I am sure that many bikers have experienced the hazards of riding and trieing to follow a map located in a tank bag or tied to the bike fairing. It is so easy when looking at a map to drift and end up in the middle or other side of the road plus for riders wearing prescription glasses it can be difficult to focus or even see the map in bright sunlight as the sun reflects off the map plastic window cover. Also it is very difficult to read a map at night!!
A better and safer solution is to buy and install a Satelite Navigation Receiver(SATNAV). These work by recieving data signals from 16 geo-synchronised satelites in the the Earths orbit. The SATNAV receives the data and by some special mathamatics triangulates and calculates your exact position to within 3-5mtrs(depending on reception).
What this means is that your position can be clearly displayed on a small video screen which is constantly being updated showing you, your direction and road, place names, time and distance, compass direction and approximate time of arrival. With many SATNAVS you can even plot your prefered route in advance and follow it on the screen or via voice prompts through speakers or headphones. It is possible to install headphones into your helmet or integrate the SATNAV into your bluetooth headset in your helmet.

Which one to buy?
There are lots to choose from but you should consider the following points:
1. Do not use SATNAVS that are designed for use in a car as they are not designed or built for use on a motorbike due to high frequency vibrations, heat from the sun on the screen and low screen brightness in direct sun light plus they cannot be used with riding gloves on. I have seen car SATNAVS placed inside tankbags but this places them at the wrong angle into the sun light and they will overheat and the screen will fail.
2: Power, for your SATNAV most types have built in batteries but these will only last for 5-8hrs so it is better to power it from your motorbike electrical power. Remember to install an in-line fuse to protect it from power surges and from the switched side of your key switch to avoid a flat bike battery.
3. Location, Place the SATNAV where it can be easily seen and controlled with your left hand and not in the way of any controls which could effect your handling of your bike. There are a lot of different types of motorcycle specificly designed mounts available on the internet. The best type are either ones that mount between your left grip and the controls or are mounted in a special cradle in the centre of the handlebars, these are better as usualy you can lock your SATNAV into the cradle.
4. Routing, most SATNAVS include some sort of routing software that enables you to plan in advance your prefered route on the included maps then download the route to your SATNAV. What is cool is that your can save and share your maps/routes with your friends and build up a libary of routes that you have taken.
5. Integration, with some types of SATNAV you can integrate your mobile phone and intercom headset or MP3 player so that you have a single hub controlling all your devices. It is possible to listen to your passenger or other biker, take a phone call or listen to music all hands free and integrated into your bluetooth helmet headset.
6. Which one to buy, there are a lot to choose from and as usual it will depend on how much you want to spend and the facilities you require. Generaly for motorbikes you should consider either TOMTOM or Garmin which are specifically designed for the harsh conditions on a motorbike(Hot, Cold. Sand , Dust, Dirt, Water, Vibration) and have lots of ditterent mounts and extras available.
7. New Euro SATNAV system, The present satelite navigation system is owned and maintained by the American Airforce which can be switched off or degrade the signals in times of conflict. Also the present system is getting very old(since 1972) and is failing and will soon go out of service as the satelites die off. So the European Space agencey has launched a new Euro Satelite Navgiation system called Gallelao which will be more accurate and free(not the recievers). It will be more accurate down to less that 0.5mtr. This is expected to come into service in about 2014/15 so all your present SATNAVS will not work with the new system, so be warned can you afford to wait!

So spend a little time and do your research on the internet and find the right SATNAV for you. One thing is for sure is that you will ride safer and more relaxed, therefor enjoy your ride more by owning one. Personnaly I never ride without mine it makes my riding safer and more relaxed, plus when I ride that perfect route it is automaticaly saved so that I can share it with others or for the future.
If you have any questions regarding this topic then email me and I will try to help you.