MotoSpeed

1. First launch and setup

On first launch MotoSpeed requests several permissions required for it to work:

• Location (Always) — required for GPS speed, navigation and speed camera alerts. Select “Always allow” to ensure background operation.
• Motion sensors — for lean angle calculation using the accelerometer and gyroscope.
• Microphone (optional) — only if you want to use voice commands.
• Speech recognition (optional) — to interpret voice commands.

2. The Dashboard

The dashboard is the app’s main screen. It shows in real time:

• Map — with your current position. Tap it to expand to full screen. In fullscreen you can pinch to zoom.
• Speed — current GPS speed in km/h or mph, with session maximum.
• Average speed and acceleration — average since session start and peak acceleration/deceleration.
• Lean angle — current tilt with directional arrow; left and right maximums shown in the side indicators.
• Compass indicator — analogue instrument with real-time lean angle and calibration button.

Orientation

The dashboard adapts automatically to phone orientation. In portrait the map is at the top and data below. In landscape the map occupies the left half and data the right.

Session

Press the Play button to start a recording session. Press Stop to end it and save the data to history. During recording the red dot on the map pulses to indicate the session is active.

3. Lean angle — mounting and calibration

Lean angle is one of MotoSpeed’s most appreciated features. Measurement accuracy depends largely on where and how you mount your phone on the bike.

Frame mounting (recommended)

The best way to get accurate lean angle measurement is to mount the phone on the bike frame — for example on the lower triple clamp, on the tank with an adhesive mount, or on a mount attached to the frame/fork.

The frame faithfully follows the bike’s tilt without being influenced by steering rotation. This way the phone’s sensors read the actual lean angle directly without needing software compensation.

Storage compartment or tank bag mounting

If you don’t use an external mount, you can simply place the phone flat, screen facing up, in the under-seat compartment, the tank cubby or a tank bag. This is the most convenient option when you don’t want to (or can’t) fit a mount on the bike.

For this position MotoSpeed uses a dedicated lean-angle calculation designed for the phone lying horizontally. Place the phone with its top edge facing you (towards the rider) and keep it as still as possible in the compartment so the app reads the tilt correctly.

Handlebar mounting (alternative)

If you can’t mount the phone on the frame, you can use a handlebar mount. This is more practical and common, but requires extra configuration because the handlebars rotate during low-speed manoeuvres (parking, U-turns, traffic), and this rotation is mistakenly read by the sensors as lean angle.

Mounting summary

Accuracy in corners

MotoSpeed combines accelerometer and gyroscope data using a complementary filter: the gyroscope follows the bike’s actual rotation while the accelerometer corrects drift over time. The result is a more stable and faithful lean angle, especially in fast, sustained corners, where the value could previously be overestimated.

Above a certain speed the app also switches to a three-axis calculation that stays correct even when the phone is mounted slightly tilted (for example on a reclined mount or in the storage compartment).

4. Turn-by-turn navigation

Starting navigation

During navigation

• Voice instructions are announced with timing calibrated to your speed: roughly 150 m in town, 250 m on extra-urban roads, up to 800 m on the motorway.
• The map switches from 2D to 3D automatically near turns, roundabouts and motorway exits.
• You can pinch to zoom even during navigation. After 5 seconds the map returns automatically to the navigation view.
• In fullscreen map, lean angle is shown in the bottom bars (portrait) or side bars (landscape).
• If you leave the route, navigation recalculates automatically.
• For motorway exits, an early warning is given at 900 metres when travelling above 80 km/h. The exit icon explicitly shows the side (right or left) when the information is available.
• In tunnels or when GPS coverage is lost, the app keeps estimating your position along the route for a few seconds. An internal watchdog prevents the instructions from freezing if the signal is lost for longer.

Realistic arrival time

The arrival time shown is already calibrated for real-world riding (average traffic, traffic-light stops, urban crossings). Don’t expect the “theoretical time” typical of car navigators: MotoSpeed reports a more realistic estimate that self-corrects as you ride.

Navigation info

During navigation, below the map: remaining time, estimated arrival time, total distance and remaining distance are displayed.

Multi-stage GPX routes

You can import GPX tracks to follow itineraries created by other riders, or export your recorded sessions. Unlimited import/export requires a MotoSpeed Pro subscription.

• If the GPX file contains multiple stages (intermediate waypoints), MotoSpeed follows them one after another. When you reach each stage you hear «Stage reached. Next stage in X km/m» and the map instantly updates the polyline towards the next waypoint.
• The original GPX track stays visible as a dashed grey line beneath the navigated route, so you can see at a glance how closely the calculated route follows the original trace.
• For circular routes (start and end at the same point) arrival is recognised only after you’ve actually ridden at least 200 metres — this avoids false “destination reached” announcements while you’re still adjusting your phone or fastening your helmet.

Motorcycle routes — passes and peaks

The Motorcycle routes feature automatically finds mountain passes and scenic peaks reachable by road within your chosen radius, using OpenStreetMap data.

How to access it

Information displayed

• Name of the pass or peak
• Type: Mountain pass or Scenic peak
• Altitude in metres (if available in OpenStreetMap)
• Area: region or municipality
• Distance as the crow flies from your position

5. Speed camera alerts

MotoSpeed’s speed camera alerts are route-based: when you start navigation (a destination, a GPX track or Motorcycle routes) the app finds the speed cameras along the route in advance and warns you with three progressive levels.

At the imminent level the alert is intentionally visual only: a few metres from the camera a voice announcement would arrive too late to be useful and could be distracting.

Smart filter

The system only considers cameras that actually affect your route and automatically discards:

• Cameras on parallel roads or flyovers, far from the track you’re following
• Cameras in the opposite carriageway: MotoSpeed evaluates which side of the road the camera is on relative to your direction of travel, avoiding false alerts when you pass the other side of a dual carriageway or ring road

Configuration

In settings you can choose:

• Alert type: disabled, map indicator only, or indicator + voice
• Alert distance: 300 m, 500 m, 1000 m or 2000 m

6. Sessions and history

Starting a session

Press the Play button on the dashboard to start recording. During the session the app continuously tracks position, speed, lean angle and acceleration.

Ending and saving

Press Stop to end the session. Data is saved automatically and can be viewed in History.

Data recorded for each session

• Complete route on the map
• Date, time and duration
• Distance covered
• Maximum and average speed
• Maximum lean angle left and right
• Peak acceleration and deceleration
• Maximum braking distance

Session detail

Tapping a session in history (or right after pressing Stop) opens the session detail, organised into two tabs:

• Session data — the main data cards (including speed, lean angle and maximum braking with its estimated braking distance) and — for Pro or trial users — the Significant curves card with the number of corners above 35° held for at least 1.5 seconds at over 40 km/h, plus the top 3 with peak angle, direction and speed.
• Route data — the map of the route ridden and the export commands (GPX and, for Pro users, the telemetry CSV).

Managing history

From Session history you can also clean up in bulk: press Select, tick the sessions you want to remove (or use Select all) and press Delete to remove them all at once, together with their telemetry files. A confirmation prompt prevents accidental deletions.

GPX export

Each session can be exported as a GPX file for sharing or importing into other apps, without limits.

Telemetry CSV export (Pro)

For every recorded session, MotoSpeed saves a complete CSV file with the full detail of all telemetry samples. The current format has 18 columns: 16 values for each sample (timestamp, GPS position, GPS accuracy, speed, course, lean angle right and left, roll and yaw rate, acceleration, braking, session maximums, navigation state) plus 2 summary columns at the end with the maximum braking and its estimated braking distance. The file uses the semicolon as separator, so it opens correctly into separate columns in Numbers and Excel even with Italian and other European locale settings. It is exported from the Route data tab of the session detail using the Export telemetry CSV button.

7. Telemetry analysis (Pro)

Telemetry analysis is MotoSpeed’s richest post-ride deep-dive tool. It turns the CSV file recorded during the session into interactive charts, a colour-coded map and summary indicators on corners and speed peaks.

How to access it

The three main charts

The Charts tab shows three charts synchronised on the elapsed-time axis from session start:

• Speed — the vertical scale adapts automatically to the session maximum: a slow urban ride fills the chart, while the peaks of a fast session stay readable with no wasted space.
• Lean angle — symmetric scale with positive values right and negative values left, also adapted to the session’s maximum lean. Directional markers appear on peak samples of significant curves, with arrows that match the lean side.
• Acceleration and braking — two areas filled above and below zero so you can read throttle openings and braking points at a glance.

Highlighted corners, braking and peaks

The analysis automatically computes several event types from the trace:

• Sport corners — sustained lean above 35° held for at least 1.5 seconds at speeds above 40 km/h. These are the corners that appear in the “Significant curves” card on the Session data tab.
• Moderate corners — between 25° and 34°, marked on the map with softer markers to give the full riding picture without crowding the peaks.
• Significant braking — the firmest decelerations (including the braking points typical of urban riding) are detected automatically and marked with a dedicated marker showing the braking force and the estimated braking distance.
• Speed peaks above 130 km/h — highlighted on the chart and, on the map, when it is coloured by speed (see below).

Coloured map

The Map tab shows your route and can be displayed in two modes, selectable with the toggle at the top:

• Speed — the whole trace is coloured segment-by-segment by speed (from blue for slow paces to red above 130 km/h), with small fades between colours to keep the transitions clear. In this mode the markers for speed peaks, significant braking (with force and estimated braking distance) and the session’s maximum braking also appear.
• Lean — the trace stays always visible in neutral grey and only the demanding corners above 25° are highlighted: in yellow those between 25° and 35°, in red those above 35°. A marker with the angle reached appears on the peaks, while gentler corners don’t crowd the map.

Tap a marker to see its details.

Your data stays on your phone

Telemetry CSV files are saved locally only, in a dedicated app folder. They are not uploaded to any server, are not used for profiling, and never leave your iPhone unless you choose to export them with the Export telemetry CSV button.

If you want to stop recording entirely, in Settings → Storage there is a Record telemetry switch: turning it off makes MotoSpeed stop saving CSV files for new sessions. The app never deletes anything on its own: when telemetry exceeds 1 GB it warns you, and from the same screen you can delete the files whenever you want.

8. Apple Watch

The Apple Watch companion app installs automatically when MotoSpeed is present on the paired iPhone.

Features

• Speed in real time
• Lean angle current value
• Start / Stop recording session
• Calibration of lean angle
• Settings: colour, units, language, voice, speed cameras, phone position

The watch communicates with the iPhone via WatchConnectivity. The green “iPhone” indicator on the main screen confirms the connection is active.

9. Settings

Settings are accessible from the gear icon on the dashboard. They are only available when the bike is stationary, for safety reasons.

10. Voice commands

When enabled in settings, voice commands let you control the app without touching the screen. Useful with gloves or a helmet intercom.

11. MotoSpeed Pro

MotoSpeed is free to download from the App Store, but using it requires an active plan: without one, the dashboard stays locked and any tap opens the plan selection screen. The same applies on CarPlay and Apple Watch, where starting a ride asks you to unlock the app from your iPhone.

You can choose between two plans:

• MotoSpeed Pro annual — €19,99 per year, with a 7-day free trial if you have never used the offer with your Apple ID. Billing starts at the end of the 7 days unless you cancel at least 24 hours before. It renews automatically every year.
• 7-day Pass — a one-time purchase: every feature for 7 days from purchase, then the app locks again until you choose another plan. It does not renew and needs no cancellation.

Both plans unlock everything:

• GPS speed, lean angle, acceleration and braking
• Turn-by-turn navigation and speed camera alerts
• Telemetry analysis — CSV recording, interactive charts, coloured map, significant curves, speed peaks
• Motorcycle routes — passes and peaks
• Saved places, GPX import and export, favourites export and import, without limits
• Apple Watch and CarPlay

The annual subscription is managed from App Store settings on your iPhone. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before expiry. The Pass simply expires after 7 days.

On a new iPhone, or after reinstalling, use Restore purchases on the plan selection screen: with the same Apple ID both the subscription and the Pass become active again.

Offer codes

If you have received an offer code, you can redeem it from the MotoSpeed Pro paywall (button "Redeem offer code"). The code activates the subscription according to its terms, without payment.

12. Troubleshooting

Speed doesn’t update or stays at zero

Check that the location permission is set to “Always”. Make sure you have clear sky visibility (GPS doesn’t work in tunnels or covered car parks). Restart the app if the problem persists.

Lean angle shows abnormal values

• Check that the phone position in settings matches the actual mounting (frame, handlebars or compartment / tank bag).
• Calibrate by pressing CAL with the bike stationary and upright.
• Check that the mount is rigid and doesn’t vibrate excessively.
• If you use the compartment or tank bag, make sure the phone is lying flat with the screen facing up and its top edge towards the rider.
• At speeds below 15 km/h (with the phone on the handlebars) values are filtered — this is normal.

Navigation won’t start

Make sure you have an active data connection (required to download maps and calculate the route). Check that location services are enabled.

I don’t see “Export telemetry CSV” or “Analyze telemetry” on an old session

The telemetry buttons appear only when the session’s CSV file is present on the phone. The most common causes:

• The session was recorded with a version before 1.0.22 while Pro wasn’t active (in that case the app didn’t write the CSV).
• The Record telemetry switch (Settings → Storage) was off when you recorded that session: without a CSV there are no detailed charts, but the summary metrics in the Session data tab remain.
• The CSV file was deleted manually from Settings → Storage, or the session dates from a version before 1.0.20, which kept only the 30 most recent. The app no longer deletes anything on its own: above 1 GB of telemetry it just warns you.

New sessions with the switch on will show all the buttons normally again.

CSVs recorded with an older version open badly

Telemetry CSV files from previous versions remain readable: MotoSpeed automatically recognises the format and separator. If you open an old CSV in Numbers or Excel and everything ends up in a single column, that’s a spreadsheet import issue: re-export the session from the Route data tab with the Export telemetry CSV button to get the updated format with the semicolon separator.

Speed camera alerts aren’t working

Speed camera alerts require an active route: during free riding (without navigation) they are not issued. Start navigation to a destination, a GPX track or a Motorcycle route. Also check in settings that the alert type isn’t set to “Disabled” and, if voice announcements can’t be heard, that the phone volume is turned up and voice announcements are enabled. Remember that the closest (imminent) alert is intentionally visual only.

Voice announcements interrupted with Bluetooth intercom

If voice announcements come from the phone speaker instead of the intercom, check that the intercom is paired and set as the active audio output. MotoSpeed automatically retries routing audio to the Bluetooth output when the initial routing fails, but in rare cases you may need to switch the intercom off and on again.

Apple Watch won’t connect

Check that the Apple Watch is paired with the iPhone and that both have Bluetooth enabled. Open the app on both devices. If the connection doesn’t establish, restart the app on the watch.

For further support: info@motopath.it