Google Maps as a Motorcycle Route Planner: Settings That Work

Google Maps has a dedicated two-wheeler mode, but Google’s own help page says it is available only on mobile devices and in limited locations — and it publishes no country list. That means the only reliable way to know whether your phone has it is to open the app and look. This guide covers that, and more importantly how to use Google Maps for a long ride rather than for a few blocks in town.

Does Google Maps have a motorcycle mode?

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Yes, it is called two-wheeler directions. According to Google’s instructions, the steps are:

1. Search for your destination, or tap it on the map.
2. Tap Directions in the bottom left.
3. Tap the Two-Wheeler icon in the row of travel modes, then tap Start.

The travel-mode row sits just above the start and destination fields: car, two-wheeler, transit, walking, cycling, ride services. If two-wheeler directions are available where you are routing, the icon appears in that row.

The practical difference from car mode: two-wheeler routes favour roads a motorcycle can actually use, including narrow lanes a car cannot enter, and they keep you off roads restricted to cars.

Where two-wheeler mode is available, including Vietnam

Google’s help page states only that the feature is for mobile devices and limited locations. It does not name countries, and it does not say which operating systems. Articles that confidently list countries or declare it missing on one platform are guessing.

So test it yourself, before the trip, on the phone you will actually carry:

• Update the Google Maps app and reopen it.
• Route to a destination in the area you will ride — the travel-mode row follows the location of the route, not where your account is registered.
• Try a travelling companion’s phone if you have one. That tells you in seconds whether the issue is the region or your device.
• If it is simply not there, use car mode with highways turned off (below). That is the closest substitute, and for long-distance riding it is usually enough.

There is no on/off switch in Settings, so do not waste time hunting for one.

Avoid highways and tolls, step by step

This is the part that matters most, because in Vietnam it is a legal question and not a convenience one.

Article 25, clause 3 of Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety No. 36/2024/QH15 states that motorcycles, mopeds, similar vehicles, non-motorised vehicles and pedestrians are not permitted on expressways, except people and vehicles serving expressway management and maintenance.

In other words, if you are on a motorcycle and the app routes you onto an expressway, the route is wrong and following it is a violation. How to prevent it:

• Use two-wheeler mode where it exists. Those routes will not send you onto car-only roads.
• In car mode, open the three-dot menu on the directions screen, choose Route options and switch on Avoid highways. You can add Avoid tolls as well.
• Preview the whole route before you set off, not just the total time. Scroll along it and watch for long straight sections whose names begin with CT — the Vietnamese expressway prefix.
• On the road, if a sign at the entrance bans motorcycles, believe the sign, not the app. Signs are the current rule on the ground; map data can be out of date.

Worth remembering for the whole trip: the app suggests, the signs decide.

Adding stops and adjusting the route

A long ride is rarely a straight line from A to B. Two things are worth learning:

Add stops. On the directions screen, open the three-dot menu and choose Add stop. You can add several and drag them into order. The most useful ones are your intended fuel stops and where you plan to sleep — once they are in the route, you are not pulling over mid-ride to look them up.

Drag the route onto a different road. In route preview you can press and hold a point on the line and drag it onto the road you actually want. This is how you force the scenic option instead of the fastest one. It is easier on a computer, which is why many riders build the route at home and send it to the phone.

If you have not built the trip framework yet, the method is in motorcycle trip planning in six steps. This article is only about the tool.

Download offline maps before the mountains

Many passes have no signal. Offline maps are something you download beforehand, on Wi-Fi, not when you already need them.

How: tap your account picture, choose Offline maps, then Select your own map, pan and zoom the frame so it covers your route, and download.

Three things to know:

• The selected area has a size limit. If the frame is too big the app will refuse it — split a long route into a few overlapping areas instead of fighting one enormous one.
• Offline maps expire after a while and need refreshing. Check them again right before departure.
• Only driving directions work offline. Many other features do not, including live traffic. Do not count on two-wheeler routing or congestion data once you lose signal.

Alongside that, screenshot the junctions that matter. A screenshot never expires and needs no signal.

When Google Maps sends you down alleys or rough roads

It happens, usually when the app is trying to shave a few minutes. You can spot it in the preview before you ride it:

• The route zigzags repeatedly inside a small area instead of following a main road.
• A segment has no road name, or is drawn noticeably thinner than the roads around it.
• The route is much shorter than the alternative but barely faster — usually a sign of poor surface or many tight bends.

If it happens mid-ride, the safe rule is simple: stop somewhere safe before you look at the map, never while moving. If what is ahead is dirt, standing water or a slick descent, going back to the main road beats saving a few minutes. Street View on the suspicious stretch also shows you the surface, where imagery exists.

And remember the app does not know what you are riding, how loaded you are, or that it rained an hour ago.

Battery and signal tips

Continuous navigation is the heaviest battery task a phone does, and a screen at full brightness in the sun plus a patchy mountain signal keeps the radio hunting constantly.

• Keep it charging while navigating if the bike has a USB socket. If not, carry a power bank.
• Use a mount with a firm grip and re-check it after the first few kilometres. Vibration on rough roads works a phone loose.
• Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if you are not using them.
• Use offline maps in dead zones instead of letting the phone search for a network.
• Lower the brightness when it is overcast, and switch to voice-only guidance when you do not need the screen.
• A waterproof pouch. Strong sun plus constant charging makes a phone hot; rain speaks for itself. Either ends a navigation setup faster than you would expect.

What to carry for the phone and the bike is covered in what to pack for a motorcycle trip.

FAQ

Does Google Maps have a motorcycle mode in Vietnam?

Google’s official help page says only that two-wheeler directions are available on mobile devices and in limited locations, with no country list. The one reliable check is to open Google Maps on the phone you will carry, route to a destination in the area you are heading for, tap Directions, and see whether the two-wheeler icon appears in the travel-mode row.

Why is the two-wheeler icon missing on my phone?

There is no on/off switch in Settings — the icon appears depending on the location and the device. Update the app, make sure you are routing within the area you will ride, and try another phone if one is available. If it still is not there, use car mode with Avoid highways turned on.

Can motorcycles use expressways in Vietnam?

No. Article 25, clause 3 of Law No. 36/2024/QH15 states that motorcycles, mopeds, similar vehicles, non-motorised vehicles and pedestrians may not use expressways, apart from people and vehicles serving management and maintenance. If the app routes you onto one, the route is wrong — switch on Avoid highways and trust the signs on the ground.

Does navigation work with offline maps?

Driving directions work without a connection; many other features do not, including live traffic. Download the area before you leave, split a long route into a few overlapping areas, and check the maps have not expired right before departure.

Google Maps or a paper map for a road trip?

Use both, for different jobs: Google Maps for turn-by-turn, and screenshots of the key junctions plus phone numbers on paper for when the battery dies or the signal does. The thing that fails mid-route is usually the phone, not the map.

Before you ride

Once the route is drawn, run it past Mr Tu: which sections a motorcycle can use, what to avoid at which hours, and where the ground differs from the map. That is the kind of information no app holds.

If your trip starts downtown, riding in Hanoi’s Old Quarter covers the city traffic you meet before you get out of town.

If you do not have a route yet and need to build one from scratch, how to plan a motorcycle route sets out the full method: anchors, hours in the saddle, fuel stops and a plan B.

If you are still choosing where to put the phone, our motorcycle phone mount guide compares mirror, handlebar and pouch mounts, and covers vibration and camera wear.

Still choosing an app? This guide covers Google Maps itself. To compare it against Vietmap Live and OsmAnd before deciding, see: motorcycle route planner apps compared.