New TFT

https://riders.drivemag.com/news/this-is-the-new-bmw-motorrad-tft-display/




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In my opinion, that concept is about half-right. Using a smartphone to drive the display is a good idea. Developing a proprietary solution is not. Instead, they should enable Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And then offer built-in GPS Nav as an extra-cost option for folks who for whatever reason do not want to use their phone.

Not surprising

BMW has and will always be proprietary as much as possible because that is a revenue driver for parts and accessories. Irritating from this end but understandable from their viewpoint. Like every other manufacturer they are in this to make money in every way they can by using parts and systems that belong to them or can only be sourced through them. Great bikes but parts prices are generally ridiculously high because of this. IMO.

Bill, I am sure you are right that they were thinking that way. For the last several years, many manufacturers were thinking that way, including BMW, Porsche, Toyota... But as the cell phone industry has matured, there is a clear winner, and even those manufacturers I mentioned have seen the light. The market has spoken, and it wants Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Toyota caved, and has started Apple integration with some models starting in 2019. Porsche has been designing their cars to enable both Apple and Android for about 3 years, and they monetize by selling it as an option. (which is really clever, because the option can be activated via a USB connection -- all the cars have it already, it is just disabled until you buy the option). BMW cars have CarPlay now.

So, why wouldn't BMW Motorrad adopt the solution that they have developed for their cars? To me, it seems like the Motorrad group is out of step... which isn't so surprising to many of us here.

Cap

PS, Porsche offers Apple Carplay as standard now

CanAm went the cell phone route with the Spyder RT. You have to buy the GPS App for your phone in order for it to work. Being limited to Sygic, Genius Maps or Rever. I have played with all three apps and frankly, they suck compared to a Garmin XT.

cap said:

So, why wouldn't BMW Motorrad adopt the solution that they have developed for their cars? To me, it seems like the Motorrad group is out of step... which isn't so surprising to many of us here.

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One significant reason might be that most Apple and Android phones are not water proof. Not an issue in most cars. A very big issue to a motorcyclist.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were the first water-resistant iPhones. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were the first iPhones rated as IP67, which means the phones are resistant to splashe,s and can be submerged in just over three feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes without damage.Dec 27, 2019


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tcerami said:

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were the first water-resistant iPhones. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were the first iPhones rated as IP67, which means the phones are resistant to splashe,s and can be submerged in just over three feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes without damage.Dec 27, 2019

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+1

And you can keep your phone in the pocket of your jacket, connected wirelessly to that fancy TFT display.

PGlaves said:

One significant reason might be that most Apple and Android phones are not water proof. Not an issue in most cars. A very big issue to a motorcyclist.

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Really?
My 3 or 4 year old Android phone is waterproof to 3 feet.
I figured most phones were waterproof now.

I wonder when they are going to sneak in a third and fourth wheel in to the mix?
OM

cap said:

The market has spoken, and it wants Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Toyota caved, and has started Apple integration with some models starting in 2019. Porsche has been designing their cars to enable both Apple and Android for about 3 years,

Click to expand...

My 2018 Chevy (purchased in 2017) has Android Auto and I like the in dash GPS better.
The in dash maps are easier to view compared to the Android Auto maps and I'm too lazy to plug in my phone when I get in the car.
If Android Auto worked without plugging in the phone I would be temped to use it.
My cousin has Android Auto in her Honda and also preferred the in dash GPS because the Android Auto maps looked washed out.

I have become a big fan of giving voice directions to my technology. Until recently, that was not very reliable. My 2015 Toyota Highlander has a button on the steering wheel to accept voice commands while moving, and it is horrible. But my newer Apple phone is pretty darn good. On my RT, the phone is connected to my helmet intercom. ... "Hey Siri, create a route to 123 Main Street in Firestone." Works great, but I only get voice instructions instead of a visual display on my Nav6. If I had Apple Carplay feeding the display, it would be better.

One of my riding buddies has a wethead RT, and he can re-route on the fly at 80 mph and send his new map to my Nav6 using bluetooth while we are close enough to read each other's gas gauge. I can't do that. I need/want to use voice commands while moving. So, I get it that we all have preferences.

Still, as long as phones are a lot less expensive than cars or motos, it is cheaper and easier to keep up with new technologies if they are based in the phone. My 2015 Highlander will always suck at voice recognition. If I want to upgrade the GPS in the Highlander, I need a new Highlander. But each generation of phones will be better than the previous, and will still integrate with my "old" 2018 Porsche.

Cap

One main thing I think is being overlooked.
Water resistant and water proof are NOT the same thing. Look it up.

I confess I am a bit of a Luddite. I love fuel injection and electronic ignition. Gizmos not so much. So my smart phone is my phone. My GPS is my navigation device. Sometimes if the POIs in the GPS are out of date I use Maps or Google Maps to find a specific business. But my GPS is waterproof, its screen is bigger, its display is easy to customize, and it stores my 300 or so waypoints accumulated over the past 22 years and 6 or 7 GPSs. So I am a Luddite. I confess.

cap said:

BMW cars have CarPlay now.

So, why wouldn't BMW Motorrad adopt the solution that they have developed for their cars? To me, it seems like the Motorrad group is out of step... which isn't so surprising to many of us here.

Cap

PS, Porsche offers Apple Carplay as standard now

Click to expand...

BMW started offering a free year of Apple CarPlay on certain models. After the year was up, I was told that my 2019 530EX could continue on for $80/year. Suddenly, toward the beginning of 2020 the outraged reaction of many owners apparently had an effect and it was authorized for free for all the models which had the preparation in the vehicle. Apple CarPlay is clearly an excellent system, but a little clunky in the way BMW integrated it. I don't think BMW has installed Android yet, but could be wrong.

I am with Paul on this. I don't care for all this integration. I don't want my phone sync'd with my motorcycle. I even run an aftermarket GPS and my 2016 Limited and my RT both have factory GPS, but I would rather use my Garmin. While I a riding, my phone is in my pocket, shut off.

If my phone has to be integrated with my motorcycle to make the display on the bike work, I am not buying it. It needs to be stand alone.

I totally agree! The less stuff is easier to ride with. No texting, No phone calls, No e-mail, and No radio on my bike. Maybe someday GPS.

I too don't take calls or receive notifications from the phone while riding. I do have the phone Bluetooth to the GPS so it can receive weather. I like being able to see radar, that feature has helped me on many occasion avoid a bad storm. At this point I'm staying a GPS guy, this technology has need for lots more improvement. I also wonder what Garmin will come out with next.

strataj said:

I too don't take calls or receive notifications from the phone while riding. I do have the phone Bluetooth to the GPS so it can receive weather. I like being able to see radar, that feature has helped me on many occasion avoid a bad storm. At this point I'm staying a GPS guy, this technology has need for lots more improvement. I also wonder what Garmin will come out with next.

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My GPS is my GPS. Three or four generations old but an excellent GPS. Less dumbed down than the newer ones. If I am within cell phone coverage - maybe 50% of the time at most when riding where we do in the Great Plains and Mountain West - I can view Radar on my Iphone with no need to have it tied to my GPS. If I know there are threatening systems where I intend to ride, the phone in the tank bag map pocket works very well to see the radar. KISS YMMV. I don't expect anybody to do it my way if they think their way is better for them.

I have a 2015 GSA, which obviously does not have the TFT display. That said, I'd love to have it, and I like the direction BMW is headed with its Connected app, and full-featured navigation using a smart phone/BMW app/ TFT. I also found it refreshing to see the three Motorrad employees in the embedded video willing to answer criticisms, and questions, about this stuff. By the way, I have a Nav VI, and think it's great, but if I could have navigation that's integrated into the TFT, I'd like that too. Their plan, as I understood it from that video, is to let the rider download free maps onto their phone to use offline (no cell signal needed), and provide the capability to import (or export) GPX files into/from the app, so you can import routes that you create on your PC at home.