Motorcycle CarPlay: 7 things to check before you buy a screen

A motorcycle CarPlay screen lives on the handlebar through rain, vibration and winter storage. A screen that looks the same in a product photo can behave very differently on the bike. Here are the seven checks, with what our own CarPlay screens for motorcycles do on each, so you can check other screens against the same list.

1. Mount and fit: handlebar or navigation cradle?

There are two ways to put a screen on a bike, and your bike decides which one you need.

The BMW navigation cradle. If your BMW has the original Navigator cradle on the bars, a screen made for it clicks in without tools and takes power through the cradle. The BMW Motor CarPlay Screen (6 or 7 inch) does this, and the RT has its own 5 inch version. GS Goods confirms the fit if you send a photo of your cradle to info@gsgoods.nl before you order.

A handlebar mount. Bikes without the BMW cradle need a clamp on the bar. The universal Motor CarPlay (5 or 7 inch) comes with a mount that adjusts to fit most handlebars and connects to the battery with a power cable.

What to check: does the screen fit the cradle or bar you have, and can you take it off in seconds when you park? The BMW and the universal screen both come off quickly; the BMW screen also locks when the bike locks.

For BMW models and navigation options, see BMW motorcycle navigation and CarPlay options, model by model.

If your phone rides on the bars every weekend, a screen takes it off them. Apple warns that high-amplitude vibration from high-powered motorcycle engines can degrade the iPhone camera's stabilisation and autofocus.

2. Connection: wireless or cable?

Wireless means your phone stays in your jacket and connects when you start the bike. Over a season of riding, that's the difference between a phone in a dry pocket and a phone in a holder in the rain.

The BMW screens connect wirelessly over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The universal screen runs both systems too. For wireless Android Auto, Google lists Android 11 or newer and 5 GHz Wi-Fi on the phone (Android Auto help).

What to check: wireless for both CarPlay and Android Auto, or only one of them? And does the screen reconnect by itself after a fuel stop?

3. Rain: what does the rating say?

The IP code tells you how well a device keeps out dust and water. In IP68, the 6 means dust-tight and the 8 means it handles continuous immersion under conditions the maker states.

So read the conditions, not only the number. The BMW screens are rated IP68, and their product pages state the test: waterproof to 1 m for 30 minutes. They're specified for -20 °C to +70 °C.

What to check: the rating, the depth and time behind it, and whether the maker gives an operating temperature for winter rides and summer sun.

4. Gloves and glare: test it the way you ride

A screen that reacts to a bare finger in a shop can ignore a winter glove.

The BMW screens have a glove-friendly touchscreen and an anti-glare IPS panel at 1000 nits with automatic brightness. On a BMW with original, up-to-date BMW software, the Wonder Wheel also controls maps, calls and music, so you touch the glass less. GS Goods sells an extra anti-glare screen protector for the 6 and 7 inch BMW screen.

What to check: try the touchscreen with the gloves you ride in, and look for a brightness figure in nits.

5. Power: cradle or battery?

How a screen gets power decides how much wiring you do and what happens when you switch off.

• The BMW screens take 12 V through the original cradle and draw under 5 W. When you cut the ignition, they switch off after about 10 to 15 seconds.
• The universal screen connects to the battery with its own power cable; the product page shows the install steps.

What to check: does the screen switch on and off with the ignition, and what does it draw when the bike is parked?

6. Sound: where do directions and music go?

A screen speaker is useless at speed. What you want is sound in your helmet.

The GS Goods BMW screens have no built-in speaker. Directions, music and calls go from your phone to the headset or intercom in your helmet. The screen shows the map and the controls.

What to check: does sound go from the screen to your headset, or from the phone?

7. Warranty, returns and extras

A screen on a handlebar takes rain, frost and vibration all season, so the paperwork matters.

Every GS Goods screen has a 5-year warranty and 100 days to return it in its original packaging; you pay the return shipping. Shipping is free with DHL Express, 1 to 3 business days to the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany after dispatch.

For the 6 and 7 inch BMW screen there are extras: a Front & Rear Camera with live view and 2K recording (for screens bought after 25 December 2025), a travel case and an anti-glare screen protector. A tyre pressure sensor set is offered on the BMW and the universal screen pages.

What to check: the warranty in years, the return window in days, and who pays the return shipping.

The three GS Goods screens at a glance

	BMW Motor CarPlay Screen	BMW RT Motor CarPlay Pro 5	Motor CarPlay (universal)
For	BMW with the original Navigator cradle	BMW RT	Most handlebars (adjustable mount)
Sizes	6 or 7 inch	5 inch	5 or 7 inch
Mount	Clicks into the cradle	Clicks into the cradle	Adjustable handlebar mount
Connection	Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto	Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto	CarPlay and Android Auto
Bike data on screen	Speed, RPM, gear, temperatures, voltage; tyre pressure with the GS Goods sensor set	Same as BMW on most model years; the 2010 to 2017 R 1200 RT cannot show the bike's own data, per the compatibility image on the BMW screen page; ask GS Goods	Not listed
Water rating	IP68 (1 m, 30 min)	IP68 (1 m, 30 min)	Waterproof
Price	€289.95 / €299.95	€289.95	€119.95 / €129.95

All three come with a 5-year warranty and 100-day returns. Compare the screens and pick the one that fits your bike. Weighing a GPS or your phone instead? Motorcycle GPS, phone or CarPlay screen? compares the three, and what CarPlay is and how it works on a motorcycle covers the basics.