2018 RT AUDIO SYSTEM SUCKS!!!

[Ride2GetHigh]

I love my new Spyder and now have 1118 miles on it. I got a Sena SMH5 BT system to pair with my Android phone for Iheart and Pandora and it works great. Love the music in my ears.

Now let's talk about the BRP audio.........and btw my 2004 Yamaha Royal Star Venture audio with CB works in all of the below (cept BT) and it's 14 years old.......

1. You can only Auto Config Presets what ever it hears.
2. NO AM mode
3. Can't put in manually a station that doesn't come up auto config.
4. No manual tuning across the band.
5. Have to Auto Config every 50 miles or so for a new set of stations and can't do it while heading down the road. Have to stop.

The system DID pair with the Sena SMH5 and it shows on the dashboard. But THAT'S ALL YOU GET.....Here's what you get when trying to feed audio to the helmet instead of from the speakers.
20180705_122146.jpg

Now unless I have missed something and am way off course on any of this I believe BRP needs to step up to the audio plate and get in the game........
Rubber Down......

[ARtraveler]

The radio system on 's has been a point of contention since day one (2010 RTS). My 2014 is no better than the 2011 or 2010. I guess that we expect to much from a $30K machine. And we still get complaints up through the current year.

Also hearing complaints about the new dashboard.


As long as they "threw it in" with the package--I won't complain. That means it was "free." Right?

[rvanbeek]

I agree. BRP hit a foul ball as far as I'm concerned. Bought the limited and no gps. Now you have to us BRP connect. When dealer asked about adding FM signal to bluetooth BRP said I could turn the volume up. I get better music and better radio stations using iheartradio app on phone. When you ask 31,000 dollars for a product you should get a better sound system. BRP ARE YOU LISTENING.

[UtahPete]

Are you talking about the whole sound system, or just the receiver, which everyone agrees is lousy?

[Ride2GetHigh]

At least the BT on the bike pairs with my phone and I can play what ever from the phone through the audio on the bike. That is like someone licking the icing off a cake and leaving the rest for someone else. I want my cake too..........
Down the road.......

[Ride2GetHigh]

Are you talking about the whole sound system, or just the receiver, which everyone agrees is lousy?

Actually the sound system is great. Can't believe the quality from the speakers even at freeway speed. No issue there. Just let me connect.......

[UtahPete]

Actually the sound system is great. Can't believe the quality from the speakers even at freeway speed. No issue there. Just let me connect.......

That's what I thought. Thanks for the clarification.

[rvanbeek]

Before my 2018 RT L I had a 2004 Goldwing with radio than the Spyder. The new Goldwing radio is way ahead of BRP. What would have been so hard in adding FM to the bike bluetooth. My head set can pair with my phone and I get music, iheartradio, xm radio, and phone. I've turned the Spyder radio off.

[Easy Rider]

Are you talking about the whole sound system, or just the receiver, which everyone agrees is lousy?

Not quite everyone. Mine works fine for what I need a receiver to do.
But that's on a '17.

I don't think BRP hit a foul ball on the sound system/dashboard with the '18 models; they flat struck OUT.
Sad. I hope they recover. I feel sorry for those who got one.

[billybovine]

1. You can only Auto Config Presets what ever it hears. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
2. NO AM mode That's true. Very few use it anyway.
3. Can't put in manually a station that doesn't come up auto config. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
4. No manual tuning across the band. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
5. Have to Auto Config every 50 miles or so for a new set of stations and can't do it while heading down the road. Have to stop. Just do a long left or right joystick press to scan for another station. From the main screen.

[UtahPete]

Before my 2018 RT L I had a 2004 Goldwing with radio than the Spyder. The new Goldwing radio is way ahead of BRP. What would have been so hard in adding FM to the bike bluetooth. My head set can pair with my phone and I get music, iheartradio, xm radio, and phone. I've turned the Spyder radio off.

Maybe Canadian FM isn't worth listening to?

[bcer960]

Maybe Canadian FM isn't worth listening to?

I know in Kamloops the FM rock station only plays 8, yes 8 songs an hour. 2 every quarter. The rest is filled with DJ's talking, useless news and commercials. When I'm riding, I want music... a USB stick is the only way to go for me. I've never tried to use the radio on my spyder.

Ray

[billybovine]

I could not remember how to get to the FM tuning screen. So I went out and tried it to refresh my memory.

Go into the menu and then the regular FM audio screen. Looks like this.
audio 1.jpg

If you do a long press on the center of the joystick. It will go into the preset tuning screen. Looks like this.
audio 2.jpg

A short press up puts you to the top of the screen so you can tune the FM frequency with a left or right press.
A short press down gets you to the bottom of the screen. Lets you chose the preset number to save to with a left or right joystick press.
A long press down of the joystick saves the preset.

[UtahPete]

I know in Kamloops the FM rock station only plays 8, yes 8 songs an hour. 2 every quarter. The rest is filled with DJ's talking, useless news and commercials. When I'm riding, I want music... a USB stick is the only way to go for me. I've never tried to use the radio on my spyder. Ray

It's not much better than that here, once away from metro areas (IMHO).

[rvanbeek]

Billybovine, thanks for the great information. Now if I could only get it to my headset.

[jcthorne]

Billybovine, thanks for the great information. Now if I could only get it to my headset.

The SENA SM10 module the previous bikes used for audio out to a headset can still be fitted using a speaker level input as is done on other bikes. Then ALL audio that is available to the speakers is available to the headset.

YES, the BRP Connect system SHOULD do it already, but it don't.

[Flamewinger]

Before my 2018 RT L I had a 2004 Goldwing with radio than the Spyder. The new Goldwing radio is way ahead of BRP. What would have been so hard in adding FM to the bike bluetooth. My head set can pair with my phone and I get music, iheartradio, xm radio, and phone. I've turned the Spyder radio off.

The Goldwing has been around for almost 40 years whereas the Spyder is only 11. The first sound system in the Goldwing was made by Clarion and was modular. Had to plug a headset in to work intercom and CB.

The 2018 spyders with new dash is much the same as the new Goldwing as there are quirks with both. GPS is built-in to the phone instead of in the bike which shows up in the dash. The phone's standard music app can play your music or a radio into the headset or speakers. The FM and AUX can only play through the speakers. (hoping this gets changed) Updating Genius Maps is auto on your phone, not sure how the map data will update on the new Goldwing.

I made a video on how to set the radio presets. I mostly listen to my music or iTunes Radio. I have to mute Genius Maps so it doesn't screw up the music. I have to start Rever before trying to open it on the bike. FOBO and Accuweather work great.

[Dmartin]

Or you could do what I did with my 2018 RTL, install a Sirius XM radio. It works great...

[Bob Denman]

Actually the sound system is great. Can't believe the quality from the speakers even at freeway speed. No issue there. Just let me connect.......

It sounds awesome! When I can actually get anything out of it!

[stmike 1800]

Actually the sound system is great. Can't believe the quality from the speakers even at freeway speed. No issue there. Just let me connect.......

You are kidding right !!!!
I can not hear the radio at all while on the road .
The radio does a very poor job of tuning in channels ,unless you are right next to the tower .
I would be great if they would up grade the whole dash and go back a year ,i hate the new one .

[Bob Denman]

You're conflating two issue: sound quality... and usage of the system!
The sound quality is actually pretty darn good: the best that I've had in any of my three Spyders!
It's just that when it comes time to try and use the effing thing...

[rays hell]

My 16 F3T will play MP3 music from the Lightning cable and show it on the dash, but quit playing Spotify. I now have to use the aux input cable for audio and Lighning cable to charge my phone. Tried it on a 17 model and had the same results.

[Bob Denman]

It's obvious: this system was designed by the same moron who has kept the rear wheel valve stem right underneath the drive pulley!

[Ride2GetHigh]

The Goldwing has been around for almost 40 years whereas the Spyder is only 11. The first sound system in the Goldwing was made by Clarion and was modular. Had to plug a headset in to work intercom and CB.

The 2018 spyders with new dash is much the same as the new Goldwing as there are quirks with both. GPS is built-in to the phone instead of in the bike which shows up in the dash. The phone's standard music app can play your music or a radio into the headset or speakers. The FM and AUX can only play through the speakers. (hoping this gets changed) Updating Genius Maps is auto on your phone, not sure how the map data will update on the new Goldwing.

I made a video on how to set the radio presets. I mostly listen to my music or iTunes Radio. I have to mute Genius Maps so it doesn't screw up the music. I have to start Rever before trying to open it on the bike. FOBO and Accuweather work great.

WoW that works. Where did you find that info and thanks so much for posting it. Now to get the BT on the bike to send to the BT on the helmet. They are connected but what good is that if there isn't any audio passed from the radio to the helmet.
Ride Easy........

[Ride2GetHigh]

1. You can only Auto Config Presets what ever it hears. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
2. NO AM mode That's true. Very few use it anyway.
3. Can't put in manually a station that doesn't come up auto config. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
4. No manual tuning across the band. Not true. Go to the FM tuning screen.
5. Have to Auto Config every 50 miles or so for a new set of stations and can't do it while heading down the road. Have to stop. Just do a long left or right joystick press to scan for another station. From the main screen.

From the video posted above yes your are correct. Where does that info come from? Not in the manual and I've done a lot of digging on the web site never seeing it.

Still want to know what good connecting the BT on my helmet to the BT on the bike is good for. The dash shows it's connected (Sena SMH5) and an icon of the helmet at the bottom. But where is the audio???
Thanks.....