TFT and General stuff on the 21 R1250RT

[paynes1]

Seen this on the other forum. Well summarized so far David.
Definitely not interested in such a huge RPM display. Will hide that as often as possible, even with map once Connected App/battery issues sorted.
Why coffee breaks?????  Utter nonsense!
Steve P

[Ledders12]

Just picked up my new R1250RT and must say I do love the TFT screen, even though I think they could have made it easier to display multi-lines of info.
My question though is around the playing of media files. I have my the TFT connected to a Samsung S10 and my Sena 20S headset, but even though (as BMW suggests) the calls and media volumes are at maximum, and when connected via Bluetooth, the Bluetooth volume is at maximum, and the Sena headset is at Maximum, the music is very, very quiet and can barely be heard - or isn't there at all. SatNav is also woefully quite too, so I'm guessing a common issue with the comms.
I can't see anything I'm missing, so I'm hoping that I have, and someone will know what the issue is, and can help?

[keith1200r]

It might be worth checking the Bluetooth settings for "media volume sync" on your phone. I don't use audio on my bike but have found that setting makes quite a volume difference on other bluetooth devices

[Ledders12]

Thanks. All volumes were at max but by chance I pressed button 1 on the panel and like magic I had sound :-). When I had very low volume you were probably right about the Bluetooth setting. What I can't see anywhere, is if you have the audio muted, does it show that anywhere on the screen which then makes if difficult to know if it's muted or the media hasn't connected

[DavidMcK]

The secret it to push the volume buttons on you Galaxy phone to max volume, there are so many volume settings under settings it can be confusing.


But, push the physical volume button when connected to media.


Mute does show on the screen.

[Ledders12]

Hi, yes, it's a bit of a minefield with all the different volume on the Samsung S10 (and others I guess) but I think I have that cracked now.  I still haven't seen the "mute" icon on the TFT yet, but it's probably staring me in the face :-)  Thanks for all the advice :-)

[DavidMcK]

Mute icon is in the middle of the screen on the bottom row.

[Ledders12]

Thanks DavidMck I knew it would be obvious, I'll take a look when I get home.

[AndyL434]

Totally agree the tft looks good but is not the most logical format. Also connectivity is hit and miss particularly when you stop and turn off the ignition which on start up requires resetting apps etc. Still loving the bike though. Has anyone been able to connect tft to phone enabling navigation whilst also having music playing via Spotify and also having rider to rider communication all through a non bmw headset? Or am I asking too much of a 20k state of the art machine?

[Ledders12]

Yes. Music via Spotify, satnav via BMW Connected app to two Sena 20s headsets. Does seem hit and miss at times though, and still getting the hang of it.  On my display there is no mute icon though, and button 1 now doesn't seem to do anything. When trying music earlier there was no sound, but when I turned the volume to zero and back up, I had sound ? Not sure what's going on.  Will be calling into my dealer at the weekend.

[AndyL434]

Hi guys not sure if I should start a new thread or not but just ordered a full protection kit from tony james designes found him following a video I saw on line where he applied one of his kits to the panigale owned by the vlogger missenden flyer. He rang me following an enquiry regarding delivery times and too be honest he came over as a very knowledgeable top guy. He provides pre cut kits for the new 2021 rt along with everything you need to do the job. I would put a link into his website but don't know how but I am sure you can Google him.will try and post photos when installed although the theory is you shouldn't see any difference to the original paint work. Not cneap at £179 plus uk postage but how much would it cost to repair scratching to a pannier or fairing panel? Just to be clear I do not have any affiliation to this company and I have paid infull for my kit.

[DavidMcK]

OK took the bike out last night and had a fiddle with the TFT and this is an update. If this sounds like a Chinese puzzle, that's because it is.


First the easy bit, there are 2 display options on the TFT screen.  Check the two attachments the one with the rev counter, lets call it the Rev screen and it can be full screen or split screen.
As you know the split screen on the right has 4 windows and you scroll through them using the wonder wheel.  The other attachment shows the Map Screen.


They are, Map, Music, Trip 1 and bike computer (essentially Trip 2). You cannot program or change anything. The only thing you can change is the area in the stock picture below (lets call it User Def) which is currently showing fuel., using the menu up you can program things like MPG, TPMS, distance to refuel, even the odometer is shown here. Only one of these can be on the screen at any time.


The Map screen is excellent for GPS information, you have the map in the middle and on the split screen you can see next turn information, the split screen shows type of turn, distance to it and I think lane information. This is the screen you want when following a route.


Now the stupid stuff, remember you have two screens and four windows on the split screen and everything else is in a menu, somewhere.


On the left hand fairing we have four pre-set buttons, non programable.


Button
1 Audio on or off, when you stop the bike audio will be muted and you need to press this again to activate


2 Heating menu for grips and seat, when you press this it will take you to the heating menu and you can adjust things, if you press the button again, it reminds you that you are already on the shortcut menu and that's it. You now have to navigate back to whatever main screen you were looking at. If its the Rev screen its menu up, twice. If its the Map screen you can go menu up and across to navigation and then down or you can press button 4.


3. Audio menu, same as above, change track and then start navigating to your preferred/last display.


4. Map screen as above.


How hard would it have been to allow a second press of the button to return to the screen you had on display? I can switch a light on in my kitchen and off with the same button, I don't have to go into the hallway and jump up and down three times to switch it off.


Now look carefully at the two photos in the attachment and notice even though they are split screen, the info on them is in different places e.g. gear indicator, user def button, speed. That's because the split screen windows are different sizes. The split screen is bigger on the Rev screen.


So you are coming to a stop and want to make sure you are in neutral, you look down and the "N" has moved. Which makes me feel that the only way I will be comfortable on the bike will be by keeping it on one of these two screens. Ok, I can adjust and it will probably be the map screen for me, however, note on the map screen there is no Rev counter. So I am running the bike in and would like to keep an eye on the revs.................................


Ok, lets look at the wonder wheel, it behaves differently on these two screens.


On the Rev screen it can rotate through full screen, split screen, split window 1-4 by pushing it left or right. On the Map screen, if you push it left it unlocks the map and you can zoom in or out on the map using the scroll up or down. If you push it right it take you to a menu and you can skip a waypoint or repeat an instruction etc.


Ok, lets say I am on the Map screen and my route is finished and instead of looking at directions in the split screen I want to see my audio tracks or I want to change the User Def to check range left etc. I have to menu up to the Rev screen (two presses) and change whatever I want and then navigate back to the Map screen or press button 4.


If anyone finds out anything different from the above, I would love to know.


To sum it up, its a bit like playing a piano with your left hand while riding a motorbike at 60+ mph. I also know I will settle on a screen format that works for me and so will everyone else, but to do so will involve compromise. For example, when your are on the Rev screen you can display a map in the split screen., but when you are on Map screen you loose your rev counter. Why........................................................


I wonder if the BMW Motorrad people talk to the BMW car people, I don't have a BMW car, I have an Audi and it has a Virtual cockpit, pretty sure BMW have something similar.


Look up Audi virtual cockpit.

[Ledders12]

Thanks for this DavidMck, a very thorough explanation, and it certainly does answer some of the niggles I've been having - when you say that the audio mutes when you stop the bike, do you mean “stop” as in come to a standstill, or turn off?  Hopefully the latter ☹. 

I was playing with mine in the garage last night, just ignition on (not running) and the audio mute/un-mute shortcut button (1) didn’t seem to do anything, so maybe there is some interlock as either the bike wasn’t moving, or the engine wasn’t running. Who knows? 

I do agree, at the moment it is a bit like a Chinese puzzle, with different places for info depending on the screen, the inability to display what you want (why only one piece of data on the top line, when I want fuel gauge and trip, for example).  I have noticed, that with the top line info, in “rev” mode, a quick up press in the button will cycle through the options, but in map view, the same quick press takes you out of map view ☹ 

I guess I’ll work out what works best in time, but hopefully before too long BMW will take on board user comments and update it.

[DavidMcK]

What I mean about audio is that when you stop and switch off the bike the audio stops as well, when you start the bike again you have to push the button to restart the Audio.  I should also mention that it can take up to a minute for the BMW App to start, so if you are getting fuel for example and jump on and start the bike you could be sitting for a minute waiting for maps.


We have taken a lot for granted over the years with Garmin/BMW Nav's in that they start up immediately we start the bike and are ready to rock and roll to the next junction.


So in the future we will have to switch the bike on and then put our gloves on etc. to give the App time to wake up.


I tour Europe each year and do Scotland and Wales as well so its not always the case that I know where I am going at the first junction after I come out of a filling station.

[Ledders12]

Thanks for that, I hoped that would be the case.

I too have noticed the "warm up" time for the maps, and like you tour Europe and various corners of the UK, so will need to get used to that.  I guess in a few weeks we'll be wondering what all the fuss has been about :-)