As a motorcycle enthusiast, nothing excites me more than planning a road trip.
There is no doubt that enjoying a road trip in a car is safer and more convenient especially if you have an RV and you are thinking of bringing your whole family along.
However, compared to motorcycle road trips where you experience solo traveling while getting closer to Mother Nature, a car seems like being caged.
The very first time I tried a motorcycle road trip, I was with a friend. I was neither driving nor I had any prior experience, but even as a passenger I was sold on the idea of buying a motorcycle. I was so in love that within three months, I got my first motorcycle and then planned my solo trip as well.
While on the solo trip, I discovered that without a doubt, motorcycle riding is quite liberating but you need a lot of effort and some detailed planning skills. From building a solid, checklist for your luggage to making sure that you know how to walk a thin line between heavy and light packing, you need to know it all.
As a beginner, one of the resources that helped me a lot were the mobile apps. Just like me, most motorcycle riders who enjoy solo trips use mobile apps for better trip planning. Although these mobile apps are helpful and generally free, they require an internet connection. While on the go, I used Spectrum, which is a very good internet option especially because of its nationwide free hotspot connection that kept me, connected.
Top 5 Apps for A Safe Motorcycle Road Trip
1. Google Map
Available on: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Features: Route, Total Distance, Total Time, Route Planning For Different Vehicle
Recommended for: Route Planning, Alternative Route Finding, Live Traffic Flow
Planning your trip is impossible without Google Maps. Regardless of whether you choose a car, bike, or motorcycle or just want to take a bus, Google Map is the safest option. At this point, I don’t have to elaborate on the Google Maps features because if you haven’t used Google Maps, you might be living under a rock.
The best thing about Google Maps is the live route recommendation feature that will help you spot traffic jams and other issues right away. Moreover, it will fetch alternative routes right away if you miss a U-turn or a cut. It is simple and almost everyone has used it.
2. EatSleepRide
Available on: iOS and Android
Price: Free without the crash light option
Features: group riding, crash light, community feature, and location sharing
Recommended for: best safety and planning app for group rides
This is my personal favorite mainly because of the safety features. Unlike Google Maps, this is a group-riding app that will help you ride with your whole group, share location, and then simply keep track of their location. While riding with a group, most people complain that they were left behind or were involved in an accident but no one noticed. This app is especially important because it has a crash light option that is especially for accident spotting.
Another fun feature is the community handling that comes with this app. The app will help you stay connected with other bikers and you can ask questions related to route planning and other things.
3. Calimoto – Road Trip App
Available on: iOS and Android
Price: Free with limited features
Features: Route discovery, user-friendly interface, area-wise route guide with voice navigation, and solid community base
Recommended for: best for bike experience and tracking
Something that is specially planned and developed for bikers, this app is very simple to use and can help with all kinds of route planning. Although you will get similar features in Google Maps as well this is specially developed for bikers. You will find good motorcycle riding roads that have scenic views and are simpler to ride.
Moreover, it is a community-based platform where you can share your experience with other bikers, ask for advice, or ask questions and recommendations related to your next trip.
4. Waze
Available on: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Features: community-based routing, user-friendly navigation, keeping rider aware of the hazards
Recommended for: Realistic real-time mapping feature
If you are tired of Google Maps because of its data issues or unrealistic mapping issues, Waze is a perfect alternative for you.
This app gathers route data from the users and updates the data in real-time based on the road more traveled and chosen by the users.
While this app is perfect for people who seek more realistic and safer route options, it also keeps the rider informed about the obstacles, constructions, and other safety issues. So far, this is one of the simplest routing apps that offers more realistic data.
5. MyRoute App
Available on: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Features: Complete route planning with pit stops, waypoints, and search-based route and route plotting
Recommended for: At a glance route tracking, customized coloring, and bookmarking
This simple route-based app will help you customize your experience. You can simply plan a route then select the pit stops according to your ease and even color each route and destination.
For people who want to keep tracking the overall route, this app offers an overview of the full route as well. For a beginner who wants to organize their whole route, this is one of the simplest and ideal apps out there.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, there are so many different routing and trip-planning apps available online but only a few offer updated data. The above-mentioned apps are some of the tried and tested apps that you must have when you go on a motorcycle road trip!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Poglianich
Content Strategist
Olivia Poglianich is a nomadic brand strategist and copywriter in the motorcycling and adventure space who has worked with brands such as Visa, Disney and Grey Goose. Her writing has taken her all over the world, from a Serbian music festival to a Malaysian art and culture event. Olivia is a graduate of Cornell University and is often writing or reading about travel, hospitality, the start-up ecosystem or career coaching. Her latest interests are at the intersection of web3 and communal living, both on and offline.
