GPS navigation has changed the way we ride. Turn-by-turn directions can take us across a city, across a country, or back to camp when we have no idea where we are. GPX tracks can lead us into places we may never have found on our own. But what happens when you take away the automatic routing and only give the rider a map, a set of checkpoints, and a time limit? That is the idea behind motorcycle orienteering.
In this episode, Jim Martin speaks with Andrei Tuch from Tallinn, Estonia, about moto-orienteering, a motorcycle event that combines paper maps, route planning, local discovery, and just enough technology to keep the competition fair. Riders are given a detailed map with checkpoints marked on it, but they are not given a GPS track to follow. They have to choose their own route, decide which roads or trails make sense, and reach as many checkpoints as they can before time runs out.
At each checkpoint, the rider may also have to answer a question about the location. That might mean reading a sign, finding a marker, looking at a landmark, or noticing something that would be easy to ride past if all you were doing was following a line on a screen.
Andrei explains how motorcycle orienteering works in Estonia, why paper maps are still part of the event, how the smartphone app tracks speed and confirms checkpoints, and why this kind of riding can turn navigation into a game of judgment, curiosity, and discovery.
The conversation also touches on Estonia as a riding destination, motorcycle travel in northeast Europe, and a serious crash Andrei experienced during one of these events — a reminder that even when speed is not the point, motorcycling still carries risk.
