Butler Maps | MC Tested

Disposable gas-station maps are fine for most people. Most people have never tried to find some obscure, apparently non-existent ribbon of so-called pavement on a soggy morning while one more disposable gas-station map disintegrates into mushy uselessness. Been there, done that. Which is why some of us—the smart ones—pack Butler Maps.

Butler got started a couple years ago when four hard-core riders figured like-minded souls would pay more for maps with an assortment of excellent motorcycle roads already marked. Roads that, as opposed to what you might find on other so-called motorcycle maps, the company’s meticulous owners have actually ridden. It’s a tough job, but thank God these guys are doing it. And their work pays off every time you unfold one.

It doesn’t matter whether you ride an adventure bike, a sportbike, a luxury land-yacht or something in between. There’s something for just about everyone here, especially if you like to ride where most people don’t. Routes are rated from G1 (superb and often technical) to G3 (great unless you’ve just turned off a stretch of G1). Then there are the Lost Highways: memorable roads that time, tourists and maintenance crews forgot. PMT stands for Paved Mountain Trail: rough, remote and genuinely twisted with stunning views so there’s always an excuse to take a break. If there’s a road that’s not on the map, it’s probably not worth riding anyway. Beyond that, there are plenty of other vital details to keep you on-track and out of trouble.

They’re printed on tough, waterproof stock that shrugs off abuse, and each one folds down to a relatively compact 4.25 x 9 inches—too big for the average pocket but perfect for tankbags and fanny packs. So far Butler has covered Southern California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Texas Hill Country, Utah and Wyoming, plus a planning guide for the five Rocky Mountain States. If you live farther east, move. These maps are that good. Besides, the weather is better out here anyway.