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[TinSpinner]

My GPS and I have a love/hate relationship. I seldom use it for navigation, most of the time it resides in the tour pack. When I arrive in some small town that happened to be on my way to nowhere I get it out to check for eats or gas stations but always end up arguing with it when it tries to direct me to a destination. I can't depend on it to get me home either, it wants to take me in a series of decreasing circles then shuts off trying to find my house only to acknowledge that we're home when I pull in the garage. In some ways it's like being married again but I have the luxury of ignoring it without consequence.

[D-N-D]

I follow my GPS right in to the water 

[kiro]

I like using GPS when I travel - as Garmin points out nobody should rely on one means of navigation and having maps or an atlas available and an idea of how/where you want to go is always a good idea. Obviously it isn’t required locally where you know the road systems. I don’t care to have it talk to me when on two wheels or four so keep it muted unless verbal directions are needed. Functions like time/distance to destination are useful for planning purposes on a long drive. GPS can take you on some strange routes if you allow it, but it’s always gotten me to the destination in the end result.

[SanJuanRon]

I have seen 18 wheel semi trucks and trucks pulling boats attempt to go over Cinnamon or Engineer Passes (12,500+ elevation, tough 4WD dirt roads) in the SW Colo. Mtns. as a result of blindly following their GPS.  Both didn't make it far.  Also, college girls in a Volkswagon bug that needed rescuing among others. All trying to take a "shortcut" from Lake City to Silverton or Ouray.  SJ Ron

[Ironhorse]

I like both maps and gps, and each has a specific use.

The map is great at breakfast, when over coffee you can look and get an overview of what you will be doing that day. I love seeing the topography, little towns, all that. While "take the 405 to the 101 to the 126 exit main and go three blocks" is accurate, it does not help with an overview, especially for one who is unfamiliar with the area. You may miss too many places you might want to stop in on along the way.

The gps is great in the moment. I'm lost, need gas or food, and would prefer not to pull over, get out the map and reorient. I can search and get corrected turn by turn to get there all from the saddle. With my Bluetooth helmet, I can call the hotel to check on availability while enroute.

I like that you can use gps in the pouring rain, where a map might get soggy pulled over to the side of the road unfolded on your tourpack. I like that a map shows distance and time lengths. I like that the gps can give you traffic or road closures (if you update). I like that a map can be shown to a non English speaking person who can then interpretate and give directions.

At the end of the day, I like to sit down with the map and see how much we did or didn't do. I like that maps don't crash, wig out, or need a charge. I like that a map does not require a cord to charge overnight.

I like and use both.

[ultrarider123]

Greg, to answer your question for me, I don't follow a GPS and don't have one.  I'll look at and carry a map and remember my route as I ride.  If I forget or not sure, I'll stop and check the map.  May be "old school" or something to that effect but I like doing it that way and It's worked well for many a trip.  For a map, I use my yearly HOG membership book.  Has worked well, small to pack, easy to navigate through and doesn't require batteries or power to operate.....

[ultrafxr]

Like many have said, there is nothing like a good old paper map spread out in front of you to get a good overview of available / planned routes.  I use them for that purpose.  But then I drill down to find the back roads that are much more interesting than the main highways and god forbid the interstates!  Some of these roads are not shown on paper maps and for sure many are not on the HOG atlas that is sent out yearly.

I make my routes on the computer tweaking them until I am satisfied and then save and transfer them to my gps.  I find this makes for a much more enjoyable ride since I don't have to worry since because I know in advance when my next turn is coming up and I don't have to look so hard for road signs.  I can enjoy my ride and pay much more attention to the road conditions, traffic, etc., since I have a navigator on board.

I seldom if ever use the gps just to take me from point A to point B.  But using it the way I do it is a wonderful tool.

[Cat Eye]

I ride with three other guys that are old school map guys......and guess who leads the pack..the guy with the GPS...and during breakfast and lunch I will have my garmin with me entering/reviewing our next route.
Not anymore though....can't take the infotainment gps in the restaurant...time for me to move back into the pack.

[WestCoastRuss]

Always good to have a back-up.....

[GregKhougaz]

Always good to have a back-up.....

I know a couple of people who need that!     

[kiro]

Always good to have a back-up...

Or two or three... 

[Dr.D]

 :DOh Lord I love that backup pic..LOL Who even needs to  see the road with all that. I use a paper map and gazetteer to get ideas but will get detail from google maps on the computer or smart phone. I will actually use the google map to do complete fly over of a ride and can even see the painted lines on the roads that are paved. I love and collect paper maps. Half the fun of a ride for me is the route planning and calculations. I only use the system on the bike to see the next turn ahead and get slowed down for it.

[doublerunner]

I think for those of us who grew up without a gps (or cell phones or computers), we like the hands on feel of a map. Me personally I keep my gps on my bike at  all times with just the screen on so I can see road names, and also so I can grab a quick direction if I need to, or for a place to eat. I also keep a waterproof street map in my tourpak and I also will plan trips. If we're going to a new destination I will typically spend hours on bing maps and find the roads I want to take and create a custom program into my gps. And even if I don't have a route planned, I do prefer to look online at the areas we will travel to just to get an idea of the roads and areas. I guess I just don't like leaving a lot of things to chance. This works best when riding alone. It seems to me when we're with others in our group, very few have any plan at all, they just wing it, which is okay at times as well, but not if I am trying to get somewhere

[JCZ]

Always good to have a back-up.....

Russ, that photo looks like it was taken down around your area.....do you personally know the person that owns that wing?  Just curious how tall he is?  I mean he'd have to be pretty damn tall to see over all of that.

OK, I'll fess up.....my Super Duty has a GPS designed for RVs with satellite traffic and weather and lifetime maps (enter your width, length, heigh, weight, etc. and it'll direct you around any restricted roads, bridges, etc.), a dash cam, radar detector, two data jacks, three electrical recepticles and a 120 v recepticle.  I'm good to go and take what ever electronics, computers, ipods, ipads, whatever......and use it all at once.  But truth be known, I'm still technology challenged.   But I did break down and buy an iphone recently and I'm just learning to talk/text.   

[WestCoastRuss]

JC......My cousin (rides a wing) sent me the picture a bit ago....not sure the history of it....but does look as if the rider would need to be around six foot nineteen to see over that stack!!