2018 RT AUDIO SYSTEM SUCKS!!!

[Tenic]

This is a game changer for me. I figured BRP Connect would be similar to Apple CarPlay running apple or google maps with Spotify streaming in the back ground like most vehicles since 2016, and Indian and Harley... bummer
Looks like I?ll be shopping for a 2017 and a handlebar phone mount

I have 2018 RTL. I bluetooth my phone to the Spyder and use the XM app on my phone. Works great into my Sena 20s.

RC

 

[Jazzi1]

I just bought my 2018 Spyder RT Limited 2 weeks ago. Was excited about buying it. I sold my 2015 RT thinking that I was moving up and upgrading. I was very disappointed in the sound quality of the 2018. When I'm on the highway, i can hardly hear my music , especially with my faceshield down and my volume is at maximum. On my 2015, the volume and sound was much better. I could hear my music even in the worst traffic. BRP was in such a hurry to get the 2018's on the market but should have taken more time to invest in the dashboard a little more. I agree that for $31,000 they should have taken their time and invested in the dashboard more. That was actually the selling factor for me. Even the patch (ver. 13.20) that I had installed didn't really address all the issues. BRP needs to issue another update to upgrade the system to "$31,000 quality and performance." BRP, take it back to the drawing board!!!

 

[stmike 1800]

I can take my jeep back in gods country have perfect reception .The spyder when it gets out of eye site of the radio tower i lose reception . The radio would not even make a good boat anchor ,to lite . How can BRP get away with this crap .Also will add no connect to helmet ,that just sucks .

 

[Jarred]

You may have an audio setting wrong, or need a software update. When I first got my ?18 I couldn?t hear sound when riding above 65?ish. After I brought it to dealer for 3k service, and to update software, I now hear audio at all speeds (well, since then I?ve gone about 88mph and still hear it). I?m not sure if my RTL audio was in demo mode or something but after the service it was much better. Great videos above plus others on YouTube. Took me a few miles to understand thinking behind new dash but now I love it and very happy I got the new dash.
Good luck.

 

[QuadRAGIN]

I have 2018 RTL. I bluetooth my phone to the Spyder and use the XM app on my phone. Works great into my Sena 20s.

RC

What do you use for GPS / Navigation?

 

[QuadRAGIN]

So i was reading on BRP's website that on an iPhone only there is a way to "Authorize" apps to be used thru BRP Connect.
Has anyone tried that?
Seems kind of a Joke of a system if we can not use Spotify, Pandora, etc. Through BRP Connect. On my 2016 Indian Roadmaster, I can even Thumbs up and Thumbs Down while streaming Pandora. and its just a Red LED type screen.
Looks like I can get a Phone mount and a charge only cable; use Bluetooth connection to stream Spotify audio and Navigation audio, and use my phone to display Google or Apple Maps, THAT Sooo 2015.
I was playing with Genius and Sygic Neither one of these can NAV me to work or home Genius go close but Sygic was WAY Wrong. Maybe someone at BRP friend or relative own these NAV Apps..

""When seeing a BRP Connect-compatible app for the first time, the icon is grayed out and there is a key on top of the icon. What should I do? Is this approval process required for every app?

This process only affects iPhone devices. You must:

Select the app you wish to unlock.
Confirm you want to use this app via BRP Connect (this confirmation is performed on your vehicle's display).
Confirm once again you wish to use this app via BRP Connect (this second confirmation is performed on your smartphone).

This approval process is required for all apps except the Music and Genius Map app.""

Maybe Ill put the ugly Tilting Trike Front end on my Indian after all..

 

[Easy Rider]

Maybe Ill put the ugly Tilting Trike Front end on my Indian after all..

If I had an Indian in good shape, I think I would have paid the ~ $14K for a conventional trike conversion.

 

[Jazzi1]

How did you install a Sirius XM radio on your 2018 RTL. I just bought mine and I'm interested in playing satellite as opposed to just plain FM radio. Would love to know the brand radio and the details of the install.

 

[Jazzi1]

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

How did you install a Sirius XM radio on your 2018 RTL. I just bought mine and I'm interested in playing satellite as opposed to just plain FM radio. Would love to know the brand radio and the details of the install.

 

[QuadRAGIN]

The conversation I speak of is actually a 2 in the front tilting.
http://www.tiltingmotorworks.com/

 

[stmike 1800]

The conversation I speak of is actually a 2 in the front tilting.
http://www.tiltingmotorworks.com/

I should of done that with my goldwing .

 

[johnsimion]

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.......
:cheers:

How can you play the stereo -- ANY stereo -- loud enough to hear over the wind noise and sound of the engine at highway speed? And wind noise and engine sound are already more than enough to cause hearing loss at highway speed. Do you not care about what this is doing to your hearing? Hearing loss is gradual and cumulative and you won't notice it until it's gone, and it's a major problem for motorcyclists. See, e.g.:
https://www.motorcycle.com/features/motorcycles-hearing-loss.html
https://www.visordown.com/news/gene...nt-hearing-damage-after-just-15-minutes-62mph

If I'm going any distance at all at 70 mph, I'm wearing custom earplugs (with a full-face helmet). The earplugs cut out almost all the wind noise and I can hear my wife better through our headset. If I wanted to listen to music while riding, I'd pipe it in through the headset. No way I would ever use the external speakers while riding without earplugs at 70 mph. I don't want to be deaf in my old age. Oh, I do use my Spyder's stereo speakers ... when I work on it in the garage!

 

[BryanSD]

How can you play the stereo -- ANY stereo -- loud enough to hear over the wind noise and sound of the engine at highway speed? And wind noise and engine sound are already more than enough to cause hearing loss at highway speed. Do you not care about what this is doing to your hearing? Hearing loss is gradual and cumulative and you won't notice it until it's gone, and it's a major problem for motorcyclists.

It's a good point that you make about protecting your ears. But for the most part, I don't find the wind noise and definitely the noise from the engine/pipes all that loud on my RT. I'm finding that I really don't have to crank my stereo much louder at 70 MPH than I do at 20 MPH. Yes, there are circumstances where the wind noise is too much and in those cases I turn off the stereo off. For the most part though, I'm more concerned about my hearing when I ride along with my HD friends that believe the louder their pipes the better.

 

[Spyder Insyder]

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

I also am thinking of installing an XM receiver on my 2018 RTL. I have done that in the past with previously owned Gold Wings. The only problem I had was the frequency I chose for the XM modulator would sometimes be over powered by a local FM station on the same frequency, as we were traveling.
Installation on the RTL looks to be fairly straight forward, with the hardest part being removal of body work for running power and antenna cables. It seems the obvious location for the receiver would be the glove box. I'm not quite sure about the antenna. Probably the top of the rear trunk, although the surface area seams to be at the wrong angle for a 90 degree facing to the satellite. An unused 5 amp accessory fuse is provided in the fuse box.
I would be very interested in hearing the details of your installation. Please feel free to PM me if you like.

 

[Lew L]

How can you play the stereo -- ANY stereo -- loud enough to hear over the wind noise and sound of the engine at highway speed? And wind noise and engine sound are already more than enough to cause hearing loss at highway speed. Do you not care about what this is doing to your hearing? Hearing loss is gradual and cumulative and you won't notice it until it's gone, and it's a major problem for motorcyclists. See, e.g.:
https://www.motorcycle.com/features/motorcycles-hearing-loss.html
https://www.visordown.com/news/gene...nt-hearing-damage-after-just-15-minutes-62mph

If I'm going any distance at all at 70 mph, I'm wearing custom earplugs (with a full-face helmet). The earplugs cut out almost all the wind noise and I can hear my wife better through our headset. If I wanted to listen to music while riding, I'd pipe it in through the headset. No way I would ever use the external speakers while riding without earplugs at 70 mph. I don't want to be deaf in my old age. Oh, I do use my Spyder's stereo speakers ... when I work on it in the garage!

What??????

I also use custom ear plugs. $4 at "cheaper than dirt" A 2 part silicon system that you do yourself. They work great and are comfy enough that I don't even know they in my ears. My hearing got blown out in the military--- 50 years ago and 37 years of metal work and only in the last 15 years or so did I understand hearing loss. Don't use them with my wife though:joke:nojoke

Lew L

PS: John, When is the next book coming out???

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I also am thinking of installing an XM receiver on my 2018 RTL. I have done that in the past with previously owned Gold Wings. The only problem I had was the frequency I chose for the XM modulator would sometimes be over powered by a local FM station on the same frequency, as we were traveling.
Installation on the RTL looks to be fairly straight forward, with the hardest part being removal of body work for running power and antenna cables. It seems the obvious location for the receiver would be the glove box. I'm not quite sure about the antenna. Probably the top of the rear trunk, although the surface area seams to be at the wrong angle for a 90 degree facing to the satellite. An unused 5 amp accessory fuse is provided in the fuse box.
I would be very interested in hearing the details of your installation. Please feel free to PM me if you like.

Because yours is an 18 RTL and my understanding is that the radio isn't like all previous models..... However I have an Album that shows how I mounted the Sirius XM receiver into the glove box ……….

 

[Flamewinger]

I pair to my current working phone and get SiriusXM, Waze and Garmin or TomTom and have it mounted to the center of the handlebars. I use an older phone paired to the dash with Sycig GPS, FOBO and Rever. if I need traffic and weather I can set it to use the hotspot on the working phone. I installed a USB outlet in amongst the switches just under the handlebars and use an 8” lightning cable to power phone. I have the older phone mounted on top of the dash and Lamonster’s extension cable. I have Gilt gloves that are either completely fingerless or just the thumb and forefinger are fingerless. So I can touch the phone to control it. For winter I’ll have to learn to stop and change music or just keep riding.

 

[bluewoo]

Im happy with the updated system on the 18, just takes time to understand it. I use the auto volume (what it designed for) and with my modular helmet up or down we can still enjoy the music or hockey games. My phones audio works perfect so far I love it how it sinks up automatically. FM is only good locally so I don't know why we bother complaining about it, my 2018 f150 pops in and out of HD radio all the time and it's not a big deal. The spyder rides goes way beyond the FM signals so I just BT the music. If your riding with a low wind screen or none at all, why is it the radios fault?
Ride with a bunch of Harley's then this even wont be good enough.
https://youtu.be/9jr4qd0Ie-U

Good beat got me twerking!:riding:

 

[Revalden]

^^^^ my radio sucks also ,if the wife holds the antenna the radio is better, but she will not run beside the bike .

You need to get a "Manuel Antenna System". That sucker can run really fast.:shocked:

 

[Revalden]

The audio system on my 2014 Triumph Trophy is freakin awesome. Set the volume you like before you roll out. It keeps the volume loud enough that you can still hear it at 70mph with no distortion.