r1200gs tft display review free sample

There was a point on my ride of the 2018 BMW R1200GS Adventure when the thought struck me that retro motorcycles will soon be those that don’t come with an inbuilt subscription to Netflix. Maybe the future definition of ‘retro’ will be a motorcycle that doesn’t allow you to call up season three of House of Cards from an onboard speech recognition system whilst (in the case of adventure bikes) sipping Latte with your hologram pillion in a Starbucks car park.

On a similar note, I’ve resisted helmet based comms for philosophical arguments that were never really convincing, and have now totally fallen apart having tested a system at the launch of the 2018 BMW R1200GS Adventure.

Essentially, the 2018 BMW R1200GS Adventure is the same as the old GSA with a few colour and styling enhancements. The big story concerns the ever-growing rack of optional upgrades which are now available to threaten the thickness of your wallet. The undoubted highlight of which is a new TFT full-colour multimedia dash which includes phone and helmet Bluetooth connections (Netflix will be a 2019 option), all operated by the bar-mounted buttons and the control wheel.

More about the upgrades later, let’s just stay with the BMW R1200GS Adventure for a second. Whatever your views are on BMW and the GS range, there can be no argument about their continued popularity.

In a year where every sector, with the notable exception of adventure bikes, has seen a drop in sales, the two best-selling bikes in the UK, the R1200GS at number one and the R1200GS Adventure at number two, have experienced increased sales. A phenomenal achievement by any measure.

With an all-new GSA surely under development in a hidden chamber deep in the Bavarian Alps, the current GSA is in what I suppose we could call the mid-model upgrade phase. For 2018 the prospective buyer will have the choice of an immense range of optional extras, which include dynamic suspension, an ‘Emergency Call’ feature, hill start control, quick shift gear change, keyless ignition and the new integrated TFT colour screen.

Our test ride was aboard the top-spec TE model which came with just about anything and everything you can integrate and bolt on to a BMW R1200GS Adventure. It included all the above and then some.

One of the main things I’m forever raving about when it comes to the BMW R1200GS Adventure is the quality of the electronically adjustable suspension (ESA) which provides an almost magic carpet-like smoothness.

The new ‘Emergency Call’ feature is essentially an intelligent, integrated communication tool connected to sensors programmed to detect a crash and then alert the emergency services with your location. It’s not quite that simple, as there is a system and a protocol to follow to eliminate non-emergencies, but I’m sure you get the drift. Perhaps the most useful advancement has been in the previously mentioned connectivity and the new multi-media TFT screen.

Thankfully, it now appears that the days of motorcycle manufacturers scouring bins for discarded Nintendo Game Boy LCD’s to fashion into motorcycle dashboards are over. The new screens, such as that found on the 2018 GSA, are light years ahead of what has been the norm up until this year. The look, clarity and colours are now more reminiscent of a modern tablet rather than a pixilated, monochrome relic of the past. Press the key-less ignition and the screen goes through a short boot-up sequence of graphics, before displaying the stuff you need to know to ride a motorcycle. From there it’s a full-on mission control unit which contains a whole raft of useful features, including a nifty adaptive red-line indicator based on engine temperature during the warm up phase.

The app also provides for a fairly basic navigation system, which is sure to improve as time goes by and undoubtedly replace the need for a separate GPS. Right now, it is not as user-friendly or functional as the GPS system already fitted on the BMW R1200GS Adventure.

The information available on the TFT is legion, and scrolling through the various screens and settings is simple and intuitive. I’ve little doubt that even the most resolute of anchor throwers will be converts by the time they’ve left the showroom. The new TFT costs £595 but in my opinion, is one of those features you’ll regret not buying, especially so when it comes to re-sale value of the GSA.

It’s been at least a couple of years since I’ve spent any meaningful time aboard a BMW R1200GS Adventure, and in some ways, I’d forgotten what a superb all round package the bike is. Given the addition of the new features, it’s an even more tempting proposition and I can’t think of a reason why it’ll not be pushing at the top of the sales charts once again in 2018.

When I received a call from Mr. Gil Balderas, the Deputy Sales Director of SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp/BMW Motorrad Philippines, asking if I would like to join them on a long ride to Vigan, Ilocos Sur using the new BMW R1200GS HP, I automatically said yes even without looking at my calendar to check if I have any prior commitments on those dates. Not only are those invites few and far in between, but the thought of taking the new BMW R1250GS HP on a long ride was too tempting to pass up.

The following week we were invited to attend the ride briefing at the RSA BMW Motorrad showroom in Libis, Quezon City to familiarize ourselves with the bike’s controls and electronics. Facilitating the briefing was Mr. Toto Villanueva, a certified BMW Motorrad instructor. Thankfully, the controls of the R1250GS HP is similar to the previous liquid-cooled R1200GS Rallye, a bike I’m very familiar with. Having ridden the bike numerous times in the not-so-distant-past, it didn’t take long for me to get familiar with the new bike’s controls and switches. Even the riding position felt very similar. That’s because most of the upgrades are hidden beneath the surface of the boxer-twin engine covers.

The R1200GS was never short on power for the type of adventure-touring riding it was designed to do, but BMW engineers thought they could extract more power from the boxer-twin and make that power more accessible. For the R1250GS, not only did it make more power and made it more accessible earlier in the rev range, it also passed the more stringent Euro 5 emissions requirements. This was readily apparent when we were on our way to Vigan. On the expressway the R1250GS HP felt more relaxed in 6th gear while cruising at a steady 100 km/h (set on the cruise control), but instant power for overtaking can be had with just a little bit crack on the throttle, with no need to downshift a gear or two. The ShiftCam system certainly made the already flexible boxer-twin even more flexible. You can let it crawl in first gear without touching the throttle or let it fly to its 218 km/h top speed in sixth gear very quickly. Owners of the liquid-cooled R1200GS will certainly feel the difference especially during roll-on acceleration.

Fiddling with the bike’s plethora of electronic adjustments is very intuitive, and fun, thanks to the new 6.5 inch color TFT display that functions as the main control hub for just about everything on the R1250GS HP. Aside from showing pertinent rider infos like speed, engine rpm, fuel level, and gear, the TFT screen can be paired with your mobile phone via Bluetooth to show incoming or missed calls, messages, emails, navigation, and even music. Navigating through the menus are done via the scroll wheel on the left hand grip and switchgear. A BMW App is available for Android and IOS devices to show additional info about the bike but it’s not required for connectivity. The TFT screen’s display is clear and vibrant even in direct sunlight. But when evening comes the TFT screen backlight adjusts automatically to reduce glare. We spent the night at Hotel Luna in Vigan right after the party hosted by Mr. Ronald Singson.

We got to Bangui just in time for lunch. After eating a hearty meal of Ilocano delicacies at the Kang Kang Windmill Cafe I took the R1250GS out to the beach to try its Enduro Pro mode. Like the R1200GS before it, the R1250GS also possess extreme stability and balance in off road environments. In Enduro Pro mode the bike’s suspension is electronically optimised for riding in extreme off-road conditions. It also disengages the traction control to allow power drifts, which is really fun, especially with the R1250GS extra power. A new feature on the R1250GS I really like is Hill Start Control. It’s like the brake-hold feature on some late model cars and you can activate it, say for example when you stop on an incline, by tapping on the front brake lever twice. This will automatically engage the rear brake, which will stay engaged until you apply some throttle. I find this useful when stopping at toll booths. Another active safety feature is Dynamic Braking Control. This safety feature automatically rolls off the throttle in panic braking situations for quicker and more stable stops during emergencies.

2021’s R1250RT is all about the electronics. Radar-assisted cruise control turns out to be bigger news than anyone thought on a bike and the new 10.25-inch TFT screen and connectivity with the BMW app makes expensive motorcycle sat-navs (almost) redundant.

The standard R1250RT costs £15,820 and the higher-spec LE model tested here is £19,105 on the road (plus an additional £500 for the gorgeous blue paint and cheesy ‘Sports’ stickers). The base model is competitive for a machine that rides this well with most of the kit that most of us would want including the new 10.25-inch TFT screen with smart phone connectivity, panniers, rear luggage rack, cornering ABS, switchable riding modes, LED headlights and old-school cruise control.

BMW’s Boxer twins share a similar architecture. There are two frames – front and back – that mount to the engine. So, in essence the R1200GS is the same platform as the R1200RT. Big conventional touring bikes share the same handling problems as big conventional adventure bikes. They need soft suspension to soak up bumps, but they also have a lot of weight at the front, usually quite high up, which means they need substantial springs. When you brake, all that weight goes crashing downwards, using all the suspension travel very quickly, giving your lazy tourer the temporary steering geometry of a sports bike. As you release the brake it all springs back up again and your geometry resembles a chopper right at the point you want to start steering.

The big news is that, while the RT is last bike in the range to get BMW’s TFT display, it makes up for it by getting the dashboard equivalent of your mate Dave’s 83-inch flat-screen home cinema. The R1250RT’s 10.25 inches is a lot of inches for pretty-much any purpose, and it allows some really useful options about what information is displayed and how. Everything from resetting the trip meter to setting up your phone and navigation is controlled via the menu button and spinny-wheel and, mostly it’s straightforward and intuitive. New for this year are four pre-set buttons so you can get to the things you need most (like the seat and grip heater controls) quickly.

BMW’s TFT displays are designed to work with their ‘Connected’ app. The app has two main functions; it monitors the status of your bike and reminds you of things like service requirements and it plans routes and measures data on your rides, which is the really interesting bit.

The new 10.25-in TFT screen is clear with the main information all there. Rev counter, speed, adaptive cruise indicator along with some comfort features like the heat setting of your grips and seat. You can also see how much charge is in your phone while it’s being wirelessly charged in its own compartment.

You can split the display on the screen to show navigation on one half or choose to have the entire screen as a map, It’s all very intuitive once you get the hang of the rotary wheel control and the menu switch which are more intuitive than, say an Africa Twin and its myriad of buttons. Like most other things in life, it pays to read the manual and have a play before you start trying things on the move.

As we all know,the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen.In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. Forreviews of the best security products, click here.

By now, if you had any interest in the NAV5, you probably know the specs but for those who don"t know, it has a bright 5" TFT resistive touchscreen color display with a resolution of 800x480 pixels and supports 65K colors. The display supports either Landscape or Portrait orientation but only when the NAV5 is not in the Four Button Mount or the GPS Preparation Mount. The display certainly isn"t high-res by current smartphone display standards but it is more than adequate for GPS receivers that need to be seen well in direct sunlight. I"ve found the on-screen text, graphics and color contrasts to be very good if your eyesight is "growing older" like mine. There is a slot for a customer supplied micro-SD Card that supports a capacity of up to 64GB and must be formated as FAT32: most come this way. It"s not easy to get to the micro-SD Card as it"s slot is underneath the Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery pack which is behind a screwed down cover. Garmin supplies a nice little screwdriver with the NAV5: don"t forget to take it with you. The NAV5 comes with City Navigator North America or City Navigator Europe maps preinstalled and includes Lifetime Map Updates.

If you"re going to use a NAV5 on a 2013+ BMW R1200GS, K1600GT/GTL or a 2014 R1200GS Adventure, you will want to purchase the device without the Four Button Mount. But, you will need to make sure the bike is configured with BMW"s GPS [Navigation] Preparation Mount which is a Dealer/Factory installed option. The GPS Prep Mount doesn"t have any buttons, it has an extra cable that links the NAV5 to the bikes LIN bus and the new multi-controller switch on the left hand-grip as seen below.

As a friend pointed out to me recently, the multi-controller switch turns the new BMW"s into a "remote control" for the NAV5 and clearly a safety feature that everyone should have for their GPS: at least that"s what he told his wife after he purchased the NAV5 (he now owns a 2014 R1200GS Adventure).

If you don"t own a 2013+ BMW GS, K1600GT/GTL or a 2014 R1200GS Adventure don"t despair, you can buy the NAV5 with BMW"s Four-button Mount. And, for an additional $18 you can also purchase an adapter pigtail for the Power Plug (BMW p/n 83 30 0 413 586) which will make it easy to adapt the NAV5 to any bikes 12vdc system. You won"t have the added benefit of linking to the bikes Trip Computer and LIN Bus like the bikes listed above but you will have buttons. Those of you who have been waiting for a new unit to replace your GPSMAP 276/376/379/478/479 take notice.

NOTE: The NAV5 screenshots I include in this review contain a lot of Portrait Mode views. This is for publishing purposes. Most users will be using the NAV5 in a BMW Mount which forces Landscape Mode. All screenshots have been scaled down to 400x240 pixels.

Over the past year I"ve been fortunate to be able to put a lot of miles on my bikes with various GPS receivers. Before the Apps and the large displays it"s really about how well the GPS receiver records your position. The GPS software must also record a good representation of your travels in the Trip Log. The NAV5 GPS is certainly not as "good" as my Garmin Monterra with it"s GNSS (GPS & GNONASS) receiver but it marks a location within the devices claimed specs of 10ft (3m) reliably. The Trip Log does exhibit quite a bit of noise when stationary like most of Garmin"s On The Road devices so you will usually need to do some editing to clean up your Trip Log Tracks when you"re home at the computer if you reuse or share them.

The bikes Instrument Cluster also has a number of sensors that can provide some interesting information as well as control of the NAV5 itself. For example, if you enable the Garmin Lock feature on the NAV5 with a four digit PIN code and location, when the NAV5 is mounted it links the bikes VIN number as a security code. Mount the NAV5 on the bike, turn on the key and the NAV5 will startup and unlock: no need for the Garmin Lock PIN code. If the NAV5 is removed from the mount the Garmin Lock PIN Code is required (unless you"re at your Security Location). BMW says you can link up to FIVE bike VIN numbers to one NAV5: cool, more bikes! On a less bright side, the NAV5 screen backlight brightness can be controlled by the Photo Sensor in the bikes Instrument Cluster. To enable this feature, on the NAV5 go to Settings->Display->Backlight and check the "Automatic" box. This Settings option is only available if the NAV5 is mounted to the bike and the key is ON.

Status - The Status & Warning Alerts use the same map button location and Alert pages as the Weather Alerts discussed previously and only shows on the Map page when the NAV5 receives one of the alerts noted below. When you do receive an Alert(s) you will hear the two-tone "alert" sound in your Headset and there will be a "banner message" momentarily displayed at the top of the map.

These are the same alerts that you will see on the Instrument Cluster display but with verbose information messages and/or the ability to generate helpful navigation information. The alert button on the map page will indicate how many items there are on the Map Notifications page. Pressing the alerts button on the Map Notification page will bring up it"s message or, in the case of Fuel Reserve Warning, generate a Where To? search for Gas Stations near your current location.

While I was waiting for my 2014 R1200GS Adventure to arrive Mr. Bob MacFarland(Emoto) provided me with the My Motorcycle Apps screenshots above using a NAV5 mounted on his 2013 R1200GS. Thanks Bob!

There is a worrying trend thieves are now targeting TFT display screens which can be easily removed from unattended motorcycles. Mainly affecting certain BMW models, and costing upwards of £500 to replace, Nippy Normans have produced an anti-theft brace to protect valuable screens from opportunist thieves.

Made from stainless steel, the Anti-Theft Brace fits neatly around the TFT and bolts to stop it from being removed. It attaches to existing mounting points — no fiddly fitting kits or drilling required. It is powder-coated in black to blend in with the machine’s styling and protect against corrosion.

As you would expect, it’s precision cut and shaped so as not to obscure any of the information displayed on the TFT. It also features a built-in sun visor to help make the screen easier to read in bright light — often a problem with shiny, reflective TFTs.

TFT Screen Anti-Theft Brace is available for BMWs F850 Adventure, F900 R/XR, S1000 XR (2020-on), R1200GS LC/Adv and R1250GS/Adv. Included are required fixings. Prices start at just £49 (incl. VAT) and available from www.nippynormans.com

Of course, each of the adjustable rider aids is tuned through a very large and easily readable 6.5 inch TFT color dashboard, which features a large tachometer, gear-position reading, and more.