After some false starts I bought a Carpuride W702 Pro, this has auto brightness compared to the manual brightness adjustment on the plain W702. Have been on a few rides with it so far, not really enough time to fully assess but it's working well so far. I'm used to MRA on my phone which I've been using since I gave up the flawed Garmin XT last year. I also use Android Auto in the car but mainly with Google Maps which is better, IMHO, for "just get me there" navigation. The W702 unit is a bit large to be honest but the way my eyesight is drifting no bad thing I suppose. My biggest concern was finding a decent mounting system. Ideally something that I could easily detach the panel when leaving the bike parked in public places. The options in the pre purchase phase were all not quite right, a little lashed together and not suited for above the clocks mounting on my 1260 Multi. However, whilst running MRA on the phone for the past year I'd invested in an Evotech Performance mount to replace my old Ducati Performance one. The latter required a cobbled together solution to attach an SP Connect mount for my phone to the AMPS plate on the DP mount. The Evotech mount came with the SP Connect rosette. Thankfully they have since come up with a Carpuride version as well. Conveniently, for me, they also offer just the adapter parts too. The included QuadLock system makes dismounting the panel easy, not quite as convienient as the Garmin or my phone as the mount and the cable are separate. However, I've found that changing the orientation of the panel to portrait in the QuadLock gives access to the connector whilst not having to balance the Carpuride at the same time. For security I've swapped the QuadLock lever from the bright blue to a black one, and changed that to the 6 o'clock position, to make it less conspicuous as a QD system. See pictures in my other post further down this page. So, I'm very happy with the set-up in practical terms. Time will tell if the Carpuride works as well as the phone for MRA navigation, it promises to be a better solution in terms of visibility (screen size and daylight readable), touch screen useable with gloves and enabling the phone to run MRA with the screen off whilct charging in my tank-bag. Previously MRA and the screen couldn't keep up with the SP Connect wireless charging mount, giving about 6 hours at best (ran old phone, Galaxy S9, with MRA installed first then swapped to new phone, Galaxy S21, to get me through the day).
If you’re not using it for touring and just want basic sat nav, I have been using a beeline moto and just changed to the much improved 2. Very easy to use and I can swap from bike to bike. If touring and need s full blown the previously recommended devices are your best bet
@Bumpkin really appreciate the breakdown. Any particular reason you didn't go for the Chigee instead?
In short; significantly more expensive and didn't want the complexity of dash cams with something that might not work out. Plus I knew a couple of riders with Carpurides who were android users, same as me. I had gone through another panel that got good reviews, turns out that was only for CarPlay, android implementationh had significant flaws. That got returned.
Appreciate the suggestion. Ended up getting the lifetime for both the subscription and the app. Should work nicely with the Android Auto unit I get! Tried the app out today and it works nicely.
Started using MRA route planner quite a few years ago, in its infancy. Impressed by the rapid development inline with feedback from users and also its ability to work well with Garmin sat navs, better in fact than Garmin's own Basecamp software. Roll on a few years and the introduction of the Navigation Next app, I was a beta tester pre release, and it became a full all round nav solution built by bikers for bikers. Still evolving, both planner and Nav Next, improving with each iteration. Perfect, no it's not. However, better IMHO than the alternatives.
I've taken a punt on the Aoocci C6Pro (with dashcams and TPMS). Disappointed that neither Calimoto nor Spotify seem to have Android Auto compatible versions, so the unit does not allow me to leave the phone in the tank bag but mount it elsewhere. Unit weighs 370g and have adapted the bracket (radically) to fit the Iconic Parts satnav mount for the 1200S DVT
It’s worth spending a bit of time going thought the tutorials for MRA both for route planning and navigation. Some good demos on their website
Calimoto are apparently working on making their App Android Auto compatible. How long that will take, who knows. It would be worth commenting on their Blog and FB, as it gives them an idea of how many people want it.
For anyone that's been following this thread and interested in the Carpuride, they're currently on offer on Amazon for the next couple of hours. Just ordered the W502Pro as I feel the 7 would be too large.
The problem with all CarPlay devices (Chigee, Carpuride etc) are they have a permanent fixed mount… this is the only one I could find which can be unplugged (at the unit) to remove. I’ve not bothered with any of the fixings or cameras that came with it. Instead, I simply stuck a 3m backed quad lock plate to the back of it… this way I can use either the CarPlay unit, or my phone (not that I need to) on my existing quad lock mount above the dash. Cheap to buy, easy to fit, reliable connection. Carplay worked flawlessly on tip to Picos/Chaves and riding back through France. Allows you to have Waze notifications running in background. Brilliant. https://amzn.eu/d/h45P5rg https://amzn.eu/d/9dFg85H
Carpuride doesn't have to be fixed mount but I believe Chigbee does.Carpuride comes with a ball mount. I've just fitted the EvoTech mount which converts the Carpuride to a quadlock connector too so it's super easy to pop on and off. Really happy with it.
ok that’s great to hear… from what I saw it looked like the cables coming from the Carpuride couldn’t be unplugged at the unit but good to hear they can.
They have a little screw plug with an end cap for when you're not using it. I took a picture of the new mount and you can see the wire hanging on the left.
I have the same set-up as @PineWhisper, mounting a Carpuride W702 Pro. The Evotech kit is the usual great quality. Expanding on my post further up this page now I have photos. You can see in the first image I've swapped the Quadlock lever from the bright blue one to black, less obvious to thieves and also less distracting when riding without the panel. As the Quadlock mates at 45º but locks out either vertically or horizontally I first twist my Carpuride clockwise so that it's in portrait mode (90º from what it should be), as in pic three, so that I can get easy access to both of the cable ends (you can see these in pics one and two) to join them together. Once connected I release the Quadlock lever again and turn the unit 90º anticlockwise to orientate the Carpuride as shown in pic four, this hides the cable behind the unit. Mounting and dismounting it this way prevents awkwardly propping up the panel and risking dropping it or scratching the screen as it dangles, you do need both hands to join the connector. The base of the original Carpuride ball mount, that the Evotech Quadlock compatible plate (in pic two) replaces, made contact via a thermal pad with a chip inside the unit, this is obviously so that this part of the mount acts as a heatsink. The Evotech part does the same and being a decent block of aluminium performs the same function. Just don't misplace the thermal pad when installing the Evotech part. It's a well thought out solution and very usable day to day as a easily detachable mount. I started with an SP connect mount for my phone on the Evotech GPS mount. Thankfully they sell, if you require it as I did, the head part of the mount to match a variety of GPS models and mount systems. I have quite a few Evotech products on my bike, very happy with the quality and function of them all. Top company with well designed products in my humble opinion, no affiliation other than a satisfied customer.
Got my Chigee Play 5 fitted to the Evotec mount ( quad lock ) connection cable next to it , stop , unplug , happy days. They are talking about making the new 6 as a quick release unit similar to the BMW mounts. V4s
I used Sygic when I had my V4S. Never had any problems with it. But there is a sequence that you have to follow to launch it. I got my dealer to sort it out
Sygic okay as an A to B , but thats it . Find a Nav is a better or a dedicated Navigation app such as My Route App . With the Car play and the Apps , good options, GPS or A to B via the usual Google Waze etc etc. I still have my XT2 so in early relationship with the Chigee but so far so good. I gave in trying to find a way to route my own choices (Sygic) . Imho
