Something I didn't realise....

[adm1]

I have been using MRA for several years now as my go-to route planner.

Typically, I vaguely plan my routes using the "Here Default" map layer for maximum Garmin compatibility. Then I set up my fuel and coffee/food stops by switching on relevant POIs and zooming in a bit at roughly where I think I want to stop and then use the Google Satellite layer for fine positioning.

But just today, I realised there is a "Michelin" map layer as well. Switching to that shows all the "Green Roads", so it's super easy to select that and then drag your route to include the the Michelin green "extra scenic" designation when it makes sense along the way.

Previously I had been using the Via Michelin app on my iPad as a "companion" to find free roads, then going back to the laptop and trying to adapt routes from that. Now I can do it all in MRA simply by selecting different map layers on the screen.

I also realised that Open Topo is another available map layer. So if you want to look for maximum elevation changes to plan a route, it is also very handy

It's a small thing, but it made me smile.

(On the negative side, I wish for 2 things from MRA. First, the ability to "undo" a change such as deleting a waypoint, and second an option to say something like "find me fuel on my route in 100 miles from this waypoint" or similar. I suppose I should add them to the request list on the forum.)

 

[DJ123]

There is an undo button - lower right handside of the screen is a back arrow to undo anything, and also a re-do arrow for putting back what you've taken away.

For poi's you can select what you want to see on the map, so it's easier to navigate a route past them;

Example;

 

[adm1]

There is an undo button - lower right handside of the screen is a back arrow to undo anything, and also a re-do arrow for putting back what you've taken away.

For poi's you can select what you want to see on the map, so it's easier to navigate a route past them;

Example;

Doh! I have never noticed the blindingly obvious undo/do buttons in many years..... Thank you.

POIs I use all the time - but they are only visible from a certain zoom level, so it's kind of tricky to easily find fuel (or whatever) 100 miles along the route without a lot of zooming and scrolling.

 

[Wapping]

Doh! I have never noticed the blindingly obvious undo/do buttons in many years..... Thank you.

POIs I use all the time - but they are only visible from a certain zoom level, so it's kind of tricky to easily find fuel (or whatever) 100 miles along the route without a lot of zooming and scrolling.

I wouldn’t place too much reliance on the POI’s listed on the MRA software. Hotels are missing for sure, similarly fuel stations close down more often than they open. If you are determined to insert fuel stops, have a quick look in street view, which (might) give you an idea as to whether a fuel station is still there or whether it is now an old people’s home. Likewise, petrol stations that do exist, are often not listed either.

The trouble with Garmin is that they have listened to all the “We must have, please include….” requests and, in the process, have forgotten what they are good at. You can see the same thing happening in the Beta test section of the new app, with bods demanding all sorts of things be added, making a very simple app more and more complicated. Thankfully, the app designers are not listening to them.

 

[adm1]

I wouldn’t place too much reliance on the POI’s listed on the MRA software. Hotels are missing for sure, similarly fuel stations close down more often than they open. If you are determined to insert fuel stops, have a quick look in street view, which (might) give you an idea as to whether a fuel station is still there or whether it is now an old people’s home. Likewise, petrol stations that do exist, are often not listed either.

That's exactly what I do. Select a POI, then zoom in with satellite view to see if it looks kosher or not - and then a bit of street view if still not sure. It wouldn't be the first time that I have rolled up to an expected fuel stop only to find it razed to the ground...

Especially in places like rural France or Belgium, something might be indicated as fuel, but turn out to be for agricultural vehicles only or something. I am often planning routes for group rides, so it's important to find somewhere that has capacity for up to 20 bikes as it's a real pain in the arse if you get there and there is only one pump. I also tend to look for cafes and restaurants close by so we can do the whole fuel/stretch/piss/coffee/sandwich thing in one go as getting a load of people off the bikes and then back on again and ready to go take take a while...

 

[Wapping]

Good stuff. I know the feeling.

I have the following, pretty good rule:

A. That fuel stations at supermarkets, close down a lot less regularly than other stations. It is funny that some riders in the UK swear blind that they would not touch supermarket fuel (cos, they put water in it) but will happily pump it in in France.

B. Everyone starts each day on a full tank, preferably filling / topping-up the evening before. This puts everyone at least on the same common footing to start from. It also stops everyone riding off together in the morning, then stopping 20 minutes down the road to then fill up.

C. On a day’s ride of say, 260 miles (which might well see some riders panicking towards the end of the day) everyone fills up again at lunch time, roughly halfway along the jaunt. Everyone should then make it to the end, with no panics at all. Take no notice when someone moans, “But I don’t need fuel now” or just don’t take any notice when they refuse to fill but then hoon up beside you, arms waving and gesticulating wildly at their fuel tank. They’ll learn.


I had one fellow on a Wander who hooned up, arms waving, shouting about fuel. I diverted into a town, somewhat confused as to why he needed fuel, when we had all filled up, mid-distance. It transpired that he had not filled up at all but, instead…. “I only put a bit in….. ‘cos it was expensive back there”. They walk amongst us, they really do.



PS You also quickly learn that some riders have no idea of their tank size or real range, limited as they have been to rides of an hour or so on a Sunday.

 

[adm1]

Good stuff. I know the feeling.

I have the following, pretty good rule:

A. That fuel stations at supermarkets, close down a lot less regularly than other stations.

B. Everyone starts each day on a full tank, preferably filling / topping-up the evening before. This put everyone at least on the same common footing to start from.

C. On a days ride of say, 260 miles (which might well see some riders panicking towards the end of the day) everyone fills up at lunch time, roughly halfway along the jaunt. Everyone should then make it to the end, with no panics at all. Take no notice when someone moans, “But I don’t need fuel now” or just don’t take any notice when they refuse to fill but then noon up beside you, arms waving and gesticulating wildly at their fuel tank. They’ll learn.


I had one fellow on a Wander who hooned up, arms waving, shouting about fuel. I diverted into a town, somewhat confused as to why he needed fuel, when we had all filled up, mid-distance. It transpired that he had not filled up at all but, instead…. “I only put a bit in….. ‘cos it was expensive back there”. They walk amongst us, they really do.

Oh yes. I always find a good fuel stop close to the hotel for that night and get the group to fuel up either right at the end of the day or first thing in the morning before we leave - although I prefer to do it at the end of the day just so I know everyone has a full tank when the bikes get parked up.

Most of our bikes have decent range of 250+ miles on motorways, but there are often a few littl'uns. So I normally plan a fuel stop every 100 miles or so. Typically the bigger tanked bikes will fill up every second stop and any small ones do a "splash and dash" at the other stops, while the rest just get a bit of a stretch and maybe a smoke. This tends to work very well as long as the whole group understands that the bigger bikes do not fuel up at every stop.

As for them living amongst us, we did a shortish group ride last Saturday. Briefed everyone before we left including the obligatory "has everyone got a full tank and an empty bladder?". Everyone confirmed they did. We left and got about 10 miles down the road when one rider starts panicking and scooted off into a fuel station we went past. Mechanical issue? Medical issue? Nope. No fuel.

Dickhead. There is a fuel station RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the point we left from 10 miles ago.

 

[Arsey]

I had great fun on my 701LR for the first few days of our Asturias trip .
Not everybody realised I had twin tanks as the rear filler was hidden by luggage .
Quite a few had GS/GSAs but a couple on Kawasakis that needed filling every 150 miles.
They kept trying to get me to fill up and couldn’t see how this enduro bike could do 280 miles to reserve

 

[Wapping]

I had equal fun, amazing people how I was brave enough to take my HP2 Sport on jaunts into France and Belgium, its tank being ‘only’ 16 litres. That was classed as, ‘impossible’.

It’ll blow their minds when they hear the Himalayan boasts only 15 litres.

 

[Barnoe]

I had equal fun, amazing people how I was brave enough to take my HP2 Sport on jaunts into France and Belgium, its tank being ‘only’ 16 litres. That was classed as, ‘impossible’.

It’ll blow their minds when they hear the Himalayan boasts only 15 litres.

I was camping at Dent a few years back and a group of scooter riders arrived (noisy bastards!!)
turns out it was "The Cheshire Cats scooter club"

anyway i got talking to a few of them and during conversation its was confessed that many of their scooter only do 30 miles on a tank!!

WTF
totally pointless crap things lol
I take back what i said about the range of the new BMW electric scooter.....