Anyone tried Ridernav R7M with MRA via AA yet?

[Lenny O]

I tried my friend's Ridernav R7M with MRA NAV on my phone just before ordering the R7M. Well..... the Navigation screen does not look like it does on my phone, missing the 3 dots menu and is somewhat rearranged.
I was disappointed and decided not to order.
Besides, the actual screen on the R7M is just barely, and I mean BARELY larger than the screen on my Samsung S15 Ultra. There is a lot of dead space around the screen on the R7M. So, all together it was a deal braker for me.

[PieterG]

@Lenny-O Hi Lenny,

That is not due to the Ridernav R7M: What you see on the screen of the Ridernav R7M (and all other similar devices) is determined by the app you are using.

So not by the Ridernav R7M itself, because it only shows what it is being powered by.

This has to do with the way app developers have implemented Android Auto / Carplay, as well as the limitations imposed on them by Apple and Google...

And yes, it looks different and you are missing a lot. You could try other apps and see which one you like best in combination with a display. (For example, I am very happy with Kurviger for turn-by-turn navigation, and Sygic, Google and Waze for A to B navigation. (But that's up to you to decide )

Regarding the size, I can only say 7 inches is 7 inches... and that is substantially larger than my mobile phone and, moreover, much more visible in sunlight.

If you want something even larger than 7 inches, keep in mind that it might limit your view of your motorcycle display.

And yes, the housing is larger than the display itself, but that is the case with all models and brands, so you will have to accept that if you want to do anything with it

By the way, there is only one device on the market that, according to reviewers, scores better with its specs, but it is 2.5 to 3 times as expensive as the Ridernav R7M. I tested that one too, and it works the same way.

In the meantime, I have driven 3,000 km with the Ridernav R7M and am very satisfied. I tested various other brands and models in combination with multiple navigation apps, but I found them all to be worse to bad.

(tip: The Ridernav R7M is always available for purchase with a 20 or 25% discount using a discount code)

[PieterG]

This post is deleted!

[PieterG]

@Ed-Lauwerens-0 said:

Well, I ordered the RiderNav R7M for my BMW R1300GSA and will use it with MRA for a trip to Noordkaap this June - I assume everything will work fine and I will let you know my experiences afterwards.

Do you have an update, please ?

[PieterG]

@b0hd1 said:

@Ed-Lauwerens-0 Bring an alternative navigation system. There are quite a few reports of problems with the R7M...

I do not consider your criticism of the Ridernav R7M to be representative of the bigger picture. Contrary to what you claim, and based on my 3000km of experience, I actually see a very different picture. There are also many solid, comprehensive, and positive Ridernav R7M reviews. (for anyone: go take a look for yourself )

[Lenny O]

@PieterG Hi, Pieter!
Thank you for chiming in with your comments, I appreciate it.
My goal was to have a larger screen than my Zumo XT and my phone in a carplay unit that would operate the MRA Navigation App just like I see it on my phone. (Maybe that part is unrealistic)
So, for me R7M failed on screen size and the MRA NAV operation, thus rendering getting one pointless.
Oh, well.... The search continues

[PieterG]

@Lenny-O You're welcome ;-).

Please keep in mind that no matter what type of Smart Display you buy, you always have to deal with the following architecture:

Smartphone Hardware
↓
Operating System
Android / iOS
↓
Application
Google Maps, MRA, Kurviger, Sygic, Waze, etc.
↓
Projection Platform
Android Auto / Apple CarPlay >> This is where it is determined what you see on the screen and how it is displayed.
↓
Communication Layer
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
↓
Smart Display Hardware
Ridernav R7M, Chigee AIO-5/6, Carpuride, Aoocci, etc.
↓
Smart Display Firmware / Operating System
↓
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) >> There may also be differences here in the way the information is presented.
Display, touchscreen

So, all models display the same app interface on the screen, because it is determined by the Android Auto / Apple CarPlay layer.

If you're looking for a Smart Display (not a tablet or iPad) larger than 7 inches, the choice is very limited: I don't know of any good examples.

[Lenny O]

@PieterG Thank you for this, as the carplay area is totally new to me. I use Garmin for years, but now want to run the MRA Nav, because I di believe that it it the best and has grteat future to get even better!

So may I ask you ( or anyone else) to tell me the 2 top carplay options to run MRA NAV (as in the best / closest screen layout with the least screen functionality lost, while having a bright and readable screen, and work with the Wonder Wheel) in 2 scenarious:

1. Cost is no factor:
   A?
   B?

2. Staying on the reasonable budget (sort of like R7M).
   A?
   B?
   Thank you!

[M. Schrijver]

All Carplay and Android Auto device are sort of the same. The limitations on the devices does not come from the brands but they come from Apple and Google.
There are lot of brands, screen sizes, screen ratios and resolutions.

Take a look at the specs of popular brands like Chigee and Carpuride. These specs simply work. Every other brand which has more or less the same spec, should behave the same.
Max screen brightness is one of the big differences between the devices. Which results in different prices. Because the screen is one of the major parts of a device.

[PieterG]

@Lenny-O
I used to use TomTom Rider long time ago and after that a BMW Navigator IV(=Garmin-ish) for many years. But the BMW Nav's all get the same 'ghosting' problem after a few years and they become unusable.
(Repair costs 150 Euro every time) This is why I started my search for a follow-up solution and I ran into the same things as you are now

I started testing all kinds of models and brands of Smart Displays with MRA, Google Maps, Sygic, Waze, Calimoto, Stegra .io and Kurviger using both Android Auto and Apple Carplay on several Android phones and iPhones.

My opinion: all AA and AC implementations are still premature today (missing functions, etc.) and most nav apps are ok, but I'm the most unhappy with MRA app due to crashes (6-8 times a day, complexity and a very high risk of incorrect settings or operation due to the unintuitive GUI and too many (unclear or fatal) options. (The MRA app should have a “Simple Mode” button to put it into ' Kurviger mode' to make it rock solid usable! ).
Also, most important, with MRA you can NOT ride seamlessly through mountainous areas without an internet connection! (If you turn of data on your phone, MRA will not be able to do what you need..)

If the aviation industry used software like this, all the planes would fall out of the sky!
But hey, this is just my opinion after 3,000 km of testing the MRA app....

The MRA route planner website is very good though, once you get used to it.

After all of this, I’m happiest with Kurviger: simple, stable, everything you need right at your fingertips without having to search for it. The only thing you should always do when riding a turn-by-turn route, in my opinion, is turn off automatic recalculation. Do that, and it works rock-solid like a charm!
And with Kurviger you can ride seamlessly through mountainous areas when the Internet connection fails!

I use Kurviger app with both Android Auto and CarPlay. With CarPlay, the buttons are positioned on the left side of the Smart Screen, while with Android Auto they are at the bottom, which unfortunately wastes valuable screen space. So I prefer Carplay but Android Auto is also fine.

There is no way at all you can get an exact copy of any of the phone app-views on a smart display. The AA/AC layer is simply preventing that. (for all apps)

Options with Wonderwheel support:

1.A Chigee aio 6
1.B Chigee aio 5
2.A Ridernav R7M.
2.B. ...... none
2.C to Z. See Youtube and look for channel 'Smart Riding Gadgets' for all kind of tests (keep in mind that you are only interested in the models with Wonderwheel support)

[Lenny O]

@PieterG Thanks again, Pieter!
My set up today is MRA Planner, MRA Nav App route xfer to Zumo XT via Garmin Drive.
I have been running the MRA NAV in parallel to the Zumo XT for about 2000 miles now.
I must say that MRA NAV performed quite admirably and 95% of discrepancies were caused by the user error (me) or misunderstanding / lack of in depth understanding of the features and settings.
So, I am quite comfortable and confident with the MRA NAV and that's why I just wanted to get a larger and brighter unit.
As far as navigating with MRA when the Internet is not available - this is no issue at all, really!
As of today, as long as your routes are Synchronized - they are available for off-line navigation, provided you have downloaded the maps you need to run the routes.
You don't even need the Internet to kick-off the route, like it was before in the prior releases, just be Synched.
I love the new features of running a route as a track for one, it's amazing!
So, I am a big fan and supporter of MRA and really love the fact that it is a living-thing, developing and evolving unlike others that are stagnant or deprecated by now....

I think I will stick to my current setup for now and see what developes in the near future
Thank you for your thoughts!!!