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2021 RT Navigation

Will the Garmin Smart Phone app work with your Zumo 660 to show weather radar?

I have no idea and probably never will. What I do now is carry the phone in my pocket, usually turned off. If I need to look at the radar I stop and turn it on. One time, trying to thread a storm system I put it in the map pocket on the tank bag with radar showing.

If I thought I needed radar full time I would be in a warm dry motel room.
 
I have no idea and probably never will. What I do now is carry the phone in my pocket, usually turned off. If I need to look at the radar I stop and turn it on. One time, trying to thread a storm system I put it in the map pocket on the tank bag with radar showing.

If I thought I needed radar full time I would be in a warm dry motel room.

I thought it would be simpler and safer than mounting you phone to the bike like you mentioned.
 
I'm not married to a phone in my personal life and damn if I will be on my bike.

I can appreciate that sentiment, I have one of the lowest usage rates in our company, but when traveling I find it an indispensable tool and am grateful the technology is available to me and so convenient. My wife finds my connectivity comforting when Im gone for extended periods of time, and with the sena headset we probably talk more than when I'm home.
 
Will the Garmin Smart Phone app work with your Zumo 660 to show weather radar?

I think the 590 is the oldest Zumo to work with the Smartphone Link app.

Although my 595 was once able to show live weather radar along my route, an "update" seems to have taken away that option. It works (sort of) when stopped, but apparently Garmin decided it was too distracting while moving.

Even stopped, I'm now unable to zoom in as much as previously to see if I'm going to miss the rain. I don't need to see storms an hour and a half distant. When I see a storm clouds off to the side I need to see how close it may be coming to my path. I hate it when "updates" take away useful functions.

Maximum zoom:
106386.jpg

You can hide some pretty severe weather under that central motorcycle.
 
I thought it would be simpler and safer than mounting you phone to the bike like you mentioned.

Maybe. Especially on my G310. I had a Valentine 1 radar detector on several bikes for many years. The beeping audio quit working when on my 310 so I sent it in. They called and said it must have been on a motorcycle and had failed due to vibration. They fixed it and sent it back. I used it again and it soon failed again. I put it on a shelf in the shop and haven't tried to think about using it on the 310 again.
 
You can use a cell phone, no sim card, just connect to your wifi at home and load whatever you need to use on it.
 
Good point. BUT the Nav VI and the factory BMW audio system do allow for phone calls (as they have always done back to the Nav IV), music from any source, navigation voice guidance as well as on board communication. Most helmet Bluetooth systems now also provide communication with your pillion and simultaneously additional riders in a group up to several miles away (eliminating the need for the old CBs). Ever since the advent of Bluetooth level 5 multiple connections can be established with one Bluetooth device.

With the advent of Apple and Android car play you can now even have your all important texts, twitters and Emails read to you in your helmet, all without taking your eyes off the road. Now, whether that is part of the enjoyment of our sport is a different discussion;)

Sorry I don't know why anyone would take a phone call while riding, sounds dangerous to me. But then I ride for fun
 
On my ‘21 RT I have had no success getting navigation voice prompts or music through my Sena headset. I can take and make phone calls through the TFT and Sena, and the Sena shows up as properly paired, but no music plays nor do I get map prompts when following a route.

When I scroll to “media” I get a message on the TFT saying no headset is connected, but scrolling to “connections” reveals the Sena is connected.

My dealer is no help. Any thoughts?

Yeah, the Garmin was much simpler but the new RT is so much fun I can’t really complain.
 
On my ‘21 RT I have had no success getting navigation voice prompts or music through my Sena headset. I can take and make phone calls through the TFT and Sena, and the Sena shows up as properly paired, but no music plays nor do I get map prompts when following a route.

When I scroll to “media” I get a message on the TFT saying no headset is connected, but scrolling to “connections” reveals the Sena is connected.

My dealer is no help. Any thoughts?

Yeah, the Garmin was much simpler but the new RT is so much fun I can’t really complain.
Could bed the sequence you connected or the where you connected each imput. Sena's are quite irksome with how it is connected. Since I have a 2014 Rt and NAV 6 I don't have clue how it is connected to the newer bikes.
 
Could bed the sequence you connected or the where you connected each imput. Sena's are quite irksome with how it is connected. Since I have a 2014 Rt and NAV 6 I don't have clue how it is connected to the newer bikes.

It’s all Bluetooth. I’ve tried various sequences when connecting, to no avail. Again, it is strange that the phone connection works fine but Nav and Media do not.
 
On my ‘21 RT I have had no success getting navigation voice prompts or music through my Sena headset. I can take and make phone calls through the TFT and Sena, and the Sena shows up as properly paired, but no music plays nor do I get map prompts when following a route.

When I scroll to “media” I get a message on the TFT saying no headset is connected, but scrolling to “connections” reveals the Sena is connected.

Sena has two connection modes—phone and gps. Perhaps you might have to pair your Sena to the TFT in both modes? The pairing modes are covered in the Sena manual.

Best,
DeVern
 
Not many things are more infuriating than paying $$$$ for tech that is poorly designed and unreliable. BMW seems to have mastered this better than most every other manufacturer. If you want an infotainment system that works and is easy to use, get a Goldwing or even a Harley or Indian. Or use your phone with a good headset. If you need a decent Nav system use a dedicated GPS. My 2019 came with the infotainment system and it's so crappy I don't use it. But it did come with a mount for a real GPS, and that I use every time I ride the bike. Works every time and is easy to use. Just like my Sena 50s and Samsung Galaxy 20s+ 5G are easy for calls, intercom and music.

Trying to get BMW's half-a** attempt at a modern motorcycle infotainment system to work right is an exercise in futility. In my experienced based humble opinion.
 
I find it interesting that there is no discussion of the 2021 RT navigation....
I find it a large step backward that the integrated mount, with wonder wheel linkage, for the Navigator has been deleted.
BMW expects me to want to use only my phone for navigation?
I do not know about other riders, but I am often out of cell phone service.

I am interested in seeing comments from others.

It seems to me you are asking the wrong questions? My suggestion is google vid on how to use the TFT, or, ask someone who know how it is supposed to work.

Then, when you find out it doesn't work that well, you 'll know everything there is to know about it
 
The Clouds Are Parting?

There may be some light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak...

BMW Motorrad Connectivity has just released a software upgrade for the 2021 R1250RT that proports to fix some or many of the connectivity and stability issues under discussion.

Your BMW Motorrad dealer needs to update their diagnostics software to ISTA version 4.31.16. The I-Level for BMW R 1250 RT is 21.07.520. Then the dealer *should* be able to update our bikes to the newest vehicle software, version 012.007.030 for our 2021 R 1250 RT's.

Pester your dealer to get this upgrade done! :D
 
SENA connectivity issue solved

For anyone else having problems getting SENA headsets to connect to the new RT TFT, do a factory reset on the SENA before pairing with the TFT. That finally allowed me to make the audio connection for turn-by-turn navigation guidance and also allowed me to access my music library on my iPhone. Of course, the wifi connection dropped out after five minutes of riding so I had to stop and reestablish that, but then it worked for the remainder of my two-hour ride.

Also, before stowing the phone in its cubby hole, turn the phone's volume up. The TFT's volume control will only play as loudly as the phone is set.

Now --- why couldn't the dealer give me those simple pieces of advice? They claim that the 2021 RT's are all pre-sold so their team hasn't had a chance to familiarize themselves with the software. That's frustrating since the BMW site tells you to direct all your questions to the dealer :laugh:laugh

I hope that the software update solves the connectivity issue. The system has potential, but Apple Play would have been much simpler.
 
One trick that I found helpful with connection issues is to clear all devices from the TFT and Sena headset, then"Reset Network Settings" on my Iphone and reconnect. Everything worked pretty well after that.
 
Much Happier Camper Now

My 2021 R1250RT received its software "update" about two (2) weeks ago. Said update took approximately three (3) hours to complete, but others have noted their updates were completed in 30 minutes or so.

The dealer needs to update their diagnostic computer to ISTA version 4.31.16. Then, they connect your bike to their computer and install the most current I-Level software onto your bike -- version 21.07.520 as of this writing. When it is all complete the software version that will be displayed on your bike (Settings Menu, Software Versions sub-menu) will be 012.007.030.

I do not know which version of software the newer 2022's are shipping with.

Current version of the BMW Motorrad Connected app is 3.2.1.

You should un-pair your bike from your mobile end device's (phone) Bluetooth devices list, then un-pair all connected devices from the bike's TFT system. Then re-pair phone and helmet/comms devices to the motorcycle. If needed, follow the guidance available on the Motorrad Connected app for performing the needed connections.

With the exception on one (1) dropped connection between my phone and the TFT which occurred the first time I used the new software, the new code has worked as promised. The Motorrad Connected app now stays connected to the TFT display and navigation works!

The Media playback section is also improved as songs will now play seamlessly track to track -- previously one song would play, then stop, requiring hitting Playback again to start the next song. With my system (iPhone 11 Pro Max 15.0.2) I do not have access to song libraries or playlists accessible through the TFT, so this functionality is still Work In Progress.

This update is Highly Recommended.

While being an improvement, it is not failsafe. I had two days of riding where everything worked as promised, and today I had two *new*, spurious disconnects! Humbling...
 
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