Do I really need a GPS?

[Flamewinger]

I stopped using a stand alone GPS because the smartphone CPU is much faster and it’s way more convenient to have one device. As of the iPhone 3G (2008) all smartphones receive the same GPS signals as a stand alone unit. I have Garmin (no longer supported), TomTom, Sygic Car (no longer supported), Sygic GPS, & Genius Maps and all cost under $300. I can make custom routes with either Sygic or Genius whereas Google maps doesn’t have the ability to add waypoints (on the phone). Google maps requires downloading and maintaining a route when not in cell service. Sygic and Genius work offline and don’t need cell service.

With the new dash both Sygic and Genius along with Rever are manipulative with the joystick which makes it so much easier to use compared to trying to touch the screen. Using the joystick won’t attract the attention of police like touching the phone will. I can travel to any country and all I need is my phone.

[SLICE]

Slice, As a suggestion, and I have no idea about your specific IPhone, you might consider researching the settings for the GPS in your phone. It may be possible to select navigating by WiFi only, or WiFi and GPS. WiFi only is nice in cities where GPS struggles, but in open terrain, with few Starbucks or similar broadcasting WiFi, using satellites works better.

In our house we have several Garmin GPS devices. The pain is you must accomplish updates vs the phone which updates maps itself. Suffice to say, that Google Maps on the phone has saved us a few times when Garmin was clueless.

i was up in the big bend area (FLA) and even without a cell signal google maps still worked, same as when i took ride to the glades(FLA) no cell service and google maps worked fine.

i purposely left my original post ''hollow'' to get a variety or replys.

so my mind is made up i'll pass on the GPS and buy other junk... i need primers, magnum primers that is


thanks to everyone who replied.

[OldAge]

I have a GPS but still get great service from my Manual Acquisition Positioning System.

[Tango]

We use our phones as a GPS. Linked to my helmet or blue toothed through the speakers on the bike. In rainy weather, the phone works just fine in the rear trunk. Tom

[vito1943]

My opinion is that the primary advantage of a GPS device is the larger screen than a typical smart phone. "Dead spots" with weak or no cell ocverage used to be a major problem but not in recent years. That said, I have been in places in the Far West where I had no cell coverage at all. I think the BEST solution is to use Waze or Google Maps on your smartphone, being plugged into the bike so that the screen stays on and the phone charges, AND getting a satellite phone for emergencies in dead areas.

This past summer while returning from the West Coast to my home in the Midwest I was in my car, towing a camping trailer, when I suffered a massive blowout of a tire on my camper in western Colorado. I wish I had had a satellite phone since there was no signal for my Verizon phone service. The blowout had resulted in major damage to the undercarriage of the camper, and the steel belts of the blown out tire were wrapped around the axle, something I was not physically capable of removing so that the spare tire could be mounted. I was saved by two good Samaritans who spent a few hours helping me out so I could continue on my way (with a totally nonfunctional camper for the remainder of the trip). If I had been on my Spyder and broken down, a good Samaritan offering help would be unlikely to fix the problem, and without a cell signal I could not summon a tow. I plan on getting a satellite phone before my next major trip, whether by car or Spyder.

[Peteoz]

You don't need a GPS if the Iphone works for you.
I have both an Iphone and a Garmin GPS for the bike. I have both because , because some times when the phone is getting direct sun light the phone over heats and shuts down so the Garmin is kind of a back up.

TNT, just out of interest, which model iPhone do you have ? (I’m just trying to determine if the “iPhone overheating and shutting down in the hot sun” is still an issue with the latest models.

My personal opinion is that it is not going to be too long before specialist GPS units are no longer produced, as mobile phones running the specialist GPS apps become more and more robust.

Pete

[RayBJ]

Best choice for occasional trips. Can go month to month. Just light it up when ready for trip.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/765374
or
https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Explor.../dp/B01MY03CZP

[SLICE]

TNT, just out of interest, which model iPhone do you have ? (I’m just trying to determine if the “iPhone overheating and shutting down in the hot sun” is still an issue with the latest models.

My personal opinion is that it is not going to be too long before specialist GPS units are no longer produced, as mobile phones running the specialist GPS apps become more and more robust.

Pete

i have an iphone 14 and live in florida, it's 90˚ and sunny 10 months out of 12, it's never shut down...just an fyi i know you were asking another person

[Peter Aawen]

TNT, just out of interest, which model iPhone do you have ? (I’m just trying to determine if the “iPhone overheating and shutting down in the hot sun” is still an issue with the latest models.

My personal opinion is that it is not going to be too long before specialist GPS units are no longer produced, as mobile phones running the specialist GPS apps become more and more robust.

Pete

That's certainly a thought Pete, but I reckon, at least here in Oz, they'll likely go the other way - the 'specialist GPS units' will be increasingly upgraded/enhanced to do more than 'just' the address finder/street navigator GPS type stuff that many here think is all they currently do, likely because their only exposure has been to the GPS 'toys' that you can put in your pocket or mount on the windscreen of a vehicle!

It certainly looks to be already going the way of the increasingly capable & 'not so specialised' GPS with integrated control systems in the Maritime World, what with fully integrated GPS, chart plotters, auto pilots, fish finders, radars, et al; and especially here in Oz, where we have vast tracts of country where mobile phones aren't even as useful as a long wait for a plane; satellite phones often won't/don't necessarily work as a phone or anything else for fairly large chunks of time due to the limitations of communication satellite coverage, travellers are calling for high powered large memory capable devices that not only provide high definition maps with heaps of ancillary info and the traditional specialised GPS position/navigation features, but they're calling for more & more integrated features & capabilities to enhance their driving & exploring experience, so these features & capabilities are all being loaded into devices with larger screens, greater on-board memory, & more vehicle integration etc etc in devices like the Hema Navigators etc.

I've watched these 'Enhanced Navigation devices' grow from 'simple' positioning aids that did little more than provide a reasonably accurate position that someone who knew what they were doing could transfer onto a paper map, thru to fully integrated Navigation systems with satellite, ground station, and inertial capabilities that far exceed the accuracy & utility of any foreseeable 'mobile phone' that's based on just cell towers &/or a limited number of comms satelites. These integrated Navigation & Control devices with GPS accuracy that makes your eyes water are already in use as Auto-pilots and vehicle/implement control systems in Primary Industry, and are increasingly pushing those extended & enhanced capabilities into the realm of 4WD'ing, Caravanning, & Overlanding, not only in the Outback & the wide open spaces Oz has so much of, but also even into places a lot closer to 'civilisation' like the Vic High Country, the Snowy Mountains, & a lot of the 4WD Mecca's all along the Great Divide....

So I reckon that some form or enhanced version of 'specialised GPS Units' will be with us for a long time yet, altho maybe not in any form like the small GPS 'toys' that most here would be familiar with & are likely thinking of when they're comparing them to their mobiles/cell phones! Those GPS 'toys' may well be over-taken by mobile/cell phones & their limited capabilities, but 'Specialised GPS Units' are already sooo much more than that, and they are continually being further enhanced & integrated into industry, recreation, and our day to day lives.

[Flamewinger]

i was up in the big bend area (FLA) and even without a cell signal google maps still worked, same as when i took ride to the glades(FLA) no cell service and google maps worked fine.

i purposely left my original post ''hollow'' to get a variety or replys.

so my mind is made up i'll pass on the GPS and buy other junk... i need primers, magnum primers that is


thanks to everyone who replied.

If the route is set up when you’re in cell range then it will have the maps data to use when you loose service. If you cancel the route or shut the app down you’ll have problems. Google Maps and Waze are NOT offline capable. Plus they make routes from A to B whereas Genius, Sygic and TomTom can make custom routes. (On the phone)

[old Timer]

Having personally owned well over 70 motorcycles since the late 50's and have ridden many times Coast to Coast and Border to Border and everywhere in between, only one motorcycle had a GPS. It came standard on my '12 K1600GT BMW, and the only thing that I ever used it for was Elevation and Speed with the highest of 161 in Nevada. Never found a need other wise. When riding out West, the elevation was always interesting to know.

[ClayJ]

Google has the ability to download offline maps. You just draw a rectangle and google with save navigation data onto your phone so you can plan routes without internet access.

Google is fine if you don't care about the route or the roads you ride. If you want to hit specific roads and routes, google can be a pain.

Besides all that, don't place all your faith in any GPS. They can and will route you on dirt roads, closed roads, and non-existent roads. You're the driver, pay attention and use your own judgement.

[Peteoz]

i have an iphone 14 and live in florida, it's 90˚ and sunny 10 months out of 12, it's never shut down...just an fyi i know you were asking another person

Thanks Slice. I am more than happy for anyone who has experience to answer. So it looks like they have addressed that issue, which is another nail in the small GPS coffin.

Pete

[Peteoz]

I agree with you to some extent, Peter, but mobile phones have come so far in the last 25 years, (I used to carry a mobile with separate battery that was the size and weight of 2 house bricks, and could simply make/receive calls in the late 90s.) that I have no doubt they will be capable of just about anything you have mentioned below, and more, in the next 5/10 years, especially as satellite coverage constantly increases. The Sygic app on my mobile phone can already do everything my Garmin XT can do, but as it is an iPnone 8, it overheats in the hot sun. If I was to update to an iPhone 14 PLUS, it would offer me everything my XT does, and more (no need to link the XT to the phone for live traffic and weather etc ).
Sure, there will always be specialist needs for specialist GPS units, but not for 90% of the population. So we are pretty much on the same page

Pete

That's certainly a thought Pete, but I reckon, at least here in Oz, they'll likely go the other way - the 'specialist GPS units' will be increasingly upgraded/enhanced to do more than 'just' the address finder/street navigator GPS type stuff that many here think is all they currently do, likely because their only exposure has been to the GPS 'toys' that you can put in your pocket or mount on the windscreen of a vehicle!

[Knizar]

I hear ya Pete, "Beam Me Up Scotty"

[Cirhere]

do I need a GPS is like saying do I need another fishing rod and reel (I have 40) Heck no but I would like another

[DGoebel]

Slice, No you don't, (unless you really just want one ) I routinely use just my Galaxy S10 on an overdash (Tacform on RAM) mount, connected with a dedicated USB C charge cable right off the built-in accessory circuit (at the back of the frunk). I plan my routes using Google Maps with up to 10 different waypoints per route, sometimes planning a cross country IBA ride with three or more routes for the total trip, but I'm stopping at or near one of the waypoints in each of those segments. I have already downloaded all the maps for offline use (that's been around for years) as I "Build" those routes (I can even do this on my laptop and "send" them to my phone before downloading the offline maps). There's so many Youtube videos teaching how to do this, and like the OP, my phone is pretty water resistant and can sit over my dash in raging downpours just fine.
Spyder Phone Mount.jpg

Oh and I listen to Sirius XM (and the Phone GPS directions) on my in-helmet bluetooth speakers. All without using the BRP app in the dash.

[SLICE]

Slice, No you don't, (unless you really just want one ) I routinely use just my Galaxy S10 on an overdash (Tacform on RAM) mount, connected with a dedicated USB C charge cable right off the built-in accessory circuit (at the back of the frunk). I plan my routes using Google Maps with up to 10 different waypoints per route, sometimes planning a cross country IBA ride with three or more routes for the total trip, but I'm stopping at or near one of the waypoints in each of those segments. I have already downloaded all the maps for offline use (that's been around for years) as I "Build" those routes (I can even do this on my laptop and "send" them to my phone before downloading the offline maps). There's so many Youtube videos teaching how to do this, and like the OP, my phone is pretty water resistant and can sit over my dash in raging downpours just fine.
Spyder Phone Mount.jpg

Oh and I listen to Sirius XM (and the Phone GPS directions) on my in-helmet bluetooth speakers. All without using the BRP app in the dash.

thats exactly how i use google maps, currently waiting on nephew to show up for a 120 mile ride 9 waypoints to the smokehouse for some brisket.

[shardt]

I use my phone and use sygic GPS app. This uses offline maps so need for cell service but if you do have cell service you can get weather info as well as traffic. This app can be displayed on the Spyder's dash too.

[Peacekeeper6]

My spYder is a 2022 RTL petrol blue.../so on a recent 5 day trip i solely used my iphone GPS (google maps) and it worked just perfect took me wherever i needed to be, that being said do i really need to spend $300-500 on a GPS.
i've even plotted route on google maps sent them to my phone and BOOM away we go phone even works with gloves.
i've also heard that the spYder usb in the glove box does not have enough ''juice'' to keep the iphone powered, well i was at 10% battery running google maps my siriusxm app and by the time i stopped for food and fuel 2 hours later i was at 100% battery, so to those of you who say it won't charge, check you cables and or your phone socket for crap built up.

so back on topic $300-500 buys a lot of goodies. primary muffler delete/ dynamic lighting/ light bar/ blaster horn/ pedal commander ect ect ect.

what say you all....BTY i have also notice when traffic slows google will give you alternate routes... just like a GPS.

thanks SLICE

No, you don't really NEED a GPS. Part of the adventure and fun is getting lost, imho.

I like to ride to the general direction of where my destination is, usually taking the back roads instead of the route a GPS would recommend, which is usually boring. I've found that it's a lot more interesting that way.

[Peacekeeper6]

Although, you REALLY don't want to get lost in places like East Oakland.

Been there, done that, and lived to type here about it, LOL.

[jcthorne]

Value Accessories has a bracket to place it just above your dash.

[Adventurer]

Google has the ability to download offline maps. You just draw a rectangle and google with save navigation data onto your phone so you can plan routes without internet access.

Google is fine if you don't care about the route or the roads you ride. If you want to hit specific roads and routes, google can be a pain.

Besides all that, don't place all your faith in any GPS. They can and will route you on dirt roads, closed roads, and non-existent roads. You're the driver, pay attention and use your own judgement.

I still have multiple Garmin GPS units but I prefer using my iPhone instead. I use Google maps, Apple maps, Waze and Scenic. Scenic was developed by a motorcycle rider specifically for motorcycle riders. It is my preferred GPS mapping system now when riding. It is easy to make custom routes on the phone and on the fly. It offers options to avoid highways, dirt roads and tolls etc. Also offers route style options when you’re letting it pick the route such as fastest, shortest, balanced , curvy, fast curvy and extra curvy. You also download maps by state so works without a cell signal too.

[seaweed]

I still have multiple Garmin GPS units but I prefer using my iPhone instead. I use Google maps, Apple maps, Waze and Scenic. Scenic was developed by a motorcycle rider specifically for motorcycle riders. It is my preferred GPS mapping system now when riding. It is easy to make custom routes on the phone and on the fly. It offers options to avoid highways, dirt roads and tolls etc. Also offers route style options when you’re letting it pick the route such as fastest, shortest, balanced , curvy, fast curvy and extra curvy. You also download maps by state so works without a cell signal too.

I wish that Scenic was available for Android phones.

[Adventurer]

I wish that Scenic was available for Android phones.

I know an Android version is in the works but I have no idea on the ETA.