The Honda Africa Twin Has CarPlay From the Factory. Why Add CHIGEE? AIO-6 and SR-1 Radar Install
The Honda Africa Twin comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, on the factory 6.5-inch TFT display. In motorcycling, that is still rare. An Adventure Sports came into our showroom in Toruń and, factory equipment and all, we added an AIO-6 display with two cameras, the SR-1 blind spot radar and tyre pressure sensors.
Factory CarPlay on a motorcycle is rare
Apple CarPlay arrived on the Africa Twin CRF1100L with the model's launch in 2020, as standard equipment. Honda added Android Auto by software update in late 2021, including for the 2020 and 2021 model years. Both run over a USB cable on the 6.5-inch TFT touchscreen, in all four variants: Africa Twin, Africa Twin DCT, Adventure Sports ES and Adventure Sports ES DCT.
It is worth pausing on that, because the feature is far rarer than it looks. Factory CarPlay on a motorcycle today comes down to a short list: the Honda Gold Wing since 2018, the Africa Twin, touring Harleys running Skyline OS and Indians with Ride Command. Beyond that list, almost nothing. BMW Motorrad offers CarPlay on none of its motorcycles, the R 1300 GS included, even though BMW cars have had it for years.
So the Africa Twin sits in a very narrow group. Which only makes the question more interesting: what does a bike like that still need CHIGEE for?
What the owner of this Africa Twin chose, and why
The owner came to Toruń with a specific list: a display that does not hang off a cable, front and rear recording, blind spot radar and tyre pressure readings. The factory CarPlay stays, because it is still part of the Honda, but cameras, radar and TPMS cannot be added to the bike by any route other than separate hardware. In his own words after the install: "finally with a properly working Apple CarPlay".
He had two CHIGEE displays to choose from, and the decision was quick.
| AIO-5 EVO | AIO-6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5 inches, 1200 nits | 6 inches, 2000 nits |
| Cameras | included, 1080p | sold separately, 1080p 60 fps HDR |
| Removal | fixed mount | Quick-Release, no tools |
| Connectivity | none | LTE version: 4G, location, SOS alarm |
| SR-1 radar | yes | yes |
The bigger, brighter screen for an adventure riding position settled it. The display went on permanently, on the ADV crossbar mount for 12-16 mm bars. On top of that, the dual camera kit, the SR-1 radar and external TPMS sensors.
Our install: Adventure Sports with AIO-6, SR-1 and TPMS
The factory TFT kept the bike's data and riding modes, and CHIGEE went in alongside it.
AIO-6 above the factory instruments
We mounted the AIO-6 permanently, on the ADV crossbar mount for 12-16 mm bars, directly above the factory TFT. Higher and closer to the line of sight than the instruments, which is exactly where your eyes fall in an off-road posture. You see both at once: the Honda riding mode and rev counter below, CarPlay, tyre pressures and the camera feed above.
Two cameras
The front camera went on the crash bar bracket under the headlight, the rear one next to the licence plate. The kit records in 1080p at 60 frames per second in HDR. The rear camera records and doubles as an extra rear-view mirror, because its live feed goes straight to the AIO-6.
SR-1 radar on the rear fender
The SR-1 radar module went between the tail light and the plate: horizontal, with a clear view backwards. Its LED indicators went up front, next to the instruments, one on each side of the cockpit. The amber rear-facing light warns the driver behind you that they are closing in too fast. Once paired with the AIO-6, the warnings land on the display with sound, and blind spot monitoring switches from the cameras to the radar. How the radar itself works is covered in our article on motorcycle blind spot radar.
Tyre pressure sensors
The valves of both wheels carry external TPMS sensors. The readings sit right on the AIO-6, next to speed and sunset time: 2.0 bar front and 2.3 bar rear in the photos. A low-pressure alert arrives where your map already is.
What the owner says after the install
Best to let the owner speak. This is how he commented on the install photos on our Facebook page:
"This Honda Africa Twin got a second life here, finally with a properly working Apple CarPlay. AIO-6, SR-1 radar, front and rear cameras, TPMS, and the whole installation done so that everything looks like it came on the bike from the factory on day one. No stray cables, no garage bodging. Everything fitted, tidy and, above all, working the way it should."
"After this install I feel like I switched to a completely different motorcycle. Comfort, safety and functionality jumped to another level."
Radar and cameras: where and how
The SR-1 radar mounts horizontally, 30-100 cm above the ground, with nothing blocking its view backwards. On the Africa Twin that meant the rear fender, between the tail light and the plate, where neither panniers nor the rack enter the radar's field. The warning light must stay uncovered, because it sets its own brightness to the surroundings.
The cameras have one rule: logo up and away from anything that vibrates hard, otherwise the picture shakes. Hence the crash bar bracket under the headlight at the front and the plate area at the rear. Height is whatever gives you the frame you want to record, because blind spot monitoring here is the radar's job, not the camera's. The base is bendable and the pitch adjusts with a screw across 100°. The 3M VHB tape holds if the surface was clean, you pressed for 10 seconds and the camera rested for half an hour before the bike moved.
Power: red to battery positive, black to negative, yellow to the ACC circuit, so the whole system switches on with the ignition. For recording, the AIO-6 needs a U3-class microSD card; a weaker card causes stuttering or lost fragments of footage. More in our guide to microSD cards for the AIO-6.
Frequently asked questions
Which motorcycles have factory Apple CarPlay?
The list is short. The Honda Gold Wing since 2018, the Honda Africa Twin since the 2020 model year, touring Harleys running Skyline OS and Indians with Ride Command. Beyond that, almost nothing. BMW Motorrad offers CarPlay on none of its motorcycles, the R 1300 GS included, even though BMW cars have had it for years.
Factory systems differ from one another. On the Africa Twin the connection is wired, over USB. On Harleys running Skyline OS, CarPlay starts once a Bluetooth headset is paired. The display sits where the factory put it and stays with the bike the day you sell it.
No factory system records from cameras or supports blind spot radar. A CHIGEE display gives you wireless CarPlay regardless of make or model year, adds a dash cam, works with the SR-1 radar, and moves to your next bike with you.
Does the Honda Africa Twin have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Yes, as standard on all four variants. CarPlay has been on the CRF1100L since the 2020 model year, and Android Auto arrived by software update in late 2021. The connection is wired, over a USB cable, on the factory 6.5-inch TFT.
Does the SR-1 radar need a CHIGEE display?
No. The SR-1 works on its own, with its own LED indicators. Pairing it with an AIO-5 EVO or AIO-6 adds a radar visualisation on the display and audible alerts.
Where should the SR-1 go on an Africa Twin?
On the tail of the bike, horizontal, 30-100 cm above the ground, with a clear view backwards. We put the module on the rear fender, between the tail light and the plate.
Can I keep the factory CarPlay and add CHIGEE?
Yes. Both run side by side: the factory TFT shows the bike's data, the AIO-6 above it handles CarPlay, cameras, radar and TPMS. That is exactly the install in the photos.
How are the AIO-6 and AIO-5 EVO powered?
Directly from the bike's 12 V system. They switch on and off with the ignition, with no battery management on your part.
Want an install like this on your bike? Get in touch or drop by the CHIGEE Polska showroom in Toruń.
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