GPS Update

[garrisj]

I have a 2008 GL1800 does anyone know how and if there is an update to the software out there?

[rgw5944]

The only non-NT update available is to V2009. IMO, do not waste you money because you will be gaining almost nothing new from what you have. Been there and done that. You will most likely need to update the FirmWare to 4.60 for a newer map to work. Check the link below. There currently are 1163 posts with guys trying to get their units updated. I used the instructions provided when I upgraded mine. Gets complicated because most units up to what year I'm not sure, can only use a non-NT version of Mapsource and the only current updates are for the NT version.
http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthre ... everything

Ron

[Viking]

Yes, it can be updated. Garmins latest is V2011 which they charge $95 for. If your bike is a 2006 to 2008 US model, or 2006 to 2010 Rest of the World model, then the update will be on a CF card, with which you must take extreme care when pressing into your GPS unit to avoid bending pins. I have done many of these updates, and have not bent one pin (yet) and with enough care, hopefully I won't either, as the GPS unit is not easily nor inexpensively replaced. A note to the wise. The V2011 update from Garmin still only has maps current to Oct or Nov 2010. A bit of creative work using GPS sites on the internet can get you much more current, but you HAVE TO have version 4.60 firmware in order to be able to use them. There are at least twenty threads here on this site explaining a lot.

[zalesjak]

Hi,

I'm from Slovenia EU, owner of Goldwing 2007 airbag, EU version with navi. Two months ago I upgraded GPS system firmware from Ver 2.2 to Ver 4.6 and upgraded City Navigator Europe from V8 NON-NT maps to newest 2012/2013 NT maps.

System works good with newest NT cartography but I noticed some affects on radio functions on my Europe motorcycle version:

1. voice guidance is completely uncompatible and useless, so I switched it off becouse system speaks something completely nonsence
2. RDS radio receiver don't display radio station name anymore. It displays only frequency. RDS AF function works properly, radio also changes frequencies automatically.
3. On the display there is no status for AF, NEWS and TA functionc. Functions work properly, just display don't show their status.

I knew Ver 4.6 is made for US market, but despite anomalies described above I did this compromise becouse it's important to me navigation is up-to-date.

On my opinion Goldwing is not a toy for two or three years, so it would be fine and right if Honda provides complete support for entire product, included navigation system at least for product lifetime.

If anyone knows if there exist firmware version for EU models with support for NT cartography please inform me. Information will be suitable also for many other EU Goldwing 2006 - 2012 owner with navigation.

Best regards.

Dean

[Viking]

If anyone knows if there exist firmware version for EU models with support for NT cartography please inform me. Information will be suitable also for many other EU Goldwing 2006 - 2012 owner with navigation.

Best regards.

Dean

Sorry, I can't give you any information on this, but you could contact Garmin directly. I would NOT let them know that you are already using V4.60 as they will be pretty sure you did not buy it. The way we got them to cooperate and develop 4.60 was by complaining - A LOT - to Honda upper level staff, to Garmin, to Government sources, as the contract Honda has with Garmin requires support and in Canada at least, using old product in a new automobile is considered to be product dumping. Sorry for ranting, but a lot of people spent a lot of time to get this - AND IT DOES NOT WORK RIGHT - so we are still at it. Good luck communicating with Garmin. They are really good at playing stupid - or maybe they ain't playing. Version 4.60 did indeed allow the use of newer map forms, and I am current to May 2012, but lock ups and glitches are very common, as you have noticed.

[zalesjak]

I have alredy communicated with Garmin representative in our country about this issue.

Their response was very quick and short. Garmin has written:
"Sorry, becouse device is built in vehicle by manufacturer, only tham can help you solving problem"

Prior I spoke with Honda representative and they said this is the problem of Garmin and they don't have solution for upgrade for devices 2006 - 2010.

Realy don't know who plays more stupid (Garmin or Honada) and who should prepare the solution.

Any idea?

Regards.

Dean

[Viking]

If you have a government agency that looks into vehicle warrantee and product dumping in your country, you could contact them. In our country, they are very good at getting to the bottom of things if they are given enough information. Ultimately, Honda is responsible as they sold the product. They need to contact Garmin and demand that the updates are done. The problem with this is that Honda wants $300 for the updated CF cards, while Garmin sells them for $95, so after working really hard at getting Honda to get Garmin to update the CF carded units, who are you going to buy from? It is not in Honda's best interest to hammer at Garmin if Garmin are the only ones who will make any money. Anyway, our Consumers Protection Agency has a department for product dumping, and that is who I contacted, with a bushel of information. They agreed to look into it, and the next thing I heard was that Garmin was working on a fix. I got their fix (V4.50) and it did not work well, so they brought out another one (V4.60) which is better but still has issues, so they are still looking into it. But fixes with issues are not profitable, and neither is working on fixes, so I do not hold my breath between releases. We do have to realize that the programming to make a non NT map GPS into an NT capable GPS is extensive, and these units have only limited ROM, so something has to go in order to put something else in, and there is not much that can be taken away before the units become completely useless. If they never come out with another upgraded firmware, I can live with what I have, just so I have something built in, so I do not forget it, or have it ripped off when I park the bike anywhere. It falls under the "Anything is better than Nothing" category.

[zalesjak]

Viking,

thanks very much for your answer and very good explanation about the issue.

Today I contacted Honda representative in our country and described tham how things stay in the US.

A friend of mine at Honda assures me, that problem was escalated on Honda Europe after my e-mail a month ago and they will try to do as much as possible.

I'll post any further information I'll receive if I'll receive from Honda.

[Ronco]

The new Firmware version 2.60 for EU models with support for NT cartography does only work if you like to drive highway. Each route will direct you to the next highway! This is a no go!

For my opinion for EU Models it's the best if you use Firmware 2.30 and "Open Street Maps"!
"Open Street Maps" are free of charge and legal!

Or install a additional GPS.

Sorry, but that's the fact.

Forget cheap Firmware Upgrade made in Taiwan by Honda. Quality looks different!
I paid 150 EUR for Firmware 2.60 and old NT Maps from 2011.
Never ever!

See also my Post on:

/forum/viewt ... =7&t=11933

[Ronco]

This was the offer for:

Firmware version 2.60 for EU models with support for NT cartography

See attachment!

Ronco

[Viking]

If that was from Garmin, it is almost double what they are selling the North American update for. If from Honda, then it is less expensive than here...

[zalesjak]

Hi,

last year I upgraded my GPS from Ver. 2.2 to 4.6

Today I got new European Firmware 2.6 with support for NT maps and try to change firmware, but system don't want to catch it.

Does anyone have idea how to reset unit to factory default or to convince it to take new firmware 2.6.

Regards from Slovenia.

[Viking]

If the instructions from Garmin will not update your NAVI CF carded unit, then there are some further steps that you can take. These steps are best accomplished by two people.

1. Remove the screws from the trunk unit, so that you can open up the plastic cover. There are four screws holding the plastic cover to the trunk front wall, and for the two lower ones you will need a shorter screwdriver (Philips head)

2. Open the plastic cover to expose the NAVI unit. Look closely at the top edge of the unit, to find a tiny hole. This is the reset, and it needs an object the size of a paper clip to press it.

3. Partially insert the CF card with the update on it into the slot in the GPS unit, but do not press it home. Using a paper clip or like item, test press the reset button so you can see what pressure it takes – not much.

4. While pressing the reset button, have someone turn the ignition switch to ACC position, and read what the display says. It should say “holding”. At this time, while continuing to hold the reset button in, finish inserting the CF card with the update on it.

5. The display should go to “loader” and then to “updating from card”. At this time, you can release the reset button, and allow the unit to update.

6. Turn the ignition to the off position. If you had purchased the Garmin version of this update, when you next go to use your NAVI, you can check the version and map information by pressing the ENT button when asked to, and going to the screen for INFO/SYSTEM. It should show that your version is 4.60 and your mapping should be City Navigator North America NT 2011.7 March 2010. If you have more a more recent update than the Garmin one, then you should still show Version 4.60, but the mapping will probably say “City Navigator North America NT 2012.40 February 2012”, as mine does.

[zalesjak]

If the instructions from Garmin will not update your NAVI CF carded unit, then there are some further steps that you can take. These steps are best accomplished by two people.

1. Remove the screws from the trunk unit, so that you can open up the plastic cover. There are four screws holding the plastic cover to the trunk front wall, and for the two lower ones you will need a shorter screwdriver (Philips head)

2. Open the plastic cover to expose the NAVI unit. Look closely at the top edge of the unit, to find a tiny hole. This is the reset, and it needs an object the size of a paper clip to press it.

3. Partially insert the CF card with the update on it into the slot in the GPS unit, but do not press it home. Using a paper clip or like item, test press the reset button so you can see what pressure it takes – not much.

4. While pressing the reset button, have someone turn the ignition switch to ACC position, and read what the display says. It should say “holding”. At this time, while continuing to hold the reset button in, finish inserting the CF card with the update on it.

5. The display should go to “loader” and then to “updating from card”. At this time, you can release the reset button, and allow the unit to update.

6. Turn the ignition to the off position. If you had purchased the Garmin version of this update, when you next go to use your NAVI, you can check the version and map information by pressing the ENT button when asked to, and going to the screen for INFO/SYSTEM. It should show that your version is 4.60 and your mapping should be City Navigator North America NT 2011.7 March 2010. If you have more a more recent update than the Garmin one, then you should still show Version 4.60, but the mapping will probably say “City Navigator North America NT 2012.40 February 2012”, as mine does.

Themainviking,

thanks very, very, very much.

I tried this procedure and in 2 minutes sucessfuly upgraded my system to Ver. 2.6 for Europe. It.works great.

Regards from Slovenia

[goldwi]

hello , i am from poland . im looking for firmware 2.60 eu - honda goldwings 2006 cf
THANKS

[Viking]

hello , i am from poland . im looking for firmware 2.60 eu - honda goldwings 2006 cf
THANKS

Might I suggest you send a private message to zalesjak, who has gotten 2.60 onto his bike. He should be able to provide a copy of that firmware to you. None of us on this side of the big pond has access to the European firmware.

[goldwi]

Is it possible to change the firmware 4.31US (Honda Goldwing US 2006) to 2.60 eu? Won't it cause bugs when updating firmware, and will it work fine?
thank you

[Viking]

Once again, I suggest you contact zalesjak. He knows more about this issue than I do for sure, and I suspect more than anyone in North America.

[beastwood]

If you have access to City Navigator North America maps and you want to update your Navi on your Gold Wing 2006 to 2008, you can!
You will need:
CF card reader with cable
CF card (preferably the old one from your GPS on the Gold Wing)
City Navigator North America 2021.30 ( you can get this from Garmin Express)
gingunlock.exe ( get this from www.gpsurl.com)
An unzip utility such as 7-zip installer (you can get this from www.simplehelp.net )
A personal computer
A Gold Wing 2006 to 2008 that has Navi on it
You may ask why would you want to update your Navi on the Gold Wing if you already have a Garmin GPS with lifetime maps. Well, I just like things to work properly, and the Gold Wing screen is more visible than my Garmin Nuvi 765t. It is a great unit, but not that easy to see in direct sunlight.
You can use this procedure on later Gold Wings, 2009 and up, and it would be easier because they can accept files larger than 2GB on their SD cards. The 2006 to 2008 Wings can only accept files up to 2GB.
Procedure:
First let’s discuss the software version. Versions 4.5 and up will read the newer maps that have NT in the name. You may check the version on your Wing by either powering up or choosing ACC. Then select DISP, then choose MENU, then SETUP/INFO, then INFO/SYSTEM. This will show you your firmware version. If it is 4.5 and up, you can use the NT maps.
Second Getting the map. If you have Garmin Express, then you can get the map. I had the original CF card from the 2007 maps so I chose to reuse it. I already had the 2014 version on a different card on the Wing, so this card was not needed any longer. Plug this into your card reader, and plug this into a USB port on your computer.
Next, open Garmin Express, and it will prompt you for what device you wish to use. Choose add a device and it will direct you to your CF card ( a drive such as F or G, etc.) The system will recognize this as your device. Choose the option to download the map to your computer including Base Camp. Wait until the download is complete.
Next, open Base Camp In the left window you will see a heading called My Collection. Your CF card will show as a device. On the top menu bar, click Maps. The first line will show the map you just downloaded. In my case it was City Navigator North America 2021.30. Below that under the same heading of Maps, is line called Install Maps. Click that and a utility will open that allows you to load your map onto your device, which in this case is your CF card. Don’t be concerned about size because the utility allows you to choose the portions of the map that you want. It has a counter that displays a running total as you choose. Just stay under 2GB. Newer Wings 2009 and up can go larger. I chose to select from the west coast all the way to Missouri, from the Canadian border all the way to Mexico and it was well below 2GB. Once you have highlighted all the portions that you want, click install to your card. These files are already in .img format, so no need to alter anything.
Next download the unlock application Go to www.gpsurl.com and register. Then download the unlock utility from the “Garmin Software and Tools” heading. This file is in .rar format.
Next unzip the .rar file You will need an unzip utility to unzip that file. I used 7zip 15.14 for 64 bit systems (https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z1900-x64.exe). You can access this unzip utility from www.simplehelp.net. Use this utility to unzip the .rar file. Then you will have access to a file called gimgunlock.exe. This is the executable file you need to unlock your map.
Next, unlock your map file. To unlock your map file, drag and drop your gimgunlock.exe over your map file. A dos window will briefly open and show the progress. When it finishes, your map is now unlocked.
Next, installing this on your Wing At this point you should have three files on your CF card. The unlock file, the map file, and your software version 4.5 or higher. Remove the card from your reader. At the Wing, with the bike off, remove the existing card from the GPS case in the trunk by pushing the tab back, opening the door to the GPS, push the release button next to the card, and remove the card. Note the orientation of the card that you removed. It has a thick tab on one side and a thin one on the other. Don’t use the label as a guide, just the tabs. Push the new card in with the correct orientation. Close the trunk lid or you will get the “open trunk” screen obscuring your view. Power up the Wing, press DISP. The map will update automatically.
Finally, Check that you have the new map. With the Wing still running, press MENU, DISP, MENU, SETUP/INFO, INFO/SYSTEM. This display will show you the firmware version and the map version. If everything is what you expected, test it by finding a few routes. If all is well, your aging Wing now has current maps. Remember to close the door on the GPS in the trunk
Notes: I don’t take any credit for figuring this procedure out. I read it in pieces by going to the forums. I thought it was important to have everything written in one place from start to finish. If you need to update your firmware there is a separate procedure for that on the forums. If you do not have access to Garmin Express, you can use maps from Open Street Maps I believe. I don’t have those details.

[Honda#18]

Hello Beastwood.
Thank you for the detailed information on your process to update the NAV system on a 2006-2008 Goldwing. I hope some of this background that I am sharing, may help the next person who could be struggling with the same thing. I found many links with helpful information and, that background helped me with the process that you laid out in your report.

I live in the GTA area of Ontario, Canada. In May of 2022 I purchased a 2007 Goldwing with very low mileage. The Navigation system, like yours had a firmware of 2.1 and operating with 2005 North American maps. I did not have a second or spare CF card that I could use. I too like it when things are brought to current standards and working they way they are intended. My first attempts in June of last year were failing. I tried to use what I had around, Micro SD cards in a Compact Flash/SD card adaptor and a USB/CF adaptor to connect to my PC/MAC. I kept encountering the dreaded "Card Error" message every time I tried it on the Goldwing. Eventually I surrendered deciding to rely on my NUVI 1350 if and when I needed to go somewhere that the onboard NAV unit couldn't recognize. Yes, I installed a USB port on my bike so that I can charge my phone while on my trips. The NUVI would connect to one of the two ports.

Then I came across these threads in Goldwingdocs, and it sparked my interest once again. This time I purchased a 2GB and 4GB compact flash card.
Firstly, I updated the firmware to 5.1. That wasn't too hard but still came with risks.
Secondly, it was the maps. I used both a MAC and Windows PC to get to working copies of newer maps. It was a bit of trial and error and eventually success.

I used two disk cloning applications, HDDRawCopy and Aomei. Both are available at no cost, the latter has a free license for the basic version, and that is all I needed. I used the backup sector by sector option so that it copies everything regardless. My intention was to create a back of my original CF NAV card. The original 2005 card is currently in a safe place, I am working with the clones. I created the clones just incase there were some hidden files that contained identity information strictly associated with my Goldwing. This made it easier to replace the gmapsupp.img file, leaving all else on the card. I also added the gimgunlock.exe file (only 3Kb) to each card in the same directory as the img file. To make it easier for the unlock operation. I then placed the cards in the Windows PC to do the drag and drop of the .exe file onto the .img file to unlock them.

The biggest challenge was to find the gimgunlock.exe file. Many of the links disappeared, and my fear was that I may not come across a copy because as more time goes by, fewer places with needed content will exist on the web. For the Garmin Maps Install program, the MAC version worked out better. I used my 2023 and 2024 North American maps (by using the NUVI 1350 with Life Time Maps). Some may need to instruct Garmin Express to store a copy on the PC as well. This is how to access the North American Maps, when the GPS is not connected, allowing the user to work on travel routes and upload them to the GPS at a later time.

I created an Eastern Seaboard file that has US and Canadian geographical areas. A second file was created on a separate CF and it contained central and West coast areas of Canadian and US geographical locations. Keeping both files under the 2GB size. My points of interest appear to be working. It may be related to not pushing the map file close to the 2GB size as this may affect the NAV memory availability for other functions. So leaving it shy by a couple hundred MB may resolve the POI issue many run into. The other thing I noticed is that some letters were not appearing in the street names. I tried to redo the map "redendering" in Map Install and it appears to have corrected it.

I'm now waiting for better riding weather, so that I can take it on the road and better evaluate my efforts. So far, it looks pretty good, fingers crossed.

Sorry for the long winded note but I wanted to send a big thank you once again. I now have up to date maps.

Garmin Express, Basecamp and Maps Install are all readily available, easy to find and support for both Windows and Apple and should be installed first before doing anything else. Attached are three files that others may find helpful and save time looking for them on the Internet. The user simply removes the .txt extension from them. For the gcd file, remove 5-1.txt. I had to add the .txt to bypass the error of attaching a file. The thread did not allow non recognizable extensions so I fooled it by making it think it was a text file. The Aomei file exceeds the 20MB limit. So the user should go to the following link and go to the downloads folder https://www.aomeitech.com/aomei-backupper.html

[beastwood]

Wow! I'm glad that you found my post helpful. It is good to hear a success story. I think your facility with file management far exceeds mine. My system has been working well since my last update. I was thinking of updating to the 2023 Garmin map of North America, but my home/house is still not showing because I am in a new development. So I am going to wait a bit before I try it again. I might be reaching out to you if I encounter any problems. Thanks!

[Honda#18]

Absolutely! If I can help out, just let me know. The 2024.1 version is working pretty good but my true test will be once I take the bike out of the garage and accessing the geosynchronous satellites. Just remember to upload the maps to your computer as well as your Garmin device when using Express so that the maps will show up in Basecamp. But, you probably already knew that.

[superg]

I just came across this video, it's in german, but it's very easy to follow



   Never miss a video: Subscribe to the GoldwingDocs YouTube channel today!

[beastwood]

I got around to updating the GPS on the 2006 Goldwing. I used the procedure beastwood posted last year. I now have North America NT 2024.10. To keep the file size under 2GB, I just selected everything west of and including Texas. I could always get another CF card to get the eastern United States.