I came from a 2017 Kawasaki Voyager 1700 that I had mounted a large Garmin Drivesmart65. I had finally found a mount for the large screen for the Garmin and was very happy with it's performance. The Voyager is gone now and I have the 22 GA. Initially not happy with the look of the TFT as it makes the bike look more like a scooter, but it grew on my and it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. Anyways, the navigation just seems so out of touch with how a person would actually use it. I have to have an app, that's connected, hopefully correctly, to the bike, on and on. I'm considering just simply remounting my Garmin. I don't want to as I paid all this cash for this fancy screen, I ought to use it. Maybe I'm just getting too old and the old ways work for me. ****, by the time I figure out BMW's setup, I'll probably be selling the bike. Lol. Just seeing if anyone else has simply remounted their old setup and ran with that?
Has anyone just given up on the TFT, especially the navigation?
M1A1Commander
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Just to clear up some possible misconceptions here is my personal anecdotal experience thus far with the TFT. Please reply if your experience deviates meaningfully from this:
1 - Basic TFT functionality is great, menus are simple, straight forward and easy to learn and memorize
2 - Bluetooth connectivity has been near perfect for me. Sena headset connects without fail as does my iPhone with latest version of iOS. If they both connected faster I would not complain, but, BT is what it is.
3 - WiFi connectivity is patchy. This is required to display map data on the TFT for navigation and it is required for nothing else. You have to make certain that your phone connects to the bike's WiFi network (it is it's own network with no internet connectivity). This radio is used instead of the BT radio because BT does not offer sufficient bandwidth to support map data.
4 - BT only connectivity will supply and display turn by turn directions from your route(s), but no map display without accompanying WiFi
5 - The app is almost identical in scope and feature to the app that is running inside your dedicated Garmin unit. The major difference is that the Garmin app is able to communicate directly over the bus to its dedicated display whereas the BMW Connected app must transmit its display and instructions over the WiFi signal.
Personally, while I am annoyed that the app is not bulletproof I am impressed with the architecture. Not quite as impressed as I am with the guys/gals who unfolded a sun shield and pack of mirrors 1M miles out in space, but relatively impressed nonetheless.
I think there might be some merit as others have asserted to using a dedicated phone for the TFT nav functions. That phone does not require a cellular plan unless of course you also want to use it to stream Pandora or similar. Rather you just need to connect it to some WiFi at home or hotel etc. to download/upload map and trip data and then connect it back to the bike. In the case of my GA there is a nice pocket for it right up on top of the dash where it is out of the way and out of sight. I will try that route before I mount a separate Garmin unit. My dash is nice and clean and I intend to keep it that way.
Edit:
Oh I should have mentioned that I am definitely NOT happy that the connected app requires "Always" permission to my location data. If the app must remain "on top" in order to function then why can we not just set this permission to "Only when using"? I admit ignorance of the nuances of Apple location sharing capabilities among the different permissions and complete and total ignorance of anything Android. I definitely do not like that app monitoring my location when my butt is not in the saddle of that motorbike.
1 - Basic TFT functionality is great, menus are simple, straight forward and easy to learn and memorize
2 - Bluetooth connectivity has been near perfect for me. Sena headset connects without fail as does my iPhone with latest version of iOS. If they both connected faster I would not complain, but, BT is what it is.
3 - WiFi connectivity is patchy. This is required to display map data on the TFT for navigation and it is required for nothing else. You have to make certain that your phone connects to the bike's WiFi network (it is it's own network with no internet connectivity). This radio is used instead of the BT radio because BT does not offer sufficient bandwidth to support map data.
4 - BT only connectivity will supply and display turn by turn directions from your route(s), but no map display without accompanying WiFi
5 - The app is almost identical in scope and feature to the app that is running inside your dedicated Garmin unit. The major difference is that the Garmin app is able to communicate directly over the bus to its dedicated display whereas the BMW Connected app must transmit its display and instructions over the WiFi signal.
Personally, while I am annoyed that the app is not bulletproof I am impressed with the architecture. Not quite as impressed as I am with the guys/gals who unfolded a sun shield and pack of mirrors 1M miles out in space, but relatively impressed nonetheless.
I think there might be some merit as others have asserted to using a dedicated phone for the TFT nav functions. That phone does not require a cellular plan unless of course you also want to use it to stream Pandora or similar. Rather you just need to connect it to some WiFi at home or hotel etc. to download/upload map and trip data and then connect it back to the bike. In the case of my GA there is a nice pocket for it right up on top of the dash where it is out of the way and out of sight. I will try that route before I mount a separate Garmin unit. My dash is nice and clean and I intend to keep it that way.
Edit:
Oh I should have mentioned that I am definitely NOT happy that the connected app requires "Always" permission to my location data. If the app must remain "on top" in order to function then why can we not just set this permission to "Only when using"? I admit ignorance of the nuances of Apple location sharing capabilities among the different permissions and complete and total ignorance of anything Android. I definitely do not like that app monitoring my location when my butt is not in the saddle of that motorbike.
Yes but any company doing business on the internet, and thus in the EU, must have in place a GDPR compliant privacy plan. Request away...
I concur. You can get rid of the data.
My response was more directed at the "why the app" question. There's avenues to get rid of that data sure. You can also go into your google account, delete and request that they not keep that info. Nevertheless, personal data is a billion if not trillion dollar industry. So the temptation and the avenues are there for companies to try to attain it and use it.
Btw @CavRider can you use one phone for the map data and one for the Bluetooth, i.e. music, messages etc.?
The "always" permission is the reason I don't like use the KTM app for my Superduke GT. I don't get why it can't be "only when using" either.
My response was more directed at the "why the app" question. There's avenues to get rid of that data sure. You can also go into your google account, delete and request that they not keep that info. Nevertheless, personal data is a billion if not trillion dollar industry. So the temptation and the avenues are there for companies to try to attain it and use it.
Btw @CavRider can you use one phone for the map data and one for the Bluetooth, i.e. music, messages etc.?
The "always" permission is the reason I don't like use the KTM app for my Superduke GT. I don't get why it can't be "only when using" either.
I should have said that I completely agree with your presumption btw. That and I suppose that both APPL and GOOG want to charge a recurring fee for their API usage or something like that.
Also, I see chirping in GW circles that the various CarPlay apps do not have all the functionality that a dedicated to motorcycle nav app offers such as many waypoints, ride recording etc., etc.
So while I too lament that BMW have not chosen to offer CarPlay and AndroidAuto connectivity it just might not be the end-all, be-all that we think in the case of a bike. I love it in my cars though for point to point.
Hmmmm, you know you just got me thinking. Satellite comm is two way is it not? Does anyone think that our good friends over at GRMN have been collecting (and selling) our location data with their very closed system for some number of years? Anybody out there ever read a detailed 10K or 10Q?
What? You haven't been to Patagonia? Or are you just not showing us the whole map?
Well... although not nearly "impressed," I agree I'm not giving up, and have basically accepted the TFT system & Connected App "is what it is" (highly imperfect and somewhat disappointing), but I am finding it connects and works for me... (1) when I am patient, giving the bike's system some time to "boot up", and waiting 1-2 minutes to sequentially let it start up, connect WiFi, let Bluetooth connect helmets for music & PTT intercom (Cardo Freecom 1+); (2) not using the Nav for anything more than point-to-point directions and route guidance (not using external waypoints or shaping points, and (3) accepting an unimpressive UI with the knowledge that it will get me home and let me just ride and see most info I need through wonder wheel clicks and/or favorite buttons even if it is not ideally situated.
With that I'm also now going to use a dedicated bike phone (without cell plan) and do without phone calls unless I know there's a call I need to take, then I will swap out my "real/active" phone on those rare instances.
All imperfect and less than optimal, but its working thus far and I'm finding it better than fighting for "what I'd ideally want it to do".
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I was also reasonably happy until Saturday PM when the WiFi connection refuses to connect anymore.
Also I think you're wrong about the instructions over WiFi. I think the WiFi is solely to show the map as I don't have a map but everything else still works. I don't quite understand why they didn't use the standard screen mirroring technology (aka Miracast) that allows you to see your phone on your TV screen. If they had done that then any app could be seen on the screen.
Additionally as they added a USB cable they could have made that an option for screen mirroring like many cars do over that wideband connection.
I just feel they went out of their way to avoid any kind of industry standard when it came to displaying the map and this is why it's so painful, things change so quickly on phones that only mainstream apps drive fixes or preserve features on the next release of any OS. I get the feeling that the BMW custom screen mirroring is unlikely to become mainstream supported across multiple phones.
Agree Tim. It's pretty crazy that they went through the trouble/expense to build in making the bike it's own (weak) mini-WiFi hub solely for this purpose. It doesn't yet do anything else (as far as I understand); it's only for this map display purpose; the rest is through bluetooth. Off choice unless there is something for future planned
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I'm just going to assume you do not understand sarcasm. That 30K nav system is surrounded by plastic and metal, two wheels, and an engine, fashioned into a motorcycle. I happened to pick it up at the local BMW dealer.
Oh yeah, I got the sarcasm. No problem. Actually, I thought my reply was more of same.
You should know however that the 30K article you acquired does not include any navigation facilities of any kind. It has a beautiful TFT display that is able to display the navigation content from a connected proprietary mobile phone application. But the bike itself has nothing.
So just to be clear and sarcasm notwithstanding you are aware of this yes?
Think you might have misread my post. I agree that nav instructions only require BT and only map display is over WiFi. If you reread you will see that I stated as such.
I assume that the reason they chose not to use a screen mirroring tech is so that you can use the bike controls, and not the phone, to interact with the Nav app. That is unless there is some protocol to control a mirrored device that I am unaware of.
As for BMW not using industry standard tech I disagree. They are indeed using industry standards in both Bluetooth and WiFi. Would use these rather than a hardwire because you know, these device manufacturers have an annoying habit of changing that connectivity spec whereas the radio tech is universal. Not only that but it is no doubt much more cost effective to update a mobile app than it is to even update the bike firmware itself.
Still, it is to date imperfect and wanting. Hoping for better to come…
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YES!! (fist pump!) I was right on the money! Sarcasm in its written form is very difficult to ascertain. That why we have all these little smiles that can be used to convey meaning. For instance, I just love the way the new TFT screen comes to life with maps and all the information I could ever want.
< Like that!
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Sorry if I misunderstood what you wrote, it didn't sound right.
Screen mirroring wouldn't stop control through the bike via the Bluetooth connection which is what they have today. You have to remember that the WiFi is an add on for the touring bikes just to show a full map, the Bluetooth is on all TFT models.
Screen mirroring is a display technology, Miracast is a standard within the WiFi Alliance and has been built into Android, Windows and Linux, Apple have their own solution known as airplay.
Either way, if it was me, I would use the mainstream screen mirroring standards than spend time rolling my own. Because now we all have WiFi connectivity issues.
The Bluetooth seems reliable and I suspect its because the poor GS guys have spent 4 years getting the winkles out of it.
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I can't seem to get that view, I say manage history and it takes me to Google maps
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If you have location history switched on, it will track you.
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But how do I get the world map with everywhere I've been, are you using Google maps or Chrome?
Don't worry I went on chrome, that's where you. Get the world view, it's a different interface to maps
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