Impressions, Part Deux…..
Once again, these are my impressions of the new features. Opinions of others may differ.
Cons:
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Infotainment System. What I consider the most serious issue with the system is that it is too convoluted to operate, especially on the fly. Having accrued over 28,000 hrs flying military and legacy airline jets, I have finally met my operator limits. The addition of two five-position joysticks and the left handlebar trigger has been, at times, overwhelming and distracting, and must be used prudently and conservatively, especially when underway. I will not be surprised if there are a few riders that depart the paved surface while playing with the system. If this starts to become a trend, I fear the MoCo might update the firmware, effectively ‘locking out’ certain features this system when the bike is moving. This would effectively transform the system into an $1800 fairing ‘brick’ when underway. We need to be aware of this and use the system cautiously and safely.
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Bluetooth. When initially starting up the bike, the Bluetooth is very slow to pair with my IPhone 5. Takes 3-5 minutes on average. I thought it might be the phone, so I tried it with the wife’s IPhone 4 and then a friend’s Droid. Same result.
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Inner Fairing Phone/USB Cubby Hole. Not a good design. Problematic when trying to stuff both the phone and phone cable in the cavity. The door assembly to the cubby hole also seems cheap and flimsy. Hopefully not prone to breaking.
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Rider Backrest. I’m 6’2” with a 32”inseam. The new seat is extremely comfortable; more so than the previous hammock seat design. The backrest is another story. Despite my long torso, the lowest backrest setting positions places it at my mid-back, not lower back as desired. The backache starts at 50-100 miles. Shorter riders may find the backrest on their shoulder blades. This wasn’t a problem on my previous CVOs.
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Daymaker Lights. These have been out for awhile, but they are my first set. I am concerned about the reduction in brightness in the daytime, compared to the previous lamps. I’m a big believer in the ‘being seen’ concept, and all of my close calls with cagers have been during daylight hours. The light ‘throw’ at night is better, but I am not convinced they are worth the compromise during the day. Currently looking for aftermarket alternatives. Ideas and suggestions from you guys would be most welcome.
Ugly:
GPS. My biggest disappointment.
Short Story:
• The GPS capability is archaic, on a par with 20yr old technology. I’ll be mounting my old Garmin Zumo on the bike.
Long Story :
• Unable to build/load custom routes with more than 9 total waypoints/via points. Forget about installing custom routes from Basecamp and Mapsource with more than 9 waypints. I haven’t tried loading a custom route from HD Ride Planner, since it’s a crappy program and a nightmare to build a custom route. Basically all you can do is load in the final destination, then enable/disable the route calculation preferences (Twisty, Round Trip, Avoidances). The existing system places you at the mercy of where the MoCo thinks you should go.
• Lack of Active Route Information, such as Time, Distance, or ETA to next turn point. Can only display Time, Distance, and ETA to final destination. Turn point info is provided only via voice prompts, which is problematic if you wish to mute it so it doesn’t continually interrupt your tunes.
• Display – Screen brightness can be adjusted, but contrast cannot. Problematic in the sunlight when the GPS display has a gray background with most roads colored yellow.
• Slow to boot up/ready to navigate. Takes several minutes.
• Check out the price of map updates at:
https://harley-davidson.naviextras.com/shop/portal/newCatalog?selectedTab=3 Prices vary from $149.95 to $199.95 depending on region. Ka-Ching!
• Another very pricey item is the replaceable peel and stick screen protector (P/N 91700034). Priced at $56.37, the Owner’s Manual states that failure to replace it as needed will void the warranty. Seriously MoCo?