BRP Connect, a current status

[ThreeWheels]

Here's my post on Facebook I don't know if it will help anyone, but this BRP Connect has been one hell of a journey for me. And I'm an engineer. I can't imagine the difficulty people are having if they don't share the same technical background. Is it possible I've overthought the process ??

I'll first identify the parts I have and then I'll tell you how they are connected/paired

The individual parts are:
Of course, I have the BRP Connect installed on my 2020 RTL
I have a Galaxy Note 8 loaded up with music and the BRP App.
I have one SENA 20S EVO for me
I have one SENA 20S for a passenger
I have a Garmin Zumo 590 for navigation.
I have a Galxy Note 10 for phone calls.

Components are connected:
The Note 8 is paired to the BRP Connect as a BT Audio source
The passenger SENA 20S is paired to BRP for music and the driver 20S EVO for intercom.
The driver 20S EVO is paired to the BRP for music and the passenger 20S for intercom
The Garmin 590 is paired the the driver 20S EVO for navigation and the Note 10 for phone calls. This also gives calls from the Galaxy note 10 through to the driver 20S EVO.

This setup gives the following capabilities:
The Passenger gets music and intercom to the Driver. This also gives the passenger control over the music that's played by using the passenger console. The jury is out as to whether or not that's a good idea.
The Driver gets music and intercom to the Passenger. The music is controlled by the Driver console. This is a good thing, and the main reason for changing from the previous system centered on the ZUMO.
The Driver gets navigation instructions through the Garmin GPS.
The Driver can make or receive cell phone calls via the Garmin GPS connection.

The The The THAT'S AL FOLKS !
Unless something changes.......................

 

[triplethreat]

Wow....going for a motorcycle ride is getting complicated! No thanks

 

[billybovine]

I really did not have much trouble setting mine up. Followed the video from BRP. I don't have a dedicated GPS unit. After a couple months. I did not like the gps screen on the Spyders screen, the app options or any of the other app options. So now the the phone is on the handlebars. I use it's screen for gps app. Mostly use Waze when cell service is good or Google maps when not. But it is still BT connected to the Spyder for audio and phone control functions. That works great. I can at any time, plug in the usb cable and use the BRP Connect screen options if I want.

 

[Flamewinger]

New tech is supposed to be simple. It's interesting how many riders make it so complicated.

One smartphone connected with BT and cable. Headset gets music and GPS. If I had a passenger I would have a matched headset and either the passenger can enjoy the same music or be paired to their own smartphone. Back when Apple came out with the iPhone 3G, I gave up on all stand alone GPS and fell in love with one device. Had Garmin as well as TomTom apps and now I have Sygic and Genius along with Rever. Don't need a laptop to create routes, don't need to wire in an expensive Garmin, just plug in the smartphone.

Yes BRP Connect is not the best (yet) but I've learned how to make it work and hope more apps become available. Now, with many more new owners, we should be calling and emailing BRP Care and bugging them to provide support and feedback so it can be better.

 

[ThreeWheels]

This all would have been so much easier if BRP Connect could pair to the Garmin.
Still, it's not really complicated. I just made it seem so by being explicit.

 

[bikerbillone]

Sorry to report I am one of 'those people'. How do I get to this BRP video? I haven't given up on BRP Connect, just a bit slow on this tech stuff. I'm just learning some good stuff about the 'joy stick' to toggle good information on the display. I do not want to play with this thing while I'm tooling down the road.

 

[ThreeWheels]

Sorry to report I am one of 'those people'. How do I get to this BRP video? I haven't given up on BRP Connect, just a bit slow on this tech stuff. I'm just learning some good stuff about the 'joy stick' to toggle good information on the display. I do not want to play with this thing while I'm tooling down the road.

This might be helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zllngr6E6IQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIo_UkAOiw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh7TaqS62NA

I made it difficult by using a Garmin 590 for navigation instead of a smartphone.

There's also a BRP Connect group on facebook.

 

[bikerbillone]

Thanks, I'm dependent on You Tube, so I'll be watching.

 

[Flamewinger]

I made a video that is a little longer but shows more of how it works. Sorry is vertical.

 

[Paula]

Hope you don't mind a question added to the thread... I have sort of given up on brp connect. I can get parts to work but not other parts of it. I think it could be related to my cell phone.

I emailed BRP but never got a list of compatable phones. For a 2018 what cell phones/models work?

 

[kissfan]

Hope you don't mind a question added to the thread... I have sort of given up on brp connect. I can get parts to work but not other parts of it. I think it could be related to my cell phone.

I emailed BRP but never got a list of compatable phones. For a 2018 what cell phones/models work?

Here's what's on their website. I think it's more OS related than phone model.

 

[billybovine]

Hope you don't mind a question added to the thread... I have sort of given up on brp connect. I can get parts to work but not other parts of it. I think it could be related to my cell phone.

I emailed BRP but never got a list of compatable phones. For a 2018 what cell phones/models work?

First thing to check is the firmware level of your dash. In the menu. Go to Settings, gear icon. Go to information, question mark icon. If the firmware level is less then 20.80. Then have your dealer update it.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

New tech is supposed to be simple.

When has that ever been? Never as far as I have observed and dealt with! :dontknow:

Each cell phone I've had is more complicated than the one before. I gave up taking care of computers at church because it all was getting more and more complicated! Sometimes I wish we were still back in the DOS days of the 80's. I don't want to buy a new car because they are so much more sophisticated than the 2005 Maxima I have, which was far more complicated than the 1966 Dodge Coronet I owned at one time.

Nope, the world and all that is in it gets more complicated year by year! :helpsmilie:

 

[Paula]

Went out to check. OS at 7.0 on phone, firm ware 20.8... my phone remebered brp connect and bluetoothed itself to it. Had hubby call me and it showed on spyders screen who was calling and the phones pic I have set for his call???? It has never done that before... ever? Snowed today so unable to see if any more works after sitting for the winter? Weird.

 

[Flamewinger]

The GPS apps require a vehicle connection fee so it will work in the dash. When you open an app in the dash for the first time you need to check the phone and give permission for the bike to access the app. Yes phone calls will show up in the dash and only work with a headset. You can answer or not with the joystick. You can also make calls but it's best to do it when parked.

 

[Frostbyte]

It makes me long for the old days when you would just yell and point

Here's my post on Facebook I don't know if it will help anyone, but this BRP Connect has been one hell of a journey for me. And I'm an engineer. I can't imagine the difficulty people are having if they don't share the same technical background. Is it possible I've overthought the process ??

I'll first identify the parts I have and then I'll tell you how they are connected/paired

The individual parts are:
Of course, I have the BRP Connect installed on my 2020 RTL
I have a Galaxy Note 8 loaded up with music and the BRP App.
I have one SENA 20S EVO for me
I have one SENA 20S for a passenger
I have a Garmin Zumo 590 for navigation.
I have a Galxy Note 10 for phone calls.

Components are connected:
The Note 8 is paired to the BRP Connect as a BT Audio source
The passenger SENA 20S is paired to BRP for music and the driver 20S EVO for intercom.
The driver 20S EVO is paired to the BRP for music and the passenger 20S for intercom
The Garmin 590 is paired the the driver 20S EVO for navigation and the Note 10 for phone calls. This also gives calls from the Galaxy note 10 through to the driver 20S EVO.

This setup gives the following capabilities:
The Passenger gets music and intercom to the Driver. This also gives the passenger control over the music that's played by using the passenger console. The jury is out as to whether or not that's a good idea.
The Driver gets music and intercom to the Passenger. The music is controlled by the Driver console. This is a good thing, and the main reason for changing from the previous system centered on the ZUMO.
The Driver gets navigation instructions through the Garmin GPS.
The Driver can make or receive cell phone calls via the Garmin GPS connection.

The The The THAT'S AL FOLKS !
Unless something changes.......................

 

[OverHillAndDale]

I am also an engineer - and have spent my life in software design and development. Even with that background BRP Connect threw me for a loop for a bit. I have an iPhone instead of an Android phone, and I don't have a standalone GPS. My observations:
- When you first start up the bike, you absolutely have to have the phone in the right mode. BRP Connect running, screen not blanked out. Even then, every now and then I still have to disconnect/reconnect my phone to get everything connected.
- I'm confused as to why the phone is connected by BlueTooth AND a cable. Oh well, not a huge issue for me.
- The Genius GPS is ... OK. I find it a bit klunky, it lacks a breadcrumb trail, it occasionally picks bizarre routes. Saturday it tried to route me through a long, muddy dirt road. I kept going on the road I was on and eventually it cooperated. However, it is a lot cheaper than a new Garmin and it works.
- I really like the ESR app for recording and sharing rides.
- Still waiting for FOBO 2 to work. Both sides tell me they're working on it (and it does work now, and that there is a fundamental issue they don't know how to resolve, and ...)
- Weather app is kind of nice to have.
- Occasionally, an app won't let me exit by holding down the joystick in the center position. It is fixed by me turning the bike off, waiting until all the idiot lights are off, then restarting.

All in all, a noble attempt to get us to hide our phones away and improve functionality of the bike. I'm assuming software upgrades are free?

 

[billybovine]

I am also an engineer - and have spent my life in software design and development. Even with that background BRP Connect threw me for a loop for a bit. I have an iPhone instead of an Android phone, and I don't have a standalone GPS. My observations:
- When you first start up the bike, you absolutely have to have the phone in the right mode. BRP Connect running, screen not blanked out. Even then, every now and then I still have to disconnect/reconnect my phone to get everything connected.
- I'm confused as to why the phone is connected by BlueTooth AND a cable. Oh well, not a huge issue for me.
- The Genius GPS is ... OK. I find it a bit klunky, it lacks a breadcrumb trail, it occasionally picks bizarre routes. Saturday it tried to route me through a long, muddy dirt road. I kept going on the road I was on and eventually it cooperated. However, it is a lot cheaper than a new Garmin and it works.
- I really like the ESR app for recording and sharing rides.
- Still waiting for FOBO 2 to work. Both sides tell me they're working on it (and it does work now, and that there is a fundamental issue they don't know how to resolve, and ...)
- Weather app is kind of nice to have.
- Occasionally, an app won't let me exit by holding down the joystick in the center position. It is fixed by me turning the bike off, waiting until all the idiot lights are off, then restarting.

All in all, a noble attempt to get us to hide our phones away and improve functionality of the bike. I'm assuming software upgrades are free?

I use an android phone. So that may make a difference.

I normally do not use the usb connection. That is only needed for phone apps running on your phone to appear on the Spyders screen. The reason for the usb connection. There is not enough bandwidth with BT alone for the video on the screen and app control. As explained by BRP.

I use the BT connection all the time. It makes the BT connection everytime. Without any intervention from me. The phone can be locked and in my pocket. All the phone functions will be available and the music player will start playing the last song it was playing. The last time it was connected. The only thing that happens. Every time I power cycle my phone and later BT connect with the Spyder again. I have to turn up the phone media volume again and answer the warning about damaging your hearing.

 

[OverHillAndDale]

I use an android phone. So that may make a difference.

I use the BT connection all the time. It makes the BT connection everytime. Without any intervention from me. The phone can be locked and in my pocket. All the phone functions will be available and the music player will start playing the last song it was playing. The last time it was connected. The only thing that happens. Every time I power cycle my phone and later BT connect with the Spyder again. I have to turn up the phone media volume again and answer the warning about damaging your hearing.

Very interesting - If I don't connect with the USB cable, the music ACTS like it's playing (it shows the track and gives me volume control), but no sound comes out of the speakers despite where I set the phone and bike volume. When I connect with Bluetooth AND USB it behaves as you would expect.

 

[kissfan]

Connect is still toy software.

Riding yesterday. Started up, connect and functioned just fine.
Stoped for an hour. Fired the bike back up, Connect refused to connect.
Continually showed battery level and signal strength, but when I tried to launch BRP is said to connect to the USB.

Software STILL doesn't show FOBO2 available to integrate, even though FOBO says they made all the required change and it's in BRP's hands, and BRP then told me it works and to contact my dealer.

This is what happens when you offshore your software development. Junk.