Bagger owners, the winglets work!

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adamchandler

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I was fully prepared to experience buyer's remorse after spending $400 more dollars converting my bagger into a TransContinental. I think I'm out about $4,000 so far when all I had to do 6 months ago was to pay $2500 more for a TC over the bagger. Oh well, I'm dumb.

The headshake above 55MPH on the bagger I dealt with for 6000 miles. I really didn't want to buy those TC winglets even though I heard from multiple people that they'd solve my issue. The bagger isn't really a touring bike as much as I thought it was when I bought it. The side boxes are very tiny, it's a short windscreen, one headlight, thin and low seat and a lot of wind turbulence both over the windscreen and coming up from under the fairing which was shaking my head.

A 7Jurock 20" screen eliminated the issues I had with wind hitting me in the face but I couldn't get rid of the vision-blurring turbulence of the air coming up from the fairing.

Finally a week ago, I paid $393 for two winglets. I installed them and did an hour of riding from 55 MPH all of the way up to around 98 MPH (for a minute) and while there's still a tiny bit of wind still hitting me on top of the head, the air hitting me from sternum to nose originating from the tank is completely gone.

THE WINGLETS WORK!

So I guess this is for folks who have a bagger and want less wind for interstate riding, there is a solution and it costs you $400.

Parts you'll need: (and a T25 Torx to screw it all together)
  1. WIND DEFLECTOR, LEFT 46 63 9 899 431 $187.20
  2. WIND DEFLECTOR, RIGHT 46 63 9 899 432 $187.20
  3. SPACER BUFFER 07 14 7 446 440 You'll need 4 of these $3.23 each
  4. BODY SCREW WITHOUT SHOULDER - M5X20-A2-70 46 63 8 527 780 You'll need 4 of these, $3.26 each
I bought everything from this page and had it all in about a week - https://www.ascycles.com/bmw/2021/R18Transcont/Frame and mounting parts/Front panel.html#PartsTable

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I am so glad you decided not to buy the TC. I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and VLOGs about your quest to change your bike. In the end, I bought the TC after listening to your videos. Just curious, now that you have transformed your B/TC, how do you feel about touring on it now?
 
Airborne62025 said:
I am so glad you decided not to buy the TC. I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and VLOGs about your quest to change your bike. In the end, I bought the TC after listening to your videos. Just curious, now that you have transformed your B/TC, how do you feel about touring on it now?
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My vlogs are seemingly for entertainment purposes even if not intentional :p I met an electrical engineer at a motorcycle event once and he said he thinks my videos are parody. I'm glad to entertain even if he was being a jerk.

---

6K miles since June was more than I expected to ride on it. I've taken the R18 on 4 overnight trips to places 2-3 hours away and did a 1000 miler to Canada last year. Very happy with it. The GS is still the better touring bike for me even on trips where I never leave pavement. I have aspirations for the R18 to do Route 66, US 1 (Key West to Maine) and Pacific Coast Highway. I also hope I can ride the bike to the BMW MOA's national rally on the western portion of the states in 2024. I also plan on taking It to tail off the dragon in April. So lots of trips planned that the R18 will do well. I'm a light packer when it come to camping.

Reducing the head shake was basically the last thing. I may get an even taller windscreen. The fuel economy is astounding which I never get tired of. I think before the winglets install, I was considering selling it and basically doing a twofer. Selling the R1200GSA and R18 and buying the new GS next year and admitting defeat on the R18 as a touring bike. Looks like I"ll have it for a bit longer.
 
Airborne62025 said:
I am so glad you decided not to buy the TC. I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and VLOGs about your quest to change your bike. In the end, I bought the TC after listening to your videos. Just curious, now that you have transformed your B/TC, how do you feel about touring on it now?
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Hi Airborne,
What type of phone mount do you have? The available space to attach it is slim!
 
Airborne62025 said:
I don't have one yet... I just bought my TC three weeks ago. Any recommendations???
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I just bought a cheapie on Amazon. It is to arrive manana so I'll let you know if it works... Im no techie, but I think this bike is supposed to connect phone via bluetooth to the TFT! I've tried to use nav that way with limited success, but using the exclusive BMW app. And my phone case Otterbox, is too big to put it and phone in the designated holder... or at least with case on. I suppose i could remove case, but so far, other than recharging capability the phone works via bluetooth when i carry the phone in coat pocket!
 
I pulled the trigger on the wings this morning. Crazy expensive, but it will be worth it if it makes a big difference. Thanks for leading the way Adam.

I'm trying to see the bike as a long term destination. If it goes over 100k miles it will be cheap in the long run. I think it's an amazing machine in so many ways....

I bought a Russell seat, which is awesome so far.
 
I'll have to try them winglets if spring will ever come...

Also I see from your picture that you have your phone on the bars now. Would be interesting to know if you could get better/stable wireless connection to the TFT this way? Or have you completely given up on the BMW app?
 
insomnia said:
I'll have to try them winglets if spring will ever come...

Also I see from your picture that you have your phone on the bars now. Would be interesting to know if you could get better/stable wireless connection to the TFT this way? Or have you completely given up on the BMW app?
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I am no longer using the TFT system for anything other than turning on my heated grips :( I wish it was fully featured even without a smart phone like having a built in map, tachometer, other stats like lean angle but no, just a dumb-display at this point.
 
I just had my TFT updated today with this version 013.013.020 which BMW Connected emailed me that was the latest version. I'm also trialling on my iPhone turning off in settings "Private Wi-Fi Address" apparently apple introduced this setting to transmit a false wifi address whenever you encounter a new wifi connection so you can't be tracked. I don't know yet if it will make a difference but so far at home my phone has been connecting to my TFT and the maps has been working the way it should, I'm going on a couple of rides this weekend, I'll see if it continues to work or goes back to the complete failure it was prior to the update.
 
Hi Scott
When I asked my dealership for a software update because I could not connect wifi from my iPhone to the TFT they told me BMW had instructed them not to update any software as it would upset the system, my version was 011_077_035 so I sent BMW Connect an email asking them if this was correct and what was the latest version, they replied that the latest version was 013.013.020 and that the dealerships have had this available since March 2022. I called the dealership again and they agreed to do the update. BMW Connect have also asked me for a progress report on my issues after the update has been completed.
 
adamchandler said:
I am no longer using the TFT system for anything other than turning on my heated grips :( I wish it was fully featured even without a smart phone like having a built in map, tachometer, other stats like lean angle but no, just a dumb-display at this point.
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Yes that big TFT is pretty pointless without a navigation system. Even more so since the heated grips/seat really should have their own dedicated buttons.
 
DaveO said:
Hi Scott
When I asked my dealership for a software update because I could not connect wifi from my iPhone to the TFT they told me BMW had instructed them not to update any software as it would upset the system, my version was 011_077_035 so I sent BMW Connect an email asking them if this was correct and what was the latest version, they replied that the latest version was 013.013.020 and that the dealerships have had this available since March 2022. I called the dealership again and they agreed to do the update. BMW Connect have also asked me for a progress report on my issues after the update has been completed.
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I hope BMW can get to a point, where additional fixes, feature enhancements, etc. can be distributed via download site and applied by R18 B/TC owners to address the TFT shortcomings...

I agree, the radio and navigation system should be a standalone system; or at least have an alternative device for hosting the map data (USB, etc.) - the phone thing is a bit clunky...
 
Bench flashing the system’s ECU is what they’re doing and it’s a 2-3 hour process. One dealer lamented to me their headaches of having it fail which supposedly happens quite often. Any disruption in the server in Berlin and the update will fail. They learned this the hard way trying once to do all of the bike’s overnight so the bikes getting updates wouldn’t be taking up a slot in the bull pen while they were just waiting for an update but overnight failures were often as the servers supposedly reset at midnight CET. Maybe all of this is true or a stretch but basically I’m with Scott. BMW needs to work out a firmware update that doesn’t require bench-flashing the ECU and just make this a separate component. Think of how GS-911 does it. Your iPhone will say there’s an update not eh GS-911. You keep it plugged in to power and the iPhone updates it via wifi and then it reboots and you’re good.

The dealer 3 hour update thing and dealers being afraid of BMW rejecting the warranty claim is honestly, shitty. Sorry to curse it’s a shitty thing to do to dealers and customers. We should be able to do these updates to TFT only over the air or via our phones using the connected app.

——

I’ve went ahead and ordered an iPhone 11 on eBay for $150. I’t’s going to live in my cubby running just the Connected app And Rever. I’m curious how well that works as I have a friend with an RT who said he did the same thing. An iPhone 11 not connected to a cell company with just the connected app with offline maps and he says it never reboots but that way he always has a map even though it won’t have live traffic. We’ll see. I’ll keep using my iPhone 14 pro on the quad lock for playing music to my Cardo.
 
adamchandler said:
I’ve went ahead and ordered an iPhone 11 on eBay for $150. I’t’s going to live in my cubby running just the Connected app And Rever. I’m curious how well that works as I have a friend with an RT who said he did the same thing. An iPhone 11 not connected to a cell company with just the connected app with offline maps and he says it never reboots but that way he always has a map even though it won’t have live traffic. We’ll see. I’ll keep using my iPhone 14 pro on the quad lock for playing music to my Cardo.
Click to expand...

This is what I do (with an old iPhone 12), and so far it is working pretty well. Downloaded the maps and music on wifi.
 
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