Apple Carplay - the good, the bad, and the really ugly

So I live near Cookeville, Tennessee and recently attended the Spyders in the Delta Rally in Bono, Arkansas.
It's over 350 miles (560 kms) from my house to the location of the rally.

I ride a 2024 Spyder RT Sea2Sky, and have been using Apple Carplay on my Spyder for about a year. Up until this trip I have had no problems with it. But I've only used it around town, and for one trip to my Spyder dealer, about 85 miles each direction.

I am a user of Apple computers, so I plotted my routes using the Maps application on my Macintosh. I also took a Mac portable computer with me and of course had my iPhone. My helmet has a SENA 3S Plus headset installed and bluetooth paired with my Spyder and to my iPhone.

I plotted the ride out to avoid the interstate freeways, and to stick to smaller roads. That worked fine, except for the idiots in very large pickup trucks, and other annoying drivers. I stopped overnight in Dyersburg, Tennessee, which is about 5 hours ride from home. There was a minor accident in the hotel which required me to make a side trip to a store to buy some large bandaids and a bottle of aspirin. Nothing serious, just some scrapes and minor pain.

I rode on to the event in Bono, Arkansas the next morning, checked in, and saw my first in person CAN-AM Canyon parked next to the Spyder Extras tent in the parking lot.

Because of the challenges of the smaller roads, I decided to change my plans, and ride the interstate home. I didn't have much choice about going through Memphis, Tennessee, but planned my departure time to get there late morning to avoid as much traffic as possible. I did plot the route to use I-840, which loops around to the south of Nashville, so I didn't have to drive through Nashville traffic.

Here's where Apple Carplay failed miserably.
The SENA headset worked perfectly, and always connected when I powered it up.
The iPhone connected sometimes, and sometimes it wouldn't, even after multiple plug/unplug attempts.

And the worst part was I'm driving down the road with Carplay working fine on the Spyder's display, and suddenly it disconnects and throws an error message on the screen about the iPhone not being connected. And yes, I was using a genuine Apple cable.

So I adjusted the mount for my iPhone, so I could see the screen, as it also shows the maps. And since my helmet headset is also paired to my iPhone, I could still hear the directions.

And I'm driving along at one point using just the iPhone, as I couldn't get the Spyder to reconnect. Again. And suddenly, while cruising along at 65 MPH, the Spyder decides to connect! And the display lights up with the map! For awhile. And then it disconnects again, and I'm back to using the map on the iPhone.

No idea what's wrong, but I'm thinking about pulling my Garmin Nuvo XT GPS out of it's box, and using it instead of Carplay.

No. I am not a happy rider.

Yowzer said:

I can't wait until computers work like toasters.

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And my mind went directly to Battlestar Galactica, and the slang term used to describe the Cylons:

Toaster

McClendons said:

Can Am has never been know for their software, bet that is where the issue is.

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I know it's the CAN-AM software for Apple Carplay that is the problem.

I use the same iPhone with an Apple cable in my 2023 Honda Ridgeline, and it works every time without a problem.

So I opened a case with BRP about my Apple Carplay problems.

I got a nice "sorry to hear about your problems" response email, asking for the VIN number so they can "proceed with your inquiry."

I sent them the VIN about Noon local time, and it's now 7pm here.
No response yet.

They also said:

"In the meantime, if you need additional assistance you can reply to this email or call us at 1-888-272-9222. My colleagues and I are here to help."

I'll wait until after Noon tomorrow, and then call the 888 number.

pauly1 said:

We use Garmin GPS units for directions, Samsung phones connected directly to our Sena 30K for music, and go happily down the road.

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When I bought my Spyder RT about a year ago they still hadn't delivered a working version of Apple Carplay.
So I bought a Garmin Zumo XT motorcycle GPS, and an Arkon mount for the handlebars.

When Carplay was released I removed the Arkon mount and put the Garmin Zumo XT back in it's box.
I've reinstalled the Arkon mount on my handlebars a couple of days ago.
I also dug the Garmin Zumo XT out of it's box, and have charged it and run it through the software update process.

So the next time I go for a ride I'll probably be using the Garmin for navigation.

I still haven't heard anything from BRP, so in a couple of hours I'll be calling them.

So I did not receive an email response, or even a confirmation that they had received the email with the VIN number that they had said was necessary to proceed. So I called the 1-888-272-9222 phone number that was in the email for BRP Customer Service.

The person I spoke too spent more time talking than listening, several times interrupting me while I was talking, and kept saying that it could take them a week to get back to me. Even when I was trying to confirm that they had received the email I sent with my VIN number, she kept talking over me.

I got angry and lost my temper and raised my voice. I told her to stop talking and to listen to what I was asking.
There was a pause of several seconds, and she said okay.
I then asked (again) if they had received the email with the VIN and if it had been added to the case.

She confirmed that they had received the email and that the VIN had been added to the case.
And then she told me I should receive a response "within a week".

I expressed my concern that a feature for this very expensive motorcycle that I had purchased, a feature that was advertised as working, still was not working correctly.
And I told her I'd wait until Wednesday of next week to hear from BRP, at which point I would take appropriate action.
And then I said goodbye and hung up, without waiting for a response.

Still not a happy rider.

Well, here's an update...such as it is.

Someone at CAN-AM forwarded my complaint to the BRP Go team.
The BRP Go team member was apologetic, and agreed that it could be a wiring problem on the Spyder, but that they weren't equipped to help with remotely diagnosing something like that.

They also explained that they weren't the appropriate people to deal with an Apple CarPlay issue. They went on to explain that CAN-AM did not have a technical team that supports CarPlay for end users. Their CarPlay team only provides support to CAN-AM dealers to assist the dealer in troubleshooting and repairing problems.

When I first got CarPlay working on my Spyder, I mentioned it the next time I was at the dealer. Several of the sales people came out so I could show it to them, since they'd never actually seen it.

Since to work it requires a headset bluetooth paired to the Spyder, and an iPhone plugged into the USB port, I have zero confidence that the dealer will have the needed resources to diagnose anything related to CarPlay on my Spyder.

The BRP Go support person also suggested I try it with a different cable, just in case the one I was using was causing the problem.
I do have a second Apple Lightning cable that I've been using for Apple CarPlay in my 2023 Honda Ridgeline. It works flawlessly, other than a quirk with the Ridgeline wanting me to plug the cable into the USB port on the dash after I've started the engine. So I'll try the other cable, not that I believe it will work.

In the meantime, I've reinstalled the handlebar mounts for the Garmin Zumo XT GPS so I'll have navigation on my next trip. My next long trip will be to the Maggie Valley Spyder Adventures in late September/early October, but I have doubts that CAN-AM will be able to fix my CarPlay issue by then.

CassND said:

I seem to have my best luck using CarPlay with Bluetooth on the phone turned off. Otherwise it seems like it wants to switch between CarPlay and trying to connect Bluetooth to the Spyder.

The less you ask CarPlay to do, the better it seems to play nice.

One other thing. I’ve lost connection while driving, stopped to reconnect while frustratedly not being able to connect. I can then stop for gas or something, fire up the Spyder after, and everything connects.

I’m experimenting, but I’m wondering if maybe along the road, the Spyder was in gear and possibly needs to be in neutral in order to connect?? Just a thought right now tho.

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Interesting thought about Bluetooth being off on the iPhone.
But if you do that, then you can't make or receive phone calls using the headset.

I don't think the gear has anything to do with, as I was riding along the freeway at 65 MPH when it suddenly connected.
And then disconnected a couple hours farther down the road.

The forecast is for rain and thunderstorms here tomorrow (Tuesday), so I won't be able to try riding with bluetooth off on the phone until Wednesday.

racoon said:

Their CarPlay team only provides support to CAN-AM dealers to assist the dealer in troubleshooting and repairing problems.

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So I used the Contact Us form on my dealer's website to contact the Service department.

I got a call from them today, and had a really interesting, but not completely rewarding conversation with them. We talked in detail about what was happening, and that I was concerned about there being a short in the wiring from the USB connector in the glove box to the bike.

The person I spoke too had seen this kind of problem before, where CarPlay would sometimes work, and often stopped working while riding.
He said he'd personally experienced it while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle with his iPhone mounted to the handlebars.

HD's recommendation was use to use a vibration absorbing mount for the iPhone. Apparently the iPhone doesn't like vibrations, and sometimes disconnects due to the vibrations.

So while I like my current mount, and I love my Otterbox Defender iPhone case, I ordered a QuadLock handlebar mount for my Spyder and a QuadLock vibration dampener for the mount. And of course I had to order a QuadLock case for my iPhone, since the back has the mounting connector on it, and a QuadLock Poncho for the case. The Poncho keeps your phone "...safe from mud, dust and rain."

:::tossing more money at my Spyder riding hobby:::

Knizar said:

Good Luck with that!
I truly doubt that a Quadlock phone mount is going to fix your problem.
Your Spyder doesn't vibrate anything like a Harley.

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Yeah, I am not convinced...

Especially since Carplay wouldn't work when I first started the Spyder in Joneseboro, Arkansas to ride home.
And didn't work for about 90 minutes as I traveled South to Memphis, and then turned East towards Nashville.
But shortly after starting towards Nashville on I-440 it started working, and kept working for about 3 hours, and then stopped working.
And didn't work for the rest of the trip, another 2.5 hours or so.

But hey, I'll do what the service people say, and when it doesn't fix the problem, I'll go back to them and complain some more.

I'm still wondering if there's a problem with the USB cable in the glove box. Either there's a problem with the way it connects to the Spyder's "computer" or it's vibrated against part of the frame and has worn a hole in the cable, which occasionally shorts out.

I drove over to Wally World just after lunchtime, and picked up a Belkin USB-A to Lightning cable in order to prove that the Apple cable was not the problem. And earlier while checking the cables I had on hand, I found a total of four genuine Apple USB-A to Lightning cables. One with my Spyder, one in my Honda Ridgeline, one on my nightstand where I plug my iPhone in to charge overnight, and one with my computer to use when updating the iPhone's software.
So I now have 5 USB-A to Lightning cables to test.

And then I got back from Wally World I had a bit of a surprise. I had posted more feedback through my dealer's website, saying that what was recommended in the last phone call didn't make sense.

The surprise was that shortly after I got home with my new Belkin cable, I received a call from the Service Manager at my dealer.
He agreed that they didn't have all of the equipment to test Apple CarPlay, and proposed a possible solution. One of the things I had posted was that I wasn't really keen on leaving my helmet with them, and that I was not going to leave my iPhone.

He asked if I'd be willing to bring my Spyder up to the dealer, along with my helmet and iPhone. He said he'd be willing to pull his best tech off of whatever he was working on when I arrived, and have him work with me through the process of trying to get Apple CarPlay to connect.

And he also mentioned that he knew how far it was to where I lived, and that there was a CAN-AM dealer close to where I lived, and would I consider stopping by and talking to their service people to see if they had any suggestions, and possibly doing the testing there, since it was more convenient to me. I told him I'd stop by tomorrow and talk to them to see what they say.


Another thing I'm going to try, and I'm really going out on a limb, is that I am going to Bluetooth pair my iPhone to my Spyder.

The Operators Guide does have a section on Bluetooth pairing your smartphone to your Spyder, but it's in the context of using the Push To Talk button on left handgrip to activate the phone's assistant (aka Siri) in order place a call while riding.

The CarPlay section says the headset has to be Bluetooth paired, but says the phone has to be connected to the USB port, and doesn't mention Bluetooth pairing the phone. So I'm probably grasping at straws...