The best motorcycle dashboard and GPS apps for Android

Motorcycles often have the most basic instruments of anything on the road: a small speedometer, maybe a fuel light, and nothing else. A phone mounted on the bars fixes that, turning into a big GPS speedometer and a clear map. But a bike is a harsher environment than a car, so the setup needs more care. Here is what works.

We make a glanceable dashboard app (Car Dashboard) that suits a bar-mounted phone, so this has a stake, but the riding advice is general.

Why a phone dashboard suits a bike

• A bigger speedometer than most bikes have, GPS-accurate and easy to read at a glance.
• Turn-by-turn navigation, which few motorcycles offer built in.
• It works on any bike, old or new, no wiring.

For riders of older or minimalist bikes, a phone is the cheapest way to get a modern instrument display.

What matters more on a motorcycle

A bike is not a car. Three things get more important:

• Glanceability. You have even less time to look down. A big, high-contrast speed readout and a simple map are essential; clutter is dangerous.
• Screen brightness. No roof means direct sun. You want a bright screen and a dark, high-contrast layout that stays readable outdoors.
• A rock-solid mount. Handlebar vibration is brutal. Use a proper motorcycle mount with vibration damping, and be aware that high-frequency vibration from some bikes can, over time, affect phone cameras, keep the phone secure and consider a damped mount.

The bike-specific challenges

• Vibration, covered above; a damped mount is worth it.
• Weather. No cabin means rain and dust. A water-resistant phone and mount, or a cover, matters.
• Gloves. Touch input is hard with gloves, so set your route and music before you ride and rely on glances and voice, see driving safely with your phone as a dashboard.
• Power. A long ride drains the screen-on phone; a bike USB charger keeps it alive.

Keep it glanceable

Car Dashboard is built around glanceability, a big speed cluster, a clear map, high contrast and a dark theme, which is exactly what a bar-mounted phone needs. Set it up before you ride, and it gives an older bike a modern instrument display: speed, navigation, and the time, readable in a glance. Coming soon on Google Play.

How to choose

• Want a bigger speedo and a map on an old bike? A phone dashboard delivers both cheaply.
• Ride in all weather? Prioritize a water-resistant phone and a damped, secure mount.
• Long tours? Add offline maps and a USB charger.

The short version: a phone on the bars turns into a big GPS speedometer and map, a real upgrade for most motorcycles. Just respect the bike's harsher world: glanceability, a bright screen, a damped mount, and weatherproofing.