GPS: Tool or Toy?

[Scriber]

I know a lot of folks here are into their GPS devices. But is a GPS mostly a fun toy to use when riding? Or should it be considered an indispensable tool? I do a lot of riding by myself throughout the west and am considering getting a Zumo. But while I'm definitely tech oriented, the idea of messing with my riding experience by dealing with a GPS device has me scratching my head. Do I really need this thing?

[bobbybob]

If you are truly "tech oriented", I can't imagine you NOT loving a GPS. Besides showing you the way through an unfamiliar area, it can do a few other things too.

1) True groundspeed 2) altitude 3) find gas, food, hotels, addresses, etc. 4) show weather--some have real-time Nexrad radar returns 5) listen to XM radio 6) play MP3's 7) connect thru cell phone 8)And of course, download a route from your computer that you want to follow.

Just to name a few...

[Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs]

It sort of depends on the type of riding you like to do. With your K bike, I imagine that you'll mostly ride on pavement. GPS might not be that necessary, unless you combine the other attributes of the higher end units, like XM radio. The mapping software makes for some fun trip planning, though. If you routinely do longer rides and/or endurance rides you'd probably find it helpful. If you can afford it, but it and see what you think. The resale value of GPS is quite high.

 

There are many good forums to help with your decision and for support thereafter, along with sharing of GPS routes.

 

ADVrider GPS forum

 

GPS Exchange

[glockster]

My GPS is also my XM Radio. (Garmin 2730) In that sense it is a tool I suppose. But both are nothing more than 'toys' for motorcyclists.

[AdventurePoser]

Short answer: Do you "need" a GPS? Nope. Not when AAA roadmaps are free!

 

Besides, you aren't lost if you don't care!

 

With that being said, GPS is certainly fun...

 

Steve in So Cal

[allikanbe]

Sometimes I go from pt A to pt B and a GPS is not needed. However, when I am point X because I ended up there and I need to get to pt B quickly, the GPS does it 95% of the time. It's also really handy when I need gas sooner than later. Again, it's not 100% accurate, but it's better than nothing.

xm, mp3, cell, etc also nice to have.

[Scriber]

I haven't found the kind of tank bag I want (flat with a nice large map case) for my k12s. I thought maybe a GPS would be an alternative.

 

I don't like listening to tunes when I ride, and there's no way I'm talking on a cellphone while the bike is moving. But the weather feature sounds nice. And being able to locate the nearest fuel when I'm in some remote areas might add some confidence. The only time I really care about being lost is when fuel is an issue.

 

I spend all day in front of a computer. So spending a lot of time trip planning on one is not very appealing. But I'd do it if there was some big advantage. I love road trips because I get to escape all the details I have to manage every day at work and just focus on the ride. So I've been concerned that a GPS would just be another bunch of details to manage. For me a great ride strips things down to the essentials. Sounds like a GPS isn't so great it falls into the "essential" category.

 

Hmmm...another question comes to mind. Is the mapping software so good and detailed that you get a good idea of how twisty and challenging a road is? I'll go out of my way for a nice challenging stretch of road.

[Little_Brit]

Scriber,

 

You ask "is the mapping software so good and detailed that you get a good idea of how twisty and challenging a road is?" Most definitely! I was amazed when I first travelled in a friends car with a Tom Tom system, I could have driven the car from the screen (well nearly). My own experience with my Zumo on the bike is that when travelling on unfamiliar roads, as in France this August, I found myself using the screen information a great deal with respect to what the unfurling road had to offer. Obviously you have to rely chiefly on what you can see in the real world but it was extremely helpful to be forewarned about the road ahead. It was particularly useful for me in trying to maintain good progress without disturbing my pillion with uncomfortable panic braking.

 

The other major benefit for me is that I love travelling, especially on the continent. During the day you can't beat rolling rural roads or mountain passes but at the end of the day it is lovely to be able to stroll around an unfamiliar city investigating on foot. The rub for me is that I hate driving in any city but the sat-nav at least reduces the pain (and my blood pressure) to manageable levels.

 

Ultimately sat-nav is only a tool. If it is there you can choose to ignore it, if you haven't got it you don't have that choice. Oh and you can have all the free maps in the world but they won't tell you where you are and therefore which road to take. Mine saved me hours of frustration this year alone.

 

I hope this is of some use

 

Regards

 

Derek

[bobbybob]

<<"Hmmm...another question comes to mind. Is the mapping software so good and detailed that you get a good idea of how twisty and challenging a road is? I'll go out of my way for a nice challenging stretch of road.">>

 

I can speak for the Garmin database--each and every turn and twist is there, when you zoom down to a small image scale. I use it, when on unfamiliar roads, to "look ahead" for sudden sharp turns. That being said, the abilty to do this in itself is a liability if you start watching the screen more than the road!

[Ken H.]

Oh I think it's absolutely a (valuable) tool. If you do any amount of riding away from "home base" the ability to plan ahead of time and then send it to the GPS to be followed in route is a big safety thing IMHO. Hook up voice guidance and even more so. Reading paper maps in route is far more dangerous. Get lost in a 'less secure' area? A way out is a button push away.

[JMR]

A GPS will do more than help "get you there"...

If you're somewhere unfamiliar and:

Need gas? Need an ATM? Hungry for BBQ? Chinese maybe? Need to find some place to fix a tire? Punch it in most any good highway GPS sold these days and it'll give you choices and directions to them. It's almost a you-name-it and it'll find it thing...

Also if I'm running a route on my Garmin 2610 and hit a snag of some kind, it'll give me detour options and get me back on my route.

If nothing else, the GPS speedo is much more accurate than most bike speedos.

[Dave McReynolds]

Where does it fall in my priority of things? If I had to choose between cruise control and GPS, I'd pick cruise control. But now that I have both, I wouldn't want to take a long trip without either one, particularly since the Zumo also incorporates XM radio.

[MikeRC]

I now consider it one of my most valuable tools.

 

When just using it as a GPS:

• Although there is time spent learning the route planning software it is worth it. Want to go to some bizarre, out of the way place? Make it a waypoint by GPS coordinates and you can find your way there anytime. Maybe just a street address in a distant city? You don't have to carry street level maps anymore - just enter the address and "Goto".
  
• Road trouble ahead? Route around it in no time.
  
• Ever taken a wrong turn while using the map? Well, you might using the GPS too, but you will know about it in less then a hundred feet.
  
• Ever out a little later then you thought you would be on the road? I hate trying to read maps in the dark. But the GPS has a backlight.
  
• Running out of time/money/gas/daylight to get to your destination? Finding the shortest route is just a couple of buttons away.
  
• Renting a car in a different city? Take along your GPS and travel faster and easier.

 

I wouldn't be without one anymore. It has saved me time and worry more then once. And if it fails - well, I'm still pretty good with a map.

 

Maybe just try it out by buying a cheap (non-waterproof) model for the car first.

 

Mike Cassidy

[velomoto]

Tool? Yes.

Toy? Yes again!

 

Could I live without? Certainly but I'd REALLY miss it. The more I use GPS the more I appreciate it. No, it's not perfect (I've got the Garmin 2720) and it has plenty of minor quirks in it's routing algorythms but it has always gotten me to my destination and now that I've loaded 8700+ Starbucks locations I'll never have to drink "truck stop" coffee again!

 

One of my favorite uses of GPS is on a busy weekend where I have limited time to ride. I'll head out on the bike and then punch in "Home" for my destination. The auto-routing feature will continuously recalculate the quickest route home and give me a very accurate arrival time at home so I can maximize my riding time. Similarly I'll use the estimated arrival time for planning a rendezvous.

[Bonkorama]

I have a Zumo 550, with XM.

Id classify it as a really fun tool, but not a toy.

My PSP is a toy, more fun than my Zumo, but I wouldnt leave my Zumo home like I do my PSP.

 

Ive ridden to new places and created new and exciting rides I NEVER would have without it.

 

Indespensible to me.

 

Ill never be without one ever again.

No way.

[John Bentall]

My GPS is an incredibly useful safety tool when riding in very poor visibility as it shows the road ahead.

It is fantastic for navigating in the dark unless one has sophisticated equipment for lighting the map in your tank bag.

Fantastic for finding your hotel in a strange city in a strange state or country.

Fantastic for planning cross-continental trips.

 

I have used it for all these things. Need I go on......?

[Lets_Play_Two]

I think as the technology continues to improve they become more and more valuable. Think about cell phones 20 years ago. A big brick that I put in my wife's car in case of emergencies. Is the cell phone today a toy or a necessity? Of course we can get along without one, but why would you? And it isn't just a phone any more. The features that will get added to GPS will make it even more valuable for riding, weather, radar, traffic in addition to the route planning and now XM radio on some. And I love being able to find the closest "whatever"!!

 

On the way home from the UN, my wife and I wanted to stay in a Hilton on the beach in St. Augustine. Query the GPS, get phone number, make call and reservation and then set the route to get there!

[hopz]

The answer to your question about the GPS is the same answer you would get if you posed the questions with reference to your motorcycle...

 

Is it a Toy or a Tool or a Necessity?

 

For me, the GPS has added an entirely new dimension of fun and enjoyment to the experience, in addition to the security and available information.

 

If I do not want it- I leave it home (quick disconnect mount). If I do leave it home I usually soon wish I had it.

[Scriber]

Okay. I'm convinced.

 

And just so you know where I'm coming from, my bike is an absolute necessity. It preserves my sanity.

 

Sounds like the GPS is useful without requiring lots and lots of time invested to get value from it. Though its obvious from here and the Zumo forum that it's a real timesink if you want it to be.

 

I seldom find myself on the super slab, and am always hunting for the twistiest way to travel. So I can't imagine actually looking at the screen while traveling. I'd have a tendency to fixate on the screen and then end up in the sagebrush. Don't know how you guys manage it.

 

I really appreciate the input. A Zumo 550 will go on my Christmas wishlist.

[Francois_Dumas]

I would say that in this day and age when you must still ask that questions, then no, you don't need one

[GoGo Gadget]

I spend all day in front of a computer. So spending a lot of time trip planning on one is not very appealing.

 

Ahh, but planning a trip is not "work" so that makes it different. I have a ball planning a ride. I pick Point A, Point B, Point C, etc adn then tell it to do the route. Of course a computer is not programmed for fun twisties, so then I go back along the route and drag it over onto the roads I really want to ride. It is fun when looking at a map of an area you have never been to and seeing a really twisting section. And yes, you can get a good idea from the map how fun it will be. From 3000 miles away, this stretch looked fun.

 

When I go there, it was incredible. I planned 10,000 miles worth of roads for that trip and had a ball, both planning and riding. Besides, after 17 years with the same woman, I am used to a womans voice telling me where to go.

[Scriber]

Now you're talkin!

That's the kind of detail I want.

[MattP]

Tool and toy. As stated, if you are at ALL a tech junkie, you'll dig it. From a functional standpoint, here are some things I've come to enjoy with my (relatively) cheap Garmin 2610:

- Comes off the bike and into my truck easily, and is helpful for my line of work (rural travelling)

- Likewise, I can plug in a route, throw it in my wife's Jeep, and she's set for unfamiliar trips

- See something cool and want to come back- hold down a button and it's a waypoint

- Away from home (ala recent Deals Gap trip) it was invaluable to find our way anywhere!

- Not that it's a popular topic, but it keeps me on schedule... I can keep an eye on my time to get home from where ever I am, and it's scary accurate. Hit the brakes, 180 back home, and I'm in my driveway about +/- 2 minutes from what it tells me.

 

I'll admit that on some trips, it screws with the mojo, and I leave it off the bike (or at least turned off). But if you are at all adventure-oriented (who on a bike isn't?!?) it's totally worthwhile.

[Scriber]

I'll admit that on some trips, it screws with the mojo, and I leave it off the bike (or at least turned off). But if you are at all adventure-oriented (who on a bike isn't?!?) it's totally worthwhile.

 

This is the part I've been wondering about. When I take a trip I get to "unstick" myself from all of the detritus of everyday living. Hell, I don't even use the onboard computer for anything other than time and temperature. It's a time to simplify things. Bring it down to contact patch and lean angle.

 

Now I'm thinking I'll get the thing mostly for my wife, and times when we are traveling together in the cage (she doesn't ride or pillion, and never will).

 

I don't want to complicate the ride. But I sure see the appeal of the gadget.

[GoGo Gadget]

I have a closet full of crap that I regret buying. A GPS is one of those things that I view as money well spent. It is simply too useful to be without one for me. Would I be lost without it? No, I am not dependant on any one thing, but it sure comes in handy.

[AdventurePoser]

Sometimes I go from pt A to pt B and a GPS is not needed. However, when I am point X because I ended up there and I need to get to pt B quickly, the GPS does it 95% of the time. It's also really handy when I need gas sooner than later. Again, it's not 100% accurate, but it's better than nothing.

xm, mp3, cell, etc also nice to have.

 

I agree. My next GPS will have an integrated XM radio...

 

Ride safe,

 

Steve

[Whip]

Toy, but I like it.

[tobyzusa]

My wife dislikes it when we are in the car....she no longer gets to tell me where to go!

 

Now if I could transfer this to the rest of my life!

[HexHead]

Indispensable, In-car (or on bike) navigation is probably the best development of the last decade. I love the way I can enter an address four states away, it takes me right to the door and tells me to the minute what time I'll arrive there.

 

Yesterday on the way home from St Louis, there was a major accident on the interstate and the interstate was closed, all traffic had to exit. My Nav III warned me about it and offered to route me around it.

 

On a trip back from FL last year on the bike, outside of Birmingham my wife started complaining she was getting cold. I pulled into a rest area, punched in "Hampton Inn" and it gave me a list of the HIs in the area. Found one 30 miles away. Hit "find near" to see what restaurants were close by. The GPS gave me the hotel phone number, I called, made a reservation and 25 minutes later we were at the hotel and having dinner.

 

Now I have a Nav III and I really like having my Nav III talk to me inside the helmet and just being able to touch the number on the screen to call ahead.

[Gottfried]

Couple of years ago, I was riding Tuscany in Italy without my Garmin. Tried to find a hotel for the night, and ended up trying every town and village on the map, it seemed like. Out of season - everything closed. Ended up at a very posh, exceedingly expensive,marble-floored place in the middle of a big city...

With the Garmin, I'd could have looked up lodging and phoned them. Same goes for petrol, food etc. If you want to visit the BMW museum i Munich, Garmin gets you there. Not to mention when you're hopelessly lost - just say: Home, boy. I know I'm not going holidaying without the Garmin again!!

Oh , yes - why I didn't bring it? Well, we were in a bit of a hurry to catch the ferry to Denmark, and left the inner bag for the topbox at home. Alle the maps for my Street Pilot were there. So were the films for my video, memory cards for camera, not to mention chargers for said devices. So, we decided to rely on good ol' oldfashioned maps. Sure saw a lot of Tuscany, though...

[velomoto]

I have a closet full of crap that I regret buying. A GPS is one of those things that I view as money well spent. It is simply too useful to be without one for me. Would I be lost without it? No, I am not dependant on any one thing, but it sure comes in handy.

Just like the microwave oven - not necessary but really handy!

[Marty Hill]

My garmin took me thru 11 countries in europe a year ago. Found many small hotels that I would have never found by myself. It's a wonderful tool...and a great toy as well.

[drzep]

Tool.

[RichEdwards]

Indispensable tool. Example: It's 20 miles from Newark Airport to my son's home. And it requires about 30 turns. (Just try slowing down to read road signs in the NY-NJ metropolitan area without horns honking and middle fingers rising. ) That sweet voice from my 2610 warns me before each turn and gets me there with no hassles.

[BarryBrisco]

Very interesting to read the high proportion of responses that are enthusiastic GPS users. I have a GPS on my R1150RT but I don't use it (my father installed it when he owned the bike). When I go on a bike trip, I look at the experience as an "adventure" and prefer printed maps to the GPS. Adds to the fun.

 

Maybe this is because ever since I was a kid I relished pouring over print maps of places I hadn't been, imagining what they might be like. Even now, I don't want a GPS to tell me where to turn and where the next gas or food is. That would spoil the experience. Now I've travelled all over the world and know what a lot of those places are like that I looked at on maps as a kid.

 

I also don't allow any modern gear in my car, a 1959 Porsche. Ruins the ambiance.

 

My wife has GPS in her 2006 Mini Cooper S. She loves the GPS. I rarely use it. She has a terrible sense of direction and gets lost anywhere. I have a good sense of direction and like to try a route and see what happens.

 

Or maybe at age 53 I'm already an old curmudgeon who resists some forms of modern technology.

[Jerry Johnston]

Or maybe at age 53 I'm already an old curmudgeon who resists some forms of modern technology.

Yep !

[Wooster]

Funny how quick we are to criticize auto operators for celling & text messaging yet gps (lower case letters reveal my disdain) is embraced inspite of it distracting the rider. As Pogo of the Okeefenokee swamp would say, "curiouser and curiouser".

 

Wooster who'd rather ride than fiddle with toys

[woodscrew]

Best thing I ever bought .Much less distracting than looking for signs and turns while glancing at paper maps or route sheets.Enables you to get lost with confidence and go/find places you otherwise might not. Indispensible tool. Do not listen to the Luddites.

[Wooster]

Best thing I ever bought .Much less distracting than looking for signs and turns while glancing at paper maps or route sheets.Enables you to get lost with confidence and go/find places you otherwise might not. Indispensible tool. Do not listen to the Luddites.

 

woodscrew (slotted ?),

 

That's a strong recommendation.

I've a garmin handheld gps for sailing in the fog. On sunny days, I sometimes use it for speed and distance. At 6 mph it distracts me.

Sailing and riding are simliar balance, feeling the moment sports. I prefer reality unalloyed by electronic similie.

 

Wooster, sometimes member of 19th century agrarian rebelion

[RichEdwards]

I also don't allow any modern gear in my car, a 1959 Porsche. Ruins the ambiance.

 

Hey. For some real ambiance, trade in the Porsche and get a....

 

[trif]

Indispensable tool. Example: It's 20 miles from Newark Airport to my son's home. And it requires about 30 turns. (Just try slowing down to read road signs in the NY-NJ metropolitan area without horns honking and middle fingers rising. ) That sweet voice from my 2610 warns me before each turn and gets me there with no hassles.

 

Could not agree more.

 

From a safety standpoint, the Zumo 550 display rocks. When approaching an intersection, I'm no longer distracted by looking for a street sign to get my bearings. That's more attention I can focus on the dangers lurking at that cross street ahead. Situational awareness improves and so does my ability to ride safely.

 

The Zumo voice wired through my AutoCom rocks, too. I can enjoy the scenery (and again, ride safer) while getting that gentle voice reminder to turn soon. I've heard the whole "getting lost is part of the adventure" opinion, but it's really not that fun to me. I don't care for missing an exit on the interstate, wondering when the next one is and then making that long u-turn back to my planned route.

 

I don't use the Zumo for local riding. But for touring, or an area I haven't been, I'm completely sold on GPS and use it every time.

[mbresso]

I wonder if James Kim would have enjoyed the use of a GPS "toy" when he was trying to find a way out of the Oregon wilderness for his family last December - er, before he died.

[mefly2]

What we like about our GPS units is that they allow advance information about just what the road is like ahead of you ... preparation for tight corners and/or hidden/ off-side cagers. It is another "tool" to enhance safety as well as convenience.

[russell_bynum]

What we like about our GPS units is that they allow advance information about just what the road is like ahead of you ... preparation for tight corners and/or hidden/ off-side cagers. It is another "tool" to enhance safety as well as convenience.

 

If you're depending on your GPS to tell you what the road is going to do, you're in for a REAL surprise. I've had my GPS unit hang, showing me a map from 10 minutes ago instead of what's going on right now. I've had my GPS show me the road turning left when it turns right. I've had it show the road 20 feet to the right/left of where it actually is.

 

It's OK to tell you more or less what the road ahead might be like, but there's really not much use for that. It isn't accurate or reliable enough for me to bank on, so I've got to slow down and use my road reading skills anyway.

 

 

I do like the GPS on the dirt bike. Sometimes I program routes, but usually, we just use it to drop breadcrumbs so I can explore wherever I want without worrying about finding my way out. I'll also set key waypoints (like where did I park, where's the trailhead, etc) so I can go direct if I need to. My GPS is a simple eTrex unit. It doesn't speak 13 languages or have integrated XM...just a basic handheld GPS.

 

I haven't had any desire to put it on my street bike yet, but if I used the street bike for more utilitarian purposes, I might. For the most part, when I go ride street, I either know where I'm going, or I don't care that I don't know where I'm going, so GPS wouldn't do anything for me.

[TNT]

If you're depending on your GPS to tell you what the road is going to do, you're in for a REAL surprise. I've had my GPS unit hang, showing me a map from 10 minutes ago instead of what's going on right now. I've had my GPS show me the road turning left when it turns right. I've had it show the road 20 feet to the right/left of where it actually is.

 

So, what GPS do you use?

[russell_bynum]

If you're depending on your GPS to tell you what the road is going to do, you're in for a REAL surprise. I've had my GPS unit hang, showing me a map from 10 minutes ago instead of what's going on right now. I've had my GPS show me the road turning left when it turns right. I've had it show the road 20 feet to the right/left of where it actually is.

 

So, what GPS do you use?

 

I currently have an eTrex Legend. Previously I had an old GPS V. But I've used the 2610 and several in-car GPS/DVD Nav systems. None of them are reliable and accurate enough that I'd be willing to bet my life on what it says.

[MattP]

..None of them are reliable and accurate enough that I'd be willing to bet my life on what it says.

 

Good Lord, Russell- we're not riding with the thing bungee corded over one eye and a patch on the other, he's just saying it can be HELPFUL!!!

[russell_bynum]

..None of them are reliable and accurate enough that I'd be willing to bet my life on what it says.

 

Good Lord, Russell- we're not riding with the thing bungee corded over one eye and a patch on the other, he's just saying it can be HELPFUL!!!

 

I guess.

 

For me...if I can't count on it to be accurate, then what's it for? If I have to verify everything it tells me visually anyway, then I might as well just not waste time looking at it.

 

I can see lots of benefits to GPS on a bike, but road reading isn't one of them.

 

But hey...knock yourself out. Just be prepared for it to be dead wrong.

[OoPEZoO]

we're not riding with the thing bungee corded over one eye and a patch on the other

 

Avast, speak for yourself there matey........ARRRRRRRR.....shiver me timbers

[russell_bynum]

we're not riding with the thing bungee corded over one eye and a patch on the other

 

Avast, speak for yourself there matey........ARRRRRRRR.....shiver me timbers

 

That was a pretty funny visual.