My '10 Ultra Limited is sitting right at 100k, so I went into my dealership Tuesday with the full intention of trading on a 2014 (love the charcoal grey pearl over black color scheme!), but I've put that on hold because the new built-in gps has some terribly serious limitations and can't be used for any serious trip planning - and Harley has designed out any capability of routing the audio of a 3rd party gps through the integrated Infotainment system.

The shop doesn't know for sure, but the gps does not seem to be a Garmin engine, as the firmware and map references are different and the literature says it is designed to work with the online Harley Ride Planner. Well, the Ride Planner does not allow the use of Custom POIs, does not allow for planned layover times, and does not have all (or even most) of the editing features of Basecamp, Mapsource or S&T, so if you're doing any serious planning you will be required to use something other than Ride Planner. The problem with using other planning software is that you will have a mis-match of map data between what you plan on your pc and what the built-gps uses, and that can cause serious routing changes when your gps re-calculates imported routes.

The greater issue, though, is that the literature says routes in the gps are limited to 9 Waypoints - but one needs to know that Harley uses the word "Waypoint" the way the rest of the gps world uses Via Point or Shaping Point. Harley's term for Waypoints is actually "Locations". Well, traveling on 2-lane roads in the back country, a guy can have 9 via points in the first 100 miles - how would you plan a 2-week trip with this kind of limit?

Also, our current radios have a 2.5mm AUX input jack to plug a zumo 665 audio into, so you can hear gps directions through the bike's audio. The new systems have eliminated this AUX input, so even if I wanted to mount my 665 on the handlebars, HD has eliminated any ability to hear it through the integrated audio system.

I took a memory stick with a couple of routing files on it to the dealer yesterday afternoon and a couple of sales guys, a tech and I played some more with the Infotainment gps and confirmed the following:

- The ONLY input to the integrated audio/intercom/com/gps is via USB, the 2.5mm AUX jack on all prior year audio systems is no longer available. But the USB input is designed to accept only digital data files, not analog audio files, so the audio output from a zumo can no longer be routed through the integrated audio system.

- The gps WILL accept a gpx file planned in Basecamp.

- The gps will not only NOT ACCEPT a route with more than 9 shaping points, it will actually display spurious data if you try.

I had a 160 mile route that I rode with friends a couple of weeks ago - it was planned in B/C between Castle Rock and Estes Park, CO and was shaped by dragging the resulting route to avoid interstates and find the twisties. 2 Waypoints and 13 Via/Shaping Points.

The gps imported the route quite easily from the memory stick, but when we changed the display to show the route on the map, it not only truncated the route after the 9th via point, it displayed a spurious "floating" route segment that was not connected to the first part, and that was never part of the original.

The available literature is kinda sketchy, and folks in the shop are still coming up to speed with the new technology, so I'm sure we have a lot more to learn about the Infotainment system - I'm actually hoping I'm wrong with the concerns I've listed. But as it looks now, Harley has screwed the pooch and delivered Touring bikes that won't tour....

 

I have a touring motorcycle without any GPS of any kind whatsoever and it tours just fine. GPS does not a touring bike make!

 

Exactly why I'm waiting until next year. A lot of new technology there for them to work the bugs out of!

 

DING DING DING!!! That's correct.

Sorry OP, but if GPS is your only concern (or at least the biggest), you are really missing out on what true riding is all about.

Now don't get me wrong, you stated you have 100k on in 3 years - that's impressive. But take a step back, and remind yourself why you got into riding in the first place... The wind, the smells, the sounds of the bike, not for GPS waypoints.

 

I would hope that if they find limitations in the waypoints there will soon be a firmware update to fix that. I remember when Garmin had that limitation and it was fixed with an easy upgrade. I guess if enough people complain about it eventually they will fix it. Hopefully sooner than later. Dont give the OP to much trouble about GPS, some of us love playing with our maps... its an addiction :-)

 

They guy has 100k miles in 3 years I think a GPS is pretty damn important to HIM. Maybe it isn't important to YOU on your ride to and from work? To each his own. I think having that huge infotainment system is just a distraction begging for an accident to happen. FWIW I ride on my trips without GPS I just think we all have different needs and wants when we make a purchase. I have zero interest in any of the new models and their changes. They hit the nail right on the head with my 12 CVO SG so I'll be keeping it. Rubber side down guys.

 

I don't know of any built in automotive GPS (which this is) that does what you are talking about. I know the one is my wifes high end Buick Regal doesn't do anything close to what you want, but there is no way I would have got the car without it.

 

Interesting read but I have to agree with the responses here. I have the iPod connector on my 12 and if i need gps, I just launch my navigator on my iPhone and problem solved.

 

You spent all this time writing this post over the fact that you don't like the GPS system?

That is pathetic to me. I plan all kinds of trips with a map and Manage to stay alive.

 

Correction. The op claims to have 100k in three years.

Does everyone believe everything they read on the Internet?