TomTom Rider 550 or BMW Nav 6

@DaveDay I'm afraid they have gone all techy and forgot the fundamentals, no doubt designed by bods whom sit behind a desk and have never rode a bike to understand what one wants from a bike specific nav.
 
@DaveDay "I won’t bother trying the BMW Nav 6 as I’m sure it’ll have the same connection issues as the TomTom. "

Why would you think that?

Because I’m assuming the connection issues (mainly the Siri button not working) is due to two devices connected to the SENA headset via Bluetooth at the same time.
 
Well for anyone who may be interested here’s my opinion of the TomTom Rider 500/550 after a couple of days of testing it with an iPhone X and Sena S10 headset.

* The first thing I noticed is how much smaller and lower the resolution of the TomTom screen is compared to the iPhone. It’s like using an iPhone from ten years ago.

* Bluetooth connection is very hit and miss. Traffic data sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t, same for spoken SMS messages. After a while TomTom stopped receiving traffic and cloud information for no apparent reason and even a reboot didn’t resolve it. TomTom also stopped connecting to the Sena headset for no apparent reason.

* The Phone Button on the Sena, which normally invokes Siri, no longer works. Likewise pressing the phone icon on the TomTom screen, which should invoke Siri does nothing. Quite often the phone icon on the TomTom screen is not even displayed.

* Spoken instructions from the TomTom is crackly.

I’ve decided to return the TomTom and go back to using the TomTom Go app on the iPhone. The app doesn’t have ‘Routes’ or the ‘Plan a Thrill’ feature which is a shame but it works flawlessly with the Sena headset and traffic data is always up to date. You can sort of recreate the ‘Plan a Thrill’ feature on the iPhone by choosing Winding route in Route Planning but it’s not as good.
I won’t bother trying the BMW Nav 6 as I’m sure it’ll have the same connection issues as the TomTom.

So if you don’t want to connect it to your phone or headset, how did you find it?
 
So if you don’t want to connect it to your phone or headset, how did you find it?

I wouldn’t have been able to hear turn instructions or speed camera warnings. The screen would still be small with low resolution and I wouldn’t have received any up to date traffic information or have My Places kept up to date. In other words a huge step down from what I’m used to with the TomTom Go app on the iPhone.

I will miss Routes and Plan a Thrill however, they are great features.
 
Have they addressed the fact if you miss a waypoint on the 450 you cannot delete it without going thro several screen functions, not ideal on the move !! It would take you back to it regardless and the only routes you could share/Bluetooth from the unit were the pre-installed factory TomTom scenic routes and not ones you have done yourself.

I went back to my v5 because whilst it's not full of apps and bollox it does exactly what I want and allows you to miss waypoints and very easy to use and you can navigate / cancel with one press whereas the 450 you had to go into alternative screens and functions.
 
Have they addressed the fact if you miss a waypoint on the 450 you cannot delete it without going thro several screen functions

I don’t think so, as far as I could see you had to select ‘miss next waypoint’ from within the menu
 
I wouldn’t have been able to hear turn instructions or speed camera warnings. The screen would still be small with low resolution and I wouldn’t have received any up to date traffic information or have My Places kept up to date. In other words a huge step down from what I’m used to with the TomTom Go app on the iPhone.

I will miss Routes and Plan a Thrill however, they are great features.

OK, good to know. I've ordered a 550, don't connect to my phone or intercom, and my eyesight isn't too bad just yet, so it should be fine. :thumb:D
 
I don’t think so, as far as I could see you had to select ‘miss next waypoint’ from within the menu

When i called tomtom and spoke to there tech (some bloke in India) he said this particular issue would be rectified on the next model. The TomTom forums give a real feel for all issues and bugs the new units have, many feel they have done the wrong thing by upgrading :rolleyes:
 
Now that Garmin have ironed out the bugs with the latest firmware releases, there's nothing wrong with a Nav VI, it's never failed to get me where I want to go by the route I've asked it to take me by, and even just brief adhoc planning has been fine. One something without the whizzy wheel, I'd be tempted to possibly look at TomTom, but the way it integrates with the wheel and displays data from the bike (for us poverty spec non TFT types) is useful.

Early on, I felt like a beta tester for Garmin and hankered to get my Nav 5 back, but now, no complaints about my VI
 
@DaveDay "I won’t bother trying the BMW Nav 6 as I’m sure it’ll have the same connection issues as the TomTom. "

Why would you think that?

Yeah I was curious about this too

For note, you shouldn’t really have both nav and phone connected to the sena. Really, you should have the phone connected to the nav and the nav connected to the sena. The nav van then use the phones data for various functions and show caller info if it rings etc.


In either instance I can’t se that the Siri button (long hold?) would work.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Really, you should have the phone connected to the nav and the nav connected to the sena.

No that wouldn’t work. You would always need the TomTom to be present and turned on in order to listen to music. Also the Siri button wouldn’t work. For me, controlling music, podcasts, radio, phone calls and messages via voice/Siri is a must in any future setup. I realise everyone has different needs so I’m not pouring cold water on the TomTom Rider 550. I’m just saying for me personally, the iPhone, SENA and TomTom Go app combo is the best solution so far.

I may try a Nav 6, I’ve nothing to loose.
 
No.....Also the Siri button wouldn’t work. For me, controlling music, podcasts, radio, phone calls and messages via voice/Siri is a must in any future setup.

I may try a Nav 6, I’ve nothing to loose.

You could lose the additional ‘o’ that’s found its way into, loose.
 
Have to say that early on I decided that I didn't want to hear the instructions from the nav (Zumo 390) so I connect iPhone 6 direct to Sena SMH10, this was mainly because I had the habit of exceeding the stored speed limits and got tee'd off with the warning bong (this may actually be possible to switch off) but also we have open mic when riding with mates and the nav would interupt any conversation.

Music(riding solo), chat (riding with mates), telephone whenever. Just look at the nav for route instructions - but then mine is just a satnav - not a second tft for the operating parameters of the awesome etc....
 
No that wouldn’t work. You would always need the TomTom to be present and turned on in order to listen to music.

Yes. That how it should work. You need the tomtom present It’s how it’s meant to be.

If for some reason you didn’t have the Tom Tom then you’d reset the sena and pair it individually to the phone
But having the sena paired to both phone and tomtom is a recipe for Bluetooth pairing conflicts in my experience.

Same goes for any nav unit you buy. The navigation is the hub of the system.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
No that wouldn’t work. You would always need the TomTom to be present and turned on in order to listen to music. Also the Siri button wouldn’t work. For me, controlling music, podcasts, radio, phone calls and messages via voice/Siri is a must in any future setup. I realise everyone has different needs so I’m not pouring cold water on the TomTom Rider 550. I’m just saying for me personally, the iPhone, SENA and TomTom Go app combo is the best solution so far.

I may try a Nav 6, I’ve nothing to loose.


I think I've sorted the Rider 550, iPhone Sena 20S issue. All now working ok. Tomtom support helped out. My Sena has two Bluetooth channels so you connect as follows:

1. Connect Sena to phone on normal BT channel
2. Then Rider 550 to phone
3. Then Sena BT channel 2 to the Rider 550

Sena manual had instructions on using channel 2 for GPS.

The confusion is that Tomtom say connect headset and phone to the Rider, not the phone and also don't mention channel 2.

Tomtom link below

https://en.discussions.tomtom.com/rider-51/rider-550-not-connect-sena-20s-and-iphone-1036323/index1.html#post1223184


Hope that helps
 
I've just swapped my Nav Vi for a 550 and these are my thoughts on the subject

I FUCKING HATE SATNAVS

But in more detail;

First the Nav V1
Good
Nice screen
integration into the bike is top
Bluetoothed to my sena and my iphone without issue

Bad
Fucked up routing. It sent me in loops
Terrible traffic and camera info. Both are way too simplistic. The cameras were the main reason I ditched it. I dont want to know that I'm in a potential mobile camera zone. I want to know when there is a camera. Its all or nothing. Leave the alerts on and it was going off all the time, or turn the whole lot off. Piss poor. Also no idication as to when whether youre still in a average speed zone.

Tomtom 550
Good
Nice interface & graphics
Cameras and traffic are excellent. Average speed zones are clearly indicated with your actual average speed displayed until you leave it. Mobile alert only appear when there is actually a mobile camera (I have a TT in the car so know this works well) Traffic is spot on.
Wifi connection is good
Speed of mapping is faster than the Garmin

Bad
Screen is slightly smaller than the Garmin. Why?
Bloody Bluetooth has a fault. I tried and tried and tried to connect my iphone to my sena, my iphone to my tomtom and then my sena on the second Bluetooth channel to my tomtom. No way would the last bit work, it could see the sena but just wouldn't connect. So I requested a replacement. The Helmet Shop on Guernsey replaced it without question. The new one arrived the next day and EXACTLY the same issue. So I rang Tomtom to be told it was a known fault and they are working on a fix. So a satnnav marketed and sold as being specifically designed to work with Siri, doesn't. No indication as to when a fix will be released. I don't know if this is specific to Sena SMH10's or all set ups.

The Helmet Shop have offered to take this one back too, but I'm a bit stuck now. I much prefer the Tomtom and have removed the Nav V1 cradle (and lost £90 on selling the Nav). I've also brought the anti-theath device for £50 and a Givi bracket to fix it in the same place as the Nav V1 which cost me another £40. So if i return it I'll be another £90 down!!

I could use the money i get back from the tomtom to buy a reconditioned water proof iphone 7 and use the app, but this means the screen is much smaller and there is nothing wrong with my current iphone 6! Plus I'll have to buy a bracket for it and that's another £50 if I want power with it.

Or I keep the 550 and 'just' connect the iphone to sena and then the iphone to the tomtom and loose the audio alerts and the messgaes. Which was one of the main bloody reasons for changing in the first place! Could be days/weeks/months before they fix the issue.

Tomtom should stop bloody selling something that doesn't work as advertised.
 
Update on the above.
The first unit wouldn’t connect no matter what, but before sending both back I tried the replacement unit again.
There are two ways to connect to a second channel and the sena instructions are as clear as mud as to which to use.
I tried pressing the phone button on the sena for 5 seconds and the jog wheel within 2 and nothing happening however when I tried pressing the jog wheel for 5 followed by the phone button within two it connected straight away.
The sound quality is a bit suspect and if you’re listening to music through the phone it doesn’t cut through, but otherwise it works!
I can make calls from the sena button or from the Tomtom screen. I see messages and they’re played back through the head set, I can hear traffic camera alerts.
There is still an issue with the quality of the sounds and the first unit was faulty of course, but other than that the Tomtom is excellent compared to the Nav Vi.

If anyone is tempted to swap their nav for a Tomtom I’d say it’s worth loosing the integration and larger screen for a much superior satnav. Also worth getting a decent mount like this givi one
169004f76f1acf2dadae7a59fb1638a5.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
And there was me seriously starting to think about "Upgrading" from a Zumo 550.

Having read the above, I'll maybe just hang on a bit longer.

ps - I'm a Mr Wapping type user. No bells. No whistles. Just go from A to B, possibly via C and D. I reckon I've got it cracked now, with and without PC planning with Basecamp.
Just finished an interesting 2,000+ miles
 


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