motorcycle tft display in stock

The very first gasoline internal combustion motorcycle was the Daimler Reitwagen, built in 1885. Robert Bosch created his namesake company a year later, in 1886. Coincidence? Probably, but it makes a nice segue into the advancements that Robert Bosch GmbH, better known simply as Bosch, has made in the motorcycle industry. As the company points out, “As a leading supplier of motorcycle safety systems, Bosch has sought for years to make motorcycles first and foremost safer, but also comfortable – without diminishing riding enjoyment.” As part of this commitment, the company just released their new line of five-inch TFT displays for motorcycles – the TFT Cluster 5” and the Connectivity Cluster 5”.

These displays were designed to be used by motorcycle manufacturers as original equipment dashboards, and as such, are completely customizable. With a compact footprint, the displays can be installed in a very confined space, something the engineers at Suzuki no doubt appreciated when the TFT Cluster 5” was selected for use in the 2023 V-STROM 1050 and V-STROM 1050DE.

The Connectivity Cluster 5” differs from the TFT Cluster 5”, in that, as you might have guessed, it has connectivity capabilities. Previously, adding GPS navigation to a motorcycle not already equipped required a separate aftermarket unit or smartphone mounted to the motorcycle in conjunction with the stock dashboard display. The Connectivity Cluster 5” allows the rider to wirelessly connect their smartphone to the dashboard, bringing smartphone functionality to the display, such as GPS, music, and messaging. At the same time, important information regarding the motorcycle operation, such as warnings or speedometer readout, is retained.

Bosch claims that the compact size and customizable nature of their new displays makes them suitable not only for conventional motorcycles, but also electric motorcycles, e-scooters, and ATVs. Expect to see Bosch’s new displays as original equipment on more motorcycles, as riders demand increased functionality, legibility, and connectivity from their bikes’ instrument clusters.

The protective film is made of a special hardened glass that reliably protects the 6.5-inch TFT display against contamination, stone chips and damage, even while riding in off-road terrain. The hardened glass has a non-reflective surface that makes the TFT display easy to read during everyday use. The protective film displays the BMW Motorrad lettering in the bottom left corner.

Gauge cluster design is a dying art. Speedometers and tachometers used to sit at the front of motorcycles like single-handed mechanical watches, projecting only the most pertinent information to the rider: vehicle speed, engine speed and the odometer. Then, like most analog things, digital became the preference and, for the most part, still is the preferred way to display even more information to riders like time, temperature, ride modes, traction control and any other minute pieces data the manufacturer deems necessary.

No one is saying having access to all that data is unnecessary or overbearing — quite the opposite. The more you can know about what’s going on with your bike the better, but, on a modern bike, all that information is more than an analog gauge can handle. So digital displays are a necessary evil, but their principal downside is they lack style, character and they all seem to look the same. However, it seems like the motorcycle industry is at a crossroads and the opportunity for unique, yet modern design is on its way back.

Thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal — or full-color TFT displays — are gaining popularity in the motorcycle industry. TFT is merely a more refined version of the well-known liquid crystal display (LCD), whose potential is already on display in the Lexus LFAand Audi’s Virtual Cockpit. And now, motorcycle manufacturers like Ducati are bringing that technology to the two-wheeled universe to exploit the benefits of a TFT display even further.

Ducati Monster Line Product Manager Stephano Trabusi explained, “TFT is more visible during the day, even in direct sunlight, the resolution is much higher than normal LCD so that you can have much more information on a display.” Given that the cockpit of a motorcycle doesn’t have the benefit of shade from a roof, more common digital and LCDs fall victim to severe glare. The Bosch system Ducati runs even goes one step further with a night mode that can tell if it’s night time, if you’re in a tunnel or a low light environment and flips the display background to black and the font white, so it’s easier to read.

Night vision is just the tip of the TFT iceberg, though. The complex levels of traction control and ride modes that come along with the Bosch system mean the screen has to be able to cycle through numerous menus and pages and display the traction control, engine modes and ABS settings once programmed. “Given that the bikes are so much more complex nowadays, they have more and more functions and more electronics; we need that higher resolution to display all that information.” And not only that but Trabusi justifies Ducati’s use of the display in the most modern way possible, “you always see the display when you’re riding, and it has to have a premium feel for a premium ride. Today, we are so used to our smartphones with color displays — it has become just so familiar. And to have this level of resolution and color on our bikes — it was common sense.”

Therein lies the problem with the Bosch system. Because it’s from a third party electronics and software company, and because it’s so close to a complete plug-and-play package, a handful of other manufacturers — BMW, KTM, Aprilia — use similar if not identical systems. So we wind up with cookie cutter displays no better than the uninspired digital systems they replaced. But thumbing through, pages, levels, toggling ride modes and taking calls via Bluetooth, it’s undoubtedly intuitive, but there’s an overwhelming sense that no one is exploiting the display for all it can do. It’s the same as getting an iPhone X and only using it for dim-lit selfies and tri-color wallpaper.

There’s no reason Ducati couldn’t create its own version of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit — between the maps, different gauge cluster layouts and creative displays, it would be like nothing else on two wheels. The creative potential is there, but until someone unlocks it, we’re stuck in this dull purgatory of right angles and primary colors.

COCKPIT: Four traditional, analog round instruments are included together with a modern 10.25” TFT display: from fuel level indicator to map navigation, you have all the information available at a glance.

CONNECTIVITY WITH TFT DISPLAY AND MULTI-CONTROLLER: Connect your smartphone to the bike via bluetooth and keep an overview of the vehicle information, navigation, calls and media with the 6.5 inch TFT display. You can control all functions intuitively via the multi-controller.

The R 1250 RT is the perfect companion for your tour: Its legendary BMW ShiftCam Boxer engine pulls just as powerfully over country roads as it does over winding mountain passes. Its new front end makes it look more dynamic and slimmer. On the other hand, there is a wide range of features such as the extra-large 10.25" TFT display or available Active Cruise Control (ACC) - providing extra comfort on your journey. At the end of the day, you sit back relaxed knowing that the next tour is always the greatest.Features may include:Large standard 10.25" TFT color display

The large and easy-to-read 10.25" TFT screen with full HD resolution is both an instrument cluster and on-board computer. On it, you’ll find full instrumentation as well as navigation and media.New front with LED headlights

Four programmable buttons give you quick access to functions such as navigation or seat heating. You can easily switch while driving – your attention stays on the road.Navigation on the 10.25" TFT screen

Know where you want to go? So does the R 1250 RT. And without an additional navigation device. Thanks to the BMW Motorrad Connected App and the interactive map view on the 10.25" TFT display, you’ll be sure to reach the next leg of the tour unhindered.Smooth travels with available Active Cruise Control

Cruise control, ride-by-wire, Scrambler-specific riding modes, ABS and easy-to-read TFT instruments bring class-leading technology to this modern classic.RIDING MODES

Four traditional, analog round instruments are included together with a modern 10.25” TFT display: from fuel level indicator to map navigation, you have all the information available at a glance.Power Reserve