And how do you plan your trips? Aside from the day to day rides to work, the store, and such, how do you plan your trips? Do you just head out the door and see where you'll end up, or do you pour over maps for hours? Do you use books, travel guides, or magazines for reference?
And how do you plan your trips? Aside from the day to day rides to work, the store, and such, how do you plan your trips? Do you just head out the door and see where you'll end up, or do you pour over maps for hours? Do you use books, travel guides, or magazines for reference?
Maps... LOL
That's what GPS is for.
__________________ 2012 HD Road Glide Custom - Black denim
Not unless they've improved immensely over the last several years.
I have a few year old Garmin Zumo 550. The trip planning map software that came with it is garbage. And it was the only thing marketed for motorcyclists at the time.
GPS is great if you're in a car and want to get somewhere quickly and accurately, but if you like to plan trips along your own back road routes, I'd suggest printing out your route on Google maps and using the GPS as a back up navigator for those times you accidently make a wrong turn.
To be fair, the Garmin does have a function for taking the "shortest" route. In populated regions, this means you'll take the surface streets and spend a lot of time at traffic lights. In the boondocks, it means you'll be taking gravel roads and goat paths.
I did 32k in the last year. Ride to work every day, shopping, errands etc. I have many 2 or 3 hour rides, several all day rides, and I've made 2 2,200 mile round trips to Boston and a few 350 milers to Savannah.
For planning, if I don't know the way, I'll use Google maps to remmember the route and suppliment with GPS.
__________________
IBA Member
2012 XCT "Marguerite"
PCV and AT, brake light strobe
Passenger arm rests and handles, driver back rest
Lloydz filter, 1 1/8 hole drilled in muffler baffles,
Harley lugage rack, Ness modular apes
if i'm by myself i usually roam aimlessly. but the group i usually ride with has one guy that carries maps, knows every road in tn. and likes to lead. makes it so easy to just ride.
__________________
now , 2011 crossroads
in order of ownership, sears compact scooter, honda 305 scrambler, honda 160 dream , triumph 500 trophy trail, honda cb450, sportster, honda f750, 2nd sportster, harley flh, harley super glide, 3rd sportster, bmw k1000, harley low rider, 2nd harley super glide, harley heratage, harley road king,
thats just the street bikes!
I plan for 1/2 a year for longer trips. I look at a handful of things.
I usually have a destination- e.g. Sturgis, Yellowstone Park, The Ozarks, etc. I then use a map to check things out- google maps also helps for distance, paper maps for the 'big picture.'
I then consult websites like Motorcycleroads.us and other motorcycle rider's forums about good places to ride both where I plan to go and on the way there. I also have a handful of books and magazines with 'best rides in...' sections. It is all about the trip.
I then pull out maps and mark them up, so I know where I plan on going. I do not use GPS because getting lost is half the fun. If I just followed GPS, I'd never found the double letter roads in Iowa, the side roads in South Dakota, or the crazy switchback road just outside of Eureka Springs. And the fear of an almost empty tank is fun if you actually find a gas station in time.
For my wife and I, we are all about the trips. I hardly take my bike to work because of parking issues, well that and I have to fight really hard not to keep riding in the a.m..
__________________
2011 Cross Country
Black
Stage One Exhaust
iPod adapter
I have spent many, many hours, sometimes months planning rides. Sometimes I even have each gas stop planned.
I don't program a route into my GPS I just add way-points, I have added over 50 way-points for one trip.
What kind of rider are you?
"Marguerite"
Linear Mode
