Motorcycle Navigation with an I-Phone.

MOTORCYCLE NAVIGATION USING THE I-PHONE

Using the I-Phone is a very viable alternative to an Expensive GPS. With a waterproof case and a charging cable mounted to the bars or the dash the I-Phone is a great tool for motorcycle travel. There are many Apps available that allow you to use your phone as GPS that do not use ANY data and will work in areas where there is no data coverage at all. 

Some of the more popular Data Free Apps that are available are;

• Co-Pilot
• Navigon (by Garmin)
• MotionX
• Sygic
• 
  

There are also many more apps that will work for you if you want to use data.

• Waze (Great app for basic navigation, re-routes based on traffic. Warns you about police speed traps)
• Google Maps
• Apple Maps
• MapQuest

While any one of the apps above will work fine for basic navigation, if you are planning a multi day trip or points rally that requires complex route planning on your computer you have fewer options. To date the only app I have found that allows this functionality is Navigon.

To import a route from your computer to Navigon You will need to install 2 programs on your computer and one on your phone to use this method.

1. Install a program called Dropbox on both your computer and your I-phone. You will need to create a free account so the files are synced across both devices.
2. Install ITN Converter (download here http://download.cnet.com/ITN-Converter/3000-20426_4-75335466.html) or search it online to download it.

1. import gpx files into Streets and Trip, Tyre, Google Maps, Basecamp.. etc (for gpxfiles received during distance rallies.
2. Or create route in Streets and Trips or your mapping software. Save your route (make a note of where you save it). 
3. Open ITN Converter  
4. In ITN Converter open the route file that you saved in step 2. (browse to find it)
5. Export as Navigon MN7 and save it to Dropbox.
6. This automatically saves it as a .route file which will need to be changed below. ex "countryroad.route"
7. Open Drop box on the I-Phone.
8. click on the .route file that you saved. It will look like gibberish. Click on the 3 dots in the upper right part of the screen and select rename from the menu. Change the .route extension to .target target file that you created "countryroad.target"
9. click on the export button (the box with the up arrow like you were going to forward the file) this will bring up an open in option. 
10. Click on open in.
11. Click on the Navigon in the pop up box.

This will open your route with all of the way points that you created in your mapping software. I have used this many times and it works great. This really seems like a lot of work but it isn't. The more you do it the less of a process it is.