From the Magazine: The Great Hangtown Adventure

It seems today that Global Positioning Systems are popping up everywhere, you can get one in a rental car, and even stock on some street bikes and ATV's. The PR glitter that accompanies these models usually tout that "you'll never get lost again" or something to that effect. Um, sure...folks that couldn't read a map before still can't and too many think that GPS is the ultimate cure for lacking this skill.

Nevertheless, we became a little caught up in the idea that our fancy Garmin GPS-V and trick mounting system from TouraTech would guide us through our entire journey. We planned all sorts of routes using a mapping software program called MapSource. It allows the creation of detailed routes with either its built in auto-routing tools, which will allow the GPS to guide you with turn warnings as you are moving, or through the more traditional waypoint navigation method (Read: straight lines between a bunch of points on a map) that forces you to watch for the intersections and make turn decisions on your own.

However, before we even got out of the parking lot, "tour-guide" Joe Bonnello announced he would guide us through lots of cool spots he knew—none of which matched what we loaded into the GPS. Reprogramming the small, portable, 9-button GPS for even the first 300-mile leg of our adventure would have been like doing your taxes in the post office parking lot. Since there wasn't time, the Garmin became a data logging and double check device, recording our progress and the wonderful places Bonnello took us.

Having the GPS really didn't add too much utility to our initial trek. You simply can't devote more than a periodic 1-2 second glance at a small screen while riding. You can only focus on the large numbers (speed, course) and the largest of roads in the moving map display. We were searching for the twistiest of roads, so just picking a point on the GPS map to head to never cut the mustard. Also, no map or GPS is going to reveal the road conditions suitable for having fun on dual-sports, so human memory ruled the day. What the GPS did do is remove any doubt for future expeditions—here are the chosen roads we traveled.

GPS provides a perfect companion to a paper map for this Go-Stop-Plan-Go riding style. A GPS with a built in, very detailed map (street maps worked best) is really the only type of system to consider. Built in topographic maps are far too cluttered and don't provide information easily digested while moving. If you think you're lost, the GPS will put you right back on track in a hurry. You practically have to journey to a third world country to get truly lost these days.

Track following: Attempting to follow a previously recorded track is probably the most amusing way to use a GPS. With the typical inaccuracies (20 to 100 feet is common) and data dropouts due to poor coverage that occurs mostly in between buildings, in canyons or heavy forests, you can have loads of fun attempting to relocate tiny single-track trails or find the correct turn onto a one way street. Follow the track segment in San Francisco and it's obvious that your Dirt Rider hosts were not very good at finding their way to Lombard Street.

Waypoint navigation: If you can get a series of points chosen and entered as a route, waypoint routing is actually very easy while on a motorcycle. Waypoint navigation displays a pointer in the direction of your next point. When you pass a point, the pointer switches, in essence telling you, go that direction next. Choosing points is really depends on how detailed you want to plan your route along the way. We plotted a route into Yosemite picking only the largest intersections. It's a good thing too since the connecting roads were awesome! They didn't look the part on the maps.

The setup is typically to select points just before and after major turns to ensure you make the turn. This gives you points to cross in such a way that the navigation course will show you which way to turn before you actually get to the turn, but not too much before. You need to be careful not to space the points too closely—a minimum of 0.30 mile apart is recommended - since most GPS units will consider a point 'passed' if you come close enough to it or pass it with a parallel course headed towards the next point. If this error happens, you're stuck. You'll need to rebuild the route and start from a mid-way point. Some units are smart enough to fix these errors en-route (Garmin's GPS-V usually gets it right), but only if the points are far enough away from each other.

Auto route navigation: This is a type of waypoint navigation where the computer picks your points for you along a route determined by map data loaded in the unit. It just doesn't work well for dual sporting since your target isn't to get places efficiently. It's to get there with the highest fun factor. We will say no more on this type of navigation until GPS maps begin to take fun into account. And no, I-99 through the San Joaquin Valley is not fun, no matter what the GPS-V thinks.

Receiver sensitivity: Satellites are a long way away. They transmit a paltry amount of energy that is spread across the entire globe (yes... the same 'line of sight' crud you heard about in Independence Day). Ever seen a GPS antenna? It's tiny, which translates into lousy reception. Open space or a better (larger) antenna to gather up more of that miniscule energy will improve the reception. The external antenna we used for this trip performed very well, even in the Yosemite forest. The smaller built-in antenna in the GPS-V was simply inadequate to our needs in the locations we were riding and is not recommended. Other units may fair better as this is entirely design specific. We even heard a rumor that there's new technology afoot which vastly enhances GPS sensitivity, but that's no doubt years away.

Battery life: The bane of our GPS adventure. All too often, the batteries got low and the GPS would just shut off while riding. Rechargeables were hard to get recharged. Ever seen a 12V DC cigarette adapter on a dual sport? The disposable Duracell Ultra batteries seemed to last the longest, so we survived by replenishing the stock at grocery stores along the way. The best method is using a 12V DC adapter for the GPS and installing a power outlet that is ideal for feeding these power-hungry devices. It will take some wiring and cutting skills to install...nothing a self-reliant adventurer can't handle. Right?

Not a compass: Most GPS systems do not come with built in magnetic compasses. For motorcycling adventures, this isn't a bad thing. Motorcycles emit interference. All ignition systems do. Compasses need to be designed and calibrated for use in close proximity to a vehicle. Using a non-calibrated GPS compass attached to a motorcycle will yield wildly inaccurate readings. Unfortunately, GPS units without compasses can only determine what direction you are pointing while moving. You must always keep this in mind when attempting to read your position on the display. Most GPSs will attempt to lock your last known heading when you stop, called pinning, but this rarely works.

Waypoint marking: Waypoints of interest are a great way to remember a journey. Along the way, just mark points and give them names clear enough to jog your memory.

Here are a few of ours, but you'll have to download the map data to see their exact locations!

The final word should be one of caution. A GPS is a tool. It behaves the same rule that any computerized tool follows: Garbage in = Garbage out

When used properly, by a knowledgeable operator, it will provide you with exceptionally good results. Make only small mistakes and it becomes a fancy way to tell you little more than which direction you are moving. Always practice with your GPS and become familiar enough with the tool to extract the greatest amount of fun from your travels.