Confused About Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Connections on the 1250 RT

[sgkramer]

Can and would someone please point me to a detailed description of the various wireless connections between the 1250 RT TFT, a smart phone (especially an iPhone), and a Sena equipped helmet? I do not understand the how the TFT needs both the cell phone’s maps and GPS signal. I don’t understand where Wi-Fi comes into the picture, instead of or in addition to Bluetooth. I guess I need to be running the BMW app on the cell phone while it is in the bike’s “glove box” to show an imported gfx route. Is that correct? Can I also run the BMW routing app on a desktop computer in preparation for a ride, where it is easier for my old eyes to look at maps better?

I need a lot of help wrapping my head around the navigation capabilities of the 1250 RT.

[professorb]

We feel your pain... here is a simplified diagram illustrating the essential connection concepts.
*I reserve the right for this to be inaccurate, as I am just a rider/user, and not a BMW engineer."

revised for clarity and completeness

TFT-ConnectedApp_Concepts.1.4.png (266.09 KiB) Viewed 8010 times

[Peter Baker]

That diagram matches how I understood it all to work too:-) Peter

[jesim1]

The diagram looks about right, my main gripe is that my phone connects up easily to the bike with Bluetooth, but I have to wait a minuet or two to get the wifi connection between the bike and phone for the BMW app - it's a pain if stopping for the likes of fuel, BMW really should sort it out, I'm sure if the app ran in the background it could be sorted, but it has to run in the foreground??

[sgkramer]

The diagram above from professorb makes sense to me and that is how I am connected. Thanks for the info.

I'm having two issues:
1. I keep losing the wi-fi connection; three times yesterday in less than 20 minutes. I've seen on a YouTube video that the "BMW MOTORRAD Connected" app needs to stay open. I understand that, but do I need to make my iPhone settings to never Auto-Lock (normally I have it set for 5 minutes to save my charge)? I'm wondering if it is falling asleep on schedule, and thereby losing the wi-fi connection with my 1250 RT. Also, does the "Connected" app need to be the last app I use before putting the phone in the glove box, or can I go to my music app to start a song?

2. When I first put my iPhone 12 mini in the glove box, I position it so that the green charging light comes on on the bike, but when I lock it down with the clip, I have to play with the positioning to keep the light on. When riding, I can hear the charging light going on and off in my headphones by the sound the phone makes when it happens. I don't know if the fix it putting a little item at the bottom of the glove box (like a Lego brick) to hold the position better, or if I need to take my protective case off to get a better connection. It's the smallest apple case they make, and doesn't interfere with home or car hot plates. I'm thinking that if I use the USB connector, this charging issue would go away, but I don't think it would solve my wi-fi issue.

This TFT/phone connection is very frustrating. Otherwise, my 2023 R 1250 RT is a great bike.

[Kinny]

The diagram is a really good way to understand how the TFT integrates with the phone & helmet.

I have a similar issue. The bike's wifi either takes long to kick in - even after going deep into the navigation menu after I have started the bike. Sometimes although the media connection is successful it takes a while to have the navigation maps uploaded on the TFT. And sometimes it also loses it and has to search again!

I use a Samsung Note 8 with the BMW app & ensure the Bluetooth connection on my main phone is turned off to avoid any interference.

It's a great bike with a great ride but this TFT issue and the migration from the Navigator V to the BMW GPS is causing much frustration. Seems to me that the Navigator 5 had more info POIs as well as speed camera info.

[Steve398]

I can now understand why some owners of the later TFT shod bikes refit their Garmin satnavs in preference to using the BMW navigation system.

[gadgetgaz]

Hi all,
I just today acquired a 2023 R1250RT and I also foresee much frustration around this phone-based satnav.
It does seem to work OK on the short journey I did today. It did disconnect once so I had to pull over to fix the connection.
I saw that the phone was no longer on the BMW app because the Google assistant had been triggered. As soon as I closed that the BMW app returned to the foreground and the connections was re-instated. It was fine after that.

There are plenty of apps that can hijack this system and I presume every time it happens the connection will be lost.

Why on earth the BMW app must be in the foreground is a mystery. Chromecast works OK with the phone's screen off and I guess that's a similar process (BMW appears to have used the same Cast icon even!) as does Android Auto.

Also, I like to just climb on the bike and set off. With wireless Android Auto you don't have to mess about with apps - as soon as bluetooth is connected it initiates the screen cast over WiFi so I wonder why BMW can't do the same?

[Stu]

It would have been far simpler to do android auto and car play than try and take on the world with their own tying software!

[gadgetgaz]

I'm working my way through the issues - I have created a profile in "Tasker" to open the BMW app when the phone connects to the bike's bluetooth. So now at least I don't have to open the app and the phone connects to the TFT satnav without me having to intervene.

The issue now is that there are lots of times when the phone receives notifications and switches away from the Connected Ride app thus disconnecting the nav. So annoying!

[Loopers]

I resorted to fitting my Zumo XT above the tft screen as the BMW app keeps dropping out, it also rinses your phone battery and as mine is too big for the "special" compartment it can cause issues. The only problem I had was interference from the TFT so made a shield/shelf out of some abs plastic sheet I had and covered it in RFI tape, works a treat now.

[pdv_moto]

Need help on this as wel..

moto: New moto, got it 4days ago with 4km on the odo, will check software version on the TFT.
Done 400km on it now, and thoroughly frustrated by the navi-software.

phone is my previous one: Samsung S7, currently my backup/burner/PAYG phone.
been using that phone for route-tracking to save battery on real phone.

phone charges fine in the right-cubbyhole, at least I dont have battery problems...)
bluetooth connection seems fine : audio and tunr-by-turn both work fine.
maps: loosing map-display at every stop, and then some...
and in strange + foreign cities I Really need the map-display.

How to fix this ??
- is there any software that can keep the bmw-app "always on top" ?
- will there be software updates for the moto and the app that fix this ? (any feedback from BMW?)
- would another phone, help ? better wifi ? (seems not, from what I read, problem is with app not with phone?)
- re-install some garmin on the moto ? is that easy ? (it will be expen$sive...)


Additional irritations:
- programming the app with destinations takes getting used to, and multi-stop routes can be a bit awkward.
- I miss the speed-cam warnings - are there fixes, files, tricks to enter speed-cam data in the app ?
- cubbyhole too small, take protection-box off phone (otterbox, solid drop protection..) phone now naked and vulnerable.
- operating the app requires to take off glove and wriggle-out the phone..
- manipulating that phone while on the moto is "waiting for it to drop"...


All in all... Big Fail for BMW, IMHO.
I dont regret the RT ( my previous RT did 163027 km, and I liked it a lot!), but I regret not insisting on a garmin-mount add-on.

[pdv_moto]

this is going to be a Saga...

did two fairly long rides, and guess what: the wireless charging can not keep up with the battery usage. so after 1.5 hrs the phone-icon turns red (batt warning) and after just under 2hrs, phone is at 5% and stops communicating.
+/-Good-news is : phone does re-charge in the cubby, so you can use it once some charge has returned..

Not practical.

Is this just my phone (an old S7) or did others have same experience ?

[yorkie]

Is this just my phone (an old S7) or did others have same experience ?

I would say that is your phone.
I have an S23 and my phone increases battery charge even when using Navigation all day.