Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[blown alcohol]

I know nothing about the harley infotainment system.
When did it first come out? Are the earlier models infotainment systems out of date?
How is the GPS compared to a garimin xt?

I ask this because I have a 2013 cvo ultra. My factory Garmin 660 is outdated compared to the garmin xt. I just swapped out the gps for a new updated easier to read screen on the garmin XT.

I do not want to buy a used, but newer bike and have something that I am not able to update, or not supported.
Has the boom system had big changes over the years? Are certain years better than others?

[Para Bellum]

Every Harley I've had with a built-in system has promised much...and delivered little.  They all have been Clunky (capital C intended), loaded with bugs, required torturous levels of work-arounds, are poor quality, break easily and often and cost high prices plus the Harley tax, and are left in the dust by nearly every aftermarket system out there.

When MoCo issues a software update to fix some of those teeth-grinding problems, the result is new problems added on top of the original problems.  Eventually you'll pay a tech for 3 hours of diagnostic time/Digital Tech, just to be told "They all do that!"

When you've had all you can take, and drop-kick the bike into the Grand Canyon and buy a new(er) one, you are guaranteed to get a different set of problems...not always better or worse...but at least it won't be the same crank-addicted worm that buzzed around in your brain for the last couple of years.

The best approach is to chit-can the original system and buy whatever quality of off-the-shelf system that meets your needs.  Good luck.

[J Meadows]

I had a Road tech 660 on my 2014 Street Glide Standard, I really liked that unit, I lost in Tennessee going down the freeway at 70mph, I purchased an XT to replace it. Some things take a little getting use to as they changed. I can no longer hear the directions through my speakers, I can check weather, see traffic ahead. Overall I am pleased with the Garmin XT

[dayne66]

I  used a 660 for many years...until I bought a '20. So far have been quite happy with it's functionality.....however, have not been on an extended vacation with it yet.

[ultrafxr]

The GPS on the newer bikes (2019 to date) seem to work better imo. But then I gave up on the one in my 2018 so maybe software updates would have made it function better. Some things I find missing are:  no display of distance to next turn, cannot change auto recalculation to ‘prompted’, no option to detour when problems encountered on the route (construction, road closure, accident, etc). My Garmin 590 has all these features.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[iski]

Infotainment on my 2017 is a disappointment as well as a waste of inner fairing real estate space.  The MP3 works ok, more than less but is glitchy & has it's issues.  The GPS is ok for very basic Point A to Point B directions, but does a lackluster job when asked to follow a multiple stop road route (twisties in the mountains as 1 example).  Have heard the newer bike versions are better but that wouldn't take much to accomplish.

[Glenncarp]

Infotainment on my 2017 is a disappointment as well as a waste of inner fairing real estate space.  The MP3 works ok, more than less but is glitchy & has it's issues.  The GPS is ok for very basic Point A to Point B directions, but does a lackluster job when asked to follow a multiple stop road route (twisties in the mountains as 1 example).  Have heard the newer bike versions are better but that wouldn't take much to accomplish.

"Newer bike versions are better" Eh, I have a '19 RG Special and all that you listed in your post hold true on mine too.

What is worse is I use the HD Ride planner to create a custom route and save ride. I send ride to bike via app and can transfer it into the GTS, BUT.........The route is NEVER exactly as I planned it., never. And it should be, it is not that difficult to do on a GPS system. I have also sent route to my buddy and riding next to him, I can hear his GPS telling him to make a right, while mine says to continue straight. We stopped and we both checked and both had route on GTS set to "Fastest".

Calls to HD get filed in the junk draw with a "I'll pass this on to the engineers" as a placating remark.

I mean seriously, how many of us have asked to have distance to next turn show again? How many had it in prior updates, so how hard would it be to bring it back? When the "Engineers" cannot/will not undo something they did, that speaks volumes.

[iski]

"Newer bike versions are better" Eh, I have a '19 RG Special and all that you listed in your post hold true on mine too.

What is worse is I use the HD Ride planner to create a custom route and save ride. I send ride to bike via app and can transfer it into the GTS, BUT.........The route is NEVER exactly as I planned it., never. And it should be, it is not that difficult to do on a GPS system. I have also sent route to my buddy and riding next to him, I can hear his GPS telling him to make a right, while mine says to continue straight. We stopped and we both checked and both had route on GTS set to "Fastest".

Calls to HD get filed in the junk draw with a "I'll pass this on to the engineers" as a placating remark.

I mean seriously, how many of us have asked to have distance to next turn show again? How many had it in prior updates, so how hard would it be to bring it back? When the "Engineers" cannot/will not undo something they did, that speaks volumes.

Agreed. The HD GPS was built by folks that want to go - simply - from Point A to Point B.  Have never had a Ride Planner Route run on the bike like I routed it online.  Have had all sorts of GPS glitches.  I use my phone or a paper map because the HD GPS is unreliable & too often a waste of time. And HD doesn't care or they would not have left it that way for multiple years.

[FLSTFI Dave]

The trick to getting the 19 and new GTS navigation to take the rout you want is lots and lots of way points when planning the route in Ride planner.  If you do this it will route you has planned.  Also make sure both the bikes and ride planner have the same avoidances set.  It not the same it can create problems following the route.  I use the GTS Nav and ride planner for rides through the mountains routes I want, not what GPS would give.

My biggest issuers with the GTS is sometimes it will boot up CarPlay the first time, other times its very hard to get it to boot up.  I like CarPlay for going from here to my destination, when its fastest route I want.  CarPlay can understand my voice and go when I say navigate to Dandridge TN.  80% of the time the GTS does not understand me and is not even close.

[Glenncarp]

The trick to getting the 19 and new GTS navigation to take the rout you want is lots and lots of way points when planning the route in Ride planner.  If you do this it will route you has planned.  Also make sure both the bikes and ride planner have the same avoidances set.  It not the same it can create problems following the route.  I use the GTS Nav and ride planner for rides through the mountains routes I want, not what GPS would give.

My biggest issuers with the GTS is sometimes it will boot up CarPlay the first time, other times its very hard to get it to boot up.  I like CarPlay for going from here to my destination, when its fastest route I want.  CarPlay can understand my voice and go when I say navigate to Dandridge TN.  80% of the time the GTS does not understand me and is not even close.

I have tried to remove waypoints, it changes route back to what it wants in Ride Planner. Do you have any tips? Like Android Auto and agree it is much better that the HD on listening to your voice, however, you cant adjust a route on Google maps and transfer it onto a USB stick. I tried the web site recommended on here and it works time to time. Would love to use Android Auto with HD GPS, but that is not allowed. Lol

[iski]

Tried using many multiple waypoints, bike & Ride Planner both set to same parameters, and it will partially follow a route at best.  Often it enters random U-turns (yes I blow up the map to make sure the pins are stuck where they should be & not in the wrong lane, off road, side street, etc.) & it still tries to take me completely off road sometimes into a cow pasture or whatever & it is basically unreliable & a PITA.  So if I use it then it's for Point A to Point B & then at that point enter the next Point B but have found paper maps or printed/written turn-by-turn to be easier.

Other than that have lost patience with this Infotaint POS a long time ago & it is 1 reason I am not looking at another new HD for the future. There are others, it's not the only reason but this system was so much less than it could be - it helps keep those purse strings tightened. 

[FLSTFI Dave]

I have tried to remove waypoints, it changes route back to what it wants in Ride Planner. Do you have any tips? Like Android Auto and agree it is much better that the HD on listening to your voice, however, you cant adjust a route on Google maps and transfer it onto a USB stick. I tried the web site recommended on here and it works time to time. Would love to use Android Auto with HD GPS, but that is not allowed. Lol

You have to use lots of way points in ride planner to get it to follow your desired route.  And as stated you have to blow up the map to make sure the way point is on the road and in your lane.  I have used it to go from my home in East TN to Daytona, all back roads, the route I wanted.  Lots and lots of way points.  I know others use base camp, and lots of way points to do the same.

[JLR]

You have to use lots of way points in ride planner to get it to follow your desired route.  And as stated you have to blow up the map to make sure the way point is on the road and in your lane.  I have used it to go from my home in East TN to Daytona, all back roads, the route I wanted.  Lots and lots of way points.  I know others use base camp, and lots of way points to do the same.

What he said.  Our local HOG chapter uses the ride planner.  Some load the gpx file into the info system, others (like me) load the file into a Garmin.  I can almost always tell when looking at the ride planner if the route is going to work or not. The files must be "blown up" to the max to see if the waypoints are on the route and there has to be a lot of waypoints. I have found that changing the route from the saved map in ride planner doesn't work well.  Sometimes I just write the directions down and make a new map with a lot of waypoints - it works better that way.