Unless you’ve tuned out the latest moto gadgets and electronics, you may have noticed that there’s been a tidal wave of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (ACP/AA) devices brought to market for motorcycles.
You’ve likely experienced ACP/AA in an automobile, so I won’t get into those basics—it’s terrific and offers so much more than the ubiquitous GPS units of yesteryear. Besides the ACP/AA functionalities they have in common, some moto versions add cameras, lane change assist, tire pressure displays, and more. I reviewed one early Chigee model and an earlier version of the Carpuride unit that I am reviewing here. I have also done a comparison of Chigee and Carpuride units.
So far, I have focused on units that mount to BMW’s Nav Prep GPS mount, which supplies power and often raw data from the bike’s computer. The Chigee unit even allowed control by touchscreen and through the BMW Multi-Controller, affectionately known as the “Wonder Wheel” (WW).
Carpuride’s new W702BS catches up in the game by adding WW control to the touchscreen. Unfortunately, owners of the original 702B cannot upgrade their firmware to add this feature set. Even though the BS (don’t laugh) model looks almost the same, they are different animals.
The Carpuride W702BS has a seven-inch screen. While you can get the W502BS, which has a five-inch screen, I prefer more screen real estate.
The only visual giveaway that tells you that you are looking at the B or BS model is the mount. The B model has a removable BMW-style mount that allows owners to switch to an included ball mount (and wiring) to use their unit on a non-BMW. If you want to transfer your device between motorcycles, the B model is for you.
The new Carpuride BS model has the mount permanently affixed to the back of the chassis. This precludes any ability to transfer to another bike, though it reduces the unit’s depth by one inch. I like that a lot, and I also like the WW controls a lot.
The Wonder Wheel control operates like any GPS by long-pressing the menu button upward. Once done, left and right presses and up and down scrolling of the WW allows the pilot to do anything that can be accomplished with a finger on the touchscreen. The rider can change apps and run the app choices from the WW. Although the Carpuride WW commands are a bit different from those of the competing Chigee, they are intuitive and described in the pamphlet accompanying the unit.
Two data display screens get information from the motorcycle’s computer and are nicely laid out. One must exit ACP/AA to access these, and I find I rarely use them; most of that data is already on the dash.
My favorite feature on the Carpuride W702BS is that the unit allows me to use the WW to jump ahead on songs in my playlist. I scroll and click to position the cursor on the fast-forward button. When focusing on the road, especially in the twisties, I can skip to the next song with a press on the wheel. While it may not sound like much, it is vastly easier than looking down, finding the fast-forward arrow, and then clicking with my finger.
The Carpuride units are an excellent accompaniment to my riding experience. They conveniently allow me to see incoming calls, make them, run music, see and hear text messages, view maps, and much more. For BMW riders with the BMW Nav Prep GPS, the Carpuride W702BS enhances the ACP/AA experience by integrating the BMW Multi-Controller. The list price is $540; however, at the time of this writing, the W702BS is on sale at the Carpuride website with a coupon for $335. If you prefer the model with the five-inch screen, you will save $20.
