Motorcycle navigation: how to plan routes suited to a ride or a trip, organise your stops and share the itinerary when you ride out with a group.
Motorcycle navigation should help you follow a route that matches the ride you have in mind. Getting home from the office needs immediate directions; the Sunday ride may include a scenic road and a stop. On a trip with luggage, the time available and the tiredness that builds up also count. Before choosing the road, be clear about how you want to spend that day in the saddle.
Motorcycle navigation supports the planning of routes suited to the trip and to the rider’s needs, including stops and the organisation of the group. Mekainos offers navigation designed for motorcycles, with the group visible on the map and shared rides.
what should you look for in motorcycle navigation?
In a car, a route chosen to reach the destination can work well while considering mainly travel time. On a motorcycle, the day also depends heavily on the road you ride and the conditions you meet. So consider whether you can plan the route according to the type of ride, while keeping the directions easy to follow as you ride.
Readability is a practical criterion: check how the map looks and how clear the turns are. If you use a phone, choose a mount suited to the bike and a position that leaves your view clear. Any change to the settings should be completed before you move off.
To choose a motorcycle route planner app, start from your habits. Riders who often travel with others need to organise a shared itinerary; those who use the bike every day want to follow a destination easily. Describing how you ride helps you judge the features you will really use.
how do you plan the route for a Sunday ride?
Choose a starting point and a destination compatible with the time you need to be back. Then look at what kind of road links the places: a busy urban stretch and a twisty climb take different times even when the distance looks similar. Leave room for stops, especially if the route is unfamiliar.
Study the main sections before the ride. Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico, in its guide to planning a trip, recommends examining the itinerary and road conditions and scheduling breaks. For a ride in the mountains, check that passes are open and the weather situation through the official local services.
Imagine you have planned a break in a village you can reach only over a pass. Look for an alternative road in advance in case the pass is closed. Knowing a workable option makes it easier to change plan without turning the ride into a hurried search for the first available road.
how do motorcycle itineraries change when you travel with luggage?
On a trip, each leg should be built around the whole day. Allow time for loading the bike and for arriving, especially if you need to find your accommodation. A very demanding stretch after a morning already spent in the saddle can make the last part of the day hard work.
If you carry a passenger, agree on breaks and the type of road. A string of bends may be fun for the rider and tiring for the person behind. Leave the option of shortening a leg, choosing points from which it is easy to reach your planned destination.
Include refuelling in your route planning, taking into account your bike’s range and the availability of petrol stations. On less populated stretches, find a place to fill up in advance. Also plan a tyre check with the expected load: motorcycle tyre pressure. For document deadlines before departure there is a dedicated guide: motorcycle inspection due date.
how do you organise a group ride?
Send the route before the meeting and say where you are meeting. Riders coming from another area can then organise their transfer and arrive ready to go. At the meeting point, talk through the plan and check that the effort required suits the riders’ experience.
The group riding guide by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation recommends an initial discussion of the route and stops, along with choosing who leads and who sweeps. It also calls for an agreed procedure to regroup if riders get separated.
So choose a regrouping point that is easy to recognise and a space suitable for stopping. A traffic light or the traffic can split the bikes: knowing where to meet up lets everyone carry on at their own pace. Anyone who falls behind must be able to follow the road without feeling pushed to catch up in a hurry.
On rides with different levels of experience, make it clear from the start that the pace will suit everyone. Those who know the route well can point out the more demanding sections beforehand. At breaks, ask whether the next leg is still suitable for the group and change the plan when needed.
what should you do if the route changes during the ride?
When you meet a diversion, follow the signs and find a safe place to rework the route. Look at the phone with the bike stopped, assessing the new route with the people you are riding with. A shorter road may involve riding conditions different from those expected at the start.
If someone decides to head home early, agree on the change and update the meeting point. At the end you can keep a note of the road that worked well or the stop to move. These notes make it easier to plan the next ride, especially when you return to the same area with different companions.
how does Mekainos help on shared rides?
Mekainos S.r.l., Turin, offers a native app for Android and iOS designed for motorcycles of every make. Navigation designed for motorcycles, with the group visible on the map, supports route planning; shared rides keep a common reference among the riders. Analysis of every ride, with riding advice from artificial intelligence, also helps you look back on the experience once home.
Read about the features of Mekainos and fill in the form to become a beta tester.
frequently asked questions
How do you choose a route for a first ride?
Choose a road suited to your experience and the time you have. Plan stops and easy ways home, especially in an area you do not know well.
Is distance enough to judge how long a ride will take?
The type of road and its conditions also affect the day. Add the time needed for breaks to the riding time.
What should you agree on before riding out as a group?
Share the itinerary and the stops, and make clear how to regroup if you get separated. Check that the plan suits the riders’ experience.
How do you prepare a trip with a passenger?
Agree on legs and breaks, considering the comfort of the person behind. Check the bike with the expected load and prepare ways to shorten the most demanding days.