I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the Infotainment system before I buy one in a couple of months. I've used Basecamp and a Garmin 550 for years with a lot of luck! I'm determined to master this new system. I've been playing around with Harley Ride Planner and the "Locations" and "Waypoints" are throwing me off a little. It looks like if I use four locations in my route, I will actually have 3 different routes. If all three routes are downloaded into the system and I get to location 2, do I need to do anything for the route to continue to location 3?

I've tried converting the locations to waypoints, but then I lose the information about the location being a gas stop, etc. Any information will be helpful. Thanks!

 

I have several GPS units. One in my Jeep, one in my wife's Honda CRV, another in my Goldwing all Original Equipment from each manufacturer. I also have two very nice Garmin GPS units (1200 Series) that we use in the cars for the Traffic information they provide. A hazard of living in the LA area. Now I also have this OE unit in the Ultra. My experiences with all of these tell me two things:

1.) The OE units are all, to varying degrees, a real PIA to use compared to the stand alone Garmin Units. I would have preferred that the manufacturers either match current functionality and usability of handheld/stand alone GPS units or simply leave the option off the vehicle.

2.) Using the OE units to plan a trip is a waste of time IMHO. When I use an OE GPS I do so purely as Point to Point. ie I am here . . . Direct me to there. So when going on an extended trip I enter and save each location as a separate Waypoint. As I reach each Waypoint, and that Route ends, I select the next saved Waypoint. In the end this is much simpler than trying to use Basemap or Harley's Trip Planer.

Finally a word on the Harley GPS and it's accuracy, or rather the lack there of. Having just used it extensively on a 4,000 mile trip (Sturgis, Yellowstone, Lassen, Bryce, Zion, RMNP, etc.) is at times a real problem. First, The Turn by Turn and the graphic Map representations often will not agree. The most common discrepancy is the Map showing a Left turn and the Turn by Turn saying it is a Right Turn. (and vice versa). When in conflict the Maps are usually (but not always) the correct one. Second, It often can not find the correct location. It'll come close, but it can be off by a quarter to as much as a half a mile or more . . . and this includes Harley Dealerships (Red Lodge, MT for example . . . and the Dealer is aware of it). A real PIA at night, in the rain, in an unfamiliar location, trying to find the hotel . . . been there done that twice in two weeks! Handheld Garmin GPS correct, but Harley GPS in error.
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Forget the Rideplanner, it's more trouble than it's worth (IMHO) stick with Basecamp, it works just fine!!

Ady

 

Inversely, I've had very little problems with rideplanner, or the BOOM! It took some getting sued to how it operates, and it definitely could be more user friendly. But it hasn't really failed me yet. Oh, and I used to get the voice saying turn right then the arrow showing left on rare occasion, but I turned that off and just eyeball the map.

With rideplanner, plug in your start, then your end point. Then hit roundtrip if it is going to be roundtrip. Don't end where you started, if it is roundtrip, instead select a point you want to go to midway throguh your trip as the end point. Then select the first half of your trip (right click on it) and insert waypoints where you need to to force the route you want. Do the same for the second half of your trip after right clicking on the midway point, if roundtrip. This method has always worked for me.

Also, make sure you select fastest route on the boom and no avoidance's. It will choose the fastest time to the next waypoint.

 

Ride Planner works just fine too.

So, it as always it comes down to personal preference.

 

While I would agree the mountable third party GPS units are more intuitive to use and can be purchased with motorcycle specific features, I still prefer the Infotainment GPS on my 2015 SGS if for nothing other than it is built in. If I wanted a handlebar mounted unit I would have bought a Road Glide.

I have had success planning routes on Ride Planner, exporting them to USB and then importing them to the Boom! system. Works great as long as my route has an end and beginning and nothing but waypoints between.

Yes, the maps are older than I would want them to be but I personally havent had any of the issues others have mentioned in this thread. I also will say I always carry a back up in my iPhone which I mount on my handlebars ... I know I know ... if you wont clutter your handlebars up with a GPS why do it with a phone. Well, that is mainly because my iPhone 6+ wont fit in the dang glove compartment in the dash. I know I know ... first world problems ...

I have not tried basecamp yet but I will give that a try as well. Ride Planner can be a bit tedious and the HD sites are SLOW.

 

I really don't know how much simpler Ride Planner could be?? Enter a start point, be it address, town, zip code, whatever you have, or simple right click on the map and click "add location".
Right click on an end point, click "add location" again, or use address, zip code etc.

Don't like the route it makes?? Click on the line to make a waypoint and the drag it to the road you want to use.

Yes, if you put in 4 locations along your route, once you arrive at the 2nd one it will automatically continue to the 3rd and 4th etc.

On the other hand, BaseCrap can't even find my next door neighbor's house half the time.

 

BTW, I think I found something interesting for those of us who have had trouble with Ride Planner way points sending us through Aunt Judy's back yard bridge tournament.

It appears that if you do route using multiple "locations" by clicking a close, but not entirely accurate spot on the map first, and then go back later and change them to waypoints, it moves the point to a spot that's actually on the road you're traveling, rather than putting it in some random spot behind a building or the middle of a swimming pool.

 

Thanks for your reply about the various locations.

 

I haven't used Basecamp or Ride Planner, but instead use Tyre for Travel. Tyre is free and works great, and it's integrated with Google maps.

I select my starting point, then add waypoints along the way to force the route I want. The last way point is the final destination. I export the route file as a .gpx file and import it into the Boom unit (just import the route, not "select all"). It has worked flawlessly every time.