MotoGoLoco - Motorcycle Maps System

[TB-Racing]

Any of these sound familiar?

"Google Maps to Basecamp Tracks/Routes for Dummies?"

"Is it possible for me to make my routes in google maps and the transfer them to my older garmin 450. base camps is not as user friendly for me..."

They should do, because I see these same questions and gripes on pretty much every single biking forum or group I visit.

The question of 'How to create a route in Google Maps, then send it onto my Garmin/TomTom' is a common one among bikers and, bar a couple of really faffy workarounds, there isn't a real, straightforward answer.

So, we decided to spend the last couple of years working alongside one of Google's own maps developers to create a motorcycle mapping system that:

- Utilises the same Google Maps' interface which many are already familiar with
- Provides a quick & simple Export to GPS function to send your routes to your Garmin/TomTom
- Displays iconic, classic and user created biking routes as layers, and allows you to add any of these to your own new route (a bit like laying tracing paper over a paper map)
- Shows a growing list of real, recommended biker-friendly hotels and guest houses as another layer (currently UK & Eire only, but not for long)

Here's the link: https://www.motogoloco.com

You'll need to create a user account to be able to save routes and then export them onto your GPS, but it's free, takes 30 seconds and I promise not to spam the hell out of your inbox afterwards!!

Bar a couple of little glitches here and there, we're pretty much good to go with it.

Would love to get your feedback, so I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
James @ MotoGoLoco

##########################################
***no affiliation with the MotoGoLoco - Motorcycle Maps System website or developer***

 

[Russ McDermid]

Had a quick "play" ... quite impressed. Intuitive, did what it said, more options available that I didn't explore. I signed-up, quickly created a UK route, and downloaded it to Mapsource... all in the space of 3-4 mins from opening the site.
I'll try Thailand next !
Initial thoughts are, its very good.
Russ.

 

[TB-Racing]

Had a quick "play" ... quite impressed. Intuitive, did what it said, more options available that I didn't explore. I signed-up, quickly created a UK route, and downloaded it to Mapsource... all in the space of 3-4 mins from opening the site. I'll try Thailand next !Initial thoughts are, its very good.
Russ.

Yeah, was stuck in traffic during the rain over here in Shanghai and played around as well, works great so far and using Chinese characters and English (Pinyin) for China no dramas at all, must explore more about the features...

 

[KTMphil]

Useful, quick way to export as a Garmin route file (.gpx) to use in a Garmin GPS, good find.

 

[LivinLOS]

Superb.. This is the biggest problem I have..

Now if I could manage to do the export with an android phone or ipad.. After creating the route on another platform (desktop or ipad) and saving it.. It really would be the holy grail for on the road planning.

Create route.. Save.. Load via phone plugged into garmin.. export..

 

[KTMphil]

Superb.. This is the biggest problem I have..

Now if I could manage to do the export with an android phone or ipad.. After creating the route on another platform (desktop or ipad) and saving it.. It really would be the holy grail for on the road planning.

Create route.. Save.. Load via phone plugged into garmin.. export..

- Save route as .gpx file on android phone

- Micro usb cable plugged into phone with male regular usb at the other end. Get a female regular usb with old style mini usb cable to plug into Garmin GPS. plug them together and in file explorer on andriod phone, copy and paste the route file into the correct folder on the Garmin GPS (Garmin device & folders will show up in file explorer on the andriod phone)


Bill was playing around with these two types of cables, connecting an android phone to a Garmin GPS and the GPS folders did show up in file explorer on the android phone.




should work?

 

[bsacbob]

- Save route as .gpx file on android phone

- Micro usb cable plugged into phone with male regular usb at the other end. Get a female regular usb with old style mini usb cable to plug into Garmin GPS. plug them together and in file explorer on andriod phone, copy and paste the route file into the correct folder on the Garmin GPS (Garmin device & folders will show up in file explorer on the andriod phone)

Bill was playing around with these two types of cables, connecting an android phone to a Garmin GPS and the GPS folders did show up in file explorer on the android phone.

should work?

Great bit of software and ability to transfer is useful just another cable to carry.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Forum Runner

 

[LivinLOS]

- Save route as .gpx file on android phone

- Micro usb cable plugged into phone with male regular usb at the other end. Get a female regular usb with old style mini usb cable to plug into Garmin GPS. plug them together and in file explorer on andriod phone, copy and paste the route file into the correct folder on the Garmin GPS (Garmin device & folders will show up in file explorer on the andriod phone)


Bill was playing around with these two types of cables, connecting an android phone to a Garmin GPS and the GPS folders did show up in file explorer on the android phone.




should work?

Gonna have to go get some dual ended cabling and test this.. Its looking very close to the solution..

 

[KTMphil]

Micro USB (andriod charger type) with female "regular" USB at the other end is most common.

 

[TB-Racing]

always carrying a few multi-plug USB cables on bike trips and general travels.
given a few away as presents over the years as always someone forgets the right charging cable, always....

 

[nunoajc]

Any of these sound familiar?

"Google Maps to Basecamp Tracks/Routes for Dummies?"

"Is it possible for me to make my routes in google maps and the transfer them to my older garmin 450. base camps is not as user friendly for me..."

They should do, because I see these same questions and gripes on pretty much every single biking forum or group I visit.

The question of 'How to create a route in Google Maps, then send it onto my Garmin/TomTom' is a common one among bikers and, bar a couple of really faffy workarounds, there isn't a real, straightforward answer.

So, we decided to spend the last couple of years working alongside one of Google's own maps developers to create a motorcycle mapping system that:

- Utilises the same Google Maps' interface which many are already familiar with
- Provides a quick & simple Export to GPS function to send your routes to your Garmin/TomTom
- Displays iconic, classic and user created biking routes as layers, and allows you to add any of these to your own new route (a bit like laying tracing paper over a paper map)
- Shows a growing list of real, recommended biker-friendly hotels and guest houses as another layer (currently UK & Eire only, but not for long)

Here's the link: https://www.motogoloco.com

You'll need to create a user account to be able to save routes and then export them onto your GPS, but it's free, takes 30 seconds and I promise not to spam the hell out of your inbox afterwards!!

Bar a couple of little glitches here and there, we're pretty much good to go with it.

Would love to get your feedback, so I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,
James @ MotoGoLoco

##########################################
***no affiliation with the MotoGoLoco - Motorcycle Maps System website or developer***

Great idea. I have registed, and create some routes.i will try this weekend

 

[nunoajc]

always carrying a few multi-plug USB cables on bike trips and general travels.
given a few away as presents over the years as always someone forgets the right charging cable, always....

this is also a great Idea. where can i purchase one of this?

 

[TB-Racing]

this is also a great Idea. where can i purchase one of this?

Multi-plug USB cables.... we get them at Metro City in Shanghai / China located at 1111 Zhaojiabang Road (Xujiahui District).
A huge mall with many floors of electronics, unfortunately, you will need to negotiate, so make sure you are well informed before you go, not much English spoken.

In your case well know websites like Ebay or search engines like Google / Yahoo should bring some results... nuff said'

 

[nunoajc]

Thank You for The info

 

[TB-Racing]

FURKOT, online route planner = https://trips.furkot.com

 

[KTMphil]

FURKOT, online route planner = https://trips.furkot.com

Butch, just took a quick look, what file format are the routes saved in?

 

[TB-Racing]

Butch, just took a quick look, what file format are the routes saved in?

Have not looked into it or played around with the FURKOT software yet, just a brief look during breakfast enjoying the really clean air looking over the mountains and South China Sea after Typhoon Rasmussen passed over the Northern part of Hainan Island, lot of rain yesterday down Sanya....

 

[Lone Rider]

The trip can be exported as .kml and as .gpx format. Had a quick look for planning a trip in Laos but, as the map does not show all paved roads in Laos, I did not find it really useful for Laos but I must admit that I have not yet explored all options.

 

[KTMphil]

The trip can be exported as .kml and as .gpx format. Had a quick look for planning a trip in Laos but, as the map does not show all paved roads in Laos, I did not find it really useful for Laos but I must admit that I have not yet explored all options.

Thanks for looking at it.

 

[MotoGoLoco]

Hi Guys/Gals,

Firstly, thank you all so much for your kind words about MotoGoLoco Maps above, it's genuinely fantastic to hear that people are actually liking and using our system (it's taken us years to build!!).

After several rounds of scrutinous testing and tweaking, we recently launched the latest update to MotoGoLoco Maps[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif].

[/FONT][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]

[/FONT]I could fill a thread up listing everything we've added, changed, tweaked, twiddled and removed (if you're really interested, I did just that in this blog post), but ultimately the aim of the game was to make things easier, smoother and less clunky. We think we've nailed it, and so far the feedback has been fantastically positive.

If anyone here fancies giving it a wee go and letting me know your thoughts, I'd be eternally and continually grateful as ever. Much of what's been worked on so far came about via feedback from folks on bike forums - including this one - so I hope you believe me when I promise that we really are listening.

Hope you like it!

Cheers & all the best,
James M @ MotoGoLoco.com

 

[LivinLOS]

I was just trying it 20 mins ago.. Odd timing..

One thing I failed at.. 'exporting' the GPX to my garmin.. Possibly because its on Linux ?? The garmin unit is seen as a USB in the setup I have..

I just saved exported and drag and dropped the file over..

 

[MotoGoLoco]

Hmmm, that's odd - we did a fair bit of testing with Linux (it's the platform one of our lead developers uses). There is a little go-between bit of software called Garmin Communicator which is needed to initiate the automatic transfer but... (don't tell the boss) - I've always found it simple enough to just download the GPX/ITN file to my computer and copy it onto my GPS manually.

 

[LivinLOS]

Hmmm, that's odd - we did a fair bit of testing with Linux (it's the platform one of our lead developers uses). There is a little go-between bit of software called Garmin Communicator which is needed to initiate the automatic transfer but... (don't tell the boss) - I've always found it simple enough to just download the GPX/ITN file to my computer and copy it onto my GPS manually.

Maybe its because I dont have the comms SW mentioned.. Will dig it out if I can..