Tidewater MG Classics Club

All,
at the July meeting I mentioned a program that I use to create routes on my GPS for my motorcycle trips. It allows you to copy a Google route to the program and you can then edit the route to meet your specific needs. You then save the file in either a Garmin or Tom Tom format and transfer the file to your GPS where you can then load the route and...voila! You have a perfectly planned route! The beauty is you can also email the file to other members and they can upload it as well. The link to the site is below; they have three versions, I use the free one.

http://www.tyretotravel.com/

A few pointers on using this software based on experience.

1. Drill down to all your way points. In some cases they may not be directly on the route and will re-route you to a point off your main route. Check where the way point has you and re-adjust it or you may go in a circle! Ask me how I know.

2. Speaking of way points, use plenty of them! Not sure of the Garmin but my Tom Tom has two options, avoid highways and don't avoid highways. If you don't establish enough way points on your route your GPS may not let you do what you think you want to do! By establishing multiple waypoints you force the GPS to follow the route you want to travel. Before you execute a route, load it into your GPS and let it calculate the route to ensure it is what you want. This way you know you won't have any issues.

3. Adjust your start point to be a mile or so AWAY from where you actually start. My GPS has a fit if I tell it to start where I am actually at and wants to add in a whole new route that is several hundred or thousand miles long to get to my start point. Pick up your start point locator and move it so that it is away from where you will actually proceed.

Does this work with smart phone GPS'? I don't know, I haven't tried it, if someone does, let me know if it works. I traveled roughly 6,000 miles on my bike to Tromso, Norway back through the Baltic States, into Eastern Europe and back to Germany. Never once did I have any issues; I've used this software for about seven years and will continue to use it. Safe travels to all and hope this helps a few as they run the roads in quest of adventure.

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Stephen Aki
Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (Retired)
Don't tell me why you can't, Tell me how you CAN!
FL Lic Real Estate Agent
74 MG Midget
71 Porsche 914
78 Mercedes 450SL
99 Kawasaki Drifter 1500
2013 BMW F650GS Dual Sport