Why Buy a 2014 Harley When I Already Have a Touch Screen In My Pocket?

2014 "Infotainment" System

I looked at the new 2014 HARLEY DAVIDSON touring bikes today at my local dealer.  They now have integrated an “INFOTAINMENT” system in the dashboard of the fairings.  The system looks nice, has a GPS, radio, and iPod/iPhone connectivity built in.  There is a pocket on the dash with a flip open door and a felt lined foam pad to tuck your phone into.  It got me wondering…why do I need to buy another touch screen when I already carry one around in my pocket.  My phone has the GPS with my choice of GPS apps, a SiriusXM radio app, and a whole host of other apps that I use all the time.  So why do I think I need that cool looking new Harley touch screen with the orange icons?  Is it the logo, or the colors that match the HD bike so well?  I could change the colors on my phone and get the same thing.   So why do I want that touch screen? 

HD's new Foam-and-Felt phone pocket A tight fit for iphone 5

I guess because Harley built it and integrated it with the bike puts some kind of stamp of approval on the whole idea of using my phone connectivity with the bike.  Now Harley says, “Hey, it’s okay, go ahead and do that”.  So why do I need their touch screen to do that.  They sell cables to integrate my phone with my Harmon Kardon radio on my almost-new 2010 Street Glide.  Cyclone Custom sold me a sweet mount that puts my phone up where I can see it, and the Cyclone Console is chrome plated aluminum, and locks the phone in so nobody can steal it!  That Harley felt-and-foam pad with the slot in it looks like it will wear out in one season.  The plastic dash with the plastic hatches on either side looks an awful lot like something Honda would put on a bike.  So what is it about that Harley touchscreen that makes it a clear justification of spending 25k on a new bike?  I trade my phone in every couple of years and get a new one for practically free.  The HD screen is there forever.  What if it has problems?  How much will it cost to repair or replace? 

I can totally justify spending a few hundred bucks to integrate my phone into the console on the bike I have.  I think I’ll give those Harley touchscreens a few years to see if they yellow in the sun, fade, or leak water.  Meanwhile I’m perfectly happy with the phone integration I already have on my bike from Cyclone. 

HELP! MY PHONE WON''T FIT IN MY POCKET!

12 REASONS WHY BIGGER ISN’T BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO PHONES

1.  It doesn't matter how flat it is, if it is big and wide it won’t fit into my Levi’s and allow me to sit down.

2.  I can’t get it out of my pocket if it rings while I’m driving.

3.  I don’t like walking around with a huge bulge in my dress pants that someone might mistake for something else.

4.  It’s like putting a frigging board up to my face!

5.  It’s a phone first, then an email reader, then maybe a music player, then everything else.  It does not replace my PC or tablet and never will.  (Browsing on the web is a pain in the butt anyway on a phone!)

6.  The smaller the things are that I carry around in my pockets – the better! (money not included in this, big denominations on my bills is always accepted).

7.  I’m not walking around with my phone in my hand like a dork, and I’m not carrying a purse or putting on a huge holster like Roy Rogers!

Cowboy Phone Holster 

8. I don’t need a 4.7” screen in my pocket for anything.  I’m not watching movies on my phone!

9. I still have to carry a wallet full of cards and cash in my back pocket

10.  I wouldn't need a big display to see my icons if they weren't so artsy and 3D looking, make them flat and large Apple & Android!

11.  Hello….the phone has a zoom tool on it, you don’t need a huge display, just zoom in!

12.  You could qualify for “Super Dork” status by walking around with a huge phone in your hand and a blu-tooth in your ear! (Yes, that’s DORK! Not Geek!)

Mobile Phone & GPS Trends in the Powersports Industry



Apple's iwatch

Just when you thought the mobile phone craze was leveling off, news of Apple’s patent filing for the iwatch hits the blogs, and stories about Google’s Project Glass (smart glasses) heat up.

These are both interesting ways to access your phone, but not likely something a motorcyclist or driver will use to read maps.  The phone manufactures have been hammering out new cellphone models for two decades now.  In the 90s we saw them migrate from car phones to portables, and in the 2000s we saw them get smaller and smaller so folks could keep them in a pocket.   Then the Palm Pilot and the phone merged into what we now call a Smartphone.  In today’s market, data use has become a major part of what a cellular mobile device does and the screens have started to get bigger.  This trend has continued from the Galaxy 2 & 3 to the Galaxy Note, Motorola, LG and HTC all have their 4.8” screen products as well.  Meanwhile Apple has sat by and only increased the length of their popular iphone’s touting your thumb reach as a reason to keep it narrow.  Rumors abound that Apple will be introducing the iphone 5 in three sizes this summer.  This will bring an interesting, but most likely an end to the bigger- is-better wars.   While Apple has dominated the US market, Samsung dominates the world by a wide margin.  When we have a choice of screen sizes in the same phone, it will be interesting to see which one sells the most.

The auto manufactures have jumped on board adding Bluetooth capability to most cars.  Look for this trend to continue. More capability over the Bluetooth technology will be added, like streaming music to your car radio, and streaming maps to indash displays.  Your car will likely know you by the phone you carry in your pocket and adjust the seats to your favorite position and greet you by name when you climb aboard.   

Cyclone Custom Phone mount

So how does all of this technology translate over to the powersports industry?   Most riders already own a smartphone, and they tend to use it for the GPS functionality via stopping and checking.  While this is the safest way to check the map while riding, it certainly isn’t what folks really want.   Handlebar mounting clamps for cell phones and GPS are a hot item, along with waterproof cases for the phones like Otterbox and Lifeproof.  While these are cheap aftermarket solutions, nobody really wants to put their $300+ replacement cost phone out on a handlebar mount in the elements.  Not to mention the wiring mess involved in connecting it up.  Look for new innovations in mounting hardware for the phone like the Cyclone Custom Console, which allows the phone to be seen and heard while keeping it safe and locked into a slick looking compartment.  

Longer term we may see in-dash displays from the OEMs that connect to your phone via Bluetooth. As voice recognition gets better there won’t be much need for accessing the phone’s touch screen.   A few voice commands will push the play button on the music you want to hear and set the map for your destination.  OEMs will ultimately develop a heads-up display in the windshield to connect to the rider’s smartphone, eliminating the need to see the display on the phone.   

 

Gary Schultze is a Mechanical Designer with over 25 years of new product development experience and 10 years of mobile electronics management and distribution experience.   His company, Cyclone Custom Corporation, manufactures and distributes unique mobile electronics connectivity products for motorcycles and the Powersports industry.  

For more information, visit: http://www.cyclonecustom.com