BMW motorcycle navigation and CarPlay options, model by model
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BMW motorcycle navigation comes down to three routes, and one of them is a CarPlay screen for the original BMW cradle that we sell. The BMW facts in this guide come from BMW's own pages, linked in the text.
BMW motorcycle navigation: the three routes
Route 1: BMW's own Navigator. The ConnectedRide Navigator has a 5.5 inch touchscreen with 800 nits, an IP69 rating and its own micro SIM slot (BMW Motorrad). BMW introduced the Navigator VI before it, in 2017. We compare both Navigators with a CarPlay screen in BMW Navigator 6, "Navigator 7" or CarPlay.
Route 2: your phone in BMW's cradle. The ConnectedRide Cradle holds your smartphone on the bike's navigation preparation. You run navigation through the BMW Connected app and operate it with the multi-controller. BMW says the adjustable arms fit the most common smartphone models, and the phone charges inductively while you ride, or over USB-C. Motorcycle GPS, phone or CarPlay screen? compares a phone on a mount with the other options (BMW Motorrad, German).
Route 3: a CarPlay screen in the original BMW Navigator cradle. The GS Goods BMW Motor CarPlay Screen clicks into it without tools and runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly, so your own map apps land on a 6 or 7 inch screen.
The three routes at a glance
| BMW ConnectedRide Navigator | Phone in the ConnectedRide Cradle | GS Goods CarPlay screen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maps and apps | BMW's navigation, synced with the Connected app through the BMW cloud | The BMW Connected app on your phone | Your phone's CarPlay or Android Auto apps |
| Needs your phone | BMW lists a micro SIM slot and route sync; its page doesn't say how far it works without a phone | Yes, the phone is the navigator | Yes, the phone runs the apps |
| Controls | Multi-controller | Multi-controller | Wonder Wheel, with current BMW software, depending on model and year |
| Power | 3,000 mAh battery, USB-C charging | Inductive charging or USB-C for your phone | 12 V through the cradle |
| Price | Not listed on the BMW page we read | Not listed on the BMW page we read | €289.95 (6 inch), €299.95 (7 inch) |
No price is shown on the BMW product pages we read, so we don't quote one.
BMW Connected and the TFT: what it does and where it stops
BMW Motorrad Connectivity puts your smartphone's usual functions, telephony, music and navigation, on the bike's TFT display. It links motorcycle, phone and helmet by Bluetooth, and you control it with the multi-controller on the handlebars. You pair each ConnectedRide product with the app's connectivity hub by Bluetooth (BMW Motorrad).
The BMW Motorrad Connected app is the key piece. It has navigation in map and arrow view, your ridden track afterwards, and a Bike Info section with tyre pressure, fuel gauge and range (BMW Motorrad, German). With Connectivity, the navigation shows on the bike's TFT.
Where it stops: BMW's pages describe navigation through the Connected app, and the BMW pages we read don't mention Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. If you want Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps through CarPlay or Android Auto on the bars, that is what a CarPlay screen adds. Which Connected functions your bike supports depends on the model, so ask your BMW Motorrad dealer.
The navigation preparation: the mount to find first
BMW calls it the navigation preparation: optional equipment on new bikes, or a retrofit. The ConnectedRide Navigator clicks into it and locks, and the ConnectedRide Cradle attaches to it. Our screen needs the original BMW Navigator cradle on your bike.
For any of the three routes, the first job is the same: find out what is on your handlebars. Look at the cockpit, or send a photo of your cradle to info@gsgoods.nl.
CarPlay on a BMW: how it works
New to CarPlay? What CarPlay is and how it works on a motorcycle explains the basics, including how Apple CarPlay and Android Auto run on a bike screen. The checklist 7 things to check before you buy a motorcycle CarPlay screen helps you compare screens.
If your bike has the original BMW Navigator cradle, the screen clicks in. GS Goods confirms the fit if you send a photo of your cradle before you order.
On a bike with original, fully up-to-date BMW software, the Wonder Wheel controls the screen: maps, calls and music, so you touch the glass less. Wonder Wheel support depends on the model and year; the exceptions the product page lists are in the model sections below.
Next to the map the screen shows data from the bike itself: speed, RPM, gear, temperatures and voltage. It takes 12 V through the cradle, under 5 W, and switches off about 10 to 15 seconds after you cut the ignition. There's no speaker: directions, music and calls go from your phone to your helmet headset or intercom. The screen locks when your bike locks, comes off the mount in seconds when you park, and is rated IP68, waterproof to 1 m for 30 minutes.
BMW GS navigation, model by model
Start with the cradle on your bars. A model on a list tells you what BMW or GS Goods expects; the cradle tells you what you can fit.
| Your bike | BMW's ConnectedRide Navigator | GS Goods screen | On the compatibility image? |
|---|---|---|---|
| R 1250 GS, R 1250 GS Adventure | Not on BMW's exclusion lists | BMW Motor CarPlay Screen, 6 or 7 inch | Yes, per the product page |
| R 1300 GS, R 1300 GS Adventure | Not on BMW's exclusion lists | BMW Motor CarPlay Screen, 6 or 7 inch | Yes, per the product page |
| F 750 GS, F 850 GS, F 900 GS (2024) | Not on BMW's exclusion lists | BMW Motor CarPlay Screen, 6 or 7 inch | Yes, per the product page |
| RT models | BMW's German page lists the R 1300 RT and the K 1600 tourers as excluded, its US page the older R 1200 RT and R 1250 RT | BMW RT Motor CarPlay Pro 5, 5 inch | No; the RT Pro 5 page lists it for "BMW RT/KMT" |
BMW's exclusion lists come from its German and US pages for the ConnectedRide Navigator, read on 29 October 2026. Each also names other models, such as the R 18 and the CE 04 on the German page. Route 1 and route 2 need the multi-controller and the navigation preparation.
BMW R 1250 GS and R 1250 GS Adventure
Nothing on BMW's exclusion lists points at these bikes, so the cradle decides. According to the compatibility image on the BMW Motor CarPlay Screen page, the R 1250 GS and the R 1250 GS Adventure are listed for the screen.
The choice that remains is size. A 7 inch screen covers more of your TFT than a 6 inch one, so check how much before you order, and send a photo of your cockpit to info@gsgoods.nl if you're unsure.
BMW R 1300 GS and R 1300 GS Adventure
Does the Wonder Wheel work on the R 1300 GS? According to the product page, it works on bikes with original, up-to-date BMW software, and the compatibility image lists the R 1300 GS and the R 1300 GS Adventure.
F 750, F 850 and F 900 GS
According to the compatibility image on the product page, the F series entries are the F 750 GS, F 800 GS (2024), F 850 GS (including Adventure), F 900 GS (2024, including Adventure) and the F 900 XR.
Some older bikes have an analogue speedo and no TFT. The product page doesn't say how the screen behaves there, so send a photo of your cockpit to info@gsgoods.nl before you order.
RT models
BMW's German page lists the R 1300 RT and the K 1600 tourers (GT, GTL, B and Grand America) as excluded from the ConnectedRide Navigator. Its US page names the older R 1200 RT and R 1250 RT. Read the page for your country before you plan around a Navigator.
GS Goods also sells a separate 5 inch screen for RT models, the BMW RT Motor CarPlay Pro 5, €289.95. The product page lists it for "BMW RT/KMT" with the official BMW mount and gives it the same spec block as the BMW screen: wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, IP68, 5-year warranty. According to the compatibility image on the BMW screen page, there is no Wonder Wheel control on the 2021 to 2023 R 1250 RT and the 2022 to 2023 K 1600. The same image notes that the 2010 to 2017 R 1200 RT, the 2011 to 2021 K 1600 and the 2016 to 2017 R 1200 R need an extra CAN module (named CGRC CAN on the image) for Wonder Wheel control, and that the 2010 to 2017 R 1200 RT cannot show the bike's own data. Send your model year to info@gsgoods.nl before you order.
Accessories: front and rear camera, tyre pressure
The Front & Rear Camera (€139.95) works with the BMW Motor CarPlay Screen bought after 25 December 2025. It connects to the screen over USB-C, with no wiring to the battery, shows live view on the screen while you ride and records in 2K.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (€79.95) gives real-time pressure and temperature alerts. The product page offers it as an add-on on the BMW screen page.
Which route suits which rider
The ConnectedRide Navigator suits you if you want BMW's own system, a device that syncs with BMW's app, and navigation that doesn't run on your phone.
The phone in the ConnectedRide Cradle suits you if you like the BMW Connected app, you're happy to have your phone as the navigator, and you want it charging on the bars.
The CarPlay screen suits you if you already navigate with Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps and want maps, calls and music on the Wonder Wheel.
A rider who crosses valleys without signal and wants the maps on the device lands on route 1. One who plans every tour on the phone lands on route 3.
Five steps before you order
- Find your cradle. Look for the original BMW Navigator cradle on your handlebars, or photograph it and send it to info@gsgoods.nl.
- Check your model year and software. The Wonder Wheel needs current BMW software.
- Decide how you navigate. Your phone's apps, or BMW's own system.
- Pick the size. 6 or 7 inch on the BMW screen, 5 inch on the RT screen.
- Price your options. The BMW pages we read show no price: ask your BMW Motorrad dealer and set it next to €289.95 or €299.95.
Price, warranty and returns
The GS Goods BMW Motor CarPlay Screen costs €289.95 in 6 inch and €299.95 in 7 inch. It comes with a 5-year warranty, 100 days to return it in its original packaging (you pay the return shipping) and free DHL Express shipping, 1 to 3 business days from dispatch to the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. See price and models.
