aprilia tft display supplier

Gauge cluster design is a dying art. Speedometers and tachometers used to sit at the front of motorcycles like single-handed mechanical watches, projecting only the most pertinent information to the rider: vehicle speed, engine speed and the odometer. Then, like most analog things, digital became the preference and, for the most part, still is the preferred way to display even more information to riders like time, temperature, ride modes, traction control and any other minute pieces data the manufacturer deems necessary.

No one is saying having access to all that data is unnecessary or overbearing — quite the opposite. The more you can know about what’s going on with your bike the better, but, on a modern bike, all that information is more than an analog gauge can handle. So digital displays are a necessary evil, but their principal downside is they lack style, character and they all seem to look the same. However, it seems like the motorcycle industry is at a crossroads and the opportunity for unique, yet modern design is on its way back.

Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal — or full-color TFT displays — are gaining popularity in the motorcycle industry. TFT is merely a more refined version of the well-known liquid crystal display (LCD), whose potential is already on display in the Lexus LFAand Audi’s Virtual Cockpit. And now, motorcycle manufacturers like Ducati are bringing that technology to the two-wheeled universe to exploit the benefits of a TFT display even further.

Ducati Monster Line Product Manager Stephano Trabusi explained, “TFT is more visible during the day, even in direct sunlight, the resolution is much higher than normal LCD so that you can have much more information on a display.” Given that the cockpit of a motorcycle doesn’t have the benefit of shade from a roof, more common digital and LCDs fall victim to severe glare. The Bosch system Ducati runs even goes one step further with a night mode that can tell if it’s night time, if you’re in a tunnel or a low light environment and flips the display background to black and the font white, so it’s easier to read.

Night vision is just the tip of the TFT iceberg, though. The complex levels of traction control and ride modes that come along with the Bosch system mean the screen has to be able to cycle through numerous menus and pages and display the traction control, engine modes and ABS settings once programmed. “Given that the bikes are so much more complex nowadays, they have more and more functions and more electronics; we need that higher resolution to display all that information.” And not only that but Trabusi justifies Ducati’s use of the display in the most modern way possible, “you always see the display when you’re riding, and it has to have a premium feel for a premium ride. Today, we are so used to our smartphones with color displays — it has become just so familiar. And to have this level of resolution and color on our bikes — it was common sense.”

Therein lies the problem with the Bosch system. Because it’s from a third party electronics and software company, and because it’s so close to a complete plug-and-play package, a handful of other manufacturers — BMW, KTM, Aprilia — use similar if not identical systems. So we wind up with cookie cutter displays no better than the uninspired digital systems they replaced. But thumbing through, pages, levels, toggling ride modes and taking calls via Bluetooth, it’s undoubtedly intuitive, but there’s an overwhelming sense that no one is exploiting the display for all it can do. It’s the same as getting an iPhone X and only using it for dim-lit selfies and tri-color wallpaper.

There’s no reason Ducati couldn’t create its own version of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit — between the maps, different gauge cluster layouts and creative displays, it would be like nothing else on two wheels. The creative potential is there, but until someone unlocks it, we’re stuck in this dull purgatory of right angles and primary colors.

TheMXS 1.3 Strada is one of our most widely used dashes on tracks and roads all over the world. TheMXS 1.3 Strada has a 5" colour TFT display that offers a great visual impact. You can configure the dash to show all the information coming from the ECU, analogue /digital inputs, predefined math channels and an optional GPS Module.

Connecting theMXS 1.3 Strada dash to your ECU is simple. You can sample and display dozens of channels straight from the vehicle ECU. This is usually the quickest and easiest setup, needing only 2 cable connections to the ECU instead of multiple connections to analogue sensors.

TheMXS 1.3 Strada has a 5" TFT high contrast colour display. The visual quality is optimized by the ambient light sensor which keeps the backlight at the best brightness levels.

Two analogue camera inputs are available, to switch your display into a mirror camera, through pushbutton command or event management. The camera is sold separately.

With Race Studio 3 you can create, modify, delete, import and export configurations with all channels, ECU drivers, Math channels, Display Pages, Digital outputs, Alarms, Shift Lights and all the expansions you need. You will also be able to manage the map of all your racing tracks and compare two laps watching the video recorded by SmartyCam HD cameras.

Motorcyclists expect their bike’s instrument panel to deliver all the necessary information in the clearest way possible. From analog speedos and tachometers to full-color TFT displays, users should be able to access the appropriate information without being distracted from the task at hand. However, riders of different disciplines value different metrics, and Continental’s MultiViu Sports display puts the user’s preferences at the forefront.

“Selecting a motorcycle is a lifestyle decision,” admits Continental’s product manager Patric Zimmermann. “The driver of a low rider motorbike is different in many ways from a motocross biker. However, both care a lot about how information is displayed to them. Both need a display that is as good as a smartphone and shows content in accordance with their particular preferences.”

Continental technicians have also future-proofed the display with Bluetooth smartphone connectivity. Suppliers can also customize the platform with external services such as weather information or music streaming capabilities. The brand is currently developing a MultiViu unit with a touchscreen feature for an even more user-friendly experience.

As of now, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S and 1290 Super Duke R tout Continental’s MultiViu Sports 7-inch TFT display. With the level of customization and premium performance, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more models adopt the dash in the near future.

Bosch has launched the world’s first fully integrated split screen for motorcycles. The 10.25-inch TFT display simultaneously displays both relevant vehicle information and riding content like navigation from smartphone apps without distracting the rider, something that used to only be available in premium cars. Additionally, the smartphone integration solution mySPIN brings the connected phone’s content to the motorcycle’s display.

Split screen on a 10.25-inch TFT display presenting both relevant vehicle information and riding content like navigation from smartphone apps without distracting the rider.

Yokohama, Japan – A freely programmable split screen that simultaneously displays vehicle information and app content from a smartphone was once reserved exclusively for premium cars. Bosch’s new integrated connectivity cluster is making this feature available for motorcycles in the form of a 10.25-inch TFT display. Additionally, the smartphone integration solution mySPIN brings the connected phone’s content to the motorcycle’s display. A representative Bosch survey among 2 600 motorcycle riders found that eight out of ten riders would welcome this function. “Our clusters in combination with mySPIN offer a new riding experience with more safety and convenience for motorcycle riders. For us, this is the next step in terms of connectivity for motorcycles”, says Geoff Liersch, President of the Two-Wheeler & Powersports unit at Bosch.

The new 10.25-inch TFT display debuts this year on BMW motorcycles. The display’s new dimensions show all relevant information at one glance without distracting the rider. Users decide on the content they wish to see on the screen, all of which can be controlled by the handlebar. The contents of a smartphone app, for example, are automatically adapted with mySPIN to show relevant information fitting the size of the motorcycle display. The split screen continues to show key indicators such as speed and warnings.

According to the Bosch survey nearly 90 percent of riders use their smartphone to prepare or follow-up on trips. One third puts themselves in great danger using their smartphone even while riding. Bosch has developed the smartphone integration solution mySPIN to make the usage of smartphone content safe and more comfortable. Available in the powersports segment since 2018 – this includes for example so-called all-terrain vehicles or personal watercrafts – in BRP vehicles, mySPIN now will be introduced in the motorcycle segment for the first time. Ducati will introduce it together with Bosch’s also new 6.5-inch connectivity display without the split-screen option.

After the success achieved by Aprilia RSV4 X, the special version of the supersport bike from Noale, one of the most powerful and lightest ever, of which 10 available units were assigned in just a few hours, Aprilia is back to advancing the extraordinary V4 project, presenting a truly unique version of the Tuono V4, the hypernaked par excellence. Introducing Aprilia Tuono V4 X, the exclusive “super Tuono” produced in a numbered and limited edition, developed and assembled directly by Aprilia Racing, the factory with 54 world titles, seven of which were won in the World SBK championship specifically with the narrow V4 engine.mute

Considering the fact that, since its birth in 2011, the Tuono V4 has been deemed the best hypernaked on the track, you can just imagine the credentials of the Tuono V4 X, capable of lapping with a pace of 1’50” at Imola in the able hands of Aprilia rider Lorenzo Savadori, during development entrusted to him.Item 1 of 0Item 1 of 0

PreviousNextTuono V4 X is part of the Factory Works programme launched by Aprilia Racing: unique in the world, it takes the same technology developed in competitive racing and makes it available to those planning to compete at high level in factory derivative championships or to those who want an RSV4 or a Tuono V4 with performance optimised for track use.

TFT LCD technology is that interface. All the potential of the data stored between your front and back wheels is released by the dazzling array of shapes and colours displayed by these newest dashboards. They can show you anything and everything, which in turn allows designers and engineers to load you up with more and more electronic features.

These dashes are a combination of the latest liquid-crystal display (good ol’ LCD) technology and the brilliance of thin-film transistors (TFT). TFT and LCD as a team can show us an endless variety of information in incredible clarity and colour, using very little power in the process. It is light weight and takes up very little space, vital considerations when motorcycle designers choose anything to perch above the steering head.

TFTs are certainly not new. The technology was developed in Bell Labs in the USA 60 years ago. It took a while to evolve and become commercially viable. The first TFT LCD colour TV, the tiny Epson Elf, was launched in 1984. This was just two years after Honda dazzled us with the very advanced VF750S, a bike that included an electronic speedo and tacho, as well as an LCD gear indicator, which doubled as a fault-code display.

But realistically, motorcycles of that era didn’t pack the electronic muscle that makes TFT displays almost compulsory nowadays. In fact, Honda perhaps overstepped the mark with its first VF and stripped much of the tech out of subsequent models. Motorcycles plodded along with analogue dials and filament-lit warning lights for years. That was fine while motorcycles were simple mechanical devices, but they’re now far more than that.

Today we need to control all manner of electronics in our motorcycles. Adjustable engine parameters. ABS. Adjustable traction control. A display of info configured for commuting. Another for track days. Entertainment. Communications. Navigation. Our mechanics need access to fault data. They need to update programming. Hell, there was even that scooter that flashed tweets across your screen. Which was that? No, probably best forgotten…

A TFT LCD display can be a touch screen giving you direct control, although dash- or handlebar-mounted buttons, toggles and switches are more common and practical on motorcycles. Arguably, the best setup puts all the controls on the handlebars, where they’re easily and (you’d hope) intuitively manipulated. BMW, for example, has taken great pains to try to make its multi-controller the centre of a logical system, one that demands little direct concentration to manipulate while you ride.

And therein lies the crux of good TFT-based information displays; is it intuitive, so a rider can scroll menus, get warnings, read information and choose settings without having their attention drawn away from the act of actually riding the motorcycle? Distractions kill.

TFT technology is indispensable in avoiding distraction as manufacturers flash more and more information at riders. Apart from the fact that we couldn’t get all the data without TFT LCD screens, we also couldn’t possibly digest it. We’d be facing dashboards that resembled the pilot’s view in the seat of a Boeing 747; dials, lights, buttons, digits and switches everywhere.

There are more subtle advantages of TFT LCDs. Compared with your old-school LCDs, you get better resolution, smoother movement across the screen, sharper contrast and better clarity in sunshine. That last point is a good one when the sun is reflecting off the screen, although there is still room for improvement there.

Viewing angles are a hot topic of conversation among TFT screen users. One drawback of the currently technology is that once you’re a little off-centre from the screen, the detail begins to disappear before the image vanishes altogether. That’s not a problem for us when we’re riding, as we’re centred in front of it and highly unlikely to need to look at it while dangling off the side of the bike.

Another essential factor in the rise of TFT dashboards is their willingness to take input from anything and everything. It will accept multiple digital inputs, giving you access to all your motorcycle’s vital signs, your sat-nav, your communications, your music. Naturally, it will do this wirelessly when the devices warrant it.

There are no limits to the graphic designs that can be assigned to TFT LCD displays. Take your pick of colours, typefaces, sizes, symbols and everything else. From a rider’s perspective, design is vital. Good dash design puts emphasis on crucial information being very visible. The most important info should have the most prominence.

Knowing the name of the person calling you on the phone could be good to know if you don’t want to be sprung wagging work to ride your motorcycle. TFT dashboards can, if the programming is provided, give you choices about what information sits centre stage at any particular time.

The quality of your own eyes may have something to do with whether a dashboard display works well for you, so try before you buy, and check the options available in the menus.

There are plenty of alternatives to TFT LCD screens, some relying on back-lit panels like TFT LCDs do, others emitting their own light. A third type projects images onto a screen. All three types are in use somewhere already, in TVs, mobile devices and more.

A short step up from TFT, IPS (in-plane switching) uses a different means of exciting the liquid crystals, which orientate differently. The result gives wider view angles, more accurate colours and better image quality, but it costs more and has greater power demands. The benefits probably aren’t worth it for a motorcycle screen, simply because we don’t need the quality that, say, a picture editor might demand from their Apple — which is one example of where IPS screens have been employed.

So-called LED (light-emitting diode) screens may imply they are their light source, but the reality is that the LEDs are usually just the source of backlighting for LCDs. In fact, there’s a good chance your TFT LCD screen is just this type.

OLED (organic LED) is different. As the name implies, they’re made from an organic source, electrically stimulated to produce the desired light. This type of display is used in TVs, computers and mobile devices. A handful of cars are using OLED displays, dating back to the Aston Martin DB9’s debut early this century.

Further down the track, electroluminescent displays (ELD), and variations on e-paper and other technologies, may come into play. ELD is already in use in many cars but generally in simpler dashboards than what’s being fitted to current TFT-equipped motorcycles.

Cost and efficiency will determine if and when anything else takes over, but for now TFT plays that role beautifully. Because of our mobile phones and computers, we’re already quite used to looking at flat screens, and we almost instinctively know how to use them as the conduit between us and our technology. Where older dashboards used to give us a page full of information, TFT screens give us a tome of information, displayed a page at a time.

Without TFT screens, we would not have access to the myriad technologies that now add efficiency, safety, entertainment and practicality to our everyday riding.

At the riskof oversimplifying a complex system that would baffle the average brain, your TFT LCD dashboard is created using layers. The thin film containing transistors — the TFT part — is merely one of them, trapped somewhere near the middle, and sandwiched between sheets of glass or transparent plastic.

A backlight behind the dash display is illuminated. However, the liquid crystals in the system block that light. Electrical signals to the crystals cause them to alter their orientation, releasing light. There are also polarising filters to add further control to the transmission of light.

Assuming the electrical impulses are correct, the transistors create a dancing light display to shine through the screen, revealing everything you want to know.

Every pixel ina TFT LCD display has its own transistor, maximising control across the whole screen. Pixel count dictates resolution, so the more pixels you have, the better your screen will look. In theory, there’s no reason why you couldn’t have cinema-quality movies playing seamlessly across your dashboard.

It can also be very efficient, in that the distribution of power is extremely fast, allowing very quick re-drawing of the displayed information, and power is only directed to where it is needed.

While attending the2022 GET ON! Adventure Fest rally in Mojave, CaliforniaI was privileged to get a test ride of this exciting new mid-sized adventure bike fromAprilia.  Unfortunately, my total ride time only amounted to an enthusiastic 20-minute guided ride followed by 15 minutes of me giving it the beans on and off-road while no one was watching.  What I’m saying is there are many aspects I can’t adequately comment about in this review, but I got enough time in the saddle to learn a lot regardless.

Speaking of bikes named after famous desert regions, there’s little doubt in my mind Aprilia’s Tuareg is a blatant “hold my beer” challenge to Yamaha’s ultra-popular middleweight adventure bike.

Enter the Aprilia Tuareg with the opposing ideology of design.  It’s all about the “nonsense”, being that it’s loaded with gizmos and even has the exaggerative slogan“be a racer”on the front fender and programmed into the TFT display opening screen

To my thinking, Aprilia has built the T7 most people actually want (or think they do) and stolen Yamaha’s thunder.  Further to that, I think this Aprilia beats the T7 in almost every area of performance based on the short romance I had with it in Mojave.  Reliability remains to be seen in the long term, of course.

However, they don’t match up with some more well-endowed middleweight bikes boasting around 100hp like theHusqvarna Norden 901or KTM 790/890 adventure.  Those bikes weigh the same (790 adventure) or are within 22lbs of the Aprilia but, there’s almost a 250cc difference in engine displacement to consider making it an unfair comparison on the asphalt when it comes to brute acceleration and speed.

This Aprilia falls flat on its face when the max rev is reached with a long drawn out“booooog”.  It drops several hundred rpm when it hits and stays there for half a Mississippi. So I guess Aprilia is saying control your revs or they’ll take swift and heavy-handed action to protect the engine’s valvetrain from rider abuse.

My demo Tuareg wasn’t equipped with the optional $250 Aprilia Quick Shift feature to my disappointment.  I’ve had this feature on my last three motorcycles and use it both on and off-road with reckless abandon.

The front brake lever on my demo Tuareg had excessive dead travel on it (about ¾”) before any braking effect began.  I didn’t have time to figure out whether this was adjustable or not, but it could be foreshadowing a one-off warranty repair or master cylinder recall as KTM had with their 790 bikes.  I’ve sent an inquiry to my Aprilia contact to find out and will update this review when I get more details.

Despite the Tuareg TC being so limited comparatively, I found Level 1 suited my off-road riding style to a T, but then again that might change if I rode it in deep mud, a rocky riverbed, or in some nasty shale rock.  Aprilia would do well to double the number of TC settings on future Tuaregs, in my opinion.

This is one area where the extra money spent on the Aprilia over buying the T7 makes a lot of sense, although it’s easy to point out you can buy the same level or better aftermarket suspension for the Yamaha and level the playing field in this category.

Aprilia seems to have nailed it based on this brief demo ride I had, but honestly, I wouldn’t want to laud its comfort completely until I’ve had the chance to ride it for 3 days straight over varied terrain.

I would recommend getting the extended warranty because Aprilia did have some issues (now resolved) with the first batch of RS660 engines they produced.

Rumor has it the problems were related to faulty connecting rods which earned some RS660 owners a complete engine swap out rather than a recall repair.  That’s the right way for Aprilia to approach such a problem in my opinion.  Repairs take a lot longer and expose the product to too many variables compared to a quick wholesale change out.

By my completely unscientific reckoning, Aprilia motorcycles strike me as the product of one of the Japanese manufacturers collaborating and building a bike 50/50 with Ducati.  There’s some Italian flair to the styling to make them fancier than the average Japanese product, but “Apes” definitely seem to be purpose-built first and showpieces second.  Does that translate to the reliability side of things as well?  I can’t say for sure.

One of my friends who worked as a parts person at an Aprilia dealership several years ago mentioned to me that there were often unreasonable wait times for parts from the Italy-based Mother Ship.I have no idea whether this is the current reality or not… but I have to at least address the obvious elephant in the room anyone reading this review plainly sees.

I’d suggest interrogating your local dealership parts counter to get your own truth before buying a Tuareg.  Even that could be challenging since for most people in North America, the nearest Aprilia dealership could be hours away from them.

The 5 Tuaregs at Zakar were demo-ride favorites while the GET ON! Adventure Fest Rally ran for 4 days straight.  There were no mechanical issues of note with any of the bikes during that time even after a GS rider T-boned one of the Aprilias accidentally at low speed.  Make your own jokes about that one…

All eyes were on these Tuaregs waiting for the slightest stumble– which never came to be.  The demo rides put on by the Aprilia reps were aggressive in nature and the bikes were put to the test in the heat, wind, and dust… but I admit a 4-day fling is far different than 14 years of ownership.

Aprilia has shown great nerve and boldness in taking on a giant of reliability in the Yamaha T7 and everyone knows it, but let me further emphasize just how huge this Goliath is.

It’s easy to confidently say that 20 years from now the Yamaha will still be running just fine even with 60,000+ miles on it, but what will the Aprilia be like comparatively?

The hard truth for me to accept is that the smart money still rides on the Yamaha until Aprilia can resolve these short and long-term concerns.  They need to show the world through several independent testers that the Tuareg is going to run reliably enough to keep owners on the road more than in the dealership repair shop.

We know Yamaha will likely release a highly anticipated upscale version of their T7 next year to further hurt Aprilia’s chances of the Tuareg becoming a runaway success story.The World Raid T7sounds thoughtfully improved over the one we can buy now and should retain its bulletproof reputation of reliability too.  That’s going to be very tough to beat for any manufacturer venturing into the 700cc category.

I think the Tuareg is such a great motorcycle that has what it takes to please most riders, but my crystal ball doesn’t say that it will resonate strongly enough with the public to translate into big sales numbers for Aprilia.