Anyone who has used a great GPS system, including a great motorcycle GPS system, will know how user friendly and useful a good GPS can be. With modern GPS technology coming of age and modern digital mapping technology improving, a great motorcycle GPS can turn a ride into a pleasure.

What is GPS? For those who don't know, GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is a navigation and positioning technology pioneered by the US army, that has been taken to it's ultimate and turned into a complete user friendly modern navigation solution. Whilst in the past GPS was really just the province of the military, the technology is now so good, and so cheap, that anyone needing the ultimate in navigation can afford it.

That includes motorcyclists, modern motorcycle GPS has also come of age.

Basically GPS works by cross referencing the signals from a number of satellites above the head of the user and using those references to plot the user's position on the globe. It will only work where there are available satellites, so if you can't pick up the signals your GPS won't work.

Modern GPS is accurate, depending on the number of satellites available, to within less than a yard. So anyone seeking to navigate by use of a GPS system can obtain extremely accurate positioning. And this is now user friendly. In the past this information was only available as a longitude and latitude figure. This was only really useful to someone with the technical expertise to actually use this to plot the position on a map.

However now modern GPS, including high quality motorcycle GPS systems, can combine digital mapping technology with GPS positioning to produce an extremely user friendly outcome. Basically the position plotted by the GPS can be overlaid onto a digital map to show the GPS user, including the motorcyclist, their exact position on a digital map, and tell them how to get from where they are to where they want to go.

So motorcyclists can now buy dedicated motorcycle GPS systems that they can use as a total navigation system. There are various ways they can do this. It's quite possible for the motorcycle rider, who may also, for example, be a keen hiker, to get a handheld portable GPS unit that can be taken anywhere, including mounted on a motorcycle. Download and install some maps that cover the area you want to navigate in and portable GPS can be used by just about anyone just about anywhere.

There are, however, some drawbacks using portable GPS for a motorcycle GPS system. When mounted on a motorcycle a GPS unit needs some special qualities. It needs to be vibration resistant, as a motorcycle has vibrations. It needs to be weather resistant as any equipment on a motorcycle will be out in the weather, including the rain. And it needs to be readable in all conditions, including direct sun.

And a motorbike rider needs to be able to program or use it whilst wearing heavy motorcycle gloves.

Luckily there are some excellent GPS manufacturers who have come to the rescue of the motorcyclist by manufacturing dedicated motorcycle GPS systems that combine all these features and more. The GPS mounts are designed to allow mounting without the problems of vibration, and the GPS units are vibration resistant, waterproof and can be read, and used, by the motorcyclist.

And even better, the best motorcycle GPS units can be used without the need for reading the screen. With bluetooth technology built in they can send directions by voice direct to the helmet of the motorbike rider, so the rider doesn't need to take his eyes off the road.

Program in where you want to ride and it will take you there every turn, turn by turn. Ask it to and it will tell you all the places of interest along the way, like food or fuel stops, and accommodation. With the right extras it will even tell you in real time where the traffic jams are and how to ride around them. This saves you both time and fuel.

And along the way your motorcycle GPS unit may even allow you to play your favorite music or do the odd phone call or three.

And a good motorcycle GPS system should set you back less than $1000. It's money extremely well spent for a motorcyclist who likes long, hassle free rides.

So if you ride a motorbike, and have a lazy $1000, you can't do better than spending it on a quality motorcycle GPS system. It will repay you over and over.

Find out all about Motorcycle GPS systems at Peter's website Motorcycle GPS Deals including Garmin Motorcycle GPS systems and more, including some hot motorcycle GPS videos.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motorcycles-articles/whats-hot-in-motorcycling-motorcycle-gps-665071.html

Ever been on one of those motorcycle trips that turn into a disaster? You know the ones, it never stops raining, you get lost, and you never get to where you wanted to go because it all got too hard.

A good motorcycle GPS system can turn a disaster into a triumph. It won't stop it raining, they aren't that good, but it should ensure that you get to where you want to go with the minimum of problems via the best route.

Modern GPS is an extremely valuable tool to make navigating a snap. In the past it wasn't totally user friendly for the inexperienced user, giving limited information relating to your position on the planet, and not a lot more. Extremely useful for some, like those in the military, but of limited value for most of us who want a simple efficient and reliable navigation system.

However in the last few years all that has changed and GPS navigation is now a reliable, extremely user friendly and relatively cheap navigation solution for anyone, including bike riders.

Modern satellite GPS navigation systems, for motorcycles, cars, walkers or anyone else who needs one, are extremely good. They are relatively inexpensive considering how useful they are. And now with satellite GPS technology combined with modern mapping software they provide a total navigation solution unlike anything ever seen before.

You can plan your ride before you start it, put the details in your GPS unit and it will plan the entire route for you, and tell you how to get there as you travel, both by screen display and voice prompts direct to your earpiece in your helmet via modern bluetooth technology. Download it all at the end to keep for next time or share with your friends.

With a little time anyone can learn how to use a motorcycle GPS unit and with some practice will be adding a whole new dimension to their rides, particularly the long rides. And you also get all sorts of extras with a modern dedicated motorcycle GPS system that make life a little easier when you're out on your bike, like the ability to load your favorite music to listen to on the ride, or to display your photos to your friends as you go, or to have up to date real time traffic information so that your GPS can direct you around traffic jams, reselect a new route and save you time, fuel and frustration.
And lots lots more.

In the past riders had to make do with GPS units that were not designed for motorcycle use. They were often intended as hand held or auto GPS systems, and lacked many of the features that are essential to operation on a bike that is used outdoors with the display on the handlebars in the weather, and suffering from all the vibrations that are an integral part of motorcycle use, especially offroad.

But there are now dedicated GPS motorcycle systems that are specifically designed for motorbike riders. They offer the sorts of features that are much more important to bike riders than to other users. These include such things as a display that is easier to read in the sun or rain, waterproofing ability and vibration resistance. None of these are important to, say, a driver of a car, but are extremely important to a motorcycle rider.

The waterproofing of these GPS units for example is tested to exacting standards, and they are designed to be used with a dedicated mount that itself has been designed to minimize vibration problems.

Companies well known in the field GPS design like Garmin or Tom Tom make motorcycle GPS systems that offer all those benefits discussed, and more, and make extremely high quality units that are now in use on many many bikes around the globe.

Systems like the Garmin Zumo or the Tom Tom Rider are both superlative motorcycle GPS systems and if you shop online you can buy these new for well under $1000.

So if you've suffered a motorcycle disaster trip, and you'd like to find a way to avoid another one in the future, consider a good motorcycle GPS system. They make motorcycle navigation easy and fun. You'll never regret it.

For a website totally devoted to Motorcycle GPS visit Peter's Website Hot Motorcycle GPS Deals and find out about Motorcycle GPS systems as well as Garmin Motorcycle GPS systems and more, including Tom Tom Rider navigation systems and find some hot motorcycle GPS videos.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motorcycles-articles/use-motorcycle-gps-to-turn-an-ordinary-ride-into-a -pleasure-403504.html