Navigator VI (Nav-VI)...Tips and Tricks

alancoles · May 26, 2019

harpt58 said:
I have a 2018 R1200GS that I just purchased. It has the Garmin Motorrrad Navigator VI mounted from the dealer. I've noticed that if I don't ride it for awhile (1 month) the Garmin will not start up when I start the bike and I have to ride it for awhile before I can turn the bike off and on again to get the Garmin to start. Is the battery just dead on the Garmin and it needs charging? I've had other BMW's with the Garmin GPS and never had this issue.

dpandorf said:
It’s happened to me and the Nav’s charge has run down.

What you are dealing with is two issues:

the BMW GPS Prep mount does not provide any power once the bike is turned off
- this is to keep the GPS from draining the bike battery
the BMW Navigator V and VI do not actually turn off when the power from the bike is turned off
- it merely goes into "Sleep" Mode and continues to draw power and drain the battery, albeit at a much-reduced rate.

The only way to actually turn off the Navigator is to remove it from the mount and hold in the On/Off button on the back until the screen ask if you want to turn it off and respond accordingly.

hayy_wire_007 · Jun 25, 2019

TFT and Navigator VI with Schuberth SRC

I just purchased a F850GS and now I'm struggling to make my iPhone, TFT, BMW Navigator VI and Schuberth SRC headset work together.

I can get the TFT features to work (phone calls, media, TFT navigation), but when I pair the Navigator VI, the TFT features do not work anymore. Any suggestions?

motozot · Jul 7, 2019

hayy_wire_007 said:
I just purchased a F850GS and now I'm struggling to make my iPhone, TFT, BMW Navigator VI and Schuberth SRC headset work together.

I can get the TFT features to work (phone calls, media, TFT navigation), but when I pair the Navigator VI, the TFT features do not work anymore. Any suggestions?

I don't have the Nav VI paired to the TFT. Seems to work ok. I found this video extremely helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPoILCj-aU You have the Schuberth instead of the Sena but the order may be useful to you.

jgoertz · Jul 8, 2019

Traffic Warning/Nav V

While riding up to the MOA national last month, I noticed a new icon on the screen. This icon looked like a car on a road, with a number (6.3, 20.5, etc) to the right of the car (IIRC). In researching what it meant, I discovered it was a traffic warning icon, warning me that there was heavy traffic ahead, and Garmin was adding 6.3 (or whatever) minutes to my ETA. This would give me the option of hitting "Detour" to recalculate a new route, based on the expected delay time. I had never seen this icon before, and don't know how far ahead Garmin was looking. I do know that the expected delay time would change (and the ETA), as traffic conditions changed. This icon popped up as I was nearing Manchester, where traffic was building for Bonaroo! When I turned toward Lebanon (from Manchester), the icon dropped off, the ETA dropped back to expected time, and I haven't seen the icon sense. While I have the SmartLink App, I haven't paid for any features, and I don't think I had my 'phone linked to my GPS w/Bluetooth, anyway.

Anyone out there have any more info on the "Heavy traffic" warning on the NAV V (and probably on the NAV VI, too)? Like, how far ahead does Garmin look for traffic? And was this a new addition from a recent update?

lee · Jul 9, 2019

jgoertz said:
While riding up to the MOA national last month, I noticed a new icon on the screen. This icon looked like a car on a road, with a number (6.3, 20.5, etc) to the right of the car (IIRC). In researching what it meant, I discovered it was a traffic warning icon, warning me that there was heavy traffic ahead, and Garmin was adding 6.3 (or whatever) minutes to my ETA. This would give me the option of hitting "Detour" to recalculate a new route, based on the expected delay time. I had never seen this icon before, and don't know how far ahead Garmin was looking. I do know that the expected delay time would change (and the ETA), as traffic conditions changed. This icon popped up as I was nearing Manchester, where traffic was building for Bonaroo! When I turned toward Lebanon (from Manchester), the icon dropped off, the ETA dropped back to expected time, and I haven't seen the icon sense. While I have the SmartLink App, I haven't paid for any features, and I don't think I had my 'phone linked to my GPS w/Bluetooth, anyway.

Anyone out there have any more info on the "Heavy traffic" warning on the NAV V (and probably on the NAV VI, too)? Like, how far ahead does Garmin look for traffic? And was this a new addition from a recent update?

My Nav V did this several times on our trip to the National while on back roads.
It was always fake news.
Two times the suggested new route was down a goat path.

alancoles · Jul 19, 2019

New Map version showing up. Version 2020.20

WWeldin · Jul 19, 2019

Thanks for the update

rlangston · Feb 15, 2020

Upgrading Bike and Equipment

My ’07 K1200GT with a similar vintage Garmin unit is soon to transformed into an R1250RT with a BMW Navigator VI. My old Garmin unit has XM radio built into it so pairing with my Sena is easy. I understand that the BNVI does not have XM built in. I understand that I can stream music via my iPhone. Here’s the question: can I simply launch the XM app on the iPhone and stream via BNVI to Sena?

Thanks for your help.

craigjv4 · Feb 15, 2020

I don't have XM but I have opened my Amazon Music and Pandora apps on my iphone and listened to music through my Sena with no problems. I can't imagine the XM app would be any different.

I bluetooth my iphone directly to my Sena. I don't go through the Nav VI.
I also bluetooth my Nav VI directly to my Sena.
You can run both units at the same time though the Sena.

droveto · Feb 16, 2020

AlanColes said:
What you are dealing with is two issues:

the BMW GPS Prep mount does not provide any power once the bike is turned off
- this is to keep the GPS from draining the bike battery

the BMW Navigator V and VI do not actually turn off when the power from the bike is turned off
- it merely goes into "Sleep" Mode and continues to draw power and drain the battery, albeit at a much-reduced rate.

The only way to actually turn off the Navigator is to remove it from the mount and hold in the On/Off button on the back until the screen ask if you want to turn it off and respond accordingly.

I wonder if they fixed this in a recent update because mine used to work like this, but now it seems to truly shut off as my Nav vi battery has lasted weeks after a ride.
I do always plug my bike in to the battery tender, and perhaps the canbus manages sending power to the unit, but I haven't taken the time to figure that out.

alancoles · Feb 16, 2020

droveto said:
I wonder if they fixed this in a recent update because mine used to work like this, but now it seems to truly shut off as my Nav vi battery has lasted weeks after a ride.
I do always plug my bike in to the battery tender, and perhaps the canbus manages sending power to the unit, but I haven't taken the time to figure that out.

The battery will last for a very long time in "Sleep" mode.
The way to identify if it has really been turned off is to pay attention to the first screen that appears when transitioning from a blank/black screen to the home screen that has the "Where To?" and "View Map" icons.
If pressing the power button on the back of the GPS takes you directly there, or to some screen below that opening screen, then the unit was merely in "Sleep" mode.

If, however, pressing the power button initially displays the start up screen which begins with "BMW Motorrad" and then should show copyright info, etc., then the GPS was truly turned off.

Having said that, anecdotally at least, it does appear that these units do lose battery power even when turned completely off.

The only time I have seen a Nav-V or Nav-VI turn off without having to hold the power button until the "Turn off the device" screen pops up and then tap the "Off" icon has been on malfunctioning units.

This is not to be confused with the "Turn off? Stay on" screen that displays when you turn off the ignition with the unit in the mount. That, as mentioned a while ago, only puts the GPS into "Sleep" mode. I've had newer Nav units hold good battery strength for over a month, IIRC, in Sleep mode. I've also had units, that I could swear I turned completely off, have their batteries go dead after a few months.

As for power through the CAN bus, while there is a lag of a few seconds between turning off the ignition and the power being terminated to certain areas, my experience has always been (including with my 2019 R1250RT) that the power is cut to the OE GPS holder at the time the ignition is turned off.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

podman · Oct 28, 2020

OK my NAV VI is showing NA Maps2 2019.30 how do u get unit to update maps

Garmin express will not give me that option

52184 · Oct 28, 2020

podman said:
OK my NAV VI is showing NA Maps2 2019.30 how do u get unit to update maps

Garmin express will not give me that option

Do you have the Nav plugged into the computer and is the Nav being recognized and displayed in Express? If Express sees a plugged-in Nav unit that has been recognized in 3xpress it will automatically check for map and firmware updates.

Best,
DeVern

lee · Oct 28, 2020

GTRider said:
Do you have the Nav plugged into the computer and is the Nav being recognized and displayed in Express? If Express sees a plugged-in Nav unit that has been recognized in 3xpress it will automatically check for map and firmware updates.

Best,
DeVern

Sometimes when I plug in our Nav Vs I have to wait several minutes before Garmin Express sees the Nav.
Sometimes a cheap USB cable will cause a problem. I always use the USB that came with the Nav.

52184 · Oct 28, 2020

Lee said:
Sometimes when I plug in our Nav Vs I have to wait several minutes before Garmin Express sees the Nav.
Sometimes a cheap USB cable will cause a problem. I always use the USB that came with the Nav.

Yes, I experience a delay of a minute or so as well—with both my Nav VI and 590LM units. I too use the cable that came with the Nav, and note that both units respond better to a particular USB port on my laptop. I’d have to dig up the laptop specs to be sure, but I think it’s the only port on the laptop that is USB 3.0 compatible. Sometimes all this tech is a bit...fiddly.

Best,
DeVern

akbeemer · Oct 30, 2020

I began experiencing problems with my NAV VI in Canada last year. It was unstable, the screen flickered, the section of map displayed was unrecognizable and the motorcycle icon disappeared. This behavior has come to be called ghosting. It only lasted an hour and then all was well.... that is until we were in Utah last summer. It began again with a vengeance for our last three days on the road. When I got home I did a master reset and updated the device on Garmin Express. The ghosting stopped for a day and then came back sporadically.

Today I contacted the Garmin Support Center. I first tried to chat online with a rep but my first post to initiate the chat was met with a response that said I was blocked. The notice said it was probably because of a word or phrase I used, and I should contact a third party security company to get it resolved. That sounded like it would be zero fun, so I booked a call. Their website allows you to book a time at which a rep will call you. I booked for about 90 minutes from when I made the appointment. Sure enough a rep call right on time. This is a great system. No listening to Barry Manilow or ABBA for an hour with some ads thrown in. I was on the phone for about three minutes. I described the device’s behavior and told him about the reset and update. Right off the bat he said it looks like he needed to set me up with a replacement. No questions and no asking me to try some sort of fix. He did ask me to confirm some information and then sent me an email with instructions on how to ship my old one to their Kansas facility. My NAV VI was over three years old. I could not me more happy with Garmin’s support.

My tip..... if your NAV VI is acting up do not delay in contacting Garmin support.

boogerman · Oct 30, 2020

akbeemer said:
I began experiencing problems with my NAV VI in Canada last year. It was unstable, the screen flickered, the section of map displayed was unrecognizable and the motorcycle icon disappeared. This behavior has come to be called ghosting. It only lasted an hour and then all was well.... that is until we were in Utah last summer. It began again with a vengeance for our last three days on the road. When I got home I did a master reset and updated the device on Garmin Express. The ghosting stopped for a day and then came back sporadically.

Today I contacted the Garmin Support Center. I first tried to chat online with a rep but my first post to initiate the chat was met with a response that said I was blocked. The notice said it was probably because of a word or phrase I used, and I should contact a third party security company to get it resolved. That sounded like it would be zero fun, so I booked a call. Their website allows you to book a time at which a rep will call you. I booked for about 90 minutes from when I made the appointment. Sure enough a rep call right on time. This is a great system. No listening to Barry Manilow or ABBA for an hour with some ads thrown in. I was on the phone for about three minutes. I described the device’s behavior and told him about the reset and update. Right off the bat he said it looks like he needed to set me up with a replacement. No questions and no asking me to try some sort of fix. He did ask me to confirm some information and then sent me an email with instructions on how to ship my old one to their Kansas facility. My NAV VI was over three years old. I could not me more happy with Garmin’s support.

My tip..... if your NAV VI is acting up do not delay in contacting Garmin support.

Good hear about the Garmin support. Thanks for the info

azk1600gtl · Nov 20, 2020

Custom Icon?????

Does anyone here know if we can add "custom icons" to the Nav VI or to Basecamp? I was able to do it on Mapsource, but it seems it can't be done on this GPS. I called Garmin and they said yes and I followed the link and still NO JOY! Garmin was really not very helpful as they usually are. I'm NOT trying to add custom POI's, I just want the Icons, such as Shell logo, Marriott,,,,etc.....

Thanks all

mfisher · Nov 21, 2020

I left my Nav VI (purchased June 2020) on the bike for ~ 2 weeks without riding or doing a full shutdown. Its battery died. After a few minutes with the bike running, it restarted and had me touch targets on the screen. I used it for a pleasant ride, but on the way home, I started getting the ghost touches. Garmin sent me a pre-paid UPS label; I received a refurb unit a week later.

It’s heading back toward being cold now in Western NY. I don’t know how much more riding I’ll do before spring, and I haven’t tested it. Fingers crossed that the replacement works better.

kaileybutt · Nov 21, 2020

Nav VI

Mr. Fisher - welcome aboard

Could you tell me the version number of your refurbished unit? Settings>Device>About>hardware version

My replacement is a V8 SA3 and I'm getting a few ghosting issue again and curious what is the current hardware version

Thanks

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