A well built device that can connect to both Apple and Android phones to let you navigate and consume media while riding a motorcycle.
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Oft times, it’s the things we expect the least from that surprise us the most. Psychologists call it the power of low expectations, though to be fair, you don’t need to be a cognitive scientist to understand that overcoming a bad expectation is sometimes a free ride to satisfaction.
As it turns out, I was wrong. Very wrong.
High-quality hardware
Not about the product! The promises I saw online that implied the AIO-5 system was well-built were spot-on. In fact, this may be the most conscientiously manufactured electronic product for motorcycles I have ever seen. Everything from the five-inch waterproof screen to well-insulated wires made of TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) with aircraft-style screw-together connectors is top quality stuff. The non-electrical hardware is well thought-out, too. There’s a rubber covering for the micro-SD card port — which stores the dashcam’s recordings — that not only has waterproof grommet to keep the disc dry, but also as teensy little screw so the rubber doesn’t fall out and get lost when you’re switching cards.
Equally noteworthy — and another of those pleasant surprises — is that all of the mount hardware’s bolts are of the “security” Torx variety. Rather than a traditional Torx bit — sufficiently rare in their own right — they require even rarer versions with a dimple in the middle. They are sufficiently rare that a) they’re included in the AIO-5 package and b) it’s totally unlikely that any thief, equipped with typical, run-of-the-mill hardware-store tools is going to be remove to ‘remove’ the Chigee. In fact, I feel very secure leaving my AIO-5 attached to the bike unsupervised. Top quality hardware, details that make access easier and more reliable and a simple security protocol; they all speak to designers and engineers who actually ride and work on their own bikes.
Couple all that with the extremely bright — no problem with viewing the screen even in bright sunlight — 1,000-nit, 1920-by-1080 pixel, 5-inch colour TFT screen and the entire package is really well constructed. Topping it all off, connecting to your phone — at least my iPhone 12 — was a simple as downloading an app. The connection was also 100% reliable, the Bluetooth connection between phone and monitor never dropping once in 15,000 kilometres of riding this last summer. To repeat; the AIO-5 Lite is the best engineered and designed electronic aftermarket product for motorcycles I’ve ever tested.
Surprisingly useful
And it works even better on a motorcycle. Where before, switching from my iPhone’s Music screen to the Maps app required me to remove a glove while riding — definitely not recommended — or stopping by the side of the road, toggling between apps on the AIO-5 is but a screen touch a way which, by the way, can be accomplished without taking your gloves off. Ditto skipping past songs I wasn’t in the mood for or repeating songs that I was. And, of course, switching playlists which used to be impossible, is now a doddle. In fact, music, phone and navigation apps are exactly as easy to work with as they are in your car. It might even be easier — or at least safer — because the screen is right in front of you. Less distracting to, especially, if like me, you mounted it up high, just below your normal line of sight.
In fact, it can get even easier. One of the options offered for use with the AIO-5 Apple CarPlay Android Auto is remote wireless control. With it you are able to toggle between songs, switch apps and change home screens (not just the three major players mentioned above but also a longer list of designated apps available on your iPhone). It also allows you to answer your phone and end conversations. About the only useful thing it can’t do is increase the volume, so should your favourite Strolling Bones tune come on, you can’t use the remote to pump up the volume.
And, even for an old luddite like Yours Truly, it takes just a couple of hours of riding before it becomes second nature to flick through screens and navigate functions, at least part of the reason being that placement — at least my placement on my Suzuki V-strom — was conveniently located just above the left handlebar’s regular switchgear. There are also a few hard buttons on the monitor itself for less used functions like cycling between the trip data screen and CarPlay as well as cycling through the dash cam views. Chigee’s penchant for comprehensive mounting hardware continues with the remote control, the company not only offers various options as to where it can be attached, but also some thoughtful adaptors, that will fit a wide variety of motorcycles, one of which proved essential for mounting to the base of the Suzuki’s left mirror.
In fact, I only have one serious complaint about the AIO-5’s operation. Included in the kit are two high-definition, 1080P cameras. They can be easily mounted to the front and rear of any bike via the high-tack double-sided adhesive provided. Their wiring, like that of the main screen, is also of extremely high quality. The video recordings are of sufficient resolution and the main unit will accept micro-SD cards as large as 256 gigabytes which means you can record a helluva lot of video. So far, so good, right?
On the other hand, it’s obvious Chigee designed the camera system as a safety device. The footage from both cameras is automatically saved if an accident is detected. And likewise, if your motorcycle is jostled when parked, the AIO-5 will automatically save the footage leading up to the event. Lastly, the rear camera also serves as a lane warning system, though this last is of limited use because its wide-angle lens doesn’t offer much long-distance warning. Nonetheless, while there are plenty of people for whom the security of a dashcam surveilling the traffic around them — both to prevent accidents and record them — is of paramount importance, for someone like me, being able to switch the modality from dashcam to a simplified — say a single toggle on the wireless remote-control unit? — recording device would be a welcome improvement.
The only other recommendation I would make to Chigee would be to build an upmarket model with a larger screen. Judging from the company’s promotional literature, the AIO-5 was designed primarily for use on naked bikes and its 5-inch screen is perfectly-sized to fit between on a handlebar.
But, if like me, you mount the unit to a bike with a fairing and/or a dedicated accessory mount above the bike’s own dashboard, a bigger 6-inch option would be even better. Screen size can never get too generous when you’re navigating a motorcycle at speed. Indeed, other than the aforementioned recording functionality, the only thing I’d change about the AIO-5 in my application would be the option of a larger screen.
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