Some motorcyclists pride themselves on their sense of direction and navigational skills. Others say the only way to find yourself is to get lost first. Aside from the romanticized view of it, optimizing the travel time and effort of going from A to B is generally beneficial, especially in busy cities, or narrow off-road tracks or while riding in bad weather.

During my years of traveling around the world, I used my smartphone for navigation but there were occasions when I wish I had a proper GPS mounted on my bike—but I never thought to myself “Oh damn, I wish I had a paper map.” This is not because I don’t like the sensation of looking at a small atlas and drawing my route in red with a marker; trust me, I do. I never fancied paper maps because they are not efficient and I had better and lighter options to choose from. But depending on your circumstances, paper maps may work for you; they are certainly more affordable, and they have a “cool” factor that electronic gadgetry doesn’t.

I’m not trying to steer anybody into switching to digital navigation. I’m just saying that nowadays, most of us find it unthinkable to ride somewhere we have never been before without a GPS.

1. How GPS is beneficial

Global Positioning System is a technology that revolutionized the automotive industry in the past 20 years. It allows us to determine our position around the globe with incredible accuracy (close to 5 meters). Like all tech things, these used to be heavy and super expensive and now they’re basically the size of a button and costs $20. All smartphones are equipped with GPS and by using a navigation app such as Google Maps, MapsMe, etc, we are able to find our way around the world effortlessly, even where connectivity may be unavailable.

Because of the incredible efficiency of mobile devices, GPS manufacturers such as Garmin, TomTom, Trail Tech, Magellan, etc., are instead focused now in providing a product that offers something more than a smartphone could. Dedicated GPS devices usually have bigger screens, solid mounts, and are completely weather-sealed. Some of these also allow messaging and emergency calls using the GPS network, when cellphone signal is out of range. An incredible upgrade from the bare navigation tool we used to have.

2. Different kinds of GPS

There are many brands of GPS out there, but only a few are really good for motorcycle riding, especially if you want to get off the beaten path. For instance, Garmin offers its customers a wide arrange of devices, specifically designed for motorcyclists seeking extreme adventures. The limitations of certain brands are sometimes related to the accuracy of their maps.

一些最著名的品牌虽然管理ll just fine, as most riders use it for city navigation. Brands like TomTom are definitely more oriented to urban riding, while Trail Tech is better for off-road use. The downside of using a GPS device compared to a smartphone is the fact that on GPS units, the land maps, which change regularly, often must be updated manually. Smartphone connectivity makes this process quite seamless. The downside of using a smartphone compared to a dedicated GPS is that the continuous “on screen” mode, will drain and wear a mobile battery

3. Where to mount a GPS unit on your motorcycle

A GPS should not interfere with your riding. Many people mount it on the handlebar or below the dash but it’s usually better to place it right below the top of the windshield (or over the dash). If you look at rally raid bikes, the “tower” has the roadbook at the very end of it, so the racers can see their screen while standing on the pegs.

From my own experience, I had an unfortunate accident in San Francisco while I was distracted by my phone/GPS, mounted on the left side of my handlebar. I was riding and waiting for my exit which was coming on my right. The GPS announced the turn and once I started engaging the turnoff, I looked at the GPS and realized that my exit was actually the one after the one I took, just 50 meters ahead.

After just a split second of distraction, when I looked back up, I was heading toward a concrete wall. The result was an unavoidable crash, fortunately without major consequences.

Now, this was a rare circumstance, but my crack-up should teach a lesson: Position your GPS so you can ride heads-up.

4. Optimizing getting from point A to Point B.

Some people seem to have all the time in the world and not a care about what’s going on around them. If you are one of these people, well good for you, but know that everybody else is trying to keep up with the speed of traffic or is going somewhere with a bit of a rush.

Public roads are dangerous and sometimes even hesitating or going too slow could cause an accident. The key is being seamless, flowing with traffic. To do so, it’s better to rely on technology that allows us to minimize navigational mistakes. Using paper maps can cause problems in terms of assessing what to do and when to do it on the road.

Plus, I still haven’t met anybody that was able to fold a map back to its original shape and form. Maps can also be outdated, almost as soon as you buy them. Nowadays modern GPS will tell us traffic information, opening hours of establishments and would even allow us to find more suitable or adventurous “detours”, in a matter of seconds. It’s quite relaxing to have the GPS doing all the hard work while I have to simply enjoy the view and the ride!

Another great way of GPS being helpful is to use it as “co-driver” to tell you what’s ahead, like a roadbook. For motorcycles, the entry speed on corners is very important. Having a visual idea of the turn’s layout can give a good indication on what speed or gear we should use for the upcoming stretch of road.

5. Safety Tips from GPS

In a new, unfamiliar city, GPS helps me navigate high traffic and the infinite amount of other variables that could otherwise be overwhelming and dangerous. Combining GPS with a Bluetooth speaker/communication set installed on your helmet makes for much easier, safer navigation.

However, one downside of GPS is that they aren’t 100 percent reliable. Sometimes it is better to look around instead of just trusting the machine. When I was in Brazil, for instance, the device wanted to lead me more through some dangerous areas of the city, called favelas. It was indeed the shorter route, but definitely not the safest.

To stay safe, cross-reference multiple devices or platforms. For instance, always double-check on Google Satellite if road conditions are good and if the route chosen by the GPS is actually the best or most accurate one (especially when riding off-road).

What do you think? Do you still carry paper maps?