How to Choose a Motorcycle Trip App: Match the App to How You Plan and Ride

Choose a motorcycle trip app by the job you need it to do. If you want twisty roads, pick a motorcycle routing app. If you ride without signal, make sure offline maps come with it. If you ride in a group, look for group features. Most motorcycle apps give you route planning for free and charge for offline maps and voice turn-by-turn navigation.

The question is usually free vs premium: is a free route planner enough, or do you need the paid plan? This guide is part of our motorcycle trip planning hub. We don't rank apps here. We haven't run side-by-side field tests yet, so the table below shows what each maker says its free and paid plans include.

Key takeaways- Google Maps has no motorcycle mode. Its help page tells riders of motorcycles under 125cc to avoid tolls and highways, and it allows up to 9 stops.- Waze has a Motorcycle vehicle type for routing and arrival times.- Scenic, calimoto, Kurviger and REVER all plan curvy routes. Offline maps cost extra in each one.- Paid plans range from 14.99 EUR a year for Kurviger Tourer to $59.90 a year for Scenic Premium on the US App Store.

Start with the job, not the app

A trip app does three separate jobs. One app rarely does all three equally well.

The job column is our editorial framework, not a rule. Many riders plan in one app and navigate in another. If you do that, you need GPX import in the second app and GPX export in the first.

What the main apps include, free vs paid

Read this table as the makers' own claims as of October 2026. Prices change often, so check before you subscribe.

The mile conversions in brackets are our arithmetic. For calimoto and REVER, the page layout didn't label the plan columns clearly, so we matched features to plans from the checkmarks. Confirm in the app before you pay.

Five questions to ask before you pay

1. Will you have signal where you ride?

If your route crosses deserts, mountains or back roads, offline maps matter more than any other feature. In every paid app above, offline maps sit in the paid tier. Google Maps offline areas are free, but they only guide you if the whole route is inside the saved area.

2. Do you want curvy roads or the quickest way?

A car app looks for the quickest route. On Google Maps the closest you get is ticking Avoid highways and Avoid tolls. The motorcycle apps build twisty routes on purpose, and most do it on the free plan. Scenic is the exception: its curvy routing modes are Premium.

3. Do you need a voice in your helmet?

Free plans often show a line on the map and leave you to follow it. That's fine on a mounted phone at a relaxed pace. If you want spoken turns through a helmet communicator, budget for the paid plan in Scenic, Kurviger (Tourer+) or REVER.

4. Will you ride with other people?

Group riding needs a shared route and a way to see who's fallen behind. calimoto lists synchronized group rides, and REVER lists live location sharing as Pro-only and viewing friends on the map as free. The rules of the road still apply. Groups larger than four or five riders should split up, and everyone should know the route before you leave.

5. Can you get your route out again?

Check GPX export before you spend hours planning. Scenic, REVER and calimoto keep export in the paid tier. Without it, your route stays locked in one app.

Which app suits which rider

These picks follow from the features above, not from a test.

• Weekend rider on familiar roads: Google Maps or Waze, with Waze set to Motorcycle, plus saved offline areas.
• Rider who wants twisty roads on a small budget: a free motorcycle planner, then a low-cost paid tier if you need navigation. Kurviger Tourer+ is the lowest listed price in the table.
• Long trip through areas with poor signal: any paid plan with offline maps and voice navigation, plus a paper map. See choosing a map for a motorcycle trip.
• Group organizer: an app with live location or synchronized group rides, and a route you send to everyone as GPX.

How to map out a motorcycle trip in an app

1. Set your start, end and must-see stops. If you're using Google Maps, remember the 9-stop limit.
2. Cut the route into daily legs by riding hours, not miles. A rider handbook says experienced riders seldom ride more than about six hours a day.
3. Turn on avoid settings or curvy routing for each leg.
4. Save offline maps for the whole route and export a GPX backup.
5. Ride the first leg before the trip to see how the app behaves on your mount and in your helmet.

The full route method is in how to plan a motorcycle road trip. For the whole trip, from dates to departure, see how to plan a motorcycle trip.

Gear that works with your phone

A phone on the handlebar means more time with your hands near the screen at stops. If you're replacing riding gear before the trip, Leather Collection motorcycle riding gear covers cowhide jackets, pants, gloves and boots, made to order with custom sizes. Before you buy gloves, ask the maker whether they work with a touchscreen, because the category page doesn't say.

FAQ

Does Google Maps show motorcycle routes? Not in the US, Canada or Europe. Google's help page has no motorcycle mode and tells riders of motorcycles under 125cc to avoid tolls and highways. Google's two-wheeled routing is listed for about 40 other countries.

Does Waze have a motorcycle mode? Yes. According to Waze Help, go to Settings, then Vehicle details, then Vehicle type, and choose Motorcycle for routing and arrival times.

How much is the Scenic motorcycle app? The base app is free. Scenic's site lists Premium at $4.99 a month billed annually, and the US App Store lists $59.90 a year, $29.90 a quarter or $14.90 a month.

Which is better for navigation, calimoto or Scenic? We haven't tested them side by side. On paper, both put offline maps and voice navigation in the paid plan. calimoto plans twisty roads for free, while Scenic's curvy routing is Premium.

What is the 12-second rule for motorcycles? Riders use it to mean how far ahead to look. We haven't found a primary source for the 12-second figure. The California handbook says to look at least 10 to 15 seconds ahead.

For the features in more depth, see motorcycle trip planner apps: features to compare and how to choose a motorcycle trip planner.