Navigation app or device for your motorbike? 

Always enjoy these vlogs by Billy always explained in detail.. Bought my first R1250 GSA about 12 months ago i wanted to use both the Nav 6 and my iPhone so purchased the Quad lock plus all the adaptors i needed plus the anti vibe connection. I also purchased the Nav 6 at £600. By moving the Nav mount over to the RHS using a knuckle adaptor for the Quad loc and ages messing around i finally got it looking the business, The iphone in portrait position perfectly lined up next to the Nav 6 where i could still insert the key with no hassle...and how happy i was phone calls and music to my helmet including the Nav 6 and the BMW Nav app all singing and dancing. All was ok for about a month then my phone started to play up the camera got shakey and there was ghosting on my home screen so that peed me off and i had to order another phone but i had to stop mounting it to the bike so all the Quad loc stuff was waisted but at least i had my Nav 6 for directions etc. Then a few weeks in i noticed the Nav started to play up jumping to different screens etc so i took it back to my local dealership. They sent it off somewhere to do what ever it is they do and when it came back they told me it was practically a brand new updated version and it appeared fine but you guessed it this only lasted about a week. I asked them to give me a new one but they said this wasn't the policy and so off it went again for another 2 weeks after getting it back and each time losing my screen protector i had fitted and found it to go faulty again after one week. I complained and told them no more chances and managed to get a full refund so pretty poor i guess. So im now without Nav or phone on this wonderful GSA?? So waiting on you Billy to show us the way and we will follow so hope all works out. I do have a Tom Tom Rider but this is also very poor and the screen mists up all the time?

Hi there. Thanks for this video. At this time I'm using Beeline and found it very good for my travel & riding purposes.

I think most of us now have a spare cheap smart phone that we can simply use for navigation / maps. I'm using my old iPhone 6 just purely for navigation. You could probably purchase a cheap android smart phone and the cost of that will probably be cheaper than a dedicated SatNav as well.

Hi Billy this has come at exactly the right time for me, only last week I decided the same go for a Garman XT and have been looking on how to install it on my GSA with the adaptor (out of stock) seems to be sticking out in your face more than the phone or by other means onto the rail with BMW nav adaptor removed, I havent purchased anything yet now will await to seewhat your set up look like, thanks for the vid

Very informative I'm thinking about the Garmin XT Also the tourtech mount,

I have the XT, with the Italian bracket to mount to the BMW prepped for Sat Nav set up. Works like a dream and is an awesome piece of kit. Lockable too. The BMW app just doesn’t really work. That said setting up the XT to talk to the phone/Lid is a complicated ‘in certain order’ process. Similar story with the phone camera on an earlier model but now have a 12 mounted on a quadlock and damper. No issues so far, even through Australian Outback riding

I use a used lower level iPhone plus Nav V. I keep my good phone and its camera in the tank bag. On the phone I use GAIA. This XT option is intriguing so many thanks.

Another thought-provoking video, thanks. I suppose there is no way to tell if the damage to your camera was caused on the Quadlock mount or the BMW nav prep mount (or both!). As I said the other day, I am using Quadlock across both bikes and so if the camera dies, there will be no doubt. 8000 miles in and fine so far, but I guess it could go at any moment. If/when it does, I think I would continue to use the same phone as I think that would be the cheapest option, with an inexpensive SIM, and buy a new phone and resolve never to use it as a bike-mounted nav. I would be very interested to see a video about the differences in features between the various navigation apps available on phones and the functionality of the Garmin XT.

I am one of those people who has never had a problem with my Nav 5 or Nav 6 even though I've purchased them used in the past. However like you I am now switching to an alternative system, in my case a Garmin Montana 700i. I did look at the XT but it states it isn't dustproof and I wanted something which I could use for doing the TET which could be a tad dusty in places! 👍

Thank you for your comments Billy and look forward to your post👍👍

I have logged 90,000 miles using a smart phone as my nav, and also, just storing my smart phone in the holder on my bike. I have always used the Marlin's clocks M mount for my phones. In fact, it's been the same mount over 12 years, and 2 bikes. I had to make some adjustments in the mount for increasing size of phone, but it's been a great mount, and can handle different sized phones at any time. With that being said, I have experienced the camera issue with phones that cannot handle the vibration. The phones that I had issues with were HTC models. I have had multiple Motorola phones that have never experienced any issues, and I do put on lots of miles. My phone is always in the holder, whether I'm using nav or not, just a convenient place to have my phone, and I can see notifications if they pop up. Biggest advice would be to research the phone to see if anyone has experienced issues with vibration and cameras. My wife has iphones, and We have put her phone in the holder a few times, when she was expecting a message from her kids, and have not experienced any issues, but this was limited use, and the phone was not really active while in the holder. I think a lot has to do with particular phones, which is what I was finding when researching the issues I had with HTC phones. again, NO issues with multiple Motorola phones.

Hi billy sounds a good Satnav the Garmin XT like the sound of it planing off tracks be honest with I use quad lock with anti vibration base but on my F850 GS adventure I’ve fitted in the headstock hole been using that for 9 months no problem so far when I had fitted to the handle bars it shook even with the Anti vibration mount so hence why I fitted in the headstock 👍👍

A few months ago I commented about using quadlock with the vibration mount and not having issues. That was after 8,000 miles. Now after 13,000 miles I’m sad to report that the camera on my iPhone X has developed a fault where it sometimes shakes and refuses to focus. It’s not every time, and seems to be fixable by closing the camera app & restarting. I’ve had the phone mounted on 3 bikes across the past 18 months and 13,000 miles. It has always been mounted on a quadlock anti vibration mount.

So very simple trick everyone i bought an old phone for 30£ and use it just for sat nav so i don't care what's gonna happen to the camera you can either download all maps and use them offline or you can share a hotspot dron your phone to the old one and use maps that way you don't need a sim card for the old phone just use it for satnav so 30 quid for an old phone and phone mount for the bike and that's you all done for less than 100£ not spending fortune for sat nav also i like to use waze you can't get waze on any other type of sat nav so enjoy 😁

I had the XT for a while and got rid of it. Just too many Bluetooth connections with my phone, intercom, etc that would continue to lose connection. Garmin requires two connections itself for phone notifications and for music. One is always dropping or having to be reconnected. I don’t like having to fill with it during my ride.

To avoid vibration damaging smartphones, you can always mount them to a tank bag instead of the bike. In my case, I have an iPhone mounted to a Wunderlich tank bag MOLLE grid, using the Quadlock belt clip. Completely eliminates vibrations

I am at a crossroads myself. I have been using my garmin montana 600 in north america(canada, usa, mexico) for the last 12 years, and likely 100'000 km mounted on a bike. many places I travel are out of service, or totally unplanned. I need a new map however, and am going to be on a new bike this year. either way I will be forking out $$$.... A quad lock setup won't likely be obsolete either way. the abiliity to use my garmin with gloves, in its powered mount and in the rain, along with hiking..... its just a solid unit.

Shagged my iPhone using it on my bike but phones are simply the most versatile bit of kit. So I’m gonna buy an iPhone 8 (first iPhone which is waterproof) and use it purely as my bike phone and not bothered if it Shag’s the camera. The must have app, if you’re green laning is OS map app, on iPhone I’ve found it faultless, easy to plan on a Computer and then transfer to a phone, Had various gps devices but they are all a pain to use, phones are a gps, a sat nav, a media device, and even a phone. Only issue is if out of the UK. But for 99% of my daily walking/ mountaineering/ biking, you can’t beat a phone with OS map app

My experience with these "vibration dampening" phone holders has been the same; the camera is messed up, the compass and the sensor for rotating the phone is messed up as well. Had to buy a new one, keeping the old one as a GPS on my bike for now. Am looking to buy an "Outdoor-Tablet" in the near future.

Hi Billy. I usually use Kurviger on my phone and then export it either to BMW Connect or to my XT via Garmin Drive. Both have their benefits in my opinion.

The day I saw your video mounting the phone cradle for the BMW, I've made my decision, buy a 2nd hand smartphone for half the price of a dedicated GPS device and use it as GPS, and also its other capabilities, such as existing various apps, and just ignore the camera usage. Are you planing a video with how you create routes and export them to your Garmin? Thanks for sharing your content, always great!! 👍👍

I just replaced my TomTom Rider 500 by a CarPlay device on my GS Adventure. I don’t want to have my phone mounted on my bike. But want to make use of all its possibilities. Very happy with it!

Hi, did you mention which iphone got damaged while using the cradle? i was just about to get the bmw cradle and i have an iphone 11 so :) :)

TomTom rider/450/500 have always been reliable. Also the 550 has a planning mode you can plan on your phone/Pc & wirelessly transfer to the TomTom

I choose to get phone that's waterproof and shockproof instead of a GPS device. So far it's working out well. It cost $150. Brand is Blackview. My backup will be Butler motorcycle maps.

I had the same experience twice with my Huawei P30 Pro after using it in the cradle on the handlebars. Initially I thought it was due to freezing temparatures.... Camera's optical image stabilisation breaks, so the camera image looked very much like you show in your video. I did it again. Used it at highway speeds in more humane temp ranges ... and camera broke again. This is only when I realised that it's the vibration that killed it the previous time too. Had it fixed both times under warranty at our local Huawei service centre ... but now my P30 Pro isn't as waterproof as it was because it was opened twice now with stuff replaced. By the manufacturer's shop. I'm really disappointed that modern phones (their cameras at least) don't seem to survive the steering / handlebar vibrations on a motorcycle. I'll still mount phone for short slower trips when I need to see the display, but the rest of the time I just keep in in my pocket and listed to the GPS instructions through the headset in my helmet. Not ideal, but I don't want to have the now-out-of-warranty phone break on me again.

I must say the I phone 7 is very old And you pretty much had a good run with it Newer phones are much more better well designed for high impact/ vibration But I’ve used Tom Tom rider for year Always been a good unit I use my phone in my van with Tom Tom go every day Will be using it with Bmw motorrad cradle at some point on my gsa At least the good thing you can use the garmin software from Bmw to your new nav Looking forward to more vids bud 👍🏻

Used the XT for a trip to Turkey and back, now switching to a tablet with GPS etc.

Phone navigation for me in UK. I use a cheap Alcatel 1 phone for it. Google Map with free live traffic and Mapsme as a back up when no data available. I used Mapsme touring Thailand and it never let me down.

I’m not good with technology so should I use my phone or an expensive sat-nav?

I think of using my smartphone with a bluetooth connection to a gps display designed for motorbikes. Phone stays in pocket, and the display is cheaper than a garmin or tomtom and larger than a phone. I am new at this, so maybe those displays werent available yet when this vid was made.(?)

i used a chinese aluminum clamp that transmited all the vibration and it broke my camera after about 4k miles, it vibrated so bad that it coudent detect with way was up and navigation would spin randmly. because I have an android s21 it was only $24 to get the camera replaced, kind feel bad for people with iphones where thats a new phone type issue. got a $17 Chinese knockoff quadlock with the vibration dampener and a genuine quadlock case and it works beautify, haven't had any issues sience with meny meny more miles. im interested in a navigation I can just leave on the bike and keep my phone somewhere safe, but im alittle worried about how slow these navigation systems are dont want to pay so mutch money and have it so difficult to use I just use the phone anyway.

Nav 6 are the major failures on the forums....had 2 that had the screen issues and now brought a 2nd hand nav 5 for £200. I use that and also the BMW connected app on my phone as a fallback....having dropped and smashed my phone on tour last year it taught me to have a fallback. I believe most of the camera vibration issues have been with iPhones ....haven't seen many posts on android having these issues but agree at £1000 it's a big risk!!

I use my old phone as a sat nav. I upgrade every two years and the old phone gets wiped except for Navmii which works offline. I just whack on wifi now and again for updates. No need to worry about the camera and the new phone stays in a pocket.

i bought secondary phone for GPS its one of those rugged ones.. motorola DEFY its cheap and as i use it only for navigation it does all what i need and its waterproof dust proof heat resistant and also vibrations resitant.. so for me its the best option some of those cheap rugged phones.. because in my opinon navigation apps are much better and you can have multiple ones for casual roads and offroads like TET and etc.

There are many 'tough phone' devices that are not that expensive. I am new to NAV and thinking about trying these. One of them is $370 US: Ulefone Armor 24 Rugged Phones, 1000LM Camping Light IP68/69K, 22000mAh(66W), MTK Helio G96 24GB+256GB Android 13, 64MP+64MP Night Vision Camera, 6.78" FHD+ Corning Gorilla Screen, Dual 4G, IR Blaster

I need a new phone I also need a gps and do not want to buy two separate things for my bike so I am thinking about a Nokia xr20 or 21 phone which are supposed to be military grade proof.What do you think. Is it just the camera that goes or are there any other problems.I don't really care about the camera I want the gps and to make calls

If you have bought a new phone, just carry on using your old one for a sat nav.

Hi Billy. How disappointing to hear that your smartphone was damaged by vibrations in your cradle. I looked at your videos related to the BMW Connected app and to the BMW cradle. I ordered the cradle and I am prepared to move from the Navigator V device to my iPhone in the cradle. I am one of these people who can only blame Garmin and BMW for this very poor Navigator V that fails to do the job. It is by far the worst GPS I ever had, and I have had a lot ! On top of facing so many issues with this device (which happens to be the second in a row after the first one crashed completely, hardware included, on the occasion of a software update, can you believe that...), when you report an issue to BMW they kick you out on the basis that it is a Garmin device and you'd better speak to Garmin. When you call Garmin, they tell you to arrange the issue with BMW... Now I am a bit confused, I was so enthusiastic with the prospect of using my iPhone instead... I think I will give it a try anyway and we will see. Many thanks again for your feedback on your experience.

Quadlock do a universal attachment

Sounds like theres a gap in the market for a phone holder with vibration dampening.

If you like using your phone then you coulfd always buy a cheap second hand one just to use as a GPS. A lot cheaper than a dedicated GPS and much more useful. Just a thought 👍

Quad lock even with damping killed my camera! Ktm1290

Us a $100 smartphone and never worry about it. For $250 you can get a very nice IP rated Samsung phone. You don't have to put your expensive personal phone on your bike.

or just use a smartphone you may have laying around... an old one... or even buy a cheap one that you jsut buy for this purpose

Why don't you keep using your Iphone exclusively for motorcycle navigation? You have the phone already, won't need the camera anyway, don't have to use (and buy) a dedicated GPS device.

Ridicules having a GPS system on your bike as standard, and having to buy another. How stupid is that. ?

Your solution was already done... You didn't buy a new iPhone.

Garmin is pure garbage. I got the XT2 and the display was sluggish and would freeze up requiring frequent reboots. Sometimes it would just reverse all the text on the screen. Yes, all software updates were applied. And if all that's not enough it was discovering their terrible support and warranty and the sheer amount of open source software stitched together which can be seen in one of the menu items. I'm an embedded engineer who so happens to design displays just like this in the agriculture and construction segments. Google protobufs, seriously? All that serialization and deserialization of what? I can't imagine why they would need this on such a simple device but regardless.... the device simply didn't work at end of the day and I had to fight to get a refund. Based on the experience and the knowledge of the poor software development practices at Garmin, I'm so done with their products.

12 minutes talk without much useful information. For complaining about the phone you broke, I don't have to lend you my ear.