So you go from calling everyone stupid for not reading the manual and saying it works fine, to now saying you don’t even use it and came up with your answer based on some Facebook post.

Wow.

 

As one who has used this system, and was very optimistic I could make it work.. it sucks. I mean, i can get it to work, but its very cumbersome, hard to use and not really worth it when you have GPS units or a cell phone.
I will say, I have had luck with pairing music with my headset to the bike/phone and i use that often. But the maps are just not worth it. HD really needs to up the game there.

 

Yep, I'm stupid...

 

But I'm sticking with my story. Not ONE FB post, but dozens. Typical Americans can't RTFM and blame someone else. That's why I disregard all one star reviews on products. People who can't think for themselves and blame the product. Nobody seems to have common sense, nor can think outside the box. I'm amazed at the ignorance in our society. Make do, and make it work. Served me well for the last 66 years.

 

This post is not about life philosophy but a question about how well the PAS Nav system works. Your answer that it's the user and that it works fine is plain wrong.

I have had my PAS for almost 3 years and put 38k miles on it, and have tried using it many times in different conditions, after phone app and TFT cluster software updates, and nothing has fundamentally changed. It doesn't reroute well around waypoints and it doesn't like when you don't have cell service, despite having maps downloaded. Heck, it won't even start a route! It is not even an option for actual mixed-road adventure riding. On top of it it often glitches (map disapearing with checkered pattern showing), and even the phone disconnecting once in a while. Last two have gotten better over time, but still not perfect.

There are few different mounts now for the Zumo XT/XT2, and I use it all the time. I think it would be wise for HD, when they do the first update to the PAS, to add a factory option to mount one if they are not willing to built a GPS receiver into the dash cluster.

 

Honestly it would have been a better customer experience to have left out the Nav feature or to have made it a dumb, second display for the mobile app's map and let the H-D app handle all of the heavy lifting or even simple Google Maps turn by turn mirroring a-la Triumph.

 

Pretty much sums up my experience. I have had all the bike updates done. I have had all the app updates done. I have had every issue you describe. I got a ZUMO XT in first couple of months off getting my PAS in Sept 2021.

 

Mine seems to work okay for 2 or 3 excursions and then on the next the map is missing. The grid rolls by but the map is missing. Stop for gas and the restart the map is back for a while and then goes missing again. A phone reboot seems to correct it but this is just too finicky to trust it.

I have decided to go a different route than the crowd for my upcoming 2024 Trans America Trail adventure. As backup to the paper roll charts I will be running a Carpuride 7" motorcycle Android Auto device mounted on a GPS bracket above the instrument panel. I have already verified it works in my truck with Google Maps, Gaia GPS, and On-x GPS with offline maps and my phone on airline mode simulating no cell areas. The phone links to it and so does my in-helmet Cardo mic and speakers.

 

I am also firmly in the Garmin camp. My Zumo XT is a superb bit of kit and is an order of magnitude better than the HD App/PanAm screen combo.

The HD option is sometimes OK for a simple "get me from A to B" task, but if you do complex routes with lots of waypoints, deviations and rerouting like I do, then it is basically unusable.

Spend the money and get the Garmin. Thank me later.

 

I’m the original poster, and to update: I am very happy with how the 2024 Pan America TFT works with the H-D Ride Planner app on my iPhone for GPS maps and routes. There is no cellular disconnection because in the app I was able to download the maps to all the states I am likely to ride in (the phone has the memory to download all 50 states). This way the cell signal doesn’t enter the equation at all with the maps, the iPhone just needs a GPS signal, like any other GPS.

I had one issue that another forum member solved for me in a separate post; my TFT map was not working until I disconnected the Bluetooth connection between my phone and my Cardo Packtalk Edge. For some reason, when I had my TFT, helmet, and iPhone each connected to the other two, some things took priority over other things and not everything worked (like the map). Now all three are connected in serial; iPhone to TFT, and TFT to Cardo. Music, GPS routes, phone calls, etc., are all working great.

Note: I need to “disconnect” the iPhone-Cardo connection just before each ride, I don’t “forget” the Bluetooth connection, I just “disconnect” it. They pair right up again automatically the next time I turn off then turn on my Cardo. The Cardo app is nice for software updates. No longer do you need to plug the unit into a PC.

The fewer things I have attached to my handlebars the better, and the H-D Ride Planner app/TFT GPS map and routes work fine for me. Thanks for the inputs.