Sygic Motorbike Mode lands on Android Auto and CarPlay

Riding hard with Android Auto or CarPlay has long been possible, but neither interface offered navigation designed with motorcycles in mind: riders were stuck with apps built for cars. That gap is now set to close, thanks to Sygic, the Slovak specialist in offline mapping.

Android Auto and CarPlay finally get motorcycle navigation

Android Auto and CarPlay can run dozens of navigation apps - with Waze, Apple Maps and Google Maps leading the pack - yet almost none were created for people travelling on two wheels. For riders, that shortcoming has been a constant irritation, leaving them to rely on makeshift options: phone mounts (hard to read in heavy rain or bright sun, and not exactly reassuring when you are pushing on through twisty roads) or, if you were willing to pay more, dedicated motorcycle GPS units.

Why car-first sat-nav apps miss the point on two wheels

Of course, the fallback has always been to stick with the big-name apps mentioned above. The problem is their purely car-focused DNA. If all you need is to get from point A to point B, they do the job by finding the fastest route. But when you want to spend a Sunday ride exploring quiet back roads, they quickly lose their appeal.

Sygic may not have the same profile as the industry giants, but it has clearly taken the hint. The Slovak publisher, whose app has been installed more than 200 million times since 2004, has just announced that its Motorbike Mode now runs natively on Android Auto and CarPlay.

Sygic Motorbike Mode: a sat-nav tuned to riders’ instincts

Motorbike Mode first launched in March 2026, but only on smartphones, as a paid add-on to Sygic’s navigation app. Even then, it already included what a rider would expect from a virtual co-pilot: alternative routes chosen for riding enjoyment, live display of the bike’s lean angle, route elevation, weather information and speed camera alerts.

With version 26.4, now rolling out, those features are no longer confined to the phone and instead run on Android Auto and CarPlay, now shown on the motorcycle’s dashboard display. That brings larger, far more readable maps (also available offline), high-visibility alerts, control via the bike’s native buttons, and voice guidance sent straight to the helmet’s Bluetooth intercom.

“Our aim was to deliver navigation that truly matches riders’ sensations and their priorities on the road. Adapting Motorbike Mode to motorcycle screens was the logical next step, and above all a direct response to what the community has been asking for,” explains Lukas Dermek, Product Manager at Sygic, in the company’s official statement.

Compatibility limits - and the price

One major drawback remains: for the moment, compatibility is still limited to a minority of bikes. Sygic only cites a few flagship Honda models (Gold Wing, Africa Twin, NT1100) and part of Harley-Davidson’s touring range equipped with a recent display. Owners of other models will therefore be left out - unless they opt for aftermarket screens, which are universally compatible with this new feature.

For now, the publisher is not committing to expanding support to other models. As for pricing, it remains very reasonable compared with dedicated motorcycle GPS devices: 49,99 euros as a one-off purchase. At that price, it is hard not to look forward to the next ride.