BMW ConnectedRide Navigator - On road usage

In this video I explain how to pair the new Navigator to helmet and smartphone and how to do some easy navigation tasks using the multi-controller of the R1200GS. For unboxing and setup look here:
• BMW ConnectedRide Navi...
Note: The video only shows my experience with the product the date the video was posted.
Note: This video is based on a unit with software version BMW-CRN-20230901-V1.0.0
Note: For ANY questions about the product, refer to user manual or contact your BMW dealer.

[@ahm-fr8lh]

I decided to return the navigator before watching your videos but after watching those, changed my mind. I will keep the device and will get the best of it . THANKS ....

[@teneretraveller8980]

Compared with 20yrs ago this is science fiction. Amazing. But. It requires a lot of distraction from paying attention to the road. If we are not allowed to work mobile phones for this reason why can we do it with gps? Pulling over at the side of the road must be the answer. Just my opinion. But i am impressed. Ride safe.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Yes that's right. Plan the route in advance, then ride. If needed stop roadside to make alterations.

[@oddeinum8146]

Thanks for clear and good videos of the ConnectedRide Navigator. I'm not able to find special letters like æ,ø og å, when I search for adresses in the route planner. Do you have a tip for me?

[@thetubelesschannel]

thanks for feedback, as I dont own a unit anymore I cannot test, sorry

[@andrewjones2167]

I just bought one but thinking of returning it. Most of those things can be done with a smartphone running the BMW app. Heck it even didplays the directions on the main bike's TFT screen. I ride after dark a lot. It doesn't look like the Connected Ride unit is using a TFT screen because of poor black to white dynamic range (no deep black like on a TFT display). The maps in the night mode are nearly impossible to read because the background is dark grey and most roads are shown in almost the same gray color. The road lines are too thin and the road names are on tiny font that I can only read from less than about 8 inches away. The touchscreen cannot be operated with gloves on, even thin summer gloves. The ability to use the multi wheel is nice but sometimes it's easier to just use the touchscreen ( like when at a red light) I just don't see a $1,000 value in this. Just about everything can be done with a smartphone connected to the bike. Besides that, the unit either needs an expensive SIM card or a smartphone connection to get road conditions data. My vehicle's navigation gets the same data off the satellites and requires no SIM card to operate. BTW, it took me numerous hours to get the new unit configured. It was getting stuck when I tried to enter my BMW ID and password. I entered the data but the NEXT button is grayed out and nothing happens it just gets stuck and stays this way untill the battery runs out or I cycle power. There is no Return button either. I was only able to get it unstuck by plugging and unplugging the unit into the bike's craddle several times. It's definitely a major glitch. Overall it looks like it was designed in a hurry by the lowest bidding vendor. There is an error in the English description on the main box. It says: "...can be updated directlyon device" no space between Directly and On. They charge $1,000 for this?

[@thetubelesschannel]

It is overpriced, bad value for the money. The hardware is ok but software has to be improved a lot. We dont need lean angles, we need a navigator that works ... as a navigator.

[@TonVerkleijT3]

I bought one myself too. It does not accept imported gpx files, audio streaming is mono, tried it with different phones, osx and android, no option for disabling route recalculating. Brought it back and was refunded. Navigator 6 is a million times better.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Yes probably it is better if it is stable. It's made by Garmin and they know how to handle gpx files and navigation.

[@sharrison56]

It isn’t very useful as a map. It shows almost nothing about what it along your route or in your area. I have only used the navigation once but it provided very little info. At this point the Garmin devices are much better.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Agree, the map has almost no info. But it navigate you to your destination at least :-)

[@ErikR1979]

I have a problem that I noticed with the Nav6. When I'm on a multilane highway, it tells me to stay on the same road giving the distance to the next exit, and as soon as I pass that exit, it tells me again to stay on the highway giving me the distance to the next exit, but telling me to stay on the highway. It doesn't seem to give me the total distance until the exit supposed to take, until it is the next exit. This isn't very useful to me, I'd like to know how long I'm to stay on a highway, not how long until the next exit. Is there some setting I need to change, I can't find anything in the settings.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Sorry I cannot help you with that, maybe some other viewers. I sold my unit so I cannot test. Thanks for feedback !

[@ErikR1979]

@@thetubelesschannel No worries, I appreciate the heads up. Hopefully someone out there has solved my issue.

[@robb8773]

Nice review. If you had a Navi VI, do you think its worth the upgrade?

[@thetubelesschannel]

I had a Nav5...if your Nav6 works flawlessly I would wait. The new unit could only be better over time as BMW upgrades the software. If I didn't own a functional Nav 5 or 6 I would also consider the Zumo XT2 if I use tracks a lot. For ordinary routes the new Navigator works great.

[@adrianm.1910]

@@thetubelesschannelThe XT2 is also a problematic upgrade. The XT is the most solid Garmin at this point.

[@RashadUjaimi]

While using navigation on my TFT screen after setting up a destination in the BMW connected mobile app, suddenly it disconnected while I'm in the middle of the route and a message coming saying you have to reconnect the mobile app again, did you face such issue with this navigator? Thanks for sharing

[@thetubelesschannel]

hi no I have not had any connection issues with the Navigator 👍

[@bebeonhisbike]

Hei, tenker du å kvitte deg med denne? Kan være interessert i å kjøpe.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Sorry but it is already sold. Thanks for your interest !

[@AndreiGrad007]

If you put address on your phone on app will it mirror on your device???

[@thetubelesschannel]

No it wont !

[@kainorbom9963]

Hei Sven. Takk for nyttig introduksjon av nye Navigator. Ett spørsmål: Er der også mulig å importere GPX-filer til denne? Hvor finner du i tilfelle dem hvis det er mulig? Mvh Kai:)

[@thetubelesschannel]

Ja det er mulig å importere GPX-filer, men du må gjøre det via Connected Ride App, slik at det blir synkronisert til Navigatoren via sky. Ruter kan du lage selv ved å planlegge tur i et planleggingsverktøy, for eksempel basecamp eller tourstart.org. Du lager da en rute med flere navigasjonspunkter. Dette eksporterer du da som en GPX-fil. Du kan også bruke Navigatoren og/eller Appen til å lage ruter. Du kan også "ta opp" (recorde) et spor når du kjører. Også dette blir en GPX-fil, dette kalles tracks og det er det dessverre foreløpig ikke støtte for å bruke i Navigatoren. Har du andre som har planlagt ruter eller tatt opp spor kan du få GPX-filer av dem. Eller du kan laste ned de du finner på nett. Liker du å kjøre "offroad", det vil si grusveger og traktorveger kan du laste ned noen kjekke spor fra transeurotrail.org. Men altså....Navigatoren støtter foreløpig ikke bruk av tracks.

[@kainorbom9963]

Takk for utfyllende og grundig svar. 🙂

[@thetubelesschannel]

La nettopp ute en video som viser hvordan du lager ruter på den nye enheten :-)

[@kainorbom9963]

@@thetubelesschannel Kjempefint. Takk for info. Jeg er litt lei av feil på den gamle VI modellen. Har byttet den 4 ganger siden 2020, så jeg tror jeg går for den nye modellen :) Synes dette ser bra ut.

[@67calimeroBIR]

Hello, thx for the video. Is it possible to have the speed on the screen. I ask this because GPS speed is the real speed so you can drive at the real speed limits whitout to increase the speed of the tacho from the bike

[@thetubelesschannel]

That is one thing I was missing too and I did not found it is possible to enable.

[@67calimeroBIR]

Ok thx. I will stay with my XT then. The customer of BMW Navigators are always beta testers... Have to wait à long time for software upgrades... and then the product seems to be ok, the new one is coming out...

[@1Markyparky]

Good introduction. Just a quick question. Are all functions on the device available while riding? I had a cradle for a while, but some of the functions were not available while on the move. Thanks Mark

[@thetubelesschannel]

Seems like all functions you may use with multicontoller and meny button is operative. I have not tried yet to enter adresses while on the move, but I would stop to do that anyway.

[@1Markyparky]

@SvenOlsen Thanks Sven 😀

[@andrewjones2167]

Push and hold the Menu button on the steering wheel to switch the wheel controls from the regular control of the factory TFT screen and the navigation unit. It shows the selection on the very top left on the TFT screen.

[@pmaraziti]

Thanks for this Sven! I own no GPS device and thinking to purchase the new BMW ConnectedRide Navigator or the Garmin XT2 .... what is your advice ?

[@thetubelesschannel]

If you are going offroad and need to navigate tracks, the XT2 is the one. For on road use only the Navigator is great.

[@MickBla]

Hello! You went to media to play music from your phone. But was it a playlist you have earlier saved on your phone? I'm trying to understand if this unit will somehow support Spotify use ... i.e. can i select my Spotify playlist via ConnectedRide (usung the bike Wheeze wheel)?

[@thetubelesschannel]

It's a playlist in my iPhone Music App. Probably it will also find you Spotify app and play from that. I don't use Spotify, so I don't know for sure. sorry

[@MickBla]

@@thetubelesschannel thank you. Perhaps someone else tried this and will let us know.

[@alpacino1976]

If you have your cell phone connected to the connectride, can you also connect it to the motorcycle like when you used the navigator 6??? Or could you no longer connect it and everything would be handled through connectride? And the last question, if you are looking at the map of where you are going on the connectride, how do you change music? Do you have to stop looking at the map, go to the media, and then change it? If so, it would be a problem. Before, you only changed with the wheel, and in Navigator 6 you continued to see the map of where you were going.

[@thetubelesschannel]

You can connect it to the motorcycle but as long as there is a navigator mounted everything will be handled there. Change music require you to navigate to the Media screen. Navigation will still be active in the background, you will get spoken instructions and if you want the Navigator will route navigation popups to the TFT. Usually no problem as change music is done quickly. You may adjust volume when still in the map/navigation screen.

[@user-ol6rd7pl5t]

Can you set a route using your voice through your helmet comms.

[@thetubelesschannel]

No, even if I use a BMW Connected Ride Com, it is not possible. But it is easy to start a premade route and to navigate to a POI, favorite place or recent place by the multi controller.

[@NomadOnGS]

Does the navigation functionality need SIM card to work?

[@thetubelesschannel]

No it don't. And everything is synced as soon as you connect to wifi 🙂

[@NomadOnGS]

@@thetubelesschannel thanks for your reply. but how this make this device a navigation system like Garmin Zumo XT if it depends on the data to work ?

[@thetubelesschannel]

It does not depends on data to work, no cellular and no wifi. But if you want to update and download maps or firmware you will connect to a wifi network (as also is the most convenient way to do it if you have a XT). If you want traffic information to be showed on the map you may get it by pairing your phone (XT require that) or by using the SIM which is an additional way to use for the Navigator. Syncing of routes and trips require a data connection. That goes for both units.

[@sandwaves5642]

I've seen some clips, where people say - this BMW navi = 💩! Well - works but does not justify the price..... Is it, by YOUR opinion, really better than one more mobile ( maybe dual SIM ) or any other GPS navi ??

[@thetubelesschannel]

This BMW navi is in its first software release (v. 1.0) and I expect the software to be even better in some departments. (for example handling of tracks). It IS very pricey but if you already have the GPS prep, you get full multi controller functionality and a lockable system. It integrates very well with the bike (sensordata). I think it is better than the Connected Ride Cradle/Smartphone/App kombo as it is more robust and dedicated.... I would look a lot to the XT2 as an alternative...it may be better for some.

[@ostell]

I'm curious about the accuracy of the maps. What does a 2D map look like? is there a satellite view?

[@thetubelesschannel]

It's pretty much like you see in the video. Detailed enough for road navigation. There is no satellite imagery, like the one you may get into a Zumo XT/XT2.

[@ostell]

@@thetubelesschannelthans a lot. Actually I have Zumo XT on my 1250 GS. And I see it will stay that way

[@thetubelesschannel]

The Zumo XT is great !

[@67calimeroBIR]

Yes, agree. XT is great but Basecamp sucks. I think the new BMW Navigator is now very simple to use and make 100 % personnal routes with Tourstart software whitout issues@@thetubelesschannel

[@uroscizic5658]

What about speed cameras?

[@thetubelesschannel]

Good question, no speed cameras !

[@oddjob4877]

WARNING - the new connected ride Navigator is full of bugs. I bought one 2 weeks ago and as soon as i downloaded the UK map and connected it via my cradle to my 1250GSA the unit completely froze. The BMW dealership performed a factory reset and then fitted it themselves to my bike and the same thing happened. I was given a full refund. They confirmed that they have had the same problem on all of the units they have sold so far.

[@thetubelesschannel]

Thanks for your feedback. Mine is not buggy but the software should be improved in some important areas for eksample import of GPX-files. Strange that all those units freeze.

[@bilageorge83]

Yes, very disapointed about the missing option of importing .gpx files