Installation of BRP Bluetooth Dongle (Sena SM10) on 2015 RT Ltd

[robhowen]

This is how/where I installed my BRP supplied Bluetooth dongle (Part Number 219 400 458) and cable on my 2015 Spyder RT Limtied. This includes a Sena SM10 and all appropriate cables and connectors.

I read many of the previous postings on this product and installation and Finless Bob’s postings and videos regarding making your own cable and installing in the rear topcase. Thank you all for sharing your wisdom.

Ultimately I chose a different mounting position that I’m hoping will work well over the long run. So far I am pleased. In summary I installed the BRP supplied cable to the radio as instructed and I’ve mounted the SM10 under the seat with easy access from the left side of the bike. Here are the details:

Video Link for radio access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqcJvyXXBY

1. Remove the right-side passenger control panel, as shown in the “radio access” video. You do this simply to get to the radio so you may plug in the supplied cable.

2. I took out the 4 bolts holding down the radio to give myself a little bit of movement to make it easier to install the connector. I reinstalled the 4 bolts after connecting the cables.

3. As you look down to the front-most portion of the radio you’ll see a large cable connector plugged into the right-front part of the radio with a bunch of wires. Leave this alone. To the left of it is another slightly smaller cable connector that you will use for installing the BRP Pigtail cable. In my case this cable connector was covered with a rubber cover that you easily remove.

4. The BRP cable kit comes with one long cable that goes to the SM10 (P2 in the included image), a small pigtail (P3 in the included image) that connects to the radio on one end and connects to the long BRP cable on the other end, and a build your own blank plug that you may have to use if you have the CB installed. I do not so I can’t speak specifically to this. In my case I connected the short pigtail to the radio and then connected the long cable into the other end of the pigtail.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109628&stc=1

5. My next issue was Where do put the SM10? I didn’t want to do the frunk given all the bad press about lost connections and I didn’t want to have to drill a hole into the rear topcase if I didn’t have to. Also, since the BRP cable provides power to the SM10, you don’t have to have additional power access. I ultimately decided to mount the SM10 under the seat, left of the center support bar. The long cable is much longer than you need for this so I curled it up and put most of it in the area just in front of the radio that is rather open. I then took a wire from the access hole near where I mounted it and was able to fish it up to where my cable was. I secured the cable end to my wire and gently pulled it through until it came out where I wanted to mount the SM10.

6. The final installation step is to connect the cable ends to the SM10. The power end goes into the cell phone like connector (same as Sena headset charger connection) and you plug one of the 3 or 4 pole supplied coiled audio cables into the SM10 and the female connector from the long cable. I used the 4-pole plug as the main audio connector, but don’t know if you have to use the 4 pole one. I installed the 3-pole coiled cable into the AUX connector on the SM10. I don’t know if I’ll use this AUX cable or not or if I’ll use the one from the topcase. My iPod is too old to be compatible with the RT’s audio system so I just purchased a used 5th gen iPod Nano from eBay. It’s TBD if I’ll connect it to the cable from the topcase or if I’ll connect it to the AUX port on the SM10. I may have to switch the 3 and 4 pole cables. Note: I will probably replace the coiled audio cables with short non-coiled ones where one end is a straight connector and the other is an “L” end connector. I’ll connect the “L” end connector to the SM10 to make the installation cleaner. Images:

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109629&stc=1http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109630&stc=1http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109631&stc=1

7. Finally I tested everything and I’m pleased with how easy it was to connect devices and how well it works and sounds. The audio quality is far superior to the included FM radio in my Sena 20s headset. My last step was to mount the SM10 with the supplied plastic mounting bracket and put in a cable tie to make sure the cable end to the SM10 is secure.

I spent much more time thinking about where things were to go and trying this and that then it actually did to install everything. If you take away all of the scratch-my-head time, this was one of the easiest installations I’ve done on the RT to-date.

I hope this helps others and I welcome any comments or faults you may see. Let me know if I’m likely to experience future problems that I have not thought of. Hopefully I’ll be pleased long-term. If not I’ll post such.

Rob

[sduskin]

This is how/where ....

Rob

A question about your ipod. Which one did you have? I have a 4g nano

[robhowen]

I just purchased via eBay a used 8Gig 5th Gen iPod Nano because this is one that is noted in the manual (see image). Mine was too old.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109641&stc=1

Rob


A question about your ipod. Which one did you have? I have a 4g nano

[finless]

FYI P2 in you picture would plug into the Entertainment harness if you have XM. It plugs into the unused CB connector. So no home made connector needed. The BRP kit gives you P2 and P3 depending on if you have the ENT harness or not. If you don't you use both P2 and P3. If you do, you toss P3 and use P2.

Bob

[jmurray]

Rob where did you end up installing your ipod?

[robhowen]

I installed it in the rear topcase using the iPod connector supplied with the bike on the inside right side of the topcase. I chose this location mainly because the connector on the bike is here and the iPod cable provided is rather short. My intent is to put a small velcro patch on the iPod, but I haven't picked a spot yet as I'm experimenting with where I want to stick it down. It's working beautifully!

Rob


Rob where did you end up installing your ipod?

[finless]

Maybe this will help you decide?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3c9IfhByU

Bob

[sduskin]

I just purchased via eBay a used 8Gig 5th Gen iPod Nano because this is one that is noted in the manual (see image). Mine was too old.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109641&stc=1

Rob

using my 4th gen ipod and I have no volume control... :) I switched to an old iphone 4s I have and will see if I gain control.

[robhowen]

Thanks Bob, I'd already watched this video from you. Thanks again for all of your videos.

I don't know if you have it or not, but on my 15 RT Ltd there is a plastic fold-down shelf inside the topcase and since my iPod Nano is so thin, I might use a velcro patch to mount it to the inside rear of this as I rarely put the shelf down. I also might mount it where you are suggesting to the front inside of the topcase.

Thanks,
Rob


Maybe this will help you decide?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3c9IfhByU

Bob

[finless]

I don't have that fold down thing. I did not like it. For my 2011 RTS that was a optional gizmo you purchased which I did. I did not like the strap thing and how flimbsy the flap was so I removed it.

Bob

[robhowen]

I understand Bob. I ended up leaving mine in as it was a good place to velcro mount a Kuryakyn organizer that I had saved from my days of having a Harley TriGlide. This organizer was designed to fit inside the opening of the rear storage area. It just happened to fit the Spyder very well, so I mounted it on the organizer tray so that when the tray is up (velcro'd down) it looks like the following. I can still drop the tray if I want to, but so far I've not found much of a need to use the tray for anything other than holding my storage pouch.

Rob

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=110158&stc=1


I don't have that fold down thing. I did not like it. For my 2011 RTS that was a optional gizmo you purchased which I did. I did not like the strap thing and how flimbsy the flap was so I removed it.

Bob

[pitzerwm]

I have music/books on a flash drive, has anyone made a cable so that you could run the flash drive through the radio or SM10?

[JIMCMC]

Hello Rob, I bought my 2015 RT Limted new in July of 2015.

I'm an XM fan, so I purchased the XM Radio, SM10 and the entertainment harness from a BRP dealer. I am very maticulous, so it took me a couple of days on and off to get everything installed and tested. My last bike was a Goldwing and I installed an Autocom wired system on that bike and it worked flawlessly for the seven years I owned the bike. The sound quality was also very good.

i have been very disappointed with the SENA Bluetooth set up. The audio quality is poor and my wife's audio drops out, gets static. I have spent hours troubleshooting this and SENA tech support have been very patient, providing suggestions and exchanged the SM10 and the SMH10 & adapter kit. Nothing has changed, so my wife just pairs her SMH10 to her iPhone.

i considered the BRP recommended SM10 mounting location, but my wife can walk 100+ feet away from the bike and no audio drop.

I'm new to Spyderlovers and am now learning about poor SM10 performance when the unit is mounted in the frunk.

So, how is the audio performance with your SM10 mounted under the seat. Do you or your passenger experience any audio drops, static, poor quality, etc.?

Have you heard if the aft trunk is a preferred location reference to Bluetooth connection and audio quality?

All the Best,

Jim.



This is how/where I installed my BRP supplied Bluetooth dongle (Part Number 219 400 458 (tel:219 400 458)) and cable on my 2015 Spyder RT Limtied. This includes a Sena SM10 and all appropriate cables and connectors.

I read many of the previous postings on this product and installation and Finless Bob’s postings and videos regarding making your own cable and installing in the rear topcase. Thank you all for sharing your wisdom.

Ultimately I chose a different mounting position that I’m hoping will work well over the long run. So far I am pleased. In summary I installed the BRP supplied cable to the radio as instructed and I’ve mounted the SM10 under the seat with easy access from the left side of the bike. Here are the details:

Video Link for radio access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqcJvyXXBY

1. Remove the right-side passenger control panel, as shown in the “radio access” video. You do this simply to get to the radio so you may plug in the supplied cable.

2. I took out the 4 bolts holding down the radio to give myself a little bit of movement to make it easier to install the connector. I reinstalled the 4 bolts after connecting the cables.

3. As you look down to the front-most portion of the radio you’ll see a large cable connector plugged into the right-front part of the radio with a bunch of wires. Leave this alone. To the left of it is another slightly smaller cable connector that you will use for installing the BRP Pigtail cable. In my case this cable connector was covered with a rubber cover that you easily remove.

4. The BRP cable kit comes with one long cable that goes to the SM10 (P2 in the included image), a small pigtail (P3 in the included image) that connects to the radio on one end and connects to the long BRP cable on the other end, and a build your own blank plug that you may have to use if you have the CB installed. I do not so I can’t speak specifically to this. In my case I connected the short pigtail to the radio and then connected the long cable into the other end of the pigtail.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109628&stc=1

5. My next issue was Where do put the SM10? I didn’t want to do the frunk given all the bad press about lost connections and I didn’t want to have to drill a hole into the rear topcase if I didn’t have to. Also, since the BRP cable provides power to the SM10, you don’t have to have additional power access. I ultimately decided to mount the SM10 under the seat, left of the center support bar. The long cable is much longer than you need for this so I curled it up and put most of it in the area just in front of the radio that is rather open. I then took a wire from the access hole near where I mounted it and was able to fish it up to where my cable was. I secured the cable end to my wire and gently pulled it through until it came out where I wanted to mount the SM10.

6. The final installation step is to connect the cable ends to the SM10. The power end goes into the cell phone like connector (same as Sena headset charger connection) and you plug one of the 3 or 4 pole supplied coiled audio cables into the SM10 and the female connector from the long cable. I used the 4-pole plug as the main audio connector, but don’t know if you have to use the 4 pole one. I installed the 3-pole coiled cable into the AUX connector on the SM10. I don’t know if I’ll use this AUX cable or not or if I’ll use the one from the topcase. My iPod is too old to be compatible with the RT’s audio system so I just purchased a used 5th gen iPod Nano from eBay. It’s TBD if I’ll connect it to the cable from the topcase or if I’ll connect it to the AUX port on the SM10. I may have to switch the 3 and 4 pole cables. Note: I will probably replace the coiled audio cables with short non-coiled ones where one end is a straight connector and the other is an “L” end connector. I’ll connect the “L” end connector to the SM10 to make the installation cleaner. Images:

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109629&stc=1http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109630&stc=1http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=109631&stc=1

7. Finally I tested everything and I’m pleased with how easy it was to connect devices and how well it works and sounds. The audio quality is far superior to the included FM radio in my Sena 20s headset. My last step was to mount the SM10 with the supplied plastic mounting bracket and put in a cable tie to make sure the cable end to the SM10 is secure.

I spent much more time thinking about where things were to go and trying this and that then it actually did to install everything. If you take away all of the scratch-my-head time, this was one of the easiest installations I’ve done on the RT to-date.

I hope this helps others and I welcome any comments or faults you may see. Let me know if I’m likely to experience future problems that I have not thought of. Hopefully I’ll be pleased long-term. If not I’ll post such.

Rob

[robhowen]

Jim, I've been pleased with my system's performance. I really don't have any issues until my headset battery gets low and then I have trouble maintaining a connection. Other than that I've been pleased. I use it to listen to the bike's audio system and GPS through my helmet. I also use it as a bike to bike intercom. I don't know if where I positioned the SM10 was the trick or not. As I said in my post I'd read so much negative about other locations that I decided to do what I did.

For me it's been good; the best to you in whatever you decide.

Regards,
Rob



Hello Rob, I bought my 2015 RT Limted new in July of 2015.

I'm an XM fan, so I purchased the XM Radio, SM10 and the entertainment harness from a BRP dealer. I am very maticulous, so it took me a couple of days on and off to get everything installed and tested. My last bike was a Goldwing and I installed an Autocom wired system on that bike and it worked flawlessly for the seven years I owned the bike. The sound quality was also very good.

i have been very disappointed with the SENA Bluetooth set up. The audio quality is poor and my wife's audio drops out, gets static. I have spent hours troubleshooting this and SENA tech support have been very patient, providing suggestions and exchanged the SM10 and the SMH10 & adapter kit. Nothing has changed, so my wife just pairs her SMH10 to her iPhone.

i considered the BRP recommended SM10 mounting location, but my wife can walk 100+ feet away from the bike and no audio drop.

I'm new to Spyderlovers and am now learning about poor SM10 performance when the unit is mounted in the frunk.

So, how is the audio performance with your SM10 mounted under the seat. Do you or your passenger experience any audio drops, static, poor quality, etc.?

Have you heard if the aft trunk is a preferred location reference to Bluetooth connection and audio quality?

All the Best,

Jim.

[JIMCMC]

Hello Rob,

Well, I guess it's off with the panels again!

I managed to complete the troubleshooting on Sunday by having my wife drive the bike in our sub-division. Not only was the audio normal, but she really enjoyed driving the CanAm.

Im now chomping at the bit to get the SM10 moved back under the seat. I did see one comment about high temperature back there. Maybe this is with the twin as I did not think it was that bad on my SE6.

ill let you know how it works out. Thanks again for your feedback.

All the Best,

Jim.



Jim, I've been pleased with my system's performance. I really don't have any issues until my headset battery gets low and then I have trouble maintaining a connection. Other than that I've been pleased. I use it to listen to the bike's audio system and GPS through my helmet. I also use it as a bike to bike intercom. I don't know if where I positioned the SM10 was the trick or not. As I said in my post I'd read so much negative about other locations that I decided to do what I did.

For me it's been good; the best to you in whatever you decide.

Regards,
Rob

[JIMCMC]

Hello Rob,

Today, I spent 2-3 hours moving the SM10 from the frunk to underneath the seat.i took the RT out for a test ride with my wife as passenger. The XM audio quality in both headsets worked flawlessly throughout the ride. I noticed the audio quality in my headset had improved with the new SM10 location.

Rob, I'm amazed that BRP and SENA do not acknowledge the SM10 frunk location issue.

I cannot tell you how many hours I've spent troubleshooting the system and trying different suggestions from SENA.

it's only taken 13 months to put this issue to rest, but I appreciate your post and directing me down this road. I guess I should have logged into Spyderlovers after I purchased the RT.

Thanks Again & All the Best,

Jim.



Jim, I've been pleased with my system's performance. I really don't have any issues until my headset battery gets low and then I have trouble maintaining a connection. Other than that I've been pleased. I use it to listen to the bike's audio system and GPS through my helmet. I also use it as a bike to bike intercom. I don't know if where I positioned the SM10 was the trick or not. As I said in my post I'd read so much negative about other locations that I decided to do what I did.

For me it's been good; the best to you in whatever you decide.

Regards,
Rob

[robhowen]

Jim, so pleased to hear that things are working much better for you. I thought of you this weekend as we rode to Bisbee AZ for the weekend and used my Sena like I normally do. I've learned a lot from others through Spyderlovers. I now tend to come here first to check out what people have to say about a project or option before I tackle it.

Here's to problem free riding for you.

Rob


Hello Rob,

Today, I spent 2-3 hours moving the SM10 from the frunk to underneath the seat.i took the RT out for a test ride with my wife as passenger. The XM audio quality in both headsets worked flawlessly throughout the ride. I noticed the audio quality in my headset had improved with the new SM10 location.

Rob, I'm amazed that BRP and SENA do not acknowledge the SM10 frunk location issue.

I cannot tell you how many hours I've spent troubleshooting the system and trying different suggestions from SENA.

it's only taken 13 months to put this issue to rest, but I appreciate your post and directing me down this road. I guess I should have logged into Spyderlovers after I purchased the RT.

Thanks Again & All the Best,

Jim.