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Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

design.google

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Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#41

Post by bambax »

systemtest wrote: post #31
Itsdijital wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Years ago before a long motorcycle trip I made a nice setup to use google maps while riding for the trip. A custom mount, ran all the charging cables, NFC tag and tasker profile so it knows when it's mounted. I used it for 3 days before a guy told me to give old fashioned maps a try, and gave me a few state maps. My tank bag has a nice window slot for them, so why not use it in tandem? Within 2 hours I had totally st…

I ride motorcycles in cross-Europe trips for fun but prefer the GPS. My GPS will look for small twisty mountain roads with lots of elevation changes and lots of corners. Roads that are only on highly detailed local maps, and I don't want to carry 30 maps on a month long road trip. Road signage is simply not a thing on these roads as they are only used by locals. I can disable highways, B-roads, toll, ferries and on m…

I too ride motorcycles in Europe; I bought a special GPS device for motorbikes but it's not very good -- it's a Tom Tom, did you go with Garmin?

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#42

Post by mavidser »

chris_overseas wrote: post #39
keyle wrote: post #2

That's very cool. One time, I decided to just put the phone in my pocket and take my bike to a location. I had the ear buds in my ears, I thought, voice is enough... Oh my, was I wrong. I ended up missing most turn off in streets due to latency, some crossings made no sense over audio, a total disaster. So I got a stand to attach the phone to the handle bars... And that works great, for about 20 mins. I live in Austr…

I recently saw a pitch from a startup that have a gadget [1] designed to address exactly the problems you talk about and might be worth a look (disclaimer: I have no relationship with the company but I do cycle a lot and thought their product looked promising). The debate amongst the investors afterwards was interesting, once the startup had left the room. The investors who didn't cycle/motorbike were sceptical and c…

This looks really cool. Especially liked the compass mode.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#43

Post by rcMgD2BwE72F »

The public transportation and cycling options will become even more hidden in the app with this addition.

How can Google Maps continue defaulting to car and Uber when asks for directions in ultra-dense cities with great public and cycling infrastructure (like Paris), while Google pretends helping the environment?

Even when the subway directions are 10x cheaper and faster, Google Maps keeps highlighting car directions. Maybe the referral fee that Google gets from Uber (and other "partners") explains it.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#44

Post by uitgewis »

Reason077 wrote: post #36

Could Google Maps for Motorbikes be configured to route noisy motorbikes away from residential streets? Especially late at night when I’m trying to sleep!

There's a common belief among motorcyclists that having loud exhausts help alert other car drivers of their presence, making them more visible on the roads. There are various arguments in favor and against that notion, but if it's getting you to notice them I guess it is better than nothing.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#45

Post by chewz »

I had been riding a lot in mountains in North of Thailand and generally in SE Asia. Mostly small country roads.

Google Maps and also Apple Maps is impossible to use in bright sun when you just stop to check the map and have your rainbans on. The road is beige on dark yellow - the color palette is just wrong and impossible to adjust.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#46

Post by andrewaylett »

Halop wrote: post #7
77ko wrote: post #5

What would be cool if there was a very simple low power display bluetooth which just displayed an left/right/upp arrow with a number counting down when to turn or stop. Phones don't really work mounted on a bike, but a simple display could do the job. Sort of how android watch displays an arrow, but using a low power screen.

I feel you - I have tried attaching my android watch to the handlebars and functionality wise it's perfect UI for navigating. However it takes about 10 seconds for the screen to dim to the monochrome power saver mode and then it's impossible to see anything during daylight. Android wear does not support a permanently on screen all the time and I would totally buy a cheap device like that just for navigating.

If you get a watch with an OLED screen, it can be on all the time and lit, with a black-and-white view of the next navigation instruction on screen.

Need to make sure you've got Maps installed on the watch -- I just realised the reason mine stopped doing that was that I didn't reinstall it after my last factory reset.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#47

Post by cr3ative »

77ko wrote: post #5

What would be cool if there was a very simple low power display bluetooth which just displayed an left/right/upp arrow with a number counting down when to turn or stop. Phones don't really work mounted on a bike, but a simple display could do the job. Sort of how android watch displays an arrow, but using a low power screen.

Good news, there's a somewhat feasible looking kickstarter doing just that: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ridebeeline/beeline-mot...

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#48

Post by icebraining »

michaelt wrote: post #26
barrkel wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Use Bluetooth helmet speakers for audio. Most touring bikes, and many scooters have a cigarette lighter attachment point. My SH300 has one in the glove box. The 2016+ VFR800 has one. Etc. Many better quality gloves have conductive tips on their forefingers for capacitive touchscreen usage these days. My Alpinestars SP8 gloves do. I find Google Maps audio directions just barely acceptable for London navigation. I pref…

Yes, many of my problems could have been at least partly solved by spending more money on a helmet with bluetooth, more money on a bike with a better battery and a phone power supply, more money on better gloves with special finger coating, more money on a phone with a better battery and better handlebar mounts available, and so on. Sadly, as a student on a £300 motorbike, I didn't have the money for such luxuries :)

Wireless Bluetooth earbuds cost about €10 and should fit even with a regular helmet.

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#49

Post by bungie4 »

In North America and Europe, it's common for motorcyclists to quickly layout routes when touring using google maps. They (google) have made a UX that makes it ridiculously easy (as compared to something like Garmins Basecamp -which should be used as shiny example of how not to design an UX) The issue is that you cannot directly save the maps in GPX format to upload to your GPS. So thiers a world of work arounds, some easy, some not, to get a KML file into your GPS.

If it supported GPX natively, you would likely capture the entire North American and European touring market in one fell swoop. I'm guessing you (google) never asked which kind of goes against the entire point of this article

Re: Designing Google Maps for Motorbikes

#50

Post by paulie_a »

ensiferum wrote: post #8

Will google maps route the bike riders through their already current de-facto routes such as pedestrian footpaths and other such lanes that are completely abused by motorcyclists? Slightly off tangent but having been to Jakarta (never again, what an absolutely disgusting slum of a city) the traffic in that city is probably the worst ever (maybe Indian traffic can have it beat) Even more off tangent but it's crazy how…

My hierarchy of travel is uber, hitchhiking, and then if I am absolutely desperate taking a taxi.
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