BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Received my new 2017 R1200RT a couple weeks ago and just got around to a new bluetooth comm system for my helmet. Went with Scala Rider Smartpack.


Bike is loaded up and has the audio system and there are other threads about the dismal sound quality of the music sources through bluetooth but they're old so started a new one.


Music though my phone to the Scala sounds great. Through the bluetooth bike connection satellite radio and USB music source are so it's unusable. Music through the bike speakers are fine but who wants to blast music from those things at 120km/hour?


Is there such a thing as replacing the BT transmitter in the bike with something better?  J&M BT unit hard wired perhaps? Anyone done that, or another method, on the 1200?

This is a pretty good option, Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SQx-dS ... fM4UY88oW6


Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XScziTi ... fM4UY88oW6

mmorais wrote: Received my new 2017 R1200RT a couple weeks ago and just got around to a new bluetooth comm system for my helmet. Went with Scala Rider Smartpack.


Bike is loaded up and has the audio system and there are other threads about the dismal sound quality of the music sources through bluetooth but they're old so started a new one.


Music though my phone to the Scala sounds great. Through the bluetooth bike connection satellite radio and USB music source are so it's unusable. Music through the bike speakers are fine but who wants to blast music from those things at 120km/hour?


Is there such a thing as replacing the BT transmitter in the bike with something better?  J&M BT unit hard wired perhaps? Anyone done that, or another method, on the 1200?

You guys must have very hight standards, I have a scala packtalk and listen to the radio occasionally and sometimes music off a usb stick. Its fine, not hi fi, but certainly not unsuable.

As you are aware the audio unit's  BT is primarily designed to work with the BNW headsets.  Anything else is a compromise.  A wired system connected to the audio unit will give you heigh quality true sterio sound.  Most here will tell you that's all old junk these days.  Not true of course. Speaker re there just to annoy people when you parked on your drive.  No use at all on the move.

RTman10 wrote: As you are aware the audio unit's  BT is primarily designed to work with the BNW headsets.  Anything else is a compromise.

I've had the BMW headsets, and now Sena 20S units.  The sound quality of the bike's Bluetooth audio is the same for the BMW and Sena headsets.  The one thing that the BMW headsets have going for them are the ability to connect rider and passenger to the bike.  Any other headset can only connect the rider to the bike.  No big deal for me as the Sena headsets have music sharing for the passenger.  The BMW headsets lose out on features compared to the latest Bluetooth headsets.

Rambler358 wrote: This is a pretty good option, Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SQx-dSW37g&index=3&t=11s&list=PLOnG_iPVbCbS3nHMJpsz6V3fM4UY88oW6


Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XScziTi5GLc&index=4&list=PLOnG_iPVbCbS3nHMJpsz6V3fM4UY88oW6

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm looking for. Not keen on cutting wires. The J&M kit apparently has a harness. Anyone tried that on the RT?

mmorais wrote: Yeah, that's kind of what I'm looking for. Not keen on cutting wires. The J&M kit apparently has a harness. Anyone tried that on the RT?

Do you have a link to the J&M harness you're referring to?

Rambler358 wrote: Do you have a link to the J&M harness you're referring to?

Here's the unit: http://www.jmcorp.com/ProductDetail.asp ... DNG22-A2DP


The harness for the 1600 is part JMBT-D22CR-16GTL gleaned from a 1600 forum but the link to the actual harness doesn't work. Not sure if it's the same part for the r1200rt.


I emailed them to find out what BT version they use and what the parts are for the 1200. It's a pretty pricey solution though.

mmorais wrote:I emailed them to find out what BT version they use and what the parts are for the 1200. It's a pretty pricey solution though.

Good info, thanks!  Please do post back when you hear from J&M regarding your questions.

Rambler358 wrote: I've had the BMW headsets, and now Sena 20S units.  The sound quality of the bike's Bluetooth audio is the same for the BMW and Sena headsets.  The one thing that the BMW headsets have going for them are the ability to connect rider and passenger to the bike.  Any other headset can only connect the rider to the bike.  No big deal for me as the Sena headsets have music sharing for the passenger.  The BMW headsets lose out on features compared to the latest Bluetooth headsets.

That is useful information, I thought I was maybe missing out on the sound quality with my Scala BT unit over the BMW BT one. Glad to know I'm not and the only compromise is the pillion can't also connect to the bike. Not an issue at all for me, as the BT units have their own radio and I can just share any music that comes to my helmet with the pillion if required. 95% of the time I ride without a pillion, but do sometimes ride with mates who can all connect together.  8)

Rambler358 wrote: Good info, thanks!  Please do post back when you hear from J&M regarding your questions.

J&M got back to me. They no longer make harnesses for BMW systems unfortunately. Maybe there are some in the wild.

mmorais wrote:J&M got back to me. They no longer make harnesses for BMW systems unfortunately. Maybe there are some in the wild.

Hmmm... Did you ask why? I wonder if this has anything to do with there being issues with the harness.

Rambler358 wrote: Hmmm... Did you ask why? I wonder if this has anything to do with there being issues with the harness.

More likely they never sold enough to make any profit.

How are you pairing it? I use a Scala Q3 to listen to my bike audio (radio and my iTunes on a USB stick) and the sound quality is superb. By memory I paired it as described in example 4 in the bikes audio manual.

2014 r1200rt with Garmin Nav V and Sena SMH-10.  I've paired using several various sets of instructions and found that the instructions in the manual seem to work best.  One tip I found useful: after all are paired successfully and you're getting ready to ride, power on the Sena first, then start your bike and let the Nav V and the Audio system establish a link.  It helps to give the Sena a few seconds after turning it on before turning on the bike ignition.  It almost acts as if the Sena power up sequence takes a few moments to come alive.  At times it can be a bit fickle, but keep experimenting. 


Has anyone found that the rider to pillion intercom quality is poor when comparing to other inputs?  My intercom is clear with other riders, my Garmin instructions come through clear, most radio and sat come in clear, but my passenger's intercom is always a bit fuzzy.  It might be a faulty headset, but I'm beginning to think that our two bluetooth iPhones might be causing interference.  Going on a long ride this week and I will be sure to turn blue tooth off on both iPhones to see if it helps.