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 710 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.

I did wonder how fast it all syncs up with the phone and Cardo after a coffee stop (for example), but seems to be quick in test with the phone.

Time will tell how quick it is with Cardo comms too.
I've started to use MyRouteApp  routing and with the Crapuride - easy to create routes on laptop or Ipad, then open the route on your phone (apple or android) and 'beam' that to the Crapuride screen to run the route.

MyRouteApp is pretty good - as you can create a route starting with Michelin map, and switch to google map or satellite vew if you want.  Then - at any point on the map - 2 clicks and you are looking at Google streetview from that location.   Save in various formats, but you do have to send it to a BMW Nav unit as a track and convert it on the unit.   BUT - when you use phone/crapuride - no need.
The ability to switch to Streetview at any point in the map (on or off route) - is absolutely brilliant especially for foreign travel or where you aren't sure just what the road surface is on a particular stretch. See a diner on google maps - 2 clicks and you are looking at it in streetview.

Crapuride also uses google map or apple map and you can insert destinations using Siri from contacts or Internet search.
I believe Siri also handles voice commands for the Cardo too.

You also now get a 'sandwich plate' which mounts it on your BMW Nav cradle, so you are able to power it and remove it easily during stops like you would do with a Nav 5/6 without unplugging anything. UPDATE - just this minute taken delivery of the adaptor - looks good quality but have yet to test it. (£30?) It looks like it will fit in the 4-button mount, and it DOES fit on the lockable mount.

This guy does a pretty reasonable review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u52K3U641NU&t=526s

Latest discoveries:

Carpuride: If you plug the unit into the canbus-supplied Hella socket, when you start the engine - that supply is temporarily lost, and the Carpuride unlinks to your routing on MRA on your phone - and you have to "resume route" on your phone. SO - either supply your Carpuride from the NAV mount, or supply from the battery with some sort of disconnect on the carpuride - better than the plug/socket on the unit.
Stop for fuel or whatever and you may need to pair the phone/carpuride again for routing. UPDATE: Even when powered from the NAV mount - with the adaptor plate - the power is interrupted when you start the engine - so the Carpuride goes dead and restarts. SO - certainly with MyRouteApp - you would need to 'resume' the route on your phone after the carpuride pairs with the phone once the engine is running.

Carpuride: The 7" screen is seductive, but I think it would be a struggle to fit to a bike that wasn't an 'adventure style' bike - with a fairly upright screen. For a lot of bikes - the 5" screen might be better (especially if you don't want/need your music album displayed with cover art) Mounting on the Carpuride adaptor to the BMW Nav mount would appear to be the most elegant solution (for location, power supply and ease of removal) and saves playing around with power supplies and the NAV preparation. I believe Carpuride are also close to producing an interface to allow use of the BMW whizwheel (not sure how much it will do - hopefully zoom in and out at least) I'm not sure if the wheel integration is an adaptor or software (or both).

MyRouteApp: You can download relevant maps from the MRA site - on to your phone if you want to avoid roaming charges (data) or are travelling in an area with poor phone reception. Most phones will have adequate memory for that.

MyRouteApp: You can choose, for each route you create/store - layers (POIs) much better than what BMW/Garmin has - so if you choose "FUEL" - it shows on the screen exactly where the stations are - not just a distance and general direction without indication of how far off your route. Probably more up to date too.

So, the plan this year - a pal and I will give the combinations of Cardo/Carpuride/MyRouteApp a thorough test in France, but with the backup of a BMW Nav unit with the transit routes installed, and other routes perhaps imported to them (only as far as tracks waiting to be converted to routes if required).

If you want to use full functionality of MyRouteApp - it does require a subscription, but I think you can trial a lot of the features for 1m free. ( went for lifetime Gold, with the App for phone/ipad too).

Apologies if this is a bit rambling.

The photos show that the connector plug neither fits within the plate void, or outside. BUT - you could always change the connector for a more compact unit, and/or add to the tail length.

[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