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2023: Top Apps for Motorcyclists

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What could be more exhilarating than climbing into the saddle of your motorcycle and setting off into the great unknown?

A little uncertainty is part of the thrill, of course, but it never  hurts to have some high-tech back-up when travelling on motorcycles.
Here’s a brief round-up of some of the smartphone apps that might just come in handy for motorcyclists.

The apps we’d recommend to travellers can be divided into five main categories:

  • NAVIGATION
  • WEATHER
  • COMMUNITY
  • ROUTE MANAGEMENT AND USEFUL SERVICES
  • ACCOMMODATION

Navigation Apps

GOOGLE MAPS

Easy to use and available to all (it’s free for Android, iOS and  iPadOS users), Google’s navigation service offers detailed directions  for getting around on roads all over the world, indicating travel times  for different types of vehicle (calculated in real time, based on  traffic) and suggesting routes with no toll payments or which save on  fuel. You’ll need internet data, though some parts of the map can be  downloaded and viewed offline.

WAZE Navigation & Live Traffic

Similar to Google Maps in some ways, including being free and  available both for Android and for iOS and iPadOS, WAZE allows users to  find the optimum route based on their chosen means of transport,  providing information on travel times, road traffic, and the locations  of speed cameras and fuel stations.

CALIMOTO GPS

With over 3 million users all over the  world, this app — developed  specially for those travelling on  motorcycles — allows motorcyclists to  plan and share itineraries even  offline.
Calimoto’s main use is for planning routes directly on the  map, taking  into account weather forecasts and potential sites of  interest for those  travelling by bike, including restaurants, stopping  points, biker shops  and hotels, twisty roads, points for meeting up  with other  motorcyclists, etc.
The app also provides a navigation  service with turn-by-turn directions  provided both visually and  audibly, via Bluetooth, as well as the option  to analyse tour data  (altitudes, acceleration, lean angle, etc.).
The app is available  from the App Store and Google Play in both a free  version and a Premium  version, at a cost of €49.99 per year.

Weather Forecast Apps

ACCUWEATHER: WEATHER RADAR

Super-easy and intuitive to use, this app gives highly detailed  hourly forecasts as well as indicating any weather alerts in real time.
It offers huge amounts of data: real and perceived temperature (RealFeel ©), humidity, gales, air quality, allergens and more.
All information can also be viewed directly on the map in the “Radar” section.
AccuWeather is available for iOS and Android in both a free version and  an ad-free, Premium version at a cost of €9.99 per year. It requires GPS  and an internet connection.

METEO&RADAR

Supported exclusively by iOS, this app offers reliable weather  forecasts, both short- and long-term, as well as bad weather alerts and  the only interactive radar on a worldwide scale with temperatures and  precipitation, capable of showing lightning too. It also includes  information on the presence of smog, allergens, humidity, pressure, and  the UV index.
Meteo&Radar is available in a free version, or one without ads for a  cost of €1.49 per month or €9.99 per year. It requires GPS and an  internet connection.

WEATHER ON THE WAY

Designed specially for users on the move, this app for iOS and  Android offers detailed weather forecasts along the entirety of your  planned route. Once you’ve put in your starting point, final destination  and any stops along the way, Weather On The Way shows your complete  journey on a map and indicates temperature, precipitation, visibility  and other factors every 30 km or so.
Naturally, GPS and an internet connection are essential.
A truly useful free tool that provides a simple and intuitive way to find out what you can expect along your journey!

Community Apps

RISER

This app is dedicated to motorcyclists who love to share their itineraries with a community.
Available on the App Store and Google Play in both a free version and a  Pro version at a cost of $8.99 per month or $59.99 per year, RISER  offers a range of functions: it suggests the best routes all over the  world by combining algorithm data with tips from other users, makes it  easy to organise group rides and Challenges, allows you to record your  experiences in an “on-board diary” and provides inspiration in the form  of routes from other users and RISER Ambassadors… And that’s not all.
Among its other functions, the Pro version allows you to relive a route  you’ve taken on a 3D map with an animated, interactive display.
You’ll need an internet connection and GPS.

BIKERFACE

This is nothing short of a social network for motorcyclists, allowing  you to share routes and positions in real time, create your own  profile, share posts, follow other pages or groups, organise outings…  What’s more, it suggests itineraries that can be viewed using your  smartphone’s navigator.
BIKERFACE is free and available for iOS and Android.
You’ll need an internet connection and GPS.

REVER – Motorcycle Trip Planner, GPS Route Tracking App

Once again, this app is a gateway to a community of motorcyclists,  allowing users to create personalised itineraries, search for the best  routes on paved roads, in off-road areas and on mixed or snowy surfaces,  compete online with other users and share their experiences on other  social networks.
REVER is available for iOS and Android in a free or paid version ($39.99  per year or $3.33 per month); the paid version allows you to view the  maps offline with different styles and levels and alternative routes.
You’ll need an internet connection, GPS and Bluetooth.

Route Management and Useful Service Apps

BEST BIKING ROADS

Originally the idea of a few passionate motorcyclists, this app  offers a series of itineraries and suggested trips and allows you to  share your experiences and advice with other users from all over the  world. Available for Android and iOS/iPad OS in nine languages, Best  Biking Roads can be downloaded at a cost of €4.99, or in its Lite version for free.
It requires an internet connection, GPS and Bluetooth.

MYRIDE – Motorcycle Routes

Developed by Yamaha for all lovers of two-wheeled travel, MyRide  allows you to create, share and follow routes. Thanks to its ability to  run in the background with low battery consumption, the app records your  entire journey and calculates your speed, times, altitude,  acceleration, lean…
You can take photos which will be set into the map and look back on your  itinerary at a future date, as well as find inspiration in the routes  shared by other users.
MyRide is free and available for Android and iOS/iPadOS.
You’ll need an internet connection, GPS and Bluetooth.

SPLID – Split group bills

This free app, available for iOS and Android, is incredibly useful  when travelling as part of a group: it allows you to manage shared  expenses quickly and easily, even offline.
Simply create a group together with all your travel companions, enter  all your expenses and SPLID will automatically show how much each person  owes and to whom, with no risk of error. Summaries can be downloaded in  EXCEL and PDF format, and 150 currencies are recognised.

ECHOSOS

Particularly useful in the event of an emergency while travelling  alone, this app — available for free on the App Store and Google Play —  sends your location to the local emergency services (in any part of the  world) through GPS (or by SMS, if you have no mobile data) and provides  information on nearby emergency centres and useful numbers.

Apps for Finding Accommodation

BOOKING

The famous and well-established “online travel agency”, founded in  1996, now boasts over 28 million accommodation facilities all over the  world. Available as a website or as a free app (for both iOS and  Android), Booking not only helps travellers to pick out a place to stay,  but also offers support in planning activities and even booking a means  of transport, if necessary.

AIRBNB

The purpose of this app is once again to help travellers searching  for activities or a place to stay for the night… but this time it comes  with a twist.
A community of private hosts offer guests a place to stay, whether  that’s in an apartment, a B&B, a villa, a cottage, a treehouse, or  something entirely different.
What’s more, it’s possible to book all kinds of experiences, again  organised and guided by local hosts who want to share their passions.
Airbnb is free, available for iOS and Android, and requires an internet connection.