Waze Is Rolling Out An AI-Powered 'Motorcycle Mode.' Who Is Asking For This?

Why can't we get the basics right before trying to add a fancy sauce to the sandwich, Google?

Photo by: RideApart.com

By: Janaki Jitchotvisut

Jul 16, at 7:54am ET

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Listen, I'm old enough that I printed out MapQuest directions. When we all started advancing beyond flip phones and getting our hands on smartphones, I absolutely relished the idea of navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps. And I'll be the first to admit that I, like probably many of us, have likely had our brains rewired slightly as regards navigation because we're always using apps like these.

But at the same time, I know that I've had both of these apps try to send me the wrong way down a one-way street more than once. Sometimes, if whatever information they contain is extremely outdated, they'll even try to direct you to things that don't exist anymore. Glitches happen, and we all know this; but when they happen inside a navigation app that you're relying on to get you someplace safely, it adds another dimension of stress to your journey.

And in case you weren't aware, Google Maps and Waze used to be owned by separate companies. But since 2013, they've both been owned by Google, so that's also worth bearing in mind. While they started life as distinctly different takes on a navigation app, they're now both owned by the same company, and likely have some overlapping data (if not personnel) between teams.

Why am I telling you all this? Because on July 13, 2026, the official Waze Blog announced that it's cramming a whole bunch of AI 'features' into your Waze navigation app. You're going to take this Google Gemini and you're going to like it, dammit! At least, you are if you're going to use Waze. And normally, that alone wouldn't be reason for me to write about it like this, were it not for one specific feature that's called out: Motorcycle Mode.

Here, I'll quote directly from the Waze Blog, so you can read how it defines its new 'motorcycle mode.'

Stay safer with motorcycle mode

Motorcycles need different routes than cars; they can access narrower streets and are more sensitive to road surfaces. Our new motorcycle mode uses AI to incorporate two-wheeler shortcuts and restrictions, helping you find the best route and get an accurate ETA. It also shows hazards that are tricky for riders, like potholes, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, shoulder endings and narrow bridges. All of this is powered by Waze’s real-time traffic information and a dedicated group of motorcycle map editors who are constantly adding new hazards to the map. Motorcycle mode is rolling out now in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and the Philippines on Android and iOS, with more countries on the way.

Now, the main difference between Waze and Google Maps is all the social features engineered into Waze from the start. If you're logged into the Waze app, you can submit reports of road hazards, road closures, police on the road, traffic slowdowns, crashes, and so on. Hopefully, you're a passenger and not the one driving if you're doing the real-time reporting, but that's a separate issue that's outside the scope of this piece.

But here's the problem: If both Waze and Google Maps have yet to solve the problem of sending folks the wrong way down one-way streets, then why should motorcycle riders trust the Waze Motorcycle Mode to do what it promises up above? Maybe I'm wrong, and by some miracle, it will actually be amazing to use, and isn't just a handy way to segment out who's using it on a motorcycle for added drilling down in its user data harvesting.

The thing is, you don't have to take my word for it about navigation apps already having simple directional problems that have yet to be addressed. All you have to do is a simple Google search, and you'll find plenty of user reports of folks getting sketchy navigational instructions from both apps. Some are on Reddit; some are in forums, and some are even in videos (at least one motorcyclist got sent down a dirt road when they weren't expecting it, which isn't a nice surprise).

What do you think?

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Cramming AI features that nobody asked for into a navigation app, instead of making sure it's good at its stated purpose first, is an incredibly frustrating development. Yes, I know it's rolling out in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines right now, and that the US isn't currently on the list of countries in which it will be available. Still, I don't have to be the one riding to want motorcyclists to have good, reliable navigation that gets them to where they're going safely.

But what do you think? Let me know in the comments down below.