Joined
·
613 Posts
I’m an avid motorcyclist, but also a tireless researcher of great roads to ride upon.
![]()
Over the years, the evolution of this activity has progressed from personally pouring over paper based atlases to using any of the various on-line offerings (such as motorcycleroads.com, sundaymorningrides.com, among others).
While these internet based resources have made things easier in some ways, they still are a bit “lacking” for my purposes. They all maintain large databases, with lots of roads highlighted and explained, but the quality of these roads can be very inconsistent, and the interfaces some of these services use are less than stellar, IMO.
Where they all seem to disappoint is the fact that the roads listed come mostly from member contributions, without any kind of verification or consistent curation process. I’m sure that some of these submissions are held in high regard by the individual contributors, but - lets face it - one rider’s “primo-road” is another’s “snooze-fest”.
Well, I think that is all about to change, enter REVER & Butler Maps...
![]()
As far as I can tell, REVER is owned and operated by Bonnier Motorcycle Group, a US based company that publishes both Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines. It is responsible for developing and maintaining this internet based route planning app, along with mobile versions (both iOS & Android) for on the go tracking.
The key partner in this enterprise, though, is Butler Motorcycle Maps.
Butler was founded a startup in 2009, with the goal of putting together and publishing the best paper based maps of motorcycle-specific roads in the USA.
Here is some information, direct from their website:
“ButlerMaps Inc was created by motorcyclists who run the gamut of enthusiasm. From young to old, road racer to casual cruiser, our unique team has had the pleasure of combining our varied backgrounds to create a map suitable for a any type of rider.
Though we come from different backgrounds, our passion for motorcycles is the common thread that fuels our campfire fodder and inspires our dream to share the best motorcycling roads we can find.
Our dream is big, but the concept is simple; research, ride and share the best riding experiences so we all can spend more time doing what we love to do –Twisting the Throttle! We hope you find our maps as enjoyable to use as they are for us to make. We value your input and look forward to hearing your stories of lost highways, fabulous G1s and contemplations of the rides to come.”
Butler uses a system of classifying and curating roads that is light years beyond any others that I have seen. Instead of relying on anonymous submissions, they actually send out a team of scouts to locations that are to be listed. All roads are evaluated and classified using a strict set of criteria, here is a screen-shot from the route planning page on REVER:
![]()
Butler’s curated roads appear in different colors, classified by the symbols at the bottom of this page.
“G1″ roads are the best segments - “containing steep climbs, tight switchbacks, deep canyons and million dollar views”.
Those classified as “G2″ are described as having “fast sweepers, elevation change, tight corners and everything in between”.
“G3″ roads are “twisty & exciting” but require the fewest criteria to make the list.
Continuing on to the right we have “Lost Highways”, “Dirt Roads” & “Paved Mountain Trails”. Please see for yourself on the REVER site for more details and how everything interacts.
It really is a tremendously useful system and the website is extremely well done.
Site membership is free and allows you to:
This site and accompanying apps are the first I have ever seen to combine road discovery, trip planning & tracking in one easy to use suite.
There is MUCH more to this than I could ever explain in detail in this post, do yourself a favor - and take a test drive HERE.
Originally published on my personal blog @ www.moto-graphic.com
So, how do you find the best roads in your area to ride?
Over the years, the evolution of this activity has progressed from personally pouring over paper based atlases to using any of the various on-line offerings (such as motorcycleroads.com, sundaymorningrides.com, among others).
While these internet based resources have made things easier in some ways, they still are a bit “lacking” for my purposes. They all maintain large databases, with lots of roads highlighted and explained, but the quality of these roads can be very inconsistent, and the interfaces some of these services use are less than stellar, IMO.
Where they all seem to disappoint is the fact that the roads listed come mostly from member contributions, without any kind of verification or consistent curation process. I’m sure that some of these submissions are held in high regard by the individual contributors, but - lets face it - one rider’s “primo-road” is another’s “snooze-fest”.
Well, I think that is all about to change, enter REVER & Butler Maps...
As far as I can tell, REVER is owned and operated by Bonnier Motorcycle Group, a US based company that publishes both Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines. It is responsible for developing and maintaining this internet based route planning app, along with mobile versions (both iOS & Android) for on the go tracking.
The key partner in this enterprise, though, is Butler Motorcycle Maps.
Butler was founded a startup in 2009, with the goal of putting together and publishing the best paper based maps of motorcycle-specific roads in the USA.
Here is some information, direct from their website:
“ButlerMaps Inc was created by motorcyclists who run the gamut of enthusiasm. From young to old, road racer to casual cruiser, our unique team has had the pleasure of combining our varied backgrounds to create a map suitable for a any type of rider.
Though we come from different backgrounds, our passion for motorcycles is the common thread that fuels our campfire fodder and inspires our dream to share the best motorcycling roads we can find.
Our dream is big, but the concept is simple; research, ride and share the best riding experiences so we all can spend more time doing what we love to do –Twisting the Throttle! We hope you find our maps as enjoyable to use as they are for us to make. We value your input and look forward to hearing your stories of lost highways, fabulous G1s and contemplations of the rides to come.”
Butler uses a system of classifying and curating roads that is light years beyond any others that I have seen. Instead of relying on anonymous submissions, they actually send out a team of scouts to locations that are to be listed. All roads are evaluated and classified using a strict set of criteria, here is a screen-shot from the route planning page on REVER:
Butler’s curated roads appear in different colors, classified by the symbols at the bottom of this page.
“G1″ roads are the best segments - “containing steep climbs, tight switchbacks, deep canyons and million dollar views”.
Those classified as “G2″ are described as having “fast sweepers, elevation change, tight corners and everything in between”.
“G3″ roads are “twisty & exciting” but require the fewest criteria to make the list.
Continuing on to the right we have “Lost Highways”, “Dirt Roads” & “Paved Mountain Trails”. Please see for yourself on the REVER site for more details and how everything interacts.
It really is a tremendously useful system and the website is extremely well done.
Site membership is free and allows you to:
- Create Rides
- Track Rides
- Share Rides
- Use of Mobile APP
- Upload of GPX/KML/KMX files
- Join Groups
- Track friends in real time
- Export GPX files
- Join Challenges
- Create Groups
- Copy Rides
This site and accompanying apps are the first I have ever seen to combine road discovery, trip planning & tracking in one easy to use suite.
There is MUCH more to this than I could ever explain in detail in this post, do yourself a favor - and take a test drive HERE.
Originally published on my personal blog @ www.moto-graphic.com
So, how do you find the best roads in your area to ride?
