My Experience with GPS Navigation on 2 Wheels

GPS Navigation on Everyone’s Smartphone and its Consequences Have Been Awesome for the Human Race

I was the type of rider that only rode routes I knew by heart, or just used Google maps to get to new places. That is, until a local ADV rider introduced me to OSMand.

I’d been shown route planning apps before but none of them really stuck for me. In this case though, I was recovering from a broken leg and ended up totally addicted to route planning as the closest thing I had to riding.

After (mostly) recovering and getting back in the saddle, I’ve had a backlog of planned routes to hit and along the way I documented a few obvious, and not-so-obvious challenges to planning great routes.

To The adventure rider: Mapping Software Knows Where A Road is, not whether you should be riding it

When planning routes, you want to avoid roads that are private, seasonal, restricted access, or illegal. Adventure riders are most vulnerable to this as we like riding “the-less-developed-the-better” but anyone can be bamboozled.

Google maps is ultra conservative about which roads it deems safe enough to let you ride down, and therefore you may miss out on perfectly viable routes. Conversely, Open Street Maps will show you any road that has been mapped, but open source mapping software is liable to send you down someone’s driveway if it resembles a road.

To get the most of the roads when you’re planning a trip to a new area, it’s a good idea to check alternative mapping resources including those specific to the area you’re riding; like the US Forest Service for information about Land Between the Lakes, for example. (LBL Motor Vehicle Use Map)

There are wonderful riders vlogging popular routes and offering local knowledge, check social media for these heroes amongst us & show some support if you can. For dualsport and adventure riding in my area I watch a lot of KyRallyRider and TNValleyDualSport.

To The Daily Rider: Automatic Routes Don’t Account For Motorcycles

Whether you missed your turn, encountered a traffic condition that Google maps didn’t foresee, or simply took a turn because the road looked less crowded - your GPS has probably played a scolding audio queue and immediately calculated an alternative route.

Whether the computer thinks it’s solved the reroute problem—Or big tech is sending you to do unprotected left turns though dangerous intersections as punishment for criticizing Flock cameras—it’s always worth pulling over to double check your map when your planned route changes unexpectedly.

For commuting purposes, Google maps has an unrivaled amount of real time and historic traffic data it uses to help get you home as fast as possible. But, there is a sketchy (and illegal) u-turn Google maps wants me to do any time traffic is bad near my office. I still find value in having Google maps running during my commute but I always double-check the route when I’m being directed down roads I don’t know and I never blindly trust the GPS instructions.

To The Backroads Rider: The Twisties That Aren't

Boring straight roads that look twisty on a map, another GPS disappointment that doesn't put you in danger—but it will ruin a promising ride.

If you zoom out far enough on any map you’ll see roads made entirely of bends like someone spilled spaghetti on the map. It can be easy to assume that any of those squiggly lines will deliver miles of entertaining riding. Not necessarily.Those curves might be gentle sweepers that barely require you to lean, or they might be separated by long stretches of straight pavement.

I haven’t figured out a perfect solution for “catfish” roads but I will say when planning a backroads route: Numbered highways are rarely as twisty as they look. Any actual major or local highway will be designed with some semblance of boring safety & efficiency in mind.

Consider stepping off the beaten path and hitting local roads. The speed limits are lower, but if the road is twisty enough it more than makes up for the slower pace in my opinion.

To Every Rider: The Most Dangerous GPS Setting is Looking at It

We already have enough demands on our attention between intersections, pedestrians, wildlife, and the frankly alarming behavior of other traffic.

Adding a navigation display to that workload creates another distraction, especially if having navigation on your bike is new to you. It seems obvious but your eyes should be outside the cockpit, looking as far forward as conditions allow and searching for hazards.You may need to consciously remember this or dim your phone screen to help reduce the attention it demands.

Maps often give a false impression of what a curve actually feels like. A bend on screen could appear gentle, but in reality be surprisingly sharp. I’m not sure why this problem is so noticeable on a bike and not in a car, but the point is: If you're staring at the GPS to determine what the road is about to do, you're slowing down your reaction time, not preparing yourself.

I have my phone mounted horizontally above my dash, it’s a good position for quick glances but requires extra discipline to keep my eyes off the screen. My phone allows different “modes” to be triggered when I connect to bluetooth devices such as my helmet speakers. Part of my riding mode routine is blocking non-essential notifications and having important notifications read aloud to me.

GPS Is a Tool, Not a Riding Partner

GPS navigation is one of the most useful tools a motorcyclist can carry. It can help you discover unfamiliar roads, find your way home, and build memorable trips.

But it has no idea what the road feels like.

It doesn't know that 30 miles of straight, featureless pavement isn’t enjoyable. It doesn't know whether a road is legally accessible to your motorcycle at that moment. And it doesn't know what's happening around the next corner.

The safest approach is to use GPS for what it does well: planning, orientation, and providing guidance. Then use your eyes and common sense for everything else.

You're the one responsible for enjoying—and surviving—the ride.