Harley-Davidson has introduced a map application for iPhone users detailing 975 of the best scenic rides for motorcyclists in the United States.

The officially licensed H-D iPhone Map from Mad Maps is intended to provide a complete travel experience for any Harley rider by making it easy to plan a trip. Riders can use it to map out longer trips via contiguous routes as the rides are in a loop format.

?If you are a rider, you are always trying to find the most interesting rides and other apps don?t offer this,? said Jenny Lefferts, COO of San Francisco-based Mad Maps. ?There are some apps on the market that highlight portions of roads, but they do not direct the user on the best way to get to them.

?Paper maps are great planning and reference tools, but these can be logistically difficult to use while riding a motorcycle, so an app is an ideal alternative,? Ms. Lefferts said.

The map app from Harley-Davidson, Milwaukee, WI, is based on research done by Mad Maps.

Mad Maps dispersed local scouts to find the best 975 scenic rides across the continental U.S. as well as the coolest places to hang out along the route. This includes motorcycle roadhouses, outdoor spots and offbeat roadside attractions.

Dealerships included
Riders can search the 975 rides by nearby attractions or by city and state, making it easy to quickly locate the best scenic routes wherever they are.

?This is like carrying a travel guidebook in your pocket,? Ms. Lefferts said.

Examples of downloadable ride maps include the Canyon Tour, which winds through the canyons of South Dakota's Black Hills and To Big Sur, With Love, which explores the California Coast.

The app is available for download for $4.99.

The app also lets users find the nearest Harley-Davidson dealership and has a Best Western hotels locator so riders can take advantage of the chain's discounted Harley-Davidson rate. Riders can also sign up for Best Western Ride Rewards, a rewards program for Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. 

"We've been using MAD Maps Harley-Davidson paper maps in our dealerships for years,? said Gary Bang, owner of a Harley-Davidson dealership in Flordia.

?Riders want to spend more time on the roads and less time finding them and that's exactly what the new H-D iPhone app does,? Mr. Bang said. ?Many of our customer use smart phones and I own an iPhone.?

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