I wish I had a pound for every time someone said that their sat nav let them down, got them lost.   Surely they can't be as inaccurate as that, is it just user error or are they really as unreliable as people say?  If so then why do people keep using them?   I'm just curious.   What's wrong with good old fashioned map reading?                                                                                                                                                                               

I think some are better than others.  As in Tom-Toms are better than Garmins!  The Garmin always wants to take you off mways etc only to direct you straight back onto it.  Drives me crazy!
  (waits for backlash )                                                                                                                                                                             

Lol we have experience of the other way round BB

A lot will depend on how it's set .. Ie shortest route, quickest route, what roads you tell it to avoid etc etc

Ian n I both have Garmin Zumo's Ian has the 550, I have the newer 660 to be honest if they could cross the 2 it would be great!

The 550 is chunky and solid, however the 660 is widescreen, the 550 can be locked to it's bike mount for security, the 660 is easy to remove ... Maybe a lock that wasn't so fiddley to undo?

They are however very accurate to get to where we are going to, maps n bikes mean having to keep stopping, or taping it to your tank or in tank bag so you have to keep looking down *yuck*

On the whole tho we find that they 'develop a navigational sence of humour' when they have not been updated for a while, which I admit even tho my kids got me lifetime updates a few years ago for my birthday, I still don't do as often as I should lol

As for ride outs ... Set a start point and an end point, avoid motorways etc and we have had some great rides from them :-)

I think the threads title says it all  "Sat Nag "                                                                                                                                                                             

Like Shell has said, it all depends on how it is set up, I have a Tom Tom 730 which is only used in the car, and I did have a funny moment the other day, up near Welshpool, we were in the car leaving a garden centre and put in the post code for Powis Castle, being a stranger to the area I followed the instructions from the machine, it told me to turn right down a small road, then half a mile later it turned into a non tarmacced road with grass in the middle, potholes and bumps galore, about half mile long, SWMBO panicking and wondering why the sat nav had taken us along there, we eventually got back to a main road. Good job we were in my old 4x4 and enjoy green laning. :-)

I bought a tomtom xxl for taking to Germany and it worked fantastic

Apart from battery life it's very accurate even when i was in tight high walled streets  
                                                                                                                                                                             

  LOL Eltel and thanks to everyone for your input. Sounds like a love-hate relationship to me. lol                                                                                                                                                                             

Otherwise known as a twat nav.

Lets face it if you cant read a map you shouldn't leave the house without a carer!
                                                                                                                                                                             

  LOL I used the polite nick name   I can read maps!  << smug smile  lol                                                                                                                                                                             

I can read maps too .. benefit of Army upbringing & scout training ... still wouldnt use one on the bike,                                                                                                                                                                              

hard to read a maps when your riding a motorbike with 10 people behind you looking to you to get them where they are going over 2,500 miles lol

keep your maps
                                                                                                                                                                             

That's coz you's a lady Sandi!

                                                                                                                                                                             

hard to read a maps when your riding a motorbike with 10 people behind you looking to you to get them where they are going over 2,500 miles lolkeep your maps   I seem to have an instinct for directions, I have often pointed out to  riders that we are going the wrong way, even tho sat nav tells them the opposite, and I've usually been correct even tho I've not been there before, and just by reading the map before we set off, and no I don't have a good memory at all.      I see what you mean tho about getting directions in your lug hole and not relying on reading a map, maybe cos I'm hard of hearing I wouldn't choose to rely on sat nav alone. (I cocked up a practical test cos I couldn't hear the examiner's instruction)   LOL LTGTR fank ewe  (that'll make Nellie PHL)                                                                                                                                                                               

I really love my sat nav. I've got a shocking sence of direction and my sat nav has given me the confidence to go places I would never have gone. Got Tom Tom Rider and wired up to ignition so battery life not a problem. Best thing I ever bought (apart from the bike itself lol)

 I bought allmost the cheapest car version of a Tomtom I could find, while on the bikes its powered by a dry cell battery in one of the fairing pockets, and it sits in my baglux mapcase, with the back-up paper map underneath. I got the most basic one just because if I couldn't figure it out, or more likely lost patience with it and filed it in the cupboard with the rest of the useless technology,.. I wouldn't loose a lot.  It WILL take me,.. or at least wants to take me, in completely the opposite direction to where I want to be, (even with a postcode) about 40% of the time and is therefore as near as damn it, useless!!!  The only feature on it that is quite handy is the 'help' button,.. poke that and it (so far), has told me wherever I am, even in the middle of a forest, with a map/grid referance for access for the emergency services, and with a bit of exploring, and a normal map, usually lets me find the nearest place for the air-ambulance to land, before I start work on the site.   And believe me Sandi,... my Tomtom's been called every possible four letter word ever invented at some point!                                                                                                                                                                              

Sat Navs are the worst item ever invented unless you need to get to your destinion in the longes time and covering the most miles                                                                                                                                                                             

The only time my tom tom one has thrown a proper wobbler was driving in the Austrian Alps, some reason it don't get on with the mountains and tries to send you up them.   But being a bit of a lorry driver your suppose to look at each leg of your route with a truckers road atlas because of low bridges ect. And the sat nav is 3rd thing to be used and its only used as a steer, instead of your main sense of direction.   I suppose the Mr T voice on the tom tom don't help if you do take the wrong turn, he can be quite frustrating...lol                                                                                                                                                                               

i think satnavs are brilliant but i dont use one on the bike, like to look at a map and try to remember the way, yes i do get lost but thats part of the fun though i do sometimes write a route on a bit of paper to remind me. Im lucky to have traveled around a lot and can usually find my way around in most parts of the country but for anyone who's unsure get a satnavs. Actually i have just been making a mount so i can fit a satnav on my bike this morning, if it works i may try it out Monday but will go the way i want if it does not agree with me. You can of course program them with your route but thats to easy.

If you can get on with sat navs fair enuff but personally i think it's far safer and easier to write the route down and/or print off google maps, plus i carry a map under my bike seat to refer to. Then memorize the route as much as possible.
I would find it a distraction to keep hearing in me tabs......'at the next junction turn left, at the next island take the third exit'.......etc etc etc......only to find meself ending up in a field with some sheep lol.   I will resist, i will resist the temptation of the sat nav lol.                                                                                                                                                                                   

as a trucker ive got a pretty good sense of direction and only use mine when i have to.... on my binatone theres a standby button so`s i can put the destination in then leave it on standby and when i get near turn it on and its already upto speed and use it for the last bit of the journey