Android Auto Is Finally Coming To Harley-Davidson Bikes

As it says in its name, Android Auto was primarily designed for automobiles, a.k.a. cars. Those, however, aren't the only vehicles on wheels that warrants a safe way to interact with mobile apps and Internet services. While some might argue you shouldn't do that on a motorcycle anyway, the next best thing would be to have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on a bike dashboard that few bikes even have. Fortunately, Harley-Davidson's 2021 bikes do and you can "upgrade" them to Android Auto soon.

It might be a biker's dream, to have a high-tech display on their bikes to rival that of cars. That's pretty much what Harley-Davidson's Boom! Box GTS infotainment system offers with its 6.5-inch touch screen and a variety of functions. All that's left is having it connect to your smartphone.

It already does that with an iPhone, unsurprisingly, but CarPlay (or should it be BikePlay?) on the GTS requires the use of a Genuine Motor Accessories headset. autoevolution seems to imply that it isn't needed for the Android counterpart, though that may raise questions about hands-free functionality.

Those who do want Android Auto, because they have an Android phone rather than an iPhone, can update their Boom! Box via USB. 2021 models of the Trike, CVO, and Touring will even come with that as standard. And those with even older bikes dating way back 2014 can have the new touch-based system installed as an accessory over the older 6.5GT unit.

Android Auto will add apps like Maps and Google Assistant to the GTS infotainment dash. It will also allow for some phone apps like Spotify to be accessed there. That said, some features, like Android Auto Assistant, are still limited by region so it won't be a uniform experience for all.