V4 My Experiences With Sygic On A Recent Trip

Discussion in 'Multistrada' started by Richard F, Aug 12, 2023.

  1. As is well understood Sygic is far from perfect but I did manage to figure out some foibles and workarounds will I thought I would share..
    It's not a rant - it’s a genuine attempt to help anyone who might be struggling with it
    I’ve done bullet point style to hopefully make it easier to read..

    1) My phone is an iPhone SE Mk2. This means that on the plus side it is small enough to go into the tank pocket. But on the minus side I think the CPU power struggles - as noted below.
    NB: People have mentioned phones getting hot in that pocket - I had mine mostly in a tank bag and it still got hot - I don’t think being just above the tank is the problem, (the pocket is not getting hot in itself) I think it really is just a lot of CPU power (comparatively) that the iPhone is being expected to process whilst in Ducati Connect and Sygic mode.

    2) This thing requires both a bluetooth connection AND a wifi connection. In my experience bluetooth is a relative doddle.
    But Wifi is more tricky to get connected. Quite often I will have to go into iPhone settings and change the wifi connection just to wake it up - or relaunch Ducati connect and try connecting from that screen. Sometimes one option will work, sometimes the other. It’s very hit and miss. Either way it’s a good 30 seconds to have the connection up and solid. Once it’s there though, it’s pretty good.

    3) A fairly recent (Ducati) software update means that the bike will now retain the wifi connectivity for 20 minutes if you press the joystick (going for petrol etc..) This works extremely well - but I do sort of wish it defaulted the other way around (ie: press the joystick to DIS-connect)

    4) If I go "joystick left" to return to the normal screen to view other things (tank range would be a common one - or adjust the heated seat) then the wifi connection is dropped and Ducati Connect will not come back on its own. If I’m parked up then all I have to do is close the Ducati Connect program (ie: iPhone home button X2 -> swipe up) and relaunch. But that’s no good whilst I'm on the move.

    5) Some locations on the fly are simply not available. I was in Northern France and wanted to find Pointe Du Hoc. Sygic could not find it at all - didn’t matter how I spelt it or anything. My workaround was to find a nearby place (using Apple maps on my iPhone) then going back into Sygic on iPhone to locate that spot and then set the route. Then reconnect the bike (all in the rain). Fortunately when you do this (as the bike screen is really only mirroring I guess) the route set on the phone will appear on the dash automatically.

    6) On two occasions during my trip the dash screen froze, (in one instance suddenly showing part of the route that I had not even got to as being the current spot!) but the audio prompts continued as normal. The fix for this is to stop, get the phone out, close Sygic AND Ducati Connect, then reopen them again and reconnect the bike. I’m fairly certain this is the iPhone CPU being overworked

    7) It is impossible to play audio from iTunes AND use the Sat Nav at the same time. Everything grinds to a halt - again I suspect this is because of the lower specced iPhone.

    8) I cannot use the iPhone independently (lets say on a handlebar mount and listening to Apple Maps prompts) without unpairing the device, which means no audio through the helmet (again if someone has a solution to this, please let us know!)
    Also I cannot use my iPhone out to look for something else (check a text or google something for example) without Ducati Connect becoming disconnected. I realise that Ducati are harnessing your phone and 4G contract and it’s functionality, but (as with our car) having the option to buy a Sim card package on the bike itself and have a completely standalone ‘infotainment’ setup would be very desirable. I have one anyway (4G subscription) for the Tracker - and at the price point these bikes are and the hefty MPG, an extra 4G subscription would be virtually peanuts.

    9) Riding in the dark the Sygic screen was WAY too bright. Dazzling in fact. I have yet to find a solution to this - even in night mode (on the Sygic app) I suspect it’s too bright - but it could be the TFT screen itself. Obviously if you’re on the highway you don’t want to be fiddling about with menus to get the screen darker - so whatever the fix is it would be very handy to have a shortcut button press on the handlebar switchgear - or even a soft button on the Sygic app (like the Zoom buttons)

    10) In the Sygic map on the bike you can zoom in or out which is very useful indeed for context - but I cannot see a way of moving the map around to give context on what’s around me / behind me

    11) The map very often orientates the wrong way round or on an adjacent street. So you can easily set off thinking you’ve got your plan nailed only for Sygic to re-route and basically tell you you’ve got it all wrong!!!

    12) The Sygic app constantly gives audio warnings with a variety of bings and bongs and musical noises. I have still not found a list as to what these mean - some are obvious (sharp bends ahead being one) but some are far from so. If someone has a link or information about what the audio prompts mean I would love to know. Please reply here!


    Overview:
    I’m not one for loads of separate gadgets/screens on the front of my bike. So a Garmin on a mount and the iPhone all hooked up on the bars is really not for me, but I know many people prefer that solution.
    If the integrated Sat Nav, as it was intended on the Multistrada V4, was completely robust and worked really well, then it would be the perfect solution for me. But I do end up reiterating what I read everywhere, which is that Sygic is not the best solution overall, and the limitations on not being able to use other iPhone apps (like Apple CarPlay) is a poor compromise.

    Thanks for reading, - hopefully not too ranty!!
     
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  2. All I can add is, well done you. I found it unworkable and quickly fitted a Garmin XT, partly because I’ve been using Garmin since 2006.
     
  3. Ducati should just strangle this app and pay for Apple car play (and android) licences and then we could all just use whatever we wanted.
     
    • Agree Agree x 7
  4. I would happily pay for Apple car play. I’ve not bothered with the Ducati option, nor will I, as life is too short.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  5. I've not yet attempted any of this. I like my bike too much to spoil it with buggy software. I'm quite happily using quadlock, with google maps, or TomTom GoRide app (both free and fairly OK). And I am also quite enjoying bluetooth connection phone-bike-helmet where I can sort music, or calls with the joystick. I guess what I'm saying, I don't see a need for anything beyond that. But well done for trying to figure it out, and help others.
     
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  6. I attempted it and promptly gave up. I don’t need these distractions in my riding at all. I end up close to your set up, bluetooth only, but got a bit confused by not knowing if my Sena should connected to the bike or to the phone? Ideally I’d like as much Bluetooth functionality as poss for the phone features via the joystick but just hear calls or nav instruction etc in the Sena. Any tips welcome
     
  7. Well done to the OP for persevering and thanks for taking the trouble to share your experience. I suspect you will give up soon enough. :)
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  8. I've got Senna too. The trick is to unlink your phone from the helmet, and use the bike as "phone" while pairing the helmet. On the bike itself, you need to be in settings, bluetooth connection, and search for the headset. The bike will remember both helmet and phone, and each time you start the bike, the icons will go from grey to blue, eventually, once connection established. Pretty good system if you ask me.

    The only thing I've not figured out yet...
    When using google maps, and want to call missus on the go, my Samsung phone makes the map small, and goes full display calls app. But when I hang up, doesn't go back to full map.
    With the TomTom app, it doesn't show smaller map, just switches to calls app, but after I hang up, goes back to full screen sat nav.

    Funnily enough, receiving calls, I've managed to set it up so only a tiny pop up appears, but full map remains. I wish that was the case for both ingoing and outgoing calls.
     
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  9. Ok, did all this and now get nav instruction, phone etc through the Sena :upyeah: Thanks. I can’t actually make a call or access any music etc from the dash as these icons remain greyed out. I can receive and answer a call but can’t initiate one. Have to use the phone itself which I wouldn’t do while riding obv.

    on previous bikes with a basic Bluetooth phone connection I could make a call from the dash…like a car..for the last 15 years or so..
     
  10. That's odd. Just few questions, what phone? On the bike's dash, blue or grey icons for phone and headset? Have you got any music app in the phone open and ready to play?
     
  11. Blue icons for the phone and headset (Sena). Apps open, probably do as i dont ever consciously close them. Iphone 13 ish.
     
  12. Hm, I'm out of ideas, sorry.
     
    • Thanks Thanks x 1
  13. My past trial experience with Ducati Connect (albeit not on the v4) has been abysmal - I also independently have a Sygic license, but hardly ever use it unless I'm way out of mobile coverage, and for the many reasons described by others. What is currently working surprisingly well for me is just a handlebar-mounted iPhone running the Nav software of your choice, paired with the current (second) generation AirPods Pro, acting as speakers and in active noise cancelling mode. There I've had custom moulded ear plugs for the last 15 years or so, lost one recently and thought I'd give the Airpods a go as a replacement. They're better, much better, and don't interfere with my helmet (which I thought they might).
     
  14. I like the idea of the AirPods or similar. Although will potentially stop you hearing radio comms on the Sena. Group ride/tour scenario for example. or would you still get that if the Sena paired to the bike? But with decent ear plugs the Sena is too quiet anyway.
    There's a gap in the market here for something to do it all well..
     
  15. @Richard F Thanks for this write up, my limited experience so far seem to point to many of the same issues.

    Just seems like a piece of garbage, I said this to the dealer when they were running through the bike with me and he was really enthusiastic about it and thought it was great!
     
  16. My thoughts are the primary issue is the Ducati Connect App, not Sygic.

    Deleted the DC App from my iPhone 12 as whenever a call rang in it would crash the Bluetooth connection and stop running Sygic/Music. I had to use Sygic when my Zumo died on a week long trip and found it worked pretty darn well.

    With music playing and Sygic via the bike to my headset I can see calls but it doesn’t crash the connection or lock the phone. At least i can get directions, adjust the volume or skip tracks using Bluetooth and the thumb control. Poophed the Ducati Connect App and it’s acceptable, but not for a premium product - the Ducati App is

    Inexcusable.
     
  17. I had the software update two weeks ago during the first service and since then the Ducati connect software has worked perfectly. im not a fan of Sygic but it does work and gives decent enough notice of speed cameras too.
    conclusion ; good for A to B and as back up for a decent Garmin.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. How do I find out if my bike needs an update?
     
  19. Maybe in the app?
     
  20. Ring your dealer.
     
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