GPS Question

Discussion in 'Gear & Accessories' started by danr915, Jun 5, 2011.

  1. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I think I just had an epiphany. I love choppers.. Except for those black ones that fly around my house at night and don't make any noise. ;)

    I do think I would have to draw the line at a tracking implant.
     
  2. tinkerinWstuff

    tinkerinWstuff Administrator Staff Member

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    you may already have one. Not to worry, it would only be a sign that we're closer to the impending rapture :rapture:
     
  3. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I knew that was a lump in my KoolAid! Icecube my ass!
     
  4. Spike

    Spike New Member

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    It was their fault
    1) they didn't buy a GPS with commercial truck routes as an option, or didn't set their unit to that option
    2) they relied entirely on a tool to do part of their job, ie navigate, instead of using it to help them to that part of their job

    It isn't the unit's fault for not knowing it was inside a big rig as opposed to a car/truck/SUV/motorcycle, is that really what you are suggesting?
    And even if true, what difference does that make on a motorcycle board???

     
  5. Spike

    Spike New Member

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    So the response is to never use a GPS, and to rail against those that do?

    And you don't think anyone anywhere ever made a bad driving move because they were looking at a paper map? Which requires a longer look since you have to figure out where you are, unlike a GPS which does it for you; and for you to then plot/look at your route, which a GPS has already done for you. And typically you are going to unfold the map to a larger area than the GPS screen. And oh, if you grabbed the wrong, now you have to find the right one.
    OH yeah, I could see how that would be just a HUGE safety advantage, just HUGE.

    A GPS is much safer to use, all things being the same, than a paper map.

     
  6. Spike

    Spike New Member

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    The point is moot, but why would Columbus having a GPS have anything to do with us living in Jamica? As opposed to him actually landing in Costa Rica (most common theory, but not proven definatively)? And if he really had a GPS it would have told him that the quickest route to India lay not by going west but to go south areound Africa and then north east to India. So your line of thought is wrong on multiple points.

    Or it can improve the experience, but making your life much easier, as it does for many of us. No longer having to monitor when your next turn is on an unfamiliar route. No longer having to wonder, "did I go too far? or not far enough?". Allowing you to find food, fuel, and lodging quickly, easily and accuratly with the push of a few buttons. So much more enjoyable, now I don't worry about that stuff, but instead enjoy the actual ride. Which is supposedly what it is all about, but maybe you would rather fuss around than actually ride?

    And if you are going to go 150MPH and play with your GPS or paper map for that matter, you deserve what is coming to you.

    you two seem to be under the greatly mistaken impression that to have a GPS is to stare intently at it the entire time, using it as a video screen. Nothing could be further from the truth.

     
  7. CharlesW

    CharlesW New Member

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    Spike,
    The GPS has its place for some people.
    It isn't for everyone and like you said earlier, those that like them should feel free to use them.
    Those that don't care for them should feel free to not use them.
    I don't feel that either group needs to explain their position to anyone.

    I do understand Donald Branscom's concern in that the GPS is another distraction for many drivers.
    Those drivers will always find a way to be bad drivers whether it be cell phones, I-Pods, GPS, Kindle or playing with the radio.
    Some people are an accident looking for a place to happen.

    Having read the quoted text of Badbilly in your posts, I don't have any idea what his rambling is trying to convey. Is he saying that Columbus was going 150 miles an hour to get way from his wife's drinking. Very enlightening information about motorcycles and GPS in general.
    In one quoted post he mentions that "Charles missed it".
    If what I missed was anything like the posts that were quoted, I certainly didn't miss much.

    Back on topic. The Ram mount on the tank bolts works great.
     
  8. danr915

    danr915 New Member

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    View attachment 15486 View attachment 15487

    Thank you for getting back on topic!! I also use the Ram mount for the tank and it works very good. I did the trip to the G2G May of 2010 to NC and had no problems with it. The only issue I had is that the arm was not long enough to come over the front edge of my tank bag. At the time I was using a Nuvi 200, so I’m looking forward to my new Zumo 220
     
  9. CharlesW

    CharlesW New Member

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    Since I don't use a tank bag, the mount works great for me.
    I still have some problems with being able to see the display in bright sunlight, but I'm hoping to alleviate some of that by trying different angles for the GPS.
    The use of a shade might help and I plan to fabricate some cardboard ones to experiment with. If I find something that works, I'll make a permanent one.

    My apologies for my part in taking your thread so far off-topic.
    Do you happen to notice that when Badbilly starts his babbling, threads invariably go in the crapper in short order.
    He's a troll and as long as people respond to him, he will keep posting balderdash. (Always wanted to use that word)
     
  10. danr915

    danr915 New Member

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    No problems on the thread... I've seen the sun screen for the gps, but don't know how well they work.
     
  11. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Deus Ex Machina.

    I think Charles has a fantasy crush going here and Spike is a GPS salesdood.

    Should I tell the happy couple I have a GPS in my car?
     
  12. TheSkeeter

    TheSkeeter New Member

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    I can program custom routes in my TomTom, listen to music, etc. Under $200 and works great. I made the mount custom.
     

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  13. CharlesW

    CharlesW New Member

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    The location of your unit might help with reducing sun glare quite a bit.
    It appears to be somewhat shaded by your windscreen.
    Looks good.

    On a side note.
    The cradle that came with my Ram mount was much more sturdy than the one that came with the GPS.
    It's unlikely the OEM Garmin cradle would ever let the GPS fall, but the Ram cradle is definitely not going to let go.
    My respects to those of you that have been able to fabricate your own mounts, but the Ram mount seems like a good investment for me.

    @ TheSkeeter: It looks like you have quite bundle of keys hanging from your ignition switch.
    I was alway told that having the weight of a large key collection hanging from the switch would tend to accelerate wear of the switch.
     
  14. TheSkeeter

    TheSkeeter New Member

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    Wierd... musta been a Harley :biggrin:
     
  15. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Moot point or not, IMO it was Columbus own damned fault he didint bring his GPS along on that boat of his. My paper map indicates Costa Rica unless some SOB moved it, can be accessed from either East or West and if some dood was to walk it, Sort or North and sort of South too. The fishing is great there.


    I am not going to strap one of those puppies to my bike unless I can watch those Oprah re-runs. I don't care if those darned packages never get delivered.

    As a compromise, my MC club tosses a gig on an island off the coast of Seattle every year. It's an AMA sanctioned event with insurance and paper maps. We even play according to a little used AMA tenet of poker runs being no longer than 37.5 miles. This is in honor of The TT at the Isle of Man.. (probably not on your GPS) What I am going to do is put up a bigass sign and tell the dudes who strap all that shit to thier bikes that we will program their GPS units for free so they don't get lost, run out of gas, starve or have to go pee-pee in the bushes.

    So, whats it like riding a 700lb VFR?
     
  16. tinkerinWstuff

    tinkerinWstuff Administrator Staff Member

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    Columbus' GPS:
    [​IMG]

    rather difficult to operate while riding on two wheels.

    Now a unicycle on the other hand would make it possible to operate the tool
     
  17. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Ram mounts, sex tents ??? Can we please not be sooo smutty when all we wish, is to find our way and watch Oprah?
     
  18. Spike

    Spike New Member

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    Here is a pic of my Zumo 550 mounted on my VFR.
     

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  19. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    So dude, doesn't covering up the keyhole make the bike just a little hard to start?
     
  20. Spike

    Spike New Member

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    Not at all. Just can't shut it off ;-)

    There is a HUGE difference between covering my view of my keyhole versus actually blocking the keyhole. Whithout looking I would guess there is about 5 or 6 inches from the back of the GPS to the top of the key hole -- maybe closer to 8". No bother at all.

     
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