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Originally Posted by HillbillyWV
What made you decide to take a GPS? Was it because all the ride reports mentioned a GPS or because you truely need a GPS?
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While wandering aimlessly has its charm, when you need to get somewhere in a major city (hotel, garage/mechanic) the GPS is not only more useful than paper maps, I believe that its safer. I have a Garmin Zumo 660 mounted just behind the windscreen on my VStrom 650 so I can see it without taking my eyes off the road. It gives advance warning of upcoming turns so that you can take your time getting into the correct lane. When you miss a turn it recalculates and immediately gives you an alternate route. Maps don't always tell you things like one-way streets. On the open road I find that it gives a much more accurate speed reading than my speedometer, and the features like "distance to destination" helps me to pace myself along the road. Its has also been helpful in finding gas stations in remote areas. I have maps for North America and Europe and for the time saved and safety aspects, they were well worth the money. It doesn't always give you the optimal route, but I have never failed to get to where I was going. When I wiped out on the remote Dempster Highway in northern Canada and broke my ankle, I was able to give the police (who I called on a satellite phone) the exact GPS coordinates so that they could come and find me. I wouldn't leave home without it.
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