Replacing my Nav VI...

[Paul]

Well, having been scuppered on last year's European tour by my Garmin/BMW Nav VI not working with Basecamp on my Apple silicon MacBook, I thought it's time for a technology change. Being able to use BaseCamp to create a precise route on the roads I wanted, was the only reason for paying the outrageous cost of the Garmin/BMW Navigator, but since that no longer works (for me, at least) it was time for a change.

In my current and previous cars, I have become a big fan of using Apple CarPlay for navigation and entertainment. It has the advantage that all of your data and app choices travel with you between vehicles and it's constantly being updated and improved. I was therefore intrigued when CarPlay screens started to be available for motorbikes. I looked at online reviews of several of them from well known household name brands such as Ottocast, Chigee and Carpuride, before making my choice. Most came with 5 inch screens, but the Carpuride had a bigger 7 inch option, so I went for that on the basis that a bigger screen can display more map information.

The Carpuride W702 comes with a Ram-ball-a-like mounted on the back and several bar mounting options. Wanting to mount the new screen roughly where the old Nav 6 cradle sat on the 12mm bar above the speedo screen, I could not find a mounting configuration that worked for me. I therefore fabri-cobbled together an AMPS mounting plate for the screen and attached it to a matching AMPS mounting plate on the 12mm cross bar, having removed the old Nav 6 cradle, and used the power take off plug on the bike for that to connect the Carpuride screen.

The only major disadvantage of my new setup is that the screen is permanently attached to the bike, but I have mitigated that by using security bolts to attach it. If somebody does want to nick it, they will have to work hard to get it off. Other than that, it's a big improvement over my old Nav VI.

I now have the choice of navigation software to use, rather than being stuck with just the default Garmin software+ on the Navigator. As well as Apple Maps, I also have access to Google Maps, Waze, Scenic and Calimoto amongst others. I may have lost the ability to use the BMW wonder wheel to program in the route or choose music, but I now have "Hey Siri" which allows me to do all that and more with just my voice through the bluetooth headset in my helmet.

The proof of the pudding will be in the first real tour I use with this setup, but so far I'm happy it's an improvement over the Nav VI. The cost of the Carpuride screen was £180 on offer on Amazon, and I spent another £30 on bits to cobble together a mount directly on the 12mm bar over the speedo. Much better than the £700 or so BWM gouged out of me for the Nav VI.

Here's a picture of it fitted to my GS, and running Apple Maps:


and here's the mount I adapted from an AMPS mount I bought on Amazon, along with a coupe of bits of black perspex I cut on a laser cutter:



And here it is mounted to the bar above the screen in place of the Nav VI cradle:



So far so good. I'll let you know how I get on with it over the next week or three.

Anyone want to buy a BMW Navigator VI?

Cheers,

Paul

[Humbug]

Got one of these in the car, seems to work fine linked to my phone. The phone needs to be plugged in as it juices the battery but its great for the maps and easy to see.

[Blackal]

Very interesting !

Was just discussing the likes of Myroute and Furkot yesterday with a pal and we drifted onto tablets on the bike/waterproofness and Carpuride units.

Carpuride could indeed be the way forward and to jump from NAV 5/6 while they are still worth some money - secondhand.

[Blackal]

There is now a Carpuride adaptor available which is a sandwich plate allowing direct fitment to the BMW/Garmin cradle to also utilise the power supply through the cradle. So - easily unmountable like the Zumos/Navs, but also chops the power, as before. AND- could allow you to retain your NAV unit until you are happy with the Crapuride.

I see it is available in two sizes - the larger of which might not be suitable for bikes other than upright style bikes.

If you use the likes of MyRouteApp - and (say) create routes on laptop or ipad - it saves the route to the MRA website. So, if you have the MRA app on your phone - you can navigate using google maps on your phone - via the crapuride. I think the longstanding bugbear of Garmin was that there was no way to easily (if at all) make a route on ipad and transfer to the NAV.

MRA is a bit convoluted (as they all are) in trying to convert the track made in Furkot/MRA/Rever et all - on the Nav unit, but it does work. If you are importing multiple tracks/routes into the Nav - mark down what the stages are for each track so that you don’t lose………… well - ‘track’

I think with the addition of the NAV sandwich plate - waterproof apple CarPlay interfaces - have killed BMW Nav units and a lot of Sat nav systems.

[ianc53]

Thanks Paul, very interesting. I was told not to bother updating my Nav5 to Nav6 because of the newer unit's reliability when I bought the 1250RS last year. I see BMW's latest sat nav is based on a TomTom rather than Garmin unit.

I'd started looking at the BMW cradle for my phone and from there got to thinking about the Carpuride BMW unit. I'll be interested in your thoughts after you've used it for a bit.

Just covering all my options - what sort of price were you thinking of for your Nav6?

All the best

Ian

[andy griff]

Paul,
Thank you - really useful post. I am getting to grips with an R1250RS + TFT and find the turn-by-turn function via the Connected app good and useable. However, your post piqued my interest. Here's a question I wonder if you can help with - does the Connected app appear + work in Apple Car Play. What I'm trying to work out is whether I can have the maps display in the Carpuride + turn by turn in the TFT. As you may know the stanav bracket is in a less than ideal position on the RS for quick reference, so this would be quite neat.
Cheers Andy

[Paul]

@Ianc53 - PM me if you are interested. I can bring it over to the Welsh weekend or post it to you if we can agree a price

@ Andy Griff: The honest answer is I don't know for sure. I downloaded the connect app when I got my 1250GS over 5 years ago but after 10 minutes playing with it, I abandoned it and connected my 'phone to my Nav VI rather than to the bike's dash. I still have the app on my phone, but it does not appear as an option when I use CarPlay in any of my vehicles, so I'm 99% sure it won't work. Even if it did, don't think you could have your 'phone simultaneously connected to both the bike's dash and the CarPlay screen. You can however have CarPlay display a split screen with a map and also the next route instruction, as well as another widget such as the music control screen, so that might answer your need.

carplay - 1.jpeg (54.58 KiB) Viewed 9249 times

[andy griff]

Paul,
Thanks for the reply. Just for the benefit of anyone interested - I think I have now worked this out. If the Carpuride were to be connected I would not be able to run the Connected app into the TFT simultaneously.
The placing of the locating bracket on the RS is poor and a potential distraction so the turn by turn in the TFT is really good from a safety viewpoint, hence trying to use it.

[Blackal]

Well, I have bitten the bullet and gone for a CRAPURIDE too.

[Blackal]

Got one of these in the car, seems to work fine linked to my phone. The phone needs to be plugged in as it juices the battery but its great for the maps and easy to see.

A few people have found that it isn't the navigation, but the music playing - that consumes the power and on nav alone - it is not an issue.

That said - I'd have the phone in tankbag, charging - if on an all day run, especially in Europe.

[Paul]

Thanks Al for posting about the BMW cradle adapter. That looks like a better solution than the one I lashed up, and will allow me to remove the device when parking up with the bike... If only they incorporated a small battery or something in that adapter to preserve power momentarily while starting the engine...

Cheers,

Paul

[Blackal]

I think that Carpuride are pretty determined to prevail in the market, so I think they will address:

1) The interruption to power via Canbus or BMW adaptor (they might fit a battery or capacitor in a bespoke case that slots into the back of the BMW adaptor)
2) The current slightly haphazard "Zoom in/out" operation on the Carpuride screen.
3) Integration with BMW's Whizwheel.

[Blackal]

I think that Carpuride are pretty determined to prevail in the market, so I think they will address:

1) [color=#40BFFF]The interruption to power via Canbus or BMW adaptor (they might fit a battery or capacitor in a bespoke case that slots into the back of the BMW adaptor)
2) The current slightly haphazard "Zoom in/out" operation on the Carpuride screen.
3) Integration with BMW's Whizwheel.[/color]

Update - I used the unit in the car, with my iphone navigating a route in MyRouteApp.

1) If the supply to the carpuride is interrupted (say you Start the engine, or stop for fuel or something) - you can click the "resume last route" on the Carpuride screen, and pick up where you left off. So - this will allow you to put your phone in your pocket/tankbag prior to starting the engine and return to the route just using the carpuride screen.

The screen view is good, and I have since changed the settings to 2D map display, and hidden shaping points. Seen below- in the car (just for temporary test).

[boxerscott]

"Crapuride"


Chris

[Blackal]

Just an update.

I cut a couple of pieces out of the packaging foam and stuck each to the BMW Nav adaptor and rescrewed the Unit to the adaptor - just to possibly smooth out any tendency to vibrate. I think my pal has done similar. Not sure if absolutely necessary, and wouldn't be on the 5" model, I'm sure.