On a motorcycle you rarely just want to get from A to B. You ride for the road: for the bends, the scenery and the moment when tarmac and line simply fit. That's exactly where many normal sat navs fail, because they think like drivers. Fast, short, efficient. We want it twistier, sportier or simply more beautiful. That's why it's worth looking at the best route planners for motorcyclists.
A good motorcycle route planner decides whether your tour becomes a highlight or a test of patience. Whether you end up on gravel, lorry routes and dull trunk roads. Or on bends, climbs and roads you'd love to ride again straight away.
Here you'll learn:
- what really matters in a route planner,
- which tools are suitable for motorcyclists,
- which recommendations you can safely use in your planning,
- and how to get more out of every tour, from the after-work loop to the Alpine trip.
Why normal route planners often don't work for motorcycles
Google Maps, Apple Maps or the sat nav in the car have one goal: efficiency. On a motorcycle you have another goal: riding fun.
The problem:
- shortest route ≠ most beautiful route
- fastest route ≠ best riding route
- motorway ≠ experience
Many know it: you plan a tour, follow the sat nav blindly and end up on endless straights, in 30 km/h town centres or in front of a closed pass road.
A good motorcycle route planner takes into account:
- bends
- elevation profiles
- road quality
- traffic density
- closures specifically for motorcycles
- beautiful scenery
It doesn't calculate in minutes, but by how much the road has to offer.
What makes a good motorcycle route planner
Before we get to specific tools, you should know how to recognise quality.
1. Bends before journey time
We want bends. Full stop. A useful route planner offers you:
- twisty alternatives
- the option to avoid motorways
- deliberate detours over beautiful roads
Without this function, a tool is hardly any use for motorcycles.
2. Matching your riding style and bike
If you ride a supersport bike, you want something different from someone on an adventure bike or cruiser. Good planners let you choose:
- sporty or relaxed roads
- avoid gravel or deliberately include it
- planning to match range and fuel stops
3. Plan at home, navigate on the road
This is how it works in practice:
- Planning is done at home.
- Navigation happens on the road.
A good route planner:
- is easy to use on a PC or tablet
- syncs with the app or sat nav
- exports routes cleanly (GPX etc.)
4. Community knowledge
The best roads are often known not by the algorithm but by other riders. Look for tools with:
- community ratings
- shared routes
- comments on closures or road conditions
The best route planners for motorcyclists compared
Kurviger: the classic for bend hunters
Many riders start route planning with Kurviger, and rightly so.
Strengths:
- focus on twisty roads
- very easy to use
- clearly designed for motorcycles
Weaknesses:
- offline maps only with the paid Tourer+ membership
- less detail for long trips
Calimoto: riding fun at the centre
Calimoto sees itself clearly as a motorcycle app and delivers what it promises.
Strengths:
- focus on bends and elevation
- routes from the community
- recording your tours
- closures via TomTom live data (in the premium version)
Weaknesses:
- subscription model
- sometimes very sporty route choice, not always beginner-friendly
Recommendation: very good for anyone who wants to discover new roads and is prepared to pay for quality.
MyRoute-app: planning for the demanding
If you plan multi-day trips, you'll hardly get around MyRoute-app.
Strengths:
- very precise planning
- various map providers (including TomTom, HERE, OpenStreetMap)
- ideal for Garmin and co.
- clean GPX exports
Weaknesses:
- more complex than other tools
- more of a planning tool than a fun button
Recommendation: first choice for touring riders, Alpine passes, European trips and structured planning.
Garmin BaseCamp: unloved but powerful
BaseCamp is no fun, but it's a real workhorse. The software is still available free from Garmin, but has hardly been updated for years. For newer motorcycle sat navs such as the zūmo XT2, Garmin now relies on the Tread app as a route planner.
Strengths:
- full control over every route
- best integration with Garmin sat navs
- usable offline
Weaknesses:
- long learning curve
- old-fashioned interface, hardly any further development
Recommendation: for tech-savvy riders with a Garmin sat nav who want to know exactly what they're riding.
Smartphone or sat nav?
The question divides the motorcycling world, and that's actually unnecessary.
Smartphone: flexible and modern
Pros:
- large choice of apps
- quick planning
- live traffic and closures
Cons:
- heat
- battery life
- hard to read in sunlight
Motorcycle sat nav: robust and reliable
Pros:
- weatherproof
- resistant to vibration
- very easy to read
Cons:
- expensive
- less flexible
Recommendation: for day and weekend tours a smartphone is enough. For long trips and tough conditions it's worth considering a dedicated motorcycle sat nav.
How I plan a motorcycle tour: step by step
From a rider's point of view, not a developer's:
- Set a rough idea (region, time, riding style)
- Plan on the desktop (MyRoute-app or Kurviger)
- Bends focus on, motorways off
- Set fuel stops deliberately
- Export GPX or sync the app
- Check closures before setting off
- Stay flexible on the road
A route planner is a tool. No more and no less.
Typical route planning mistakes
- too many kilometres per day
- ignoring elevation profiles
- trusting the algorithm blindly
- no alternative route ready
- underestimating breaks
A good route planner helps you, but it doesn't replace experience.
Summary
Your tour doesn't start at the starter button, but with the question: which road do I ride, and why?
A good route planner doesn't make that decision for you. But it helps you make it deliberately. Instead of collecting kilometres, you collect great roads. Instead of just arriving quickly, you enjoy the way.
I know from my own experience how big the difference is. With the wrong tool, even the most beautiful area becomes boring. With the right one you find roads you'd never have ridden otherwise: empty bends, surprising views and roads you'll think about for a long time.
For the short evening loop as for the big trip: take time to plan and use tools made for motorcyclists. Not to foresee every bend, but to leave room for the moments we ride for.
Which route planner is best can't be said across the board. What matters is that it suits you: your riding style, your bike and your feel for the road. Then a route becomes a real tour.
Frequently asked questions
Which route planner is suitable for motorcyclists?
Popular choices are Kurviger for twisty roads, Calimoto for discovering new roads, MyRoute-app for multi-day trips and Garmin BaseCamp for tech-savvy riders with a Garmin sat nav.
Why is Google Maps often not enough for motorcycles?
Normal route planners optimise for time and distance. Bends, elevation and scenery play no role, which is why you often end up on straights or in town centres.
Smartphone or motorcycle sat nav?
For day and weekend tours a smartphone is enough. For long trips and tough conditions a robust motorcycle sat nav is worth considering.
What are typical route planning mistakes?
Too many kilometres per day, ignoring elevation profiles, trusting the algorithm blindly, no alternative route and too few breaks.
Sources
- Offline maps in the Kurviger app (Kurviger knowledge base)
- calimoto: motorcycle navigation and tour planner (calimoto)
- MyRoute-app: route planner for motorcyclists (MyRoute-app)
- Download BaseCamp (Garmin)
- zūmo XT2 with the Tread app (Garmin press release, German)
- Alpine passes and mountain roads in Europe (alpenpaesse.de, German)
- Worldwide weather forecast (meteoblue)
Last checked: September 2026. App features and prices can change.
