Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Grab your helmet: Google Maps for motorcycles is coming

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google Maps for motorcycles is now live in much of eastern Asia, according to RideApart.

After initial testing in India, Google Maps has now rolled out the motorcyle transportation choice option in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Recommended Videos

The motorcycle feature in Google Maps includes roads and routes that are not accessible to cars and trucks, according to NDTV. When a user selects motorcycle transportation with Google Maps, the routing software looks for the bike-only shortcuts to provide two-wheeler-centric traffic and travel duration and arrival estimates.

Taking advantage of narrow lanes and passageways in small towns and big cities alike could help riders avoid traffic congestion en route. Anticipating roads that prohibit motorcycle traffic can also save the aggravation of re-routing on the fly.

Speaking at a Google Maps for motorcycles launch event in Thailand, Google Maps head of product Krish Vitaldevara said the software would often use landmarks such as hospital and hotels rather than street names that could be harder to find and read, The Verge reported. Google’s goal is to train drivers to read the directions before heading out and look for landmarks, rather than watching their smartphone while traveling in highly congested traffic, Vitaldevara said.

Getty Images/Jeff Greenberg

There’s no mystery why Google rolled out the motorcycle feature first in India and then in other parts of Eastern Asia: the company is simply following the market. India is the largest market for two-wheeled motorized transportation in the world, according to The Times of India. At a time when motorcycle sales are lagging in the U.S., sales in India were up significantly in 2017, driven in part by government spending on major rural road construction projects.

Looking forward to motorcycle-centric mapping in America? There is no announcement about when or even if Google will turn on the motorcycle travel feature in the U.S. and the rest of the world. But Rideapart reports that Waze, the community-updated mapping software, has stated it will have global motorcycle support. Since Google owns Waze, we can probably look forward to Google Maps for motorcycles in America also.
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Former Contributing Editor
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
Topics
Harley-Davidson’s electric future looks bleak as LiveWire warns it may not survive
LiveWire’s sales are growing, but mounting losses have left the electric motorcycle maker searching for a financial lifeline
Livewire One

Harley-Davidson's electric motorcycle brand LiveWire has warned it may not survive the next year. Recurring losses and limited funding have raised serious doubts about its ability to keep operating, leaving Harley's electric ambitions on shaky ground.

LiveWire reported $7.9 million in third-quarter revenue alongside an $18.6 million net loss. Selling more motorcycles hasn't brought the company close to covering its costs.

Read more
China’s latest tiny EV costs just $6,735 and somehow squeezes in five doors
The four-seat Bestune Pony joins the cute-car crowd with rear doors and a price that puts its Wuling rival squarely in view
Orange car, front three-quarter

FAW's five-door Bestune Pony has launched in China from 44,900 yuan, roughly $6,735. The tiny EV packs four seats into a cheerful little box just 3.35 meters long.

It looks like something you'd buy in a gift shop, but the layout makes room for everyday chores. There are four passenger doors and a rear hatch, so getting into the back doesn't require folding a front seat out of the way.

Read more
Volkswagen’s smartest EVs are launching in China while the US and Europe wait
China-only models already have the software, charging, and driving technology VW’s Western cars are still waiting to receive
Volkswagen ID UNYX 08

Volkswagen’s newest EVs in China are making its American and European models look unusually conservative.

With Xpeng’s help, VW has introduced 800-volt charging and advanced urban driving assistance. The new VEGA technology package brings its locally developed vehicle platforms and CEA electronic architecture under one umbrella. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen intends to update VEGA every three months. Western buyers can find pieces of that package, but not the whole thing in a Volkswagen.

Read more