This is the key piece that makes a Leod Escapes self guided tour a good value and gives you greater freedom. Few people know where all of California’s great motorcycle roads are. Which mountain pass should you take? Is there a great curvy route to that perfect little town? Food on the great “Serpent to the Sea” Highway 36 is sparse and not very good, but if you follow a short detour your GPS will get you fed very well. Which California motorcycle road has the fresh pavement? The route we’ve loaded on your GPS will take you there.
Your rental bike has a GPS on it that is already loaded with the waypoints and routes you need for your tour but that is not your only tools.
To make sure you enjoy your tour with a minimum of frustration here’s what is included.
- Garmin GPS loaded with the routes and waypoints that is mounted and powered by your rental bike
- A “Road Book” that gives you a break down of each day. The waypoints and routes you should use on the GPS and some local tips on fuel, food and what to expect.
- A quality motorcycle map.
Read your map and “Day Tips” before starting a route
A GPS can guide you but it gives you a limited perspective on where you are going. A GPS isn’t perfect, sometimes it can tell you to do crazy things. Properly prepare for each day. Read your road book tips and waypoint list for each ride. Review your map prior to setting out.
Keep track of where you are on the route
If you happen to start up your bike in the middle of the day and the route is no longer active and you will have to select it again. When you select the route for the second time you have to tell where to start again. You will need to choose the next waypoint. To do that you need to know what waypoint is next, so keep track of where you are in the list of waypoints for that day.
How to start
Look at your road book. Look at the name of the route for the day. On your GPS press Apps, then Trip Planner, then find the route for the day on the GPS. Press it and select the starting point and off you go. If everything works perfectly, the GPS will guide you on the right roads all day.
What are Waypoints
A waypoint is a fixed GPS coordinate. The GPS on your rental bike contains many waypoints that have been preloaded to help you find places mentioned in this road book. These waypoints can be found on the GPS under “Saved” or “Favorites”. You can search for specific points by name in your GPS. One you select one, tell the GPS to take you there and follow it’s instructions and you’ll get there.
What are Routes
Routes are a collection of waypoints strung together to form a route. This road book will show the name the route on the right. On the left are the primary waypoints used to make that route. Sometimes the actual route has a few more little “helper” waypoints to keep the GPS on track but that’s more or less it.
