To GPS or not to GPS.....
This is definitely an interesting topic. There has been much dialog on the IBMWR email list and I dare say there are as many supporters as there are detractors. The opinions range everywhere from "if you can't read a paper map....." to "it is too dangerous to take your eyes off the road......". Well I became the proud owner a Garmin eMap a month or so ago and took it on a two week, 5800 mile ride to the National then on to Ottawa Canada before returning home. I am convinced that the GPS is a good thing for me. Here's why.
I like to know where I am at all times. I like to look ahead to the next town, road stop etc. Ergo I look at the maps on a frequent basis while rolling down the road. With the eMap all this prolonged distraction stops. One glance at the eMap and I can glean most of the information I want to regularly look at. If I want more information, a couple of pushes of a button or two and voila! The information is displayed. Not only that but the information is large enough to read at a glance. Paper maps are not. It is my personal opinion that the GPS is actually safer for me. I no longer spend as much time looking at the maps down on my tank bag. HOWEVER, I do have three strong recommendations for anyone who gets a GPS. The first is mount the GPS as close to you as possible, preferably up on the handlebar on the left side so you can control it. Get it as high as reasonably possible so it it close to your line of sight as you roll down the road. On my K11/LT, I had removed the radio system so I took the controls off and mounted the eMap there. If I still had the radio installed, I would probably cut back the plastic shroud over the handlebars a bit to accomodate the mount. Here is a picture of the mount I use although it does not do it justice. When I get my camera out the next time I will take a couple of pics to show how it looks on my bike. I got my mount through http://www.cycoactive.com.
Second, DO NOT learn how to use it as you ride. There are several features of the GPS that you can only learn and appreciate while moving. To address this here is what I recommend. First, get familiar with the static features by playing with the GPS before you take it on the road. Once you know how to navigate to the various displays you can take it on the road but first, lay out a route close to home that you know well. Then take the GPS out in the car and let someone else drive while you play with the GPS. Note it's various features and see how it responds as you approach turns etc. Also observe distance and time to the next waypoint. Once you become really comfortable with using the GPS you can then take it out on the bike. The temptation to play with your new tool is greatly reduced.
The third is to use a program like Map N Go to lay out the routes and upload the directions into the GPS. This is a lot easier than trying to lay out the route using the GPS itself (although it can be done). This will necessitate planning your route in advance and programming it into the GPS. What I did for the two week ride was to establish the basic plan before I left home (actually my riding partner to Midland laid out the overall route. Each night we would lay out the next day's ride and then load it into the GPS's for use the next day. One day we abandoned the day's route altogether. At that point we turned off the navigation feature. The GPS was still very useful but just did not give us distance and time to the next turn or waypoint. There were four instances on the ride where the GPS really paid off.
The first was when we had to find this little town of Chicopee MO (I think). The town was so small that we could stand at one city limit sign and see the equivalent sign on the other side of town. The roads getting in and out of town were really back roads but the GPS took us right to the town. The second was when I heard of a bad wreck about 75 miles ahead and that traffic had been dead stopped for a couple of hours. The GPS took me on several back roads detouring the accident and got me back on the freeway in an area I was quite unfamiliar with. The third was getting around Chicago on the way home. I found myself on the wrong road (confirmed by looking at the GPS). I was able to turn around and get back on the right road with only a mile or so's detour. The fourth was quite impressive.
I was rolling down I-35 out of Des Moines Iowa and was trying to plan a gas stop. I had 92 miles left in the tank according to my Fuel Plus. I scanned the GPS data base and found out that the last two choices I had were at 60 miles and 90 miles. Normally I would have passed up the 60 mile one figuring there had to be services before the 90 miles ended. The GPS said there was not. I stopped at the 60 mile point and fueled up. Sure enough, there was no gas until the 90 mile point. If I had not stopped when I did I could have been pushing my bike those last miles.
So, what features of the GPS are going to be of the most value to me? For everyday riding they are:
While not important to the actual trip, the trip computer is a wealth of information. It gives trip distance that you can reset each day. It has an odometer setting that you can reset at the beginning of the trip and let it run for the whole trip. It will also tell you rolling and overall average speed so you can predict how far you will go each day. This would help if you have a time constraint and need to speed up or take a more direct route.
For rallying, especially endurance riding, in addition to the above, it will tell you time and distance to the next checkpoint, as well as upcoming bonus points you have chosen to collect. If you find yourself running late, you can skip bonuses and take a more direct path to the checkpoint. It will also help in laying out your route because you can use the average times from the GPS to load into Map N Go. Map N Go will then tell you how long it will take to run your selected route. You can then modify it if necessary before even leaving. If you are ahead or behind as you progress through the leg, you can adjust your plans much easier.
All in all, I believe the eMap will be a valuable addition to my riding. It will make the ride much more enjoyable since I won't be trying to figure out gas stops, and all the other things mentioned above. It may not be for everyone but I think people would be surprised at how beneficial it would be. I liken it unto the dish washer and microwave (I know SOME of you predate these home appliances). If you remember, people said "Ah who needs that!" and now who does not have one.
There is an added benefit if you get Street Atlas. If you have to go someplace you have not been before, you can put the address in the program, lay out a route to get there and then upload it to the GPS. It will take you right to the address and you won't have to look for street signs or land marks to get there. Heck, if you put the PC (assuming you have a laptop!) in your car and use the GPS as a receiver, the PC will talk you through the route.
Pictures of my mount will come shortly and I will update this document with more opinions as I form them.....
Well, that's my take on this GPS thing.
Norm
Legal disclaimer: The information above is the sole opinion of the writer. It is not intended to advise on the use or non-use of a GPS on a motorcycle. It is intended to provide things to consider if the reader chooses to use a GPS while riding a motorcycle. It is generally accepted that any distraction from watching the road is dangerous. The writer has typically taken this risk in the past using paper maps. In his experience and his experience alone, he feels that the GPS reduces that danger for him. This may not be true for others. Therefore, any use of the above information is at the sole risk of the user.