Suggestions: Great Roads
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Having read this interesting thread on the Route Library it occurs to me that many users like building their own routes, and not necessarily to be given them as a complete package.
For example, I tend to take multiple published routes (from all over the net, inc Route Library), overlay them, and then chop them up and reconnect them to make own version.However, we can't easily build routes for areas we don't know without a lot of in-depth research. That is fun but motorcycle-specific information can sometimes be hard to find.
A sweet option, and easier for everyone to take part in, would be a Great Roads Library.
Features:- short sections of road (think Michelin green roads, but for motorbikes)
- a short comment to say why the road is worthy of inclusion (scenery, curves, views, tarmac)
- points of interest along the road (cafe, viewpoint)
- open to all MRA members to submit, minimal barriers to submission
- can be voted on (1-5 stars) with reviews, so the cream rises to the top
- option to overlay them whilst route planning
I know my area of the UK well enough to give tens and tens of great sections of road - some only 5 miles long, some 30 miles. If there were say 50 other UK members did the same for their area/county we would have a lovely spiders web of great roads to try.
And the downsides:
- someone has to code it (sorry, Corjan!)
- someone has to moderate it (I would happily volunteer)
There are similar offerings around but I've not yet found one good enough to use, let alone one incorporated into a route planner.
@richtea999 Just thinking out loud: On paper, it seems like a good idea. But we need to think about it... would it be worth the effort/use? I have a couple of MRa user groups (one with over 500 members and another with over 1000) where we've carried out projects with tremendous effort, and over time, you realize that only one or two people use it, and even then, only sporadically. In fact, I canceled a couple of projects without warning months ago, and no one has mentioned missing them.
Regarding interesting roads in the Michelin-type MRA database, we already have this tool, which I'm sure very few people use:
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Do I need to explain the recently added MRA RouteXperts and MRA Scenic layers? The first indicates roads used by existing RX routes, the second indicates roads with a certain twistyness. I also use streetview intensively.
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I honestly think @richtea999 has shared a fun idea.
I can however also comment that we won't be working on something like this in the nearby future.Will be fun to think of integrating user content more directly once the foundations of the new website are built. Moderation and preserving quality is however critical and that's where the RouteXpert library excels in.
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Do I need to explain the recently added MRA RouteXperts and MRA Scenic layers? The first indicates roads used by existing RX routes, the second indicates roads with a certain twistyness. I also use streetview intensively.
@Con-Hennekens said in Suggestions: Great Roads:
Do I need to explain the recently added MRA RouteXperts and MRA Scenic layers? The first indicates roads used by existing RX routes, the second indicates roads with a certain twistyness. I also use streetview intensively.
I see them, thanks Con. The MRA RouteXperts routes are useful, but the Scenic info is, frankly, weird in my area of the UK:

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@Con-Hennekens said in Suggestions: Great Roads:
Do I need to explain the recently added MRA RouteXperts and MRA Scenic layers? The first indicates roads used by existing RX routes, the second indicates roads with a certain twistyness. I also use streetview intensively.
I see them, thanks Con. The MRA RouteXperts routes are useful, but the Scenic info is, frankly, weird in my area of the UK:

@richtea999, indeed, that line at Ladbroke seems te be a dirt trail

My guess is that the overlay is generated automatically, based on some filtering. It works better in mountainesque areas I suppose.
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In Italy, we have just what you're looking for. We even created an app for this year's MotoMappa trophy. That's the name of the app, where you can find everything you need to know about creating a route, sorted by color!
Brown = mountain passes
Blue = roads to ride (curves that flow when navigating a motorcycle)
Purple = secondary roads (the ones I really like)
Yellow = dirt road
Green = point of interest
Here's a little video to show you what I'm talking about. It's fantastic. Since I'm a publisher, I've transferred the entire database to MRA.
You can find the app for free on the iOS and Android stores.MOTOMAPPA
Link to the video. https://youtube.com/shorts/t5M4FQUbfS0?si=2laVdXhOG5tpxguE -
In Italy, we have just what you're looking for. We even created an app for this year's MotoMappa trophy. That's the name of the app, where you can find everything you need to know about creating a route, sorted by color!
Brown = mountain passes
Blue = roads to ride (curves that flow when navigating a motorcycle)
Purple = secondary roads (the ones I really like)
Yellow = dirt road
Green = point of interest
Here's a little video to show you what I'm talking about. It's fantastic. Since I'm a publisher, I've transferred the entire database to MRA.
You can find the app for free on the iOS and Android stores.MOTOMAPPA
Link to the video. https://youtube.com/shorts/t5M4FQUbfS0?si=2laVdXhOG5tpxguE@Aiello-antonino Salve, I am seriously interested in this app, as I travel a lot in Italy.
Unfortunately, I cannot find your app in the Play Store under Motomappa.Could you please post a link to the app for Android?
Many thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Peter -
@Aiello-antonino Salve, I am seriously interested in this app, as I travel a lot in Italy.
Unfortunately, I cannot find your app in the Play Store under Motomappa.Could you please post a link to the app for Android?
Many thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Peter -
@Aiello-antonino Thank you for the link to the Playstore.
When trying to download the app, I do get the following message."The requested URL was not found on this server"

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@Aiello-antonino Thank you for the link to the Playstore.
When trying to download the app, I do get the following message."The requested URL was not found on this server"

@Peter-Zehentreiter I don't know the program, but I found this for you. I also don't know if it works

https://www.motoabbigliamento.it/app-motomappa -
@Peter-Zehentreiter Forget it, it is not working. I got the message: "Item is not available in your country." Even with my VPN set on Italy, I don't get the app.

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@Peter-Zehentreiter Forget it, it is not working. I got the message: "Item is not available in your country." Even with my VPN set on Italy, I don't get the app.

Thank you for your efforts and for testing with VPN.....
I don't know the app yet, but I'm sure there are ideas and suggestions for other routes worth seeing.
For me, Italy is always worth a visit, if only for the cuisine

@Aiello-antonino Perhaps Aiello-Antonino can help or make the app available outside Italy?
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Thank you for your efforts and for testing with VPN.....
I don't know the app yet, but I'm sure there are ideas and suggestions for other routes worth seeing.
For me, Italy is always worth a visit, if only for the cuisine

@Aiello-antonino Perhaps Aiello-Antonino can help or make the app available outside Italy?
@Peter-Zehentreiter Your welcome. For me too. I am every 2 years in Italy because of the World Ducati Week.

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@Peter-Zehentreiter Your welcome. For me too. I am every 2 years in Italy because of the World Ducati Week.

@Lex.Kloet.RX said in Suggestions: Great Roads:
every 2 years in Italy
Unfortunatly I don't ride a Ducati, I guss my legs are too short to reach the floor when riding a Multistrada V4 .
But I'am 5 times a year in Italia (2 times with my wife just for vacation) and 3 times a year with friends and Motorbike....there are a lot of amazing areas to discover with the Motorbike.
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@Lex.Kloet.RX said in Suggestions: Great Roads:
every 2 years in Italy
Unfortunatly I don't ride a Ducati, I guss my legs are too short to reach the floor when riding a Multistrada V4 .
But I'am 5 times a year in Italia (2 times with my wife just for vacation) and 3 times a year with friends and Motorbike....there are a lot of amazing areas to discover with the Motorbike.
@Peter-Zehentreiter You can adjust the seat height on the Multistrada, but I have a Monster, so no adjusting needed

You probably live a bit closer to Italy than I do, but for me, it's always a point of recognition whenever I cross the border. But I can't complain with the beautiful Eifel/Westerwald/Mosel/Hunsrück all around me
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I just mentioned the problem to Motoabbigliamento.it, try the link I leave at the end, so you can understand what I'm talking about, on iOS unfortunately you can't read the description of the waypoints, but I imagine it's a Google problem, it works instead on PC and Android
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1K438EZ8p-Jo8bkILXPjCKlxVhQneW4cJ&usp=sharing -
If you need any clarification let me know! I hope the link works!
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I just mentioned the problem to Motoabbigliamento.it, try the link I leave at the end, so you can understand what I'm talking about, on iOS unfortunately you can't read the description of the waypoints, but I imagine it's a Google problem, it works instead on PC and Android
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1K438EZ8p-Jo8bkILXPjCKlxVhQneW4cJ&usp=sharing@Aiello-antonino Thank you, that link works....
I'll check in details on my computer...in case of any question I'll come back to you.Regards
Peter -
@Peter-Zehentreiter You can adjust the seat height on the Multistrada, but I have a Monster, so no adjusting needed

You probably live a bit closer to Italy than I do, but for me, it's always a point of recognition whenever I cross the border. But I can't complain with the beautiful Eifel/Westerwald/Mosel/Hunsrück all around me
@Lex.Kloet.RX said in Suggestions: Great Roads:
You can adjust the seat height on the Multistrada, but I have a Monster, so no adjusting needed
That's what I did on my GS 1250, but the Multistrada is a bit higher so it wouldn't be enough just to adjust the seat.
I am only 172 cm tall...GS 1250 regular frame, with lowest seat is sometimes a bit challenging

Yes I live in Bavaria close to the Austrian Border, so Czechia, Austria, Italy, Sardinia, Slowenia, Serbia, Montenegro is my preferred area and not as far for me.
But it's rather unusual for me to drive in your area.
Even when we travel to France, we travel further south.
But you know...it's a small world, and eventually you meet up where you least expect it.
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@Aiello-antonino said in Suggestions: Great Roads:
@Peter-Zehentreiter https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.motoabbigliamento.motomappa
'Not available in your country'. [UK] That's Android.
Downloads OK on Apple though, so the app developer might want to look at the settings on their Google Play Store console.
It does mainly have Italian-only instructions, so it's slightly tricky to use.