I’ve been testing Apple CarPlay on my motorcycle display and found something interesting that I’d like to share with other riders.
Modern motorcycle displays now support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so many of us use Google Maps for navigation instead of mounting a phone directly.
However, I noticed a limitation.
When I start navigation on my phone using Google Maps → Two-Wheeler mode, everything works correctly on the phone.
But once it connects to Apple CarPlay, it immediately shows:
“CarPlay only supports driving directions.”
The navigation switches to Driving mode, and the Two-Wheeler route disappears.
Why is this a problem?
For motorcycles, the route can be very different.
Two-Wheeler mode can use smaller roads.- It may avoid heavy traffic.
- It often provides faster routes for motorcycles in countries where lane filtering and motorcycles are common.
Driving mode follows car restrictions instead.
In cities like Phnom Penh, this can add unnecessary travel time because motorcycles are allowed on roads that cars cannot efficiently use.
My experience
I attached two photos showing exactly what happens.
- On my iPhone, Google Maps correctly calculates a 7-minute Two-Wheeler route.
- On the motorcycle’s CarPlay display, it refuses to use Two-Wheeler mode and only accepts Driving directions.
This means I have to choose between:
- looking at my phone to get the correct motorcycle route, or
- using CarPlay but getting a less suitable route.
Neither is ideal.
My question
As more motorcycles now support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, should Google and Apple begin supporting Two-Wheeler navigation directly on CarPlay and Android Auto?
I know CarPlay was originally designed for cars, but motorcycle displays are becoming increasingly common.
I’d love to hear from other riders.
- Have you experienced the same issue?
- Are you using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto?
- Which motorcycle display are you using?
- Which country are you riding in?
I’m curious whether this limitation affects everyone or only certain regions.
This isn’t a complaint, just sharing my experience and hoping it helps start a discussion among riders and navigation app developers.