GPS convert, I have seen the light (lcd)

[canuck750]

For a very long time I have been of the opinion that a GPS takes away the adventure of riding I do enjoy.

I have been converted

I am now in Germany having started a two month ride in Amsterdam. My wife and I flew our BMW K1600gtl over with us and had I not broken down and bought the one year old Garmin / Motorad GPS I would still be doing laps around the canals of Amsterdam. This ride by GPS is so amazing.  We set the route plan for twisty roads and we have been sent down narrow paved roads (mostly) all the way to Berlin. Only once did Garmin find a gravel road through farms in the former eastern Germany! In the cities it’s hard enough following the traffic lights let alone trying to remember street signs. Garmin does such an amazing job of finding routes. Once we wanted to just get to our destination of Bremen that we switched to fast route, shaved off half the time and hit the Autobahn. A word on unlimited speed limits, it’s unnerving driving over 160km/hr and feeling like your in the slow lane, enough said for riding fast, I much prefer 80km/hr and driving through the farm lands.

I am a GPS convert! 

We are eventually heading to Turkey then Greece and back through Italy and France.

Jim

[JC85]

I always like to gave my GPS goi ng on ling trips. With Google maps, I can still choose my own route, rather than just taking the most direct highways, so I still get plenty of adventure, without inevitably missing a turn by accident and having to backtrack. I dont like to have it on my bars, though. I just sync my helmet speakers to it, so that it feeds me audible turn directions right into my ear holes.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I get it.
Without GPS, I would probably still be trying to get off the SoCal interstates and find Redondo Beach when I took the old 1000SP out there many years ago..

[Groover]

Sounds like an amazing trip. I probably would've stayed in Amsterdam the whole trip. I kept getting lost and going in circles on those canal streets last time we were there... on foot, couldn't imaging on a bike!

[Lannis]

A Rand McNally road atlas works well on a long trip too.   Maybe not directing one around the Amsterdam canals, but will certainly get you around the United States and back home a month later, with no LCDs either!

Lannis

[canuck750]

A Rand McNally road atlas works well on a long trip too.   Maybe not directing one around the Amsterdam canals, but will certainly get you around the United States and back home a month later, with no LCDs either!

Lannis

I have carried a Rand McNally atlas of North America with me for twenty years and have never felt the need for newfangled electronic gadgets. Now that I am riding strange roads in strange lands the GPS just takes away a stress I don’t need and let’s me enjoy the ride.

[Lannis]

I have carried a Rand McNally atlas of North America with me for twenty years and have never felt the need for newfangled electronic gadgets. Now that I am riding strange roads in strange lands the GPS just takes away a stress I don’t need and let’s me enjoy the ride.

Not the first time I've heard the term "strange" associated with Amsterdam!   I'll be on the lookout to make sure nothing weird happens to me if I were to ever get over there .... 

Lannis

[pehayes]

I'm a believer.  I don't go to the bathroom without a GPS.  But, they are 'guides' and capable of errors.  Especially since HUMANS input the data.  Wait until it sends you into a forest.  Wait until it directs you to go in someone's front door and out the back.  (Both really happened to me.)  They are worth far more than the directional routing.  The database information is helpful but sometimes innaccurate or obsolete.  Don't depend on the 'last' gas station being there.  In the big cities finding postal, medical, lodging is a huge help.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[nick949]

Jim,
  I hope you are having and continue to have a truly wonderful time. Now that you've discovered GPS, I'm sure you can also manage to figure out how to post a pic or two of your travels.  I don't think anyone here will be too disturbed that you're riding something from Berlin not Mandello. 

Ride safely and have fun.

Nick
PS  The Eldo still chugs along 

[DougG]

Hi all,                                                                                               9-4-19

I am directionally challenged, I admit it.  I use the GPS to get somewhere and then home again.  However, I also use it to:
   1) monitor my tire pressure
   2) play music
   3) display the speed limit and tell me if I'm breaking it (I know that there are signs and I have a speedo)
   4) look ahead 'down the road'
   5) alert me of a nasty turn ahead and road hazards

I do not rely on it absolutely, but it is another input of important info...and honestly, I'd be lost without it.

Be well,
DougG

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

GPS "fun":
- While following a friend using his GPS, we made three laps of Williams River Wilderness area while attempting to find a way out, nearly running my XT500 out of gas in the process. We ended up asking some locals for directions.
- Was nearly run into by the same friend because he was paying more attention to the GPS than what was directly ahead of him.
- Following a different friend, the "road" we were on was actually a farm lane and we ended up in a (rather irate, shotgun toting) farmer's barnyard.
- On another ride with above friend, we would have needed a boat to continue on several "roads" it lead us down.   
- My friend Joseph mistakenly chose "shortest route" from Elkins, WV to Boyer Station/Arbovale, WV and it routed him down Forest Road 44 (Monongahela National Forest) and then seven miles down a side trail to a closed gate.

[ozarquebus]

 Am I the only one who likes to stay up late looking at maps and then enjoys getting lost and the Eureka moment of popping up in the right place by having The Force guide them?

Trusting in a GPS does not make me feel confident, whereas studying maps and planning routes makes me feel prepared.

 Not much fun relying on THE FORCE in a large metropolitan area where I tend to accidentally motor into dead end alleys after dark low on gas in the bad part of town, but is fun in the countryside.

Actually I need bifocal glasses to see the GPS. I would need something the size of a Marine Plotter on the handlebars or HUD to use it on a bike in motion.

 The title "GPS convert" made me think this was a  "GP5 Convert" topic about two Tonti Frame bikes.

[john fish]

Actually I need bifocal glasses to see the GPS. I would need something the size of a Marine Plotter on the handlebars or HUD to use it on a bike in motion.

This.  I would need a GPS screen the size of a turkey platter.  Otherwise:



I'm curious.  How do folks with not very good vision utilize GPS?  I use the one on my phone but I have to pull over to do it.

[Huzo]

GPS "fun":
- While following a friend using his GPS, we made three laps of Williams River Wilderness area while attempting to find a way out, nearly running my XT500 out of gas in the process. We ended up asking some locals for directions.
- Was nearly run into by the same friend because he was paying more attention to the GPS than what was directly ahead of him.
- Following a different friend, the "road" we were on was actually a farm lane and we ended up in a (rather irate, shotgun toting) farmer's barnyard.
- On another ride with above friend, we would have needed a boat to continue on several "roads" it lead us down.   
- My friend Joseph mistakenly chose "shortest route" from Elkins, WV to Boyer Station/Arbovale, WV and it routed him down Forest Road 44 (Monongahela National Forest) and then seven miles down a side trail to a closed gate.

Seems like most of your dramas would have been non existent if you got a bike with a decent tank, picked a mate who watches where he’s going, move to a country with 20th century legislation and have the GPS set correctly.
Just for starters..

[john fish]

Or just ride and don't bother with a GPS.

[pehayes]

I neglected to mention my most important and primary joy for using a GPS.  When I am strange territory, by definition I am NOT familiar with the local roads and turns.  If I am following a map or other written instructions I have to constantly monitor the road just in front of me for fear of missing some important sign.  When I plug in a GPS route it tells me "Your Next Turn is 52 Miles Away".  So now I don't have to use tunnel vision focus watching all the intersections and side roads and signs.  I can now sit back and smell the roses.  Look at the horizon.  Enjoy visual oddities.  Embed with the local people.  Watch the wildlife and environs.  Eventually I do have to glance down and see  how close I am to the upcoming turn and begin to focus my attention as that turn nears.

By digression, I had an early version TOMTOM.  I say 'HAD' because I eventually threw it as far as I could.  The TomTom insisted on guidance logic in the OPPOSITE of what I have described above.  It warned you of the approach of EVERY intersecting road, even if you were NOT supposed to take that road.  Wait, the plot thickens, TomTom not only alerted you to every road, but it did so a half-mile in advance and then again 200 yards in advance and then again AT the intersection.  They want you to be prepared!  "Don't take this road".  WTF.  I tested it once to see how bad the issue was.  Get on the freeway near my house and drive to a major city 25 miles away.  My GARMIN tells me to get on the freeway and enjoy the view for 25 miles and then pay attention.  The TomTom told me SIX times NOT to get off the freeway.  No, wait, using the 3-warning technique above it told me EIGHTEEN TIMES not to get off the freeway.  I had to pay attention every time it warned me of something important ahead (like a non-existent turn).  I'm not sure if current version TomToms use such crazy guidance but I have no intention of investing to find out.  Stupid machine logic designed by some equally stupid human programmer.

Ask me how I really feel.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Lannis]

Seems like most of your dramas would have been non existent if you got a bike with a decent tank, picked a mate who watches where he’s going, move to a country with 20th century legislation and have the GPS set correctly.
Just for starters..

I've tried that.   

1) On a long enough ride, doesn't matter how big your gas tank is.   I coasted 10 miles downhill into Townsend, Montana on a Triumph with a 350 mile range last year.

2) You don't always get to "pick your mates" using "GPS Freak Or Not" as a criteria.   A really good guy, good riding companion, etc. may be an ideal partner, but might be infatuated with his GPS and drive around and around in circles staring at his GPS until you finally stop at the destination, wait for him to come by again, and wave him in.   It's what happens to many people when these things run filaments into their central nervous systems.

3) And that happened in Canada ....

Lannis

[Huzo]

Or just ride and don't bother with a GPS.

Can be a bit tricky if you’re looking for pre booked accomodation, 2 hrs after dark in central Paris in the rain.

[Huzo]

I've tried that.   

1) On a long enough ride, doesn't matter how big your gas tank is.   I coasted 10 miles downhill into Townsend, Montana on a Triumph with a 350 mile range last year.

2) You don't always get to "pick your mates" using "GPS Freak Or Not" as a criteria.   A really good guy, good riding companion, etc. may be an ideal partner, but might be infatuated with his GPS and drive around and around in circles staring at his GPS until you finally stop at the destination, wait for him to come by again, and wave him in.   It's what happens to many people when these things run filaments into their central nervous systems.

3) And that happened in Canada ....

Lannis

Yeah, good riding mates..
Harder to pick than a broken nose..

[canuck750]

I agree with Patrick on the GPS prompt telling me that my next turn is X distance ahead, second exit in the round about, very helpful and let’s me concentrate on the road and enjoy the ride rather than if I missed my waypoint. Most of the very small roads we are traveling have very few signs other than notice of the next hamlet which are not on the map.

My Garmin has more features than I will ever need but a real plus is how bright the screen is and that I can manipulate the touch screen with my gloves on. I am going to be careful to not pick the most twisty backroads in Romania, that could lead to more excitement than I need.

[john fish]

Can be a bit tricky if you’re looking for pre booked accomodation, 2 hrs after dark in central Paris in the rain.

I can see that.  I assume most folks are using speakers in helmets with GPS?

[Zoom Zoom]

Am I the only one who likes to stay up late looking at maps and then enjoys getting lost and the Eureka moment of popping up in the right place by having The Force guide them?

Trusting in a GPS does not make me feel confident, whereas studying maps and planning routes makes me feel prepared.

 Not much fun relying on THE FORCE in a large metropolitan area where I tend to accidentally motor into dead end alleys after dark low on gas in the bad part of town, but is fun in the countryside.
<snip>

I have used a GPS for some time now. I recognize it for what it is, a tool. I still keep an atlas and or a map on the bike when traveling. I still spend time looking at maps prior to leaving for someplace new. I have seen where building routes into it does not always work out the way I would like so I don't do that. (Sometimes when you begin someplace in the middle of a created route, it will attempt to get you back to the beginning of it.) Instead, I choose to save way points, ie: destinations. I very seldom use it to actually navigate. When I know I'm getting close and I'm unsure  of where I'm going, I bring up the way point and use it for the last mile so to speak.

I will save a way point at the beginning and end of a piece of road I want to ride. (Which I found on maps before I left, BTW.)

If I'm out joy riding, I don't use it to keep from getting lost. I get lost. When I figure I need to get un-lost because it's getting late or something, then I punch in someplace that will get me onto familiar roads.

I can use it in the rain, even if there is not an underpass to stop under. It is a handy tool. It simply depends on how someone will choose to use it.

It is only as accurate as the information put into it, thus keeping the maps updated it to your benefit. Paper maps can also be inaccurate so that argument is a wash in my mind. Neither one is perfect.

Like I said, a handy tool.


John Henry     

[Groover]

I can see that.  I assume most folks are using speakers in helmets with GPS?

I used GPS that way once as a test. I had the phone with the GPS running in my pocket, and just went off voice navigation. Of course, I already knew where I was going sort of as this was just a test type thing, but I think with some training and trust in the device, it could be done I think. However, I'd prefer to see it AND hear it.

[oldbike54]

 Ahh a GPS thread , almost as much fun as an ABS thread 

 Glad you are having fun Jim , a K1600 is a brilliant tool for 2 up sport touring , but turn it loose at least once bud , 100 MPH won't make it sweat at all   

 Are we gonna get a tonne of pictures and a good report of this long visit to the old country ?

 Dusty

[DougG]

Hi Jim,                                                                                                       9-5-19

I use a Sena 10 helmet speaker/intercom unit with my Garmin 595.  The Sena might not be the best out there, but it works for me.  The Garmin speaks clearly through it, the music plays clearly through it and the bonus is that it has a built in tire pressure sensor monitor (you need to buy the valve top transmitters separately).

Hope this helps.

Be well,
DougG

[Huzo]

I can see that.  I assume most folks are using speakers in helmets with GPS?

I never have..
A good GPS gives you ample warning

[Wayne Orwig]

Or just ride and don't bother with a GPS.

I have had a LOT of non-believers follow me as I use my GPS. After the ride they usually come up to me and ask me how I found those great roads.   

[Wayne Orwig]

1) On a long enough ride, doesn't matter how big your gas tank is.   I coasted 10 miles downhill into Townsend, Montana on a Triumph with a 350 mile range last year.

Beats mine. I was on a Breva 750 in Italy. The low fuel light has been on for a LONG time and I was far from any town. So I shut it off and coasted about ?? kilometers (about 8 miles) into Breno. Even passed a car going down the hill. 

[JC85]

- Was nearly run into by the same friend because he was paying more attention to the GPS than what was directly ahead of him.

The main reason I use the audio directions with my earbuds, rather than getting a phone mount and having to look at it.

[Guzzistajohn]

I like to wander aimlessly hoping I can find my destination while spreading bread crumbs along the way to help me get back home. When I run out of crumbs I keep a hatchet so I can make tree marks like Daniel Boone.

Works out fine as long as I don't pack my urine covered sneeker soles next to my biscotti stash in my pannier