My opinions after using a GPS on my recent 8 day trip.
Pros:
1. Makes finding a hotel at the destination city a snap.
2. Helps locate food and gas.
3. Helps navigate big cities that you've never been to before.
4. Helps judge ETA.
Cons:
1. Doesn't account for construction.
2. May not bring you the best route for a motorcycle.
3. Doesn't know about detours and gets confused when you take them.
4. Will route you the way it's programmed and may actually take you the long way around. (I could see the hotel across the mall parking lot and all I had to do was go across the intersection and the parking lot. It routed us around the block on the road.
5. You get fixated on the darn thing and you tend not to read road signs. This is bad, especially if roads and bridges are closed. (happened to us twice on the trip)
6. They may be a distraction to the rider. I would tend to use them as a good reference or to help if you get lost.
7. They don't give you the perspective of a map on where you've been and where you're going.
Summary:
I think they're a useful tool but shouldn't be used exclusively on a long road trip. IMHO, combining them with a good map and some common sense is the best use of these little gems.
