Does anyone have any recommendations  for a hand held gps , can you buy mounting brackets to fit on handlebars , do they come with the maps already loaded or do I need  to buy them 

I've got a Tom Tom in my car.  Apparently, it has "maps for life", which means I get free updates for ever.

Mine wasn't loaded with maps (from memory), but when you register them on-line, you download the map package at that point.  Mine also has a 'Live' feature, with real-time traffic reports.  It was free for 12 moths, but then you have to pay to continue the service.  I don't.  I think its a wank.

I think just about every GPS unit will have mounting brackets available for bikes, otherwise there'll be generic ones around.  Tom Tom actually make a bike specific unit. 

I'm hoping Wiggy answers this post, he has had gps on his trail bikes for years.

I have Garmin 62s i have handlebar mount or run it in my backpack works well make maps or record them i can recommend the Garmin have not had any issues.

Ken R wrote:

Here's a pic of my Garmin Montana mounted on the 300.
It's hard wired to the bike so it's powered off the bike battery which allows me to run it at full screen brightness without running the GPS battery flat and shutting off. The Montana is one of the larger handheld GPS units, but I found the smaller ones like my old 60CSX harder to read on the go. I've had this particular set up for about 18 months and no issues so far. I like this particular setup as it's unobtrusive and still allows me to see the OEM digital speedo. 

The mount is a Garmin AMPS mount which has facility to power the GPS from an external power source and removal of the GPS is as easy as pushing a button on the locking system on the side of the mount. 



What sort of setup you go for would depend on what you want to do with a GPS. A mount like mine is good for when you want to navigate, but a GPS in your backpack would suffice if all you want to do is record where you've been and look at it later when you get home. I often use mine for navigating a ride I've put together at home on the computer using mapping software like Oziexplorer or Basecamp. 

Fantastic set up you have there wiggy , I'll have a look around see what there worth , thanks for everyone's input been a big help

Screen shot of GPS tracklog from the 2015 HCR