Guy Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages

Adventures in Sport Touring with the Honda ST 1100, 1300 and the BMW 1200RT

Exploring North America...One Road at a Time

                                        GPS

As most know, I'm a basic kind of "guy"  My motorcycles are not modified much.  Radios, CBs, cell phones, exotic seats, handlebars, highway pegs, and fancy windshields are not really me.  Most of those items are comfort related, and at this point in time I find my motorcycles comfortable enough.  I prefer the clean, smooth lines of a stock motorcycle, with uncluttered handlebars. I would have to be really uncomfortable on a bike to alter its intended purpose.

I mounted the unit low in the middle to keep
my handlebars clean.

Because of that, some of you were surprised I added GPS.  

I knew a few years ago I was eventually going to go GPS.  I was just waiting for the right unit.  A couple of years ago, I caught rumors Garmin was in the R and D stage of  a motorcycle GPS.  I know Garmin products, been using the company's running watch (Forerunner 305) the last 2 years.  Garmin went to runners and cyclists for advice, and created a well thought out HR monitor, GPS, and watch.  It has all the info a endurance athlete needs or wants.  The software accompanying the watch is first rate.  Nothing was left out.

Because of that experience, I was confident Garmin would create a excellent GPS for Long Riders, so I eschewed the automotive units and waited for the Zumo.  After consulting the guys that use GPS on bikes, (one of the Beta Testers is a friend of mine on the ST BBS) they brought out the 550.  It may not be perfect, but it's pretty close.  I don't have any experience with the nuances of the "brick" units but I know this, a unit that is not waterproof, has a small screen, and inoperable with gloved hands, with control button on the right side, is going to have problems.  For sure, the those units will do the job, and and save you a few bucks, but not at the level of the Zumo.  

My philosophy on GPS is like everything else when it comes to riding.  If you ride a lot of miles, and tour extensively, buy the best gear you can afford, and get your money's worth.  When it comes to Long Riding I'm going to have top of the line equipment, from the motorcycles themselves, to my helmets, apparel, luggage and boots.

In the list of sport touring élan you have, Honda, BMW, Arai, Aerostich, PIAA, and now Zumo.

This URL- Garmin Zumo 550 will be much better with the details then anything I could write here.

More then a few GPS neophytes have emailed me asking for advice and how I incorporate GPS into my touring. For them I created this primer, for you experienced guys, you can just skip over.

What do you like best about GPS?  That's hard, but I'd have to say always knowing what's going on.  I know how far it is to my next route change, turn, or city.  How to find gas (the unit has a nearest to feature, but that may not always be true.  Sometimes gas is much closer, the unit is at the mercy to whatever the software says).  I can breeze through busy mega city freeways, knowing where the exits are. I can find friends homes, dealers, my favorite restaurants, ATMs etc.

I can visit a website looking for my favorite POI's to download.  I already have the location of every Hooters (what can I say?) Honda and BMW dealer in the country.  Even if I don't have it as a POI and the Zumo doesn't have it preloaded, just give me the address and I'm there.

I can't tell you how many times, I lost a route trying to make my way through a city, and it doesn't even have to be big.  Sometime they just fade away.  You come into town on U.S. 50, but in the city limits the name is "Main Street" and in many places they just drop the number.  Sometimes multiple routes are stacked on a single road, and that can be confusing.  GPS sorts all that stuff out.

How do you plan a trip with GPS?  I start with the old fashioned atlas.  It is still the best way to get the big picture.  From there I go to the mapping software (comes with the unit) and zoom down in detail on the roads I want to ride.  The "how to" is beyond the scope of this discussion, but the short version is the software can go to much more detail then a atlas, then I use the mouse to drop a waypoint, the software then connects the waypoints and I have my route.  I can plot a 500 mile custom ride with the help of a atlas in about 10 minutes, download it to the unit in about 1, and I'm good to go.

The GPS always has the "get there quick" option for times you just need to arrive.  For instance I spent the night in San Antonio, and the next morning I was riding the Hill Country on a custom route.  I can't think of a need to custom route out of San Antonio, but the Zumo takes care of that.  My custom route started 100 miles away, but when you bring the route up the unit will ask if you would like a route to the starting point, just tap yes, and let it crunch the route and away you go.  I do that often.  You can have a half day of just getting there, and the other half a custom route on some interesting roads.

For the recent Texas Tour I preplanned 7 days, and it worked very well.  A follow up trip to Ohio in the hills and hollers of Tennessee served as a confirmation.  Everything worked great.  The GPS has taken me to roads I'd otherwise never get to ride. 

Before I actually owned a GPS, I never knew any of this, but getting plenty of on the job training now.  Getting the most out of your unit takes time.  The 550 itself is pretty simple, but the Mapsource software can be a little daunting.  I had problems getting the PC and the Zumo to talk to each other, and spent a day sorting that out.  I don't know about y'all, but every time I connect something to a USB port, I hold my breath to see if its going to work.

Also mastering POI downloads, and files can be a little tricky, but just stay with it, and you will be rewarded.  Certain files have to be converted to certain formats etc, I caught on fairly quickly thanks to the folks over on the Zumo Forum.

I don't use the unit much in the freelance mode.  Sometimes you might like to wonder around aimlessly, but on a long tour it is not a good way to see things or further your objectives.  Freelancing works if you are riding out of a hub, and returning each day.  On a cross country ride a GPS is a great way to see things and explore, and at the same time keep you working toward the place you need to be by days end.

Miscellaneous stuff-  With the routes on my C drive I can come back to them anytime I want.  I can share them with other Zumo owners,  and can do that fly over thing with Google Earth (that's pretty neat) and see my route in a virtual world. 

I know the distance to places almost instantly, and if I find one I'd like to come back to I can save the coordinates and return to the exact place without a thought.

It is my belief, GPS will soon be viewed the same way we do power brakes and AC.  It will be standard equipment.  In the future, places will have their coordinates "out there."  Somehow Motel 6 will broadcast a signal and anybody wanting to know where the nearest is will be lead right to it.  That's pretty much how it is now, only you have to type the name.  I'm sure in 10 years they will be doing stuff as foreign as the current GPS was in the 90s.

Going to be a fun ride, and GPS is a fun way to do it.