If you’re an avid rider and like to go on longer road trips, you probably have been wishing for a better way to fix your phone on your motorcycle for quite some time now. Well, look no further, as the people from BMW Motorrad just unveiled the ConnectedRide cradle. This is meant to solve all your problems regarding smartphone usage while on the road.
According to BMW, the new accessory will serve not just as a simple cradle for your smartphone but it can also connect to your bike and show various useful information. Among those important tidbits included are the lean angle, acceleration, deceleration and much more. These can be displayed via the BMW Motorrad Connected App using the Multi-Controller. Therefore, you’ll have to install the app first and then enjoy the features.
BMW Motorrad also says that the ConnectedRide Cradle can work with a variety of smarphone sizes and will also offer the possibility to recharge them, wireless, via an induction plate, with a power of up to 7.5W. You can also recharge your phone via an USB-C connection, at the same power. Furthermore, the new cradle can also be locked to the motorcycle holder, but only if the bike supports that feature.
This new accessory can be used with a variety of older BMW models and all newer ones fitted with the optional equipment “Preparation for navigation system (option 272)” from factory. You can also use it with the Multi-Controller and the option of retrofitting the navigation preparation via the BMW Motorrad workshop system (except R 1200 RT, R 1250 RT, K 1600 models). On older motorcycles without a TFT instrument cluster, operation is possible via the control element of the “Preparation for navigation unit SA 272”. The prerequisite for displaying vehicle data is “On-board computer Pro (option 221)”. The ConnectedRide Cradle cannot be used with the Navigator 4-Button Mount Cradle.
As for the app, in order to use the holder with the app, you need to make sure you’re using version 4.0 or higher. A Bluetooth connection will also be needed in order to control the bike’s navigation preparation control element. However, this Bluetooth pairing is only needed once, during the initial setup. Among the compatible phones list you’ll find every iPhone from iPhone 7 to the 13 Pro Max, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 all the way up to S21 Ultra 5G and many others.
