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With TFT display, is a GPS still needed?


RT_Jim

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I know the TFT display has a phone interface for navigation. But I also know mobile phone navigation apps are not up to par with a Zumo XT for handling things like our START & FART routes (lots of waypoints/shaping points). 

 

Does the BMW 'answer' for navigation really remove the need for a stand alone GPS? Or will I still need a GPS for our fun routes? (or for navigating in areas where there is no cell signal for downloading maps - yes, I can try to remember to download maps offline but.....)

 

Jim

 

 

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Jim, you can download maps for anywhere in the world so no need for cell service other then traffic info.  It's seems to do the same if not better job handing waypoints/shaping points., I haven't had it yet split up trip like my Nav V did when loading large routes.  One key problem I did submit to BMW is when opening the GPX in the app it puts all the waypoints into a separate route and they are useless, you can't even chose one if you wish to.  

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I'll not be getting rid of any of my GPS units, even the old ones. Cell phone interface is nice for finding specific locations outside your home area while traveling, but cell service being what it is I never depend on it. My .02

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6 hours ago, 60Aviator said:

Let me just say I put a Zumo XT on my 21 RT. 

 I plan to do the same. The Nav is average but gets the job done. The map resolution is not good. 
 

If like me you want to make quick changes on the fly then buy the Garmin. 

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34 minutes ago, Limecreek said:

 I plan to do the same. The Nav is average but gets the job done. The map resolution is not good. 
 

If like me you want to make quick changes on the fly then buy the Garmin. 

Have you found a good mounting option for a Zumo? I'm not a fan of mounting low or on the handlebar - I like it up front so I can glance down at it quickly without really taking my eyes off the road. 

 

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1 minute ago, TSConver said:

If you have the Nav Prep package you can get an adapter to allow it to mount to the prep package mount and power up with the bike.

 

Is that true for the newer bikes that have the TFT display? I thought the Nav Prep was for the bikes before there was a TFT display. 

 

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4 minutes ago, RT_Jim said:

Is that true for the newer bikes that have the TFT display? I thought the Nav Prep was for the bikes before there was a TFT display. 

 

Yes you can get nav prep on TFT equipped bikes.

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2 hours ago, TSConver said:

Yes you can get nav prep on TFT equipped bikes.

I think that depends on which bike.  From the look of his past and current ride, he's an RT guy.  No nav prep on the RT I've heard of...

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5 minutes ago, strataj said:

I think that depends on which bike.  From the look of his past and current ride, he's an RT guy.  No nav prep on the RT I've heard of...

 

True he does not mention what bike he is referring to.

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5 hours ago, RT_Jim said:

Is that true for the newer bikes that have the TFT display? I thought the Nav Prep was for the bikes before there was a TFT display. 

 

I have the prep kit on my TFT equipped 2020 GS.

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11 hours ago, RT_Jim said:

The RT. 

 

Figured the original question was not specific to a bike but now, we need to get specific... 23 RT.

 

 

Jim, (@RT_Jim) I believe this is the mounting hardware you are looking for to mount the Garmin XT above the TFT on a 2021/2/3 RT.

https://fmsaccessories.com/bmw-navigator-mount-2021-tft

I seen a write up about it on the BMW LT Site

https://www.bmwlt.com/threads/zumo-xt-and-tft.193054/page-2

 

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7 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

I have the prep kit on my TFT equipped 2020 GS.

 

We are talking about the 10.25" TFT. not the hybrid dash the pre-'21 bikes came with.

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4 hours ago, Hati said:

 

We are talking about the 10.25" TFT. not the hybrid dash the pre-'21 bikes came with.

I do not have a hybrid dash. Bike came with nav prep kit but BMW's Connected Ride app can be used.

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Let Santa know that Garmin retailers usually knock $100 off the $499 price during the Black Friday sales (and again in late spring). That could help cover the cost of mounting hardware.

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Thanks Larry - I already have the Zumo XT. I just need to move it from the (now sold) bike to my new bike. 

 

Therefore, I'm saving Santa at least $400 so why is she complaining about a $100 mount? She just doesn't know that BMW stands for Bring More Wallet. ;-)

 

 

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As a long-time GPS user, I considered but rejected the phone/TFT navigation approach last year. I was considering a 2021 RT purchase but decided against that bike when my cell phone would not fit into the glove box charging area, and I saw few "clean" mounting options for a stand-alone GPS.

 

I ultimately purchased a R1250GSA with the BMW Navigator 6 (after giving my Nav 5 unit to a friend). I like the Nav 6 (and Nav 5) integration with the bike, but the Nav 6 "ghosting" issue has already started with my GPS. When the ghosting began showing up, I purchased a Garmin Zumo XT along with the Italian-made adapter mount that attaches to the standard navigation prep mount. So far, that arrangement has been working extremely well. I like how the Garmin Drive phone app allows me to transfer destinations from Google Maps to the Zumo XT, or transfer to the XT a GPX file stored on my phone. I also purchased a Furkot subscription (after trying REVER for a year) so I can develop routes on my phone or tablet while away from my computer (I am an experienced Basecamp users).

 

I know some folks like using their phones as their GPS device. I am not one of them. I do not find phone screens to be as visible in sunlight, and I am not interested in carrying two phones (one for the GPS navigation, and another for routine/emergency calls) when I ride. As mentioned by another poster, there are several excellent apps available that allow you to download maps t your phone so that no cell service is required in order to navigate. One of my favorites that i have on my phone is  HERE WeGo.

 

One bit of operating experience about using a Zumo XT on a TFT-equipped bike. I have noticed a degradation in the accuracy of the GPS's position accuracy while the TFT is powered on. Normally, the Zumo XT can provide accuracy to approximately 10 feet; however, when the TFT is powered, my XT accuracy goes to approximately 40 feet. So far this has had no real-world impact, but I found it noteworthy. Interweb searches have found posts about this, and some folks have fabricated or mounted a RF shield for the Zumo XT to address this. If you are looking to mount the XT on an RT, you may want to look into this. 

 

Cheers!

 

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Bill - 

Excellent detail. I too have worried about when my phone will no longer fit in the glovebox, but I'm told a tank bag is close enough to the dash to work as well and I hardly ever ride without a tank bag. And I did see some people talking about the RF shield so I'll make sure I get that. 

 

I only use my phone as a navigation device for the Android Auto connection to my car. But I also make use of the phone connection to the XT for traffic updates so in both cases, I don't need to look at the phone but it is a very useful part of the navigation package. And I do love the Zumo XT for many features so keeping it on the new bike is not a hard choice. 

 

 

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9 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

I do not have a hybrid dash. 

 But YOU DO!! You have dials for the speedo and tacho and you have a small TFT display for additional information. Analogue + digital = hybrid. The '21+ RT has NO dials, ONLY the 10.25 TFT. Gees...

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14 hours ago, Hati said:

 But YOU DO!! You have dials for the speedo and tacho and you have a small TFT display for additional information. Analogue + digital = hybrid. The '21+ RT has NO dials, ONLY the 10.25 TFT. Gees...

No I do not. Speed and tach are displayed on TFT. There are no dials.

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9 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

No I do not. Speed and tach are displayed on TFT. There are no dials.

 

Damn it, sorry, didn't see the "GS" part. I keep forgetting this forum groups all shiftheads together, unlike the RT specific other place. 

 

I was looking at the Connected Cradle and discovered that it needs the nav prep. So none of the 10.25" bikes (RT, Some R18s and some of the scooters) can have that. Bit of a bummer. But any bike having the nav prerp or able to get it can.

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On 11/2/2022 at 7:26 AM, RT_Jim said:

Bernie 

Yep - that's what I'm looking for! Adding it to my Christmas list to get once the bike gets here. 

 

Jim

 

 

 

Guys:

 

All this good RT conversation has me thinking I might want to go back to the dark side.    My friends all have GS's.  I live near Chicago.   It's flat here.  Good riding is not nearby.  Every decent ride involves 100 or more transit miles.  

 

I had 4 RT's in a row.  Of these, I think the 2005 hex head (Wilburs triple-adjustable suspension added) was probably the one I got the most out of.    This year, I switched to a '22 GSA low suspension this year.  I'd ridden GS's in Europe on tours but never owned one.  It's a nice bike but it's not as good for interstate travel.  More wind noise, poor economy on the highway (33/34 at 78mph using cruise all day).  The stock exhaust makes a racket I don't like...not super loud, but a little annoying.  

 

I think the poor GSA mpg is from a combination of lower gearing and square-cornered aluminum boxes on the sides of the bike.   If I'm carving twisty roads, mpg goes up into the mid-40s.   Tells me it's probably related to the lack of aero on GSA.   

 

Conti Trail Attack 3 tires are the bomb on these bikes, btw.  My bike came with Bridgestone A41.  They stick OK but they have the noisiest front tread I've ever heard. People riding with me could hear it.  I tried everything to tame that noise...Changing tires absolutely ended it.  TA3's are silent and stick as well as any street tire.  

 

One reason I went GS was because the new RT didn't have real navigation.   I was able to just plug my Nav VI into the GSA.   Two things I want on a bike:  Standard (not active) cruise control and real GPS.   I had a '17 RT before the GSA.  Nothing wrong with that bike.   It was so quiet with the touring screen that I didn't need ear plugs even on long interstate rides, just my C3.  

 

I live near Chicago.   It's flat here.  Good riding is not nearby.  Every decent ride involves 100 or more transit miles.  

 

A big plus with the GSA is camping storage.   I got a couple of big flat plates that go on the back.  I can put a lot of stuff behind me in dry bags and in those square panniers.  I've  been on some unpaved roads and through have a dozen water crossings with the GSA.   Did the same with my RT's.  No issues with either bike.  I'm not going to do super challenging off-roading.  I just want to not turn around in fear if the road turns unpaved for a few miles.   Either bike will do that OK.   

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

A bit late to the show but I hope this is of some use.  I currently have a 2019 R1250RT and one of the reasons that I haven't upgraded to a 2022 model is all of the well reported issues with the TFT - mobile phone app interface!  To that end I have had my eyes peeled for a solution in preparation for the day I might need it.  The neatest I have found so far is from these people.  https://www.fmsaccessories.com/video-system-mounts It's also the cheapest AND the offer an RF shield too.  I believe that they supply US police authorities with kit so they should be of a decent quality.

 

I'd be interested to know if anyone here is using their kit.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/30/2022 at 9:11 AM, Little_Brit said:

A bit late to the show but I hope this is of some use.  I currently have a 2019 R1250RT and one of the reasons that I haven't upgraded to a 2022 model is all of the well reported issues with the TFT - mobile phone app interface!  To that end I have had my eyes peeled for a solution in preparation for the day I might need it.  The neatest I have found so far is from these people.  https://www.fmsaccessories.com/video-system-mounts It's also the cheapest AND the offer an RF shield too.  I believe that they supply US police authorities with kit so they should be of a decent quality.

 

I'd be interested to know if anyone here is using their kit.

Hi Derek - I purchased and installed the Zumo mount on my '22 RT.  It was a perfect fit, excellent workmanship and very good installation instructions.  I added a lock to the FMS mount to discourage theft while away from the bike.

 

XT Mount 1.jpg

XT Mount 2.jpg

FMW Lock.jpg

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Nice job with the installation - very clean. Looks like you removed the antenna to do this. Did the instruction have all these details? Were you able to tap into the GPS plug that (supposedly) exists? 

 

I just got my 23 RT and I'm trying to figure out how to do the mounting and run the electrical - my winter project (plus adding Wunderlich protection bars and a SW-Motech tank bag and ....)

 

Jim

 

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1 hour ago, RT_Jim said:

Nice job with the installation - very clean. Looks like you removed the antenna to do this. Did the instruction have all these details? Were you able to tap into the GPS plug that (supposedly) exists? 

 

I just got my 23 RT and I'm trying to figure out how to do the mounting and run the electrical - my winter project (plus adding Wunderlich protection bars and a SW-Motech tank bag and ....)

 

Jim

 

There is not a GPS plug that I could find so I just tapped into the unused accessory plug  on the right hand side of the bike. 

1. Remove the windshield.

2. Remove the windshield metal mount.

3. Remove both painted front fairings.

4. Remove the painted nose panels. You'll need to be careful with their removal. They are held on with a combination of plastic friction tabs and with screws. I used plastic tools to gently pry the panels from their tabs. 

5. At this point you can remove the screws that hold on the plastic nose cover, unplug the antenna and make the modifications described in the FMS pdf. I used a drill and a Dremel tool for my modifications.

 

Read this entire thread too before you start. It has some pictures and some instructions. https://www.bmwlt.com/threads/2021-22-r1250rt-xm-radio-mushroom-removal.192922/

 

 The FMS installation instructions are pretty good and I'd refer to those. https://www.fmsaccessories.com/ProductInsructionsFile/1_%2043%20PMFMS%20Instructions%20-%20TFT%20Dashboard%20BMW%20NAV%20Display.pdf .

No description available.

No description available.

 

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