An interesting debate has developed. Referring to my last comment and the feedback than it generated: In my opinion, you do NOT NEED a GPS (of whatever brand, type or specification) to navigate yourself around the world, or smaller section thereof.

Where there is a road, there are road signs (mostly, some are even misleading, inaccurate or wrong, but 95% of the time they are correct), there are people, and with the aid of a compass and a map you will be fine.

It is a question of how you ask directions and to whom. Talking to people is fun: Working out if what they say is correct or feasible. Rather than worrying about all these gadgets that you can take with you (and break, and get stolen, and distract you), just drive, take it easy, smile, don’t hit any wildlife and enjoy.

Western consumerism tells us that we need all these machines to make our life better. We don’t. And you don’t if you want to undertake a big bike trip. I made it to some very out of the way places on my little 2 ½ year 60.000 mile viaje en todo del mundo and found a GPS was not required.

(I would also recommend you take an air cooled bike with a carburettor and no fuel injection, but that is another story…)

How did travellers make it around the world before the advent of GPS, satellite phone, ATM, and computers??

Spend your money on important things like a good shock absorber, good wine and some octane booster so that your steed can still run on Ethiopian 78 octane leaded fuel.

There is a German saying: 'Ein GPS zeigt dir wo du stirbst'. In English: 'A GPS shows you where you die'.

Enjoy
Chris

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