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Three new TFT Screens plus 5 Heated Grip Options.

Harry Hippy

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Joined
Apr 1, 2024
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29
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Shropshire
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Having purchased a GS-911 a short while ago I have finally decided to have a play.
Well I am absolutely delighted I did!

Last week I was able to add a nicer screen to my R1250GS Adventure. Plus a Sport screen.

I have always been rather underwhelmed by the two Speedo screens on my 2023 C400X.

Well that’s all changed as I now have three new screens. Plus the make life a ride start up screen.
Plus. To top it all. I now have 5 heat setting for the grips. The % is fully user programmable. I opted for….
20-40-60-80-100%.

All three screens are now listed under the Sport Screen Section of the bikes user interface.

Software on my Scoot is 023_011_060 Not sure if the coding will work on old versions of software. Possibly not.
I don’t think this is an option that you can ask for at a BMW Dealers. However, anyone with a GS-911 could probably do it for you.

I have no idea if the redline will be correct, as I haven't started the bike up and got it up to full operating temperature.

Also. The two previous Speedo screens have vanished. However, I understand that all this is fully reversible.

Can’t wait to take a ride on it. But it’s wet and freezing in Shropshire UK. So with double digit weather forcast next week. Happy to wait.



IMG_4122.webpIMG_4117.webpIMG_4118.webp
 
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@Harry Hippy :

1) Nice work.

Since Day 1 getting my first C 400 GT (June 2022), I've always thought that the screens needed work.

- First off, the picture of the scoot takes up too much room. And I know what the scoot looks like -- I'm sitting on it! If some programmer wants to show his or her skill, the image of the scoot could appear for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on, and then disappear ... leaving spare pixels for actually useful information.

- It has also bothered me that if the rider wants to know the RPMs you have to go to the Urban screen. That screen only shows the speed and RPMs, and my opinion is that there would be plenty of room to show a tach on the main screen (especially if that silly picture is removed).

- Last, I've also felt that the screens lacked pizazz. They almost might as well have been on a gray-scale device, given the lack of color and graphics. I've test-ridden some of BMW's other models, and they all seem to have more color and more graphics. And I've watched a lot of video reviews of competitive scoots, such as the Voge and Zontes, and they make more engaging use of the of their TFT displays.

So, yep, I like the added screens you show.

2) RPMs:

The engine RPMs top out at 9,400, according to the owner's manual:

max engine revs page.webp

According to one of my top-speed tests, they top out at 8,800 in actual use. This was during a long descent, when I ran it a couple of times wide open:


So if I understand those RPM screens correctly, you need to move the red-line areas.

3) Yep, I think I would put the displays back to stock before any dealer work.

My local dealership here is Max BMW. It's a pretty large dealership in the USA, with four locations in three states.

In any case, that's where I bought my C 400 GT and where I have it serviced. On their receipts they include this boilerplate:

warranty.webp

Since you're unlocking actual BMW screens, I don't know if that constitutes "3RD PARTY SOFTWARE" or not. Or whether Max is just covering all legal ramifications: for instance, if someone modified engine-limitation parameters and then the engine blew up.

Just something to think about.

There's this independent shop tech in Thailand, "Phad Motorrad," who has unlocked or added BMW TPMS screens to a C 400. That's the subject of some long threads here (and I eventually gave up on possibly modding my scoot to use internal sensors the way he did). I thought I'd mention it in this thread, as another example of altering the stock TFT screens.
 
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I just can't get 90 out of mine on a flat surface. 86 MPH as measured by my GPS which is 89 MPH on the bike screen. Maybe if I loose 40 lbs? (I weigh 220.)
 
I just can't get 90 out of mine on a flat surface. 86 MPH as measured by my GPS which is 89 MPH on the bike screen. Maybe if I loose 40 lbs? (I weigh 220.)
@mgg: Me, either, i.e., I can't get to 90 on level ground.

==> First of all, note that that video above (post #3) depicts my going down a long (2.6-mile) and steep (about -5%) grade. So that 91.6 figure was a special case: I specifically chose that downhill area for this recording.

==> Next, note that shortly after the break-in period on my first C 400 GT, I recorded a GPS top speed, on essentially level ground, of 86 mph. Here's that video:


==> Next, at around the 4,000-mile mark, I did a second top-end test. This time, I got 89:


So it looks as if the engine gets better with time. How many miles do you have?

==> Last, moving along to my '23 C 400 GT, on my trip to from NY to NC last summer, I also got 89. This was with about 1,500 - 2,000 miles on the new bike, but was NOT part of an actual top-speed test. Instead, 89 was just part of a spirited riding day, often in the left lane of some Interstate highways with 70 mph limits. Here's a paragraph I've posted before on the five days of that trip (two down, one day of goofing-off riding, and two days back):

Day 1: -30.2, 26.6, 89.0
Day 2: -38.1, 35.9, 86.5
Day 3: -37.2, 39.0, 86.4
Day 7: -25.2, 23.4, 87.1
Day 8: -17.8, 28.1, 86.3

And here's a speed graph of that first day:

day-1-speed-graph.webp

So I'm NOT surprised that you haven't seen a real speed of 90, but I AM surprised that you haven't seen a real 89 (which would be a display of about 93) ... unless, as I say, you don't have a lot of miles on the bike (or a nice long level stretch to leave the throttle pinned for a while).

Note that I weigh about 215 myself (plus gear, plus top case -- then a BMW, now a Shad). And I'm about 5'8", 29" inseam; taller folks would likely present a more air-resistant torso. Also, on all of these runs I've had the Wunderlich "Marathon" windscreen in place. The Wunderlich is about the same height as the stock shield, but is wider -- I would have expected it to have greater air resistance, but maybe I'm wrong, and it actually has less resistance.
 
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I have about 5000 on my gt. But I did not try a speed test until I had at least 2000 miles. And I always did my speed tests on fairly level ground. I have never tried one on a downhill where my weight might be an advantage. I figured I could get 86 and that is what the manufacturer was saying so nothing really to complain about except it did look like a few peple were reporting 90+.
 
Just a quick update to my post.

Went for a quick spin today and as soon as the scooter got to 5000 rpm the whole speedo flashed on and off.
This happened on all three screens.
Very annoying. So I changed to the music screen till I got home.

Connected the GS-911 into the port and had a look.
Nothing found at first. Made a few adjustments and went for a ride. Exactly the same.

Connected the GS-911 once again and found the Shift Light Program.
Set Shift light to Enabled and Available RPM range to 5000-12500.

Then I was able to set the shift light to 9000 rpm on the scooters display.


IMG_4233.webpIMG_4235.webp
 
Top speed on my K1600 GTL apparently 150 MPH, my C650 110 MPH. I actually do go around 100 MPH on my morning commute from San Diego to Los Angeles in short bursts, usually to get away from traffic in 'the fast lane'.

(Last Thursday on the way back, in the pouring rain, I was filtering / lane splitting between stop and go traffic going around 35 MPH and a motorycle cop ahead of me on an R1200RT waved me to pass him so I did. We were the only two motorcycles on the road that afternoon that I saw anyway).
 
Just a quick update to my post.

Went for a quick spin today and as soon as the scooter got to 5000 rpm the whole speedo flashed on and off.
This happened on all three screens.
Very annoying. So I changed to the music screen till I got home.

Connected the GS-911 into the port and had a look.
Nothing found at first. Made a few adjustments and went for a ride. Exactly the same.

Connected the GS-911 once again and found the Shift Light Program.
Set Shift light to Enabled and Available RPM range to 5000-12500.

Then I was able to set the shift light to 9000 rpm on the scooters display.


View attachment 5590View attachment 5591

Does anyone here have the MotoScan app here? I’m just wondering if it provides this level of programming.

TIA
 
Does anyone here have the MotoScan app here? I’m just wondering if it provides this level of programming.

TIA
Here to ask the same Q. I'm not buying a GS-911 just for 2 new speedos (that I really, REALLY want...) That Phad motor guy in Bangkok wants 200 euros to remote program the ECU, which includes the new tft screen/speedos. Also a non-option for me...
 
My way of thinking.

I was very unimpressed with the original Speedo on my C400X. Especially as I also own a R1250GS Adventure.
The cost of a GS-911 tool is around £350 in the UK for the Wi-fi version.
If you buy the non-Wi-fi version it’s about £100 cheaper. So £250.

You can use it to change the speedo, the start screen and the amount of heated grip settings and a load of other stuff.

After you have made the adjustments you could sell the GS-911 quite easily. Or keep it until you sell the bike. Then sell it.

So it’s not such an expensive mod.

Alternatively. You could use someone else’s GS-911 or pay someone local to do it for you.

Personally. When I first learned that Speedo could easily be programmed, I would have willingly paid £500 to have it done, as long as it was permanent.
 
Just a quick update to my post.

Went for a quick spin today and as soon as the scooter got to 5000 rpm the whole speedo flashed on and off.
This happened on all three screens.
Very annoying. So I changed to the music screen till I got home.

Connected the GS-911 into the port and had a look.
Nothing found at first. Made a few adjustments and went for a ride. Exactly the same.

Connected the GS-911 once again and found the Shift Light Program.
Set Shift light to Enabled and Available RPM range to 5000-12500.

Then I was able to set the shift light to 9000 rpm on the scooters display.


View attachment 5590View attachment 5591

I’m definitely interested in the GS-911.

Please post screenshots of the following settings:
- grip heater
- heated seat
- GPS option

Are the options easily identifiable using descriptive English? For example, grip heater settings has the phrase grip heater.

TIA!
 
My way of thinking.

I was very unimpressed with the original Speedo on my C400X. Especially as I also own a R1250GS Adventure.
The cost of a GS-911 tool is around £350 in the UK for the Wi-fi version.
If you buy the non-Wi-fi version it’s about £100 cheaper. So £250.

You can use it to change the speedo, the start screen and the amount of heated grip settings and a load of other stuff.

After you have made the adjustments you could sell the GS-911 quite easily. Or keep it until you sell the bike. Then sell it.

So it’s not such an expensive mod.

thanks for the pricing breakdown. The tool is $330 new in the US, resell is ~$200, so it'd be to $130 to get a few TFT graphical screens (since I don't have heated grips.) Maybe relative to your bike, it's not an expensive mod, but my scoot was < US$4K, and $130 is many many gallons of gas. I need to get a helmet/grocery hook first, and mount my top case (which already cost me $200 in luggage rack), so I need to prioritise my spendings. Everyone's purchasing power is different I suppose.
 
I’m definitely interested in the GS-911.

Please post screenshots of the following settings:
- grip heater
- heated seat
- GPS option

Are the options easily identifiable using descriptive English? For example, grip heater settings has the phrase grip heater.

TIA!
In answer to your question. Grip heating is clear enough. Just adjusted from 5 setting to 6.
You can adjust the % levels for each setting.

I was unable to find any adjustments for the heated seat or GPS.


IMG_4488.webpIMG_4489.webp
 
If anyone in the UK is considering buying one of these (GS911) new or used & the outlay is a bit hard to justify/stomach. I'd happily half in for shared use of said item.
 
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