Journey Planning

WE’RE ON A ROAD TO SOMEWHERE Planning the perfect route adds to the fun of a long journey

Much of the pleasure of motorcycling is discovering new roads and the path less travelled. For some, that means following their nose, but a bit of forward planning can lead you to the best roads and still have you back in time for tea.

A map is the first stop on any route planning journey. Whether it’s a sat nav, paper map, or looking online, a topographical map in a reasonably large scale will show you all of the major, minor, and unclassified roads. When you know where you want to end up, you can simply plot a course.

A good guide is the twistier the road on a map, the more interesting it will be to ride. The trouble is, the more fun a road is to ride the more effort and restraint is needed to ride it safely. So be alert, constantly anticipate hazards, and always position your bike to give you the best possible view ahead.

Journey-planning websites will tell you if there are road closures or delays. Online bike forums are a great source of routes and which ones to avoid because they are dangerous.

Think about when you will travel and in which direction. Riding west in the evening could leave you dazzled by the glare of a setting sun. The same route at midday could be busy with local bikers, so maybe that’s when you stop for lunch.

According to the Shiny Side Up road safety partnership, biking collisions peak at around 8am and again in the later afternoon, so avoid these times if possible. If you are riding in rush-hour traffic, take extra care.

Whichever road you take, always ride within your limits.

ROUTE-PLANNING APPS

CALIMOTO MOTORCYCLE SAT NAV With an average score of 4.6 out of five on App Store, Calimoto allows you to plan journeys and provides turn-byturn voice guidance, and warnings of accident blackspots. The Premium version adds offline mapping, weather data and more. Price Free/£42.99 yearly for Premium

WE’RE ON A ROAD TO SOMEWHERE

66% OF MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES OCCUR ON RURAL ROADS. JUST 3% OCCUR ON MOTORWAYS. SO WHILE A MOTORWAY JOURNEY IS LESS FUN, IT’S SAFER THAN TRAVELLING ON A TWISTY COUNTRY ROAD WITH MANY POTENTIAL HAZARDS.

RISER Use this app to find the best routes all over the world, tailored to the type of riding you prefer. There’s a social side to the app, as you can share routes and create group rides with other RISER users. The basic version is free, the PRO version requires a subscription. Price Free/$8.99 monthly for RISER PRO

SCENIC MOTORCYCLE NAVIGATION This highly rated app lets you plan routes, with a variety of modes including ‘curvy’ if you want a route that’s fun to ride. There’s also a big database of routes created by Scenic users. The app is available for Apple and Android users. Price Free (in-app purchases)