at it/playing with it. I'll throw it in my tank bag on a trip but don't want the temptation to look at it while riding the bike.

[Ken H.]

Oh I think they are a distraction that degrades safety, but then a lot of the things we put on our bikes are.

 

One thing that helps though is that if your unit has the capability is to hook up the audio voice directions function. Then you are not having to look down as much.

 

But then, being lost or off route is rarely a safety issue, only an inconvenience one.

 

The other thing (not just on a GPS) that I have to fight is my unwillingness to pull over. Often I think back later and realize I would have been much more efficient if I had just pulled over for 30 seconds to change something on the GPS/XM/Intercom, than having fiddled with it for 10 miles. Being a less safe rider all the while.

[ESokoloff]

I can't decide yet, whether it is a safety enhancement or a distraction.

 

Any thoughts?

 

It's both.

Just depends on how you use it.

[Stan Walker]

I think the degree of risk depends on where you mount the GPS.

 

Down low, below the instruments, it really takes your eyes entirely off the road.

 

Up high, above the instruments, you can still see the road and traffic activity even while glancing at the GPS.

 

It's also why I prefer a GPS with buttons over one with touchscreen. I can work the GPS by feel.

 

Stan

[AZKomet]

Just received all the mounts for mine. Gonna install it this w/e. I too am a gadget freak and don't want to spend my time looking at the thing. I think that safety is a relative issue. Do you get amped up b/c you are lost and now are trying to make your way back to a missed turn and are distracted b/c of the stress level? Or are you going to listen to the GPS and turn when you should? If in fact the GPS is at all accurate then I think it will be of great help. I have been toying with the thing in my car and having it lead me to locations I know. It has been very accurate in the routing AT TIMES. Others it has taken me a way I don't want to go but it still gets me there. I say let the novelty wear off and you'll just use it as another tool in your riding adventures!!!

[JoeV]

Great thread. Thanks.

 

My closest call last season was when slowing to

look for a street sign marking a turn in

unvamiliar territory, then speeding back up when

I realized I was not yet at the correct street.

The speed changes really got the traffic behind

me confused and lead to a very close call.

 

A GPS might have helped avoid this.

 

There are trade off in safety with and without.

 

But for me the price of a GPS can buy me a lot

of maps and lunch and a few tanks of gas and

cover a fair amount of my anual insurance...

 

[tallman]

Stan,

I disagree.

Placing it up high gives the impression it's safe to look at.

But, you're still not focusing on the road, and perhaps more likely to look at the GPS.

Both places require visual displacement of attention.

Sort of the I can ride OK after a couple of GPS's because I've done it so often.

Or, a couple of GPS's doesn't affect me, I can still ride OK.

I prefer my GPS administered aurally.

[R4ND0M_AX3]

If I'm in rural areas I set the scale to allow me a general preview of the upcoming road for curves and change of direction.

A useful tool.

I do this mostly in my car at night or in fog on unfamiliar curving roads. Being able to 'see' through the mountain is an aid.

[bross]

For me it would be a distraction, and I'm really a map guy at heart. I like to pull out the map at gas/rest stops and figure out where we're going. I also have a pretty good memory so I can look at a map and know I need to turn off at hwy ##, then watch for side road xxxyyy etc. By that time I'm ready for another stop etc. and just repeat.

 

I do carry my Sportrak handheld in case I end up really screwed. I bought the handheld mainly for dirt biking in unfamiliar places so I always know how to get back to the truck!

[NoHeat]

Everybody here seems to focus on the issue of distraction during riding, but there's another safety issue:

 

Crash safety.

 

When you go forward over the bars, it's not gonna be good if you hit hard stuff mounted above your dash. Especially if it's hard stuff that's very strong and doesn't give way.

 

I recently bought a mount that will put my GPS front center slightly above the dash, and it is made of very strong aluminum billet that is 3/8" or thicker everywhere. It's really sturdy, probably stronger than the centerstand for example.

 

It's not going to be a good day if I hit that thing.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

While going over the bars is a consideration, I submit that if you undergo deceleration sufficient to propel you over the bars, you have far more serious things to worry about than what you will hit on the way, the principle one being what you will hit just after.

 

I would rate that pretty low as things to worry about.

[2wheelterry]

Good info in these posts. I just got my 2730 mounted Sunday night, so I'll get to play with it this weekend. I have been known to pull a map from my chest pocket and read it while underway, no more of that.

[Silver Surfer/AKAButters]

I have been known to pull a map from my chest pocket and read it while underway, no more of that.

I'll bet that no one would disagree that GPS is safer than that.

[Whip]

I have been known to pull a map from my chest pocket and read it while underway, no more of that.

I'll bet that no one would disagree that GPS is safer than that.

 

I've done that....I usually end up loosing the map then my cell phone, my camera, my hat, gloves, anything I try to play with while I'm riding.

 

Louise is safe she won't let me touch her while we'er riding.

 

I haven't lost the GPS it's bolted to the bike.

 

I agree with David a little less safe, but willing to make the trade.

 

 

Whip

[NoHeat]

While going over the bars is a consideration, I submit that if you undergo deceleration sufficient to propel you over the bars, you have far more serious things to worry about than what you will hit on the way, the principle one being what you will hit just after.

 

I would rate that pretty low as things to worry about.

 

Depends on where you land afterwards. If your head hits the side of a minivan it won't matter. If instead you tumble and slide down the pavement you might survive and wish that you had hit fewer hard objects prior to landing.

 

I've seen a number of posts online from riders who reporting surviving a high side or a crash with a sedan where they had deep thigh bruises and similar injuries that they could explain only as the result of hitting the bars or windshield.

[Ken H.]

While going over the bars is a consideration, I submit that if you undergo deceleration sufficient to propel you over the bars, you have far more serious things to worry about than what you will hit on the way, the principle one being what you will hit just after.

 

I would rate that pretty low as things to worry about.

Let's see... when I crashed our RT, with my body I sheared off the tank bag, the GPS, the FRS, the windscreen, and I think - one mirror. Yup, I bet you're right, were the GPS was mounted was the least of my issues at the moment!

 

BTW, I found the GPS 200 yards down the road, still working, it had recorded its entire trajectory in the track log!

[bross]

Good info in these posts. I just got my 2730 mounted Sunday night, so I'll get to play with it this weekend. I have been known to pull a map from my chest pocket and read it while underway, no more of that.

Let's forget GPS for a minute. How many of us have map pockets on our tank bags? The stupidest thing I have done on the bike so far was trying to read a map to find out where I had to turn, and running right over a large alligator (blown truck tire). It made a really awful loud noise when I hit it, but I was fortunate, it didn't cause any damage to tires or bike. The worst part of this whole experience was Jodie was following me, and she saw the whole thing unfold, and it scared the cr@p out of her! She saw the debris coming and just kept wondering when I was going to swerve.

 

This happened on the highway I ride every day to work for the past 18 years. We just don't get debris out here like you guys do on your interstates. That is the first thing I have ever seen in the road that neeeded to be swerved around! And where am I looking? I got lulled into complacency because I had never seen anything on that road. The one time I'm not paying attention and bam!

 

No more map reading for me while riding.

[AviP]

I'm old school. I believe in being prepared against GPS failure and I hate info like "Turn left on Unnamed road". I have never owned a GPS of any type and do not plan to as of today. It definitely has its merits for the cartographically challenged or in wilderness areas without landmarks or just another electronic toy.

 

Rather than GPS leading the way, I prefer understanding the route well and knowing my waypoints on a (paper) map. It keeps me on top of mileage/fuel issues and I feel happier. I have rarely lost my way and usually have a good feel on my general direction.

 

I also do a fair amount of hiking, some wilderness and always rely on map and compass.

[philbytx]

I am refraining from any further comment after this one

 

When flying, you learn this : Aviate, Navigate, Communicate!

No matter what you feel like doing or what happens, you fly the bleedin' aircraft first!!!

 

Why does everyone insist on making driving/riding so friggin' complicated.

Just ride the damn bike and simply pull over to read your map if you are lost! You are riding a bike not flying a vital military mission, rescuing a damsel in distress or saving the frickin' world. And, guess what, you actually take a brief mental and physical respite when you stop..Wow!

 

And folks, c'mon, the U.S. isn't the bloody Sahara desert or Antarctica!

And how many of us have been "Lost in America" and discovered something interesting or, at least, have gotten a decent "tall tale" out of it. It should be part of lifes rich tapestry....

 

Ok....I'm done

[Joel]

BTW, I found the GPS 200 yards down the road, still working, it had recorded its entire trajectory in the track log!

 

Out of due respect for you and your mishap, I'm trying really hard not to laugh at that, but I must admit I'm not succeeding.

[David]

Yeah, whatever. Go work on your rant skills.

 

Seriously, I generally follow your approach, but there are times when it's a really useful tool and there aren't any better alternatives. Like, riding in the pooring rain in an unfamiliar city. Or worse yet, doing that at night.

 

I've been very grateful for a GPS that talks to me through the helmet since there was no easy place to pull over.

[Ken H.]

BTW, I found the GPS 200 yards down the road, still working, it had recorded its entire trajectory in the track log!

 

Out of due respect for you and your mishap, I'm trying really hard not to laugh at that, but I must admit I'm not succeeding.

Well it was about the only high point of the day, I'll give you that!

[Gregori]

(...) And how many of us have been "Lost in America" and discovered something interesting or, at least, have gotten a decent "tall tale" out of it. It should be part of lifes rich tapestry.... (...)

 

Actually - what I find is that I'm much more willing to go exploring, take a random turn down some interesting road, or even get lost intentionally when I've got the GPS along to help me find my way back out.

 

To answer the original question, I think riding with the GPS is safer than without.

If I'm using it for routing, I don't have to spend as much attention thinking about where/when my next decision point is - the display will tell me at a glance how far 'till the next turn. I can look at it or not as safety dictates,, rather than have to read every street sign, or read a printed turn-by-turn directions. (I used Mapquest printouts prior to autorouting GPS.)

 

On map view, I can glance at the display to see what the road ahead has in store for me. If I can't see over the rise ahead, I can look at the GPS which will tell me if the road goes straight, or turns just out of sight. No, it won't warn me of road hazards like cows in the road, stopped cars, gravel, etc. But if I have a good idea which way the road goes, I can spend more attention lookng for the hazards.

[philbytx]

Trust me on this one...

 

Over reliance on electrickery to control your life will turn your brains to MUSH

[philbytx]

As you can see, I am trying REALLY hard

[Aluminum_Butt]

Actually - what I find is that I'm much more willing to go exploring, take a random turn down some interesting road, or even get lost intentionally when I've got the GPS along to help me find my way back out.

 

+1 to this. There is no doubt in my mind that I've ridden roads I never would've touched without the GPS.

 

The stupid thing is far from foolproof, and there's a handful of times I've been so frustrated with it I was ready to pitch it out the window. But, all-in-all, it's a great tool, and I wouldn't leave on a trip of any distance without it.

 

I've ridden with voice prompts through an intercom system and without it. I definitely think it's safer being able to hear the GPS - it reduces the number of times I need to look at it.

[pmdave]

I don't think "safety" is to be found in farkles. How you deal with GPS should be no different than how you deal with your speedometer or high beam indicator. A quick glance is occasionally needed at the indicators, mirrors, and sometimes over the shoulder. The rider who focuses on a GPS while entering a busy intersection is no less dangerous than the rider who looks down at the odometer or fiddles with the fuel valve while entering a busy intersection.

 

I use GPS occasionally. As Andy Goldfine has noted, GPS is a good tool for finding some other place to ride than on superslabs. Highways through small towns are often convoluted and not well signed. Some states are likewise. I found it very helpful to have GPS while attempting to get to the RA rally in Canaan Valley WV several years ago. My paper maps didn't show what I needed to know.

 

I've also used GPS on organized motorcycle tours where the organizer provides routes. It's one thing to have a paper map, but another thing to translate road signs from some foreign language. Preferably, I'll bring the GPS along, ride without it mounted, and resort to it when I'm lost.

 

I've even resorted to GPS when trying to navigate through what used to be familiar backroads--that are now six lane arterials with shopping malls and condos.

 

At first, I used a RAM mount to secure the GPS to the handlebars. But that vibrates the heck out of everything. These days I mount the GPS to either a "spider" that attaches to the tank bag base, or to the top of the tank bag (using the 1" RAM balls and clamp. The flexible mounting really reduces the fretting and wear on the mount and GPS. With the GPS mounted, I typically keep it covered with a fabric bag, which both keeps it out of sight and discourages me from focusing on it until needed. I suspect that most of us know intuitively when it's OK to look down at the instruments and when it's not.

 

I used the GPS on a trip to Floriday (rental car) but found it not of much help--primarily because the database had not been updated to match road construction.

 

It's just another tool, eh?

 

pmdave

[Bob]

I sure got stupid once with GPS, but I love using them because I get lost easily. It happened in Jacksonville. I was unfamiliar with the roads but had to meet my brother at the Sea Turtle Inn. I paid attention to the road, cars, and the GPS but nothing else around me. I wound up with the GPS telling me that I was right next to my hotel on the beach. The GPS was right – the hotel rose waaaaaaaay up there all right and the beach only a few hundred feet away. If I had any sense I would have focused on scanning the horizon and read the green name on that monster tall flamingo pink building from miles away - it literally dwarfed everything else around it. Kind of stupid to let myself get suckered into feeling safe and directed but then proved so absolutely dumb. GPS is great, but simply a helper and no substitue for common sense (which I obviously did not demonstrate). Best feature I like, next to navigation? The accurate speed-o-meter

[eddd]

I get a kick out of all the comments about "cagers talking on their cell phones". Evidently that is unacceptable, but using a GPS is fine.

 

Distracting behavior while on the road is distracting behavior, GPS, cell phone, eating lunch, arguing with your SO...They all keep you from doing what you should be doing.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I get a kick out of all the comments about "cagers talking on their cell phones". Evidently that is unacceptable, but using a GPS is fine.

 

Distracting behavior while on the road is distracting behavior, GPS, cell phone, eating lunch, arguing with your SO...They all keep you from doing what you should be doing.

 

the distraction of a GPS need not last more than a second, and even that's only when you choose to. Once you decide to answer a cell phone, the conversation goes on for minutes, with the person on the other end very unaware of what your driving situation is. Dealing successfully with distractions while driving/riding is a matter of choosing when and under what circumstances; a cell phone is far less flexible in this regard than a GPS unit.

[Wooster]

Mitch,

 

In your response to eddd's post you imply that GPS is (or can be) a distraction, only less so than the ubiquitous cell phone. I see it as a matter of degree, i.e., GPS is distracting yet less so than cell.

Any instance of stopping my active scan of the roadway and having to focus my 57 year old pupils on another distance (GPS screen) at speed is potentially dangerous in my opinion.

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm something of a luddite w/o a cell phone, w/o digital camera, w/o (obviously) GPS. Who knows, maybe I'm missing it.

 

Wooster still w/o gadgets

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

In your response to eddd's post you imply that GPS is (or can be) a distraction, only less so than the ubiquitous cell phone. I see it as a matter of degree, i.e., GPS is distracting yet less so than cell.

Any instance of stopping my active scan of the roadway and having to focus my 57 year old pupils on another distance (GPS screen) at speed is potentially dangerous in my opinion.

 

I'll wager you haven't gone to the trouble to cover your instrument cluster with a sheet of carboard, and that you glance at your speedo from time to time to make sure you're not too far over the speed limit. And I'll bet you give some consideration as to when you do this, i.e. not while bumper-to-bumper during a merge on the interstate. Same rules apply with a GPS. If there's nobody around you and you're not dragging a knee, how much of a hazard is really represented by scanning the instruments, including GPS?

[Wooster]

If there's nobody around you and you're not dragging a knee, how much of a hazard is really represented by scanning the instruments, including GPS?

 

It's good we discuss this issue w/o defensiveness; "who's practicing their ranting skills" remarks are off topic and don't illuminate this issue.

 

Again, I come back to the concept of degree; the more information my cursory instrument scan is seeking the more distacted from the real world (as opposed to GPS's map) I am. Looking down at the speedo, tach, and lites is less time consuming than focussing on an LCD screen for detailed info. Really, when I (and I'm thinking this is true for most of us) look at bike's instruments, I have no intention of clocking exact speed; rather I only see where speedo's needle is, e.g., one o'clock is approx. eighty mph; that's sufficient.

So in honest answer to your direct question quoted above, some hazard: the degree of hazard is dependent on quantity and quality of information sought in the scan. I remain convinced the more info sought and the more details, the greater the hazard.

 

Wooster who has gotten unintentionally turned around yet lived to tell about it

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Considering that my GPS will happily talk to me about upcoming turns or changes in roadway and that I only scan my instruments infrequently anyway, I really don't see it as much of a detraction from safety. I don't ride down the freeway trying to program in my next way point or peer at the screen trying to discern my whereabouts. I maintain full concentration, within the limits of XM radio as a background, on the road around me and traffic conditions in particular.

 

One exception might come up if traffic suddenly snarls and I'm in an unfamiliar area. A quick assessment of how long and how far to the next exit and then I pull off and ask it to find me a detour.

 

I tend to pre-program way points using Microsoft Streets and Trips for route planning and then, just more or less play it by ear and eye. I'm not pleased with my Magellen Roadmate 2000 and will probably relegate it to the Jeep and go with a 376C or the like. I prefer the Garmin screens after 5+ years of using a GPS V for all my needs.

[Heck]

One other risky situation is the potential self-incrimination of having your max speed displayed on the page you view most of the time. I was sure glad mine wasn't displayed when I got to have a little chat with a Jackson County revenue collector, er, sheriff's deputy last summer.

 

To all the GPS manufacturers..::

This is a feature that while informative in it's own way, should be able to be disabled easily...5th amendment and all that....

Not too sure that you can disable it even on the new GPS models...I know I cannot on my old Streetpilot III.

[chrisolson]

One other risky situation is the potential self-incrimination of having your max speed displayed on the page you view most of the time. I was sure glad mine wasn't displayed when I got to have a little chat with a Jackson County revenue collector, er, sheriff's deputy last summer.

 

To all the GPS manufacturers..::

This is a feature that while informative in it's own way, should be able to be disabled easily...5th amendment and all that....

Not too sure that you can disable it even on the new GPS models...I know I cannot on my old Streetpilot III.

I think Garmin already heard you... the recent software update for the Zumo took the max speed display and moved it down one screen and off the default screen so that even though its still there (you can't disable it) , its not as obvious!

[BamaRider]

Now that I've spent more time with my 2 week old Zumo, I'm qualified to comment.

 

I've ridden a fair amount of miles the last 5.5 years- 6 cross country tours, 5 trips into Canada, and more regional rides then I can recall. All of those routes the old fashioned way, atlas, with waypoints on the aerostitch map sleeve.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've entered a mega city looking for a friends house, a dealer, landmark etc, and had to stop and ask for clumsy directions. I often skipped such stuff because it was just too much trouble to enter the Dallas-FW area looking for a guy's house in the middle of the night. That stuff is no problem anymore.

 

All my cross country rides are sans interstates. Everyone has their style, and those who tour cross country on I-10 or I-40 don't need a GPS or even a map, they can just read the signs. But on the back roads of America, where I thrive and seek out the country's finest motorcycle roads, a GPS is quite handy. On a 600 mile back road day I'm subject to change routes 20 times. I can't tell you how many times I've lost my course due to poor signs, bad directions etc. Now with GPS, I don't worry about such stuff.

 

I find planning my day's ride allows to me to see more things, ride more roads, and meet more people. I still use my atlas to plan the ride, because it gives me the big picture, then go to my software and waypoint my route.

 

Sometimes I mistakenly wrote down the WRONG route number in my notes, and other occassions I DID make the correct turn, but doubted myself, so stopped to check the atlas. What a hassle digging THAT thing out.

 

GPS gives me instant feedback to the next turn, how far, when, arrival time etc. I can now glide through Atlanta or LA and know when to position myself for upcoming exits. I feel like I have the entire country at my fingertips, dealers, wal mart, and HOOTERS, all pre loaded in my points of interest folder.

 

If you never venture more then a few hundred miles from home you can probably get by with out it, but if you view the entire continient as your playground, it definately enhances your ability to traverse it.

 

On the local level it has allowed me to ride roads I never would have tried, because they were not in my atlas, and peeling off on a road cold turkey can sometimes lead a guy in circles, I usually like being somewhere different after riding a road to the end, but that's just me.

 

Yes, I find myself looking at the displays too much, what can I say I like gadgets, I'm working on it.