I only use Apple computers now and would like a great GPS for wilderness motorcycle riding.
I probably should add a hour meter of some sort also.
Thank you.

I have not used one other than my iPhone 4s which is very user friendly and a Garmin about a year or more ago that seemed slow and not as user friendly.
So I am not sure what features are needed.
It would be nice to use it not just for motorcycling but if that being its only function makes it safer and better while riding unknown places then I may choose this.

Edited by lookntoride, 19 August 2012 - 07:13 AM.

lookntoride, on 18 August 2012 - 06:20 PM, said:

Google "Adventure Rider", there's some very good and extensive forum information on GPS use.  As for the hour meter, just get one that has an RPM function, but then again your sig says that you have a KTM 300 XC doesn't that instrument cluster have an hour meter function?, my '12 300XC-w does...

Wilderness, huh?  How about "backcountry".  There's a HUGE difference between those two terms, and that difference is your riding areas.

There's thousands of GPS receivers out there, each with their own pros and cons.  Make a list of what you want, then go shopping with that list.  Street maps?  Topo maps?  Tracks?  Voice-prompted navigation?  Battery-operated?  Display size?  Price?  Removable/upgradeable memory?  Serial output?  Mounting options?  Durability?  Waterproof?

Is it something you're _only_ using on the motorcycle, or would you want to take it with you for road trips in the car too?  Or on a snowmobile/watercraft?

Personally I ride with a 60CSx.  If I had to buy a new one, I'd get teh 76Cx.  Handheld, compatible with both topo and CityNavigator maps, has turn-by-turn directions but no voice prompts (just loud squawks), and can be powered from the bike/sled/truck but fall back on internal 2xAA batteries if external power is lost.
It's pretty tough, but I've damaged it a few times... one of the reasons I'd go with the 76 vs. the 60 is the different form factor without an antenna to break off, and the RAM-mount for the 76 wraps around the entire unit giving it more protection.  The [S]ensor package is worthless; nothing more than consumer fluff to mark up the price.

Almost anything will have some level of Mac compatibility.  My 60 (as well as a 76) talks to my Mac without a problem.  Garmin has tools for loading maps and managing tracks/routes/waypoints (BaseCamp, MapManager).  There's 3rd-party apps that work well too, I use LoadMyTracks to move data to/from the Mac and Google Earth to lay that data onto a map.  A little more work than using BaseCamp, but to me the benefits to that software outweighs the convienence basecamp offers.

LoadMyTracks can communicate with most popular GPS models via USB and serial connections.  Google Maps has a GPS import utility.  My 60 can also log tracks to the data card, remove the memory card and put it in a card reader to copy tracks to the computer if you want to do things the hard way.

First you need to decide features you want, then narrow it down from there.

SnowMule, on 18 August 2012 - 08:39 PM, said:

Thank you for your information!
I added to my OP that a GPS is kind of new to me.

My 2011 300 XC has zero instruments from the factory.

Trailtech's "Voyager" incorporates GPS functionality into an enduro computer that ties into the motorcycle... from what I've seen, you're better off getting a smaller enduro computer (something like the vapor) and running a 2nd dedicated GPS.

Whatever GPS you end up with, spend some time getting to know and understand what it is, how it works, and its limitations.  Too many people venture off completely dependent on a GPS receiver they don't know how to use and end up lost or somewhere they don't want to be because of that.  Do some google searches and you'll find articles about people driving on railroad tracks or off boat ramps into rivers because their GPS told them to.  Coworker spent the night in his car on teh back roads of Wyoming after buying a GPS the previous week.

Don't get me wrong, a GPS is a great navigation tool... but it's just a tool, not a replacement for common sense.