Welcome to Wisconsin BMW Motorcycle Club Garmin navigation course setup page!
We will being going through a step by step walk through to make sure you are as setup as possible to use Basecamp and your Navigators for the training on April 7th, along with future use.
- The first step will to be download and install the latest version of Garmin’s “express” application. The File is located HERE
- The second step will be download and install the latest version on Garmin Basecamp The file is located HERE
- once both of these pieces of software are installed, you will need to update the maps for both the software and your navigator
- Once the application is installed onto your computer, you will need to connect your navigator to the computer via USB cable
- The Garmin express app “should” recognize the device but if it does not you can add the device to your Garmin express account.
- Garmin express will now show you all the updates that are available for your device (and it should include the latest maps)
- These are step by step instructions for this on Garmins site HERE
This is important, and not well documented in the instructions from Garmin above!
The Express application updates your navigator AND allows you to download the navigator maps to your computer. This is required if you want to work with basecamp without your navigator plugged into the computer!
- In Express you need to select an option of download maps to “COMPUTER AND DEVICE”
- This is done by selecting your navigator from the Garmin Express main page (in my case I selected “GS NAV” which is a BMW Navigator 6)
- Pressing the “Install” button will install the maps to both the computer AND the navigator
- Please note, these map files are HUGE and can take a while to download and take up quite a bit of room on your computer.
The Basecamp program will then be able to select the same map as the navigator which is CRITICAL if you want to have a chance of having the navigator follow the routes that you build in basecamp.
That setting is one many that we will need to setup and we will discus at the training on the 7th. What we want to make sure that your version of basecamp SEES this map option.
Your version of basecamp will not have all the maps mine does. It should have “Global Map” and “City Navigator NA 2025”. Old maps are not replaced in this app and if you are hurting on storage space, you might need to delete the old map first. (in mine it would be the 2024.2 map).
The default storage location of these maps is C:\ProgramData\GARMIN\Maps\
If there is enough time between when you start this attempt to update your computer and the start of the class, I would be willing to help out. Please just give me a call at 414-477-7707
Good luck and hope to see you on Sunday the 7th
Mike Lambert
Some additional resources:
EZ Moto Tim Youtube videos (a little dry and excessive, but helpful non the less)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7SnEAaQ4kJh7gnOHW_IsXDRyauzcFgK7
NE riders Basecamp training files
https://www.newenglandriders.org/learn-basecamp/
https://www.wham-motorcycling.org/routes/Learn_BaseCamp_PC.pdf
Garmin Files
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/software/basecamp/ (basecamp program file)
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/software/express/windows/ (garmin express program, needed for map updates and basecamp map install 7.20.2 3/18/24)
how to download maps from navigator/express (this is the key to being able to use basecamp without your navigator connected!!!)