I recently transitioned to a modular full face helmet and want to be able to hear the stereo and the full function of the Boom system. I didn't want to buy two free wire units so I went with a WHIM and Harley's rebranded Sena 50s bluetoooth head sets for GF & myself. Installed it today and have to get the Boom system programed to recognize the WHIM. I'm completely new to this and the whole com system thing. The install of the WHIM is a snap. The install of the headset in my Shoei Neo Tec II is a bit of a pain. So, a couple of questions:

- I believe my indy can turn on the boom to recognize the wireless head sets. Is it a better option to have a dealer do it with their Digital Tech?

- There will be times where I also ride with my half helmet. Will the stereo play as normal through the speakers when not using the HD Sena head set? I'm not putting the head set on the half helmet.

- Anything I should know about the operation of this? The instructions are a bit vague. I have read that the WHIM can be a bit finicky so I'm trying to learn as much as I can here.

Thanks for any info,
klammer

 

I’ve never personally used a WHIM or wireless headsets. I do know that you can play through the speakers at any time by switching the head unit manually. I would imagine that the head unit would do it automatically, if no headset is Bluetooth connected.

 

Thank you

 

With the wired system, you have to go into "audio routing" and pick headsets or speakers, I would assume you'll have to do the same thing with wireless, its easy enough and just takes a few seconds once you know where its at.

If your Indy has the software to program the bike (Techno Research, Diag4Bike, etc) he can enable WHIM for you no problem. There is actually a benefit if this is on a GTS and you have an iPhone using an Indy with Techno Research or Diag4Bike. They can still do the old Software hack so that CarPlay is available whether or not you have the headset connected.... until a dealer has to hook up to the bike with Digital Tech and screws it up

I can't help with day to day use of the system though...

 

Yes, you Can route the audio to the speakers while using the WHIM

 

Can you explain the old software hack?

 

Ok, I have the wired headset setup, not WHIM. I also have Diag4Bike, and I can "disable" one setting under "Radio Customizations" which is "Apple CarPlay Mic Type", that disables the mic requirement. Then CarPlay is available with or without a headset (mic) being connected, no other "jumpers" or "plugs" required. If I want to use a headset (mic), then I can and it fully functions. That is the old "software" hack that dealers used to be able to do, until they had to update their DigitalTech software in the spring of 2020 after Apple found out about it... having a mic for CarPlay is an Apple license requirement. I have been using this "hack" since the fall of 2019 when I put the GTS in my 2016 RGU, using the Soundz module before HD made the GTS backwards compatible.

I was talking to Carlos at TechnoResearch last week about something else (could Centurion Super Pro do Boom! Stage II speaker/amp programming) after we got done with that, I asked about this function/setting I could do on Diag4Bike, and I asked if they planned to add it to Centurion's software and he said it was already there... he said under "Radio:Enable/Disable" then under "Bluetooth" when you enable "WHIM" AND enable "PHONE" both that that would automatically eliminate the requirement that a headset (mic) be connected in order to have CarPlay available. Of course if you do not connect a headset (mic) you won't be able to utilize the voice stuff (talk on the phone, voice commands, etc), but you can route the audio stuff to the speakers to listen. If you want the voice stuff, connect a headset (mic).

Fair disclosure... I do not have WHIM to verify this on, and while I still have a license and access to Centurion Super Pro, I have and I'm using Diag4Bike on my stuff... so I have not been able to "verify" what Carlos said.

Be warned, my software hack can get messed up by the dealer using their Digital Tech software on my bike. It has a couple times over the last couple of years, but when I got home from the dealer I just hooked up to the bike to Diag4Bike and switched that setting back the way I had it before and all was well. It doesn't "automatically" screw it up when they hook up Digital Tech to the bike, but I don't know what they have to be doing for it to screw it up. The last time was when I added TPMS to my 2016 RGU, and switched out the BCM a year ago... I knew the guy was gonna be all thru stuff getting the new BCM setup so I expected it, but 15 minutes after getting home I was good to go again.

Finally, if you have an iPhone and the GTS, get CarPlay working the right way first, before doing this other stuff. Plug the phone into the USB (with a good Apple cord) and connect a headset (mic)... and verify you can get CarPlay to work as intended to begin with, before doing the other.

Seeing as you're going wireless, the next thing after you get all that other stuff working... you can add a wireless CarPlay module and then you don't even have to have your iPhone plugged into the USB
using something like this
or https://cplay2air.com/?gclid=EAIaIQo...SAAEgLJa_D_BwE

When I start my bike, CarPlay is available whether or not I have a headset connected, and the phone is in my pocket...

 

Thank you for that info. I went to my Indy yesterday and he flashed the bike with his Digital Tech to enable WHIM. Saw the pop up asking if we wanted to enable phone. Having not read anything about that and not seeing your post in time I did not enable phone. Car play pop right up and works fine through the stereo (I do not have my HD branded 50S head sets paired yet, that is next). Google maps, Pandora, text messages read, iTunes etc. The only thing that doesn't work is voice text reply. Siri asks but won't work through phone. Is that because I didn't enable the phone? I noticed when Siri asks if I want to reply, the usually green dot on the display is yellow which tells me the microphone isn't working/enabled? Is there anything else that I lose by not having enabled the phone?

The weather here is taking a very sharp turn starting tomorrow. I may not get a chance to ride back up until spring which is fine, I will just make note of this and have the phone enabled then. Will not enabling the phone affect the wireless microphone function at all or anything else with the 50S headsets?

Thanks for the info.

 

"I went to my Indy yesterday and he flashed the bike with his Digital Tech to enable WHIM."
Digital Tech is the system that HD Dealers use, is that what your Indy uses? If so, and if he's updated the software in the last couple years, he won't be able to do that "software hack" I don't think. That software hack is still able to be done using TechnoResearch or Diag4bike (I can only confirm Diag4Bike's ability to do it).

"Car play pop right up and works fine through the stereo (I do not have my HD branded 50S head sets paired yet, that is next)."
Are you saying you had your iPhone plugged into the usb and CarPlay was available WITHOUT having a headset connected? If so, thats a good thing.... but I doubt thats what you mean because you go on to ask about replying to a text message, and I don't know how you'd even try to do that without a headset (mic) hooked up. Unless you have the WHIM module installed, but not paired to your wireless headsets yet, and you tried to use the wired set that came with your bike... those ain't gonna work with the WHIM module in.

I will say, If I don't have a headset connected (remember I using a wired system) and I have audio routed to the speakers, and I play a text, after it finishes playing the text, SIRI will ask if I want to respond?... of course thats not going to happen, because, like I said, I don't have a headset hooked up... and at that point I can't "use my iPhone as a mic" to reply to the text via the head unit. I would need to connect a headset (mic), if I wanted to respond to texts.

But in your case, not knowing how you had the audio routed, what if any headset hooked up, I'd get the headset paired, then test all the good stuff. If you have it how I think you meant it, it is sounding promising... like maybe you didn't have any headset connected and CarPlay was available for audio stuff (listening)? That would be right for the "old software hack". Then, if you want to do mic/voice stuff (talk on the phone, voice commands, reply to texts, etc), then you hook up a headset. If it works that way, that how mine is (only wired headsets), and I love not have to have a headset connected, AND STILL have CarPlay available, because I primarily use the visual and listening stuff, and talk on it very little... but I can by connecting a headset if I want to.

Just to be clear, "Normal" is for CarPlay NOT to be available unless/until you have a headset (mic) connected... thats how it is designed to function normally.

 

My mistake on saying it was Digital Tech, I believe he has the Techno Research unit. Went to Whim and checked box to enable WHIM. We did not check the enable phone box. What am I missing out on by not having enabled the phone also?

I was running the car play hack plug in. It worked great. When I installed the WHIM, the plug had to be removed so I could plug in the WHIM. Car play obviously didn't work at that point. After enabling the WHIM, car play was back and fully functioning. Music, text, maps, waze etc. Played through my bikes speakers (I do not have my HD Sena 50s head sets connected yet). I tried to do a test text reply using my phone for a microphone but that didn't work. That's fine with me it was only a test. Obviously, I will need the microphone of the wireless headsets to use voice commands.

My question is, what will I gain by going back and having the enable phone turned on also?

I'm happy to have the car play working w/o having to have the head sets all the time as I won't use them all the time. I went with the WHIM and HD Sena head sets to be able to communicate with my passenger when she is with me and to be able to use all the functions of the GTS system for control.