Planning a motorcycle tour? Now that we’re into the year’s more hospitable seasons, it’s time to start planning your next long excursion. Despite the allure of a big trip, planning motorcycle tour holidays can be a little daunting, especially if you’re new to the game.
Before thinking ahead, consider aspects such as maintenance, clothing, and equipment. It’s important to know where and how long you’re going for, as this will govern all kinds of decisions you’ll soon have to make.
However, our number one tip is to plan your motorcycle trip using Garmin and an interphone ridesync smartphone connection system; this is the best way to get the most out of your journey. Not only will you benefit from precise route navigation, but you’ll also improve your safety while taking advantage of a flawless communication system.
To learn more about how this works, read on. This blog will show you how to pre-program a motorcycle tour using a Garmin sat-nav and intercom.
Table of contents:
- How to plan a motorcycle trip using Garmin BaseCamp and an interphone
- Planning routes and connectivity
- Tracking and recording routes (local and abroad)
- Can you use your phone as a GPS navigation system on a motorbike?
How to plan a motorcycle trip using Garmin BaseCamp and an interphone
Using Garmin BaseCamp
Garmin is a multinational technology company that designs and manufactures GPS-enabled products, as well as navigation and communication-focused products. Their desktop software application, Garmin BaseCamp, is designed to help manage and plan outdoor activities. It consists of a wide selection of features and tools, including creating geotagged photos, data transfer and map management.
When planning a motorcycle tour, you can use Garmin to create a route by inputting your destination and then adding waypoints for fuel stops, rest areas, and any interesting locations or specific places you want to ride through or visit. At this stage in planning, it’s worth considering the weather, road types, and terrain you’ll be riding through, as this will help you determine what gear and other supplies you‘ll need.
Once you’ve done this, you need to export your route as a GPX file so you can import it to your Garmin device. It’s essential to verify that BaseCamp is compatible with your Garmin device, as this is crucial for both navigation and communication via intercom.
Connecting your Garmin device to your interphone
Pairing your interphone with your Garmin motorcycle sat-nav is similar to connecting your phone to a car stereo system. You simply need to pair the devices using Bluetooth and wait for them to connect. Pairing the interphone with your mobile phone is also possible, allowing you to receive navigation instructions from Garmin while riding.
Once all your devices are connected, import the GPX file from BaseCamp onto your Garmin device using a USB or Garmin Explore, which will allow you to receive audible navigation instructions from your device, as well as communicate with other riders if you’re touring in a group.
Planning routes and connectivity
Tips on how to set up solo and group riding
The connectivity instructions above should suffice for solo riding, as this system should enable you to navigate your tour easily. That said, when planning a motorcycle tour, it’s always worth sharing your route with someone else for safety reasons.
When touring with a group, you can take it one step further and connect your interphones to communicate as you ride, send each other updates on the route, or discuss changes to your plans.
Planning UK, European and global routes
As you probably already know, the further afield you go, the more planning you’ll have to do. However, things remain largely unchanged for the UK and Europe: you'll need a valid license and insurance, but for Europe, you will also require your passport. Much like the UK, Europe has well-maintained roads that are run using familiar traffic laws, which makes planning ahead relatively easy.
If you’re planning a global motorcycle tour, it'll likely be much more complex. From planning for visas to researching different countries’ traffic laws, the range of particulars that must be considered is vast. You may also need to consider the cost of motorcycle freight if you plan to travel to destinations such as South America or Asia, as well as a Carnet de Passages en Douane, essentially a passport for your motorcycle.
Despite these logistics, experienced riders may be ready to take their touring plans to the next level. If this is the case, a Garmin motorcycle GPS tracker can be used to plan a route anywhere in the world.
Tracking and recording routes (local and abroad)
Using a Garmin device to track and record your motorcycle tour holiday is relatively straightforward, as is taking advantage of various other features, such as geotagged photographs.
Depending on the type of device you’ve chosen, the option to record your ride will be under ‘activity’, ‘track recorder’, or ‘start activity’. Once started, you can pause and resume as needed throughout the trip, add photos to specific destinations, and synchronise your journey with Garmin Connect.
There are countless possibilities for tracking and recording tours once you're set up, so it’s well worth researching what your specific device can do before you head out on your journey.
Can you use your phone as a GPS navigation system on a motorbike?
Although you can use your phone as a motorcycle sat nav, it is essential to mount it securely using a reliable fitting mount. While using a phone for navigation is allowed, holding or using a phone while riding a motorcycle is strictly prohibited.
Shop for motorcycle touring equipment at Bikers World!
At Bikers World, we offer a vast selection of motorcycle touring equipment, including GPS trackers, phone cases, fitting mounts, connectors, and cables. Browse our equipment selection today to find everything you need for your next adventure.
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