Scroll any scooter or moped forum lately and you will see the same photo again and again: a small, bright screen clamped to the handlebars, running the familiar Apple CarPlay layout, with a map filling it from edge to edge. Riders have worked out that you do not need a connected scooter or an expensive built-in dashboard to get a proper navigation screen. You can bolt one on, make it waterproof, and run CarPlay on it from the phone in your pocket.
I build Urban Rider, a navigation app for scooters and mopeds, and as of this month the app works with Apple CarPlay. So I have a reason to be interested in these screens. But the guide below is straightforward: what these displays are, why people buy them, which units are actually for sale, and what to check before you spend. Urban Rider is independent and not affiliated with Apple, Google, or any of the display makers named here.
What these displays actually are
They are small aftermarket head units, usually 5 to 7 inches, built to live outside on a bike. The good ones are waterproof, bright enough to read in direct sun, and have a touchscreen that still works with gloves on. You clamp the unit to the handlebars or a mirror stem, wire it to the bike's 12V power, and pair your phone to it over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
From then on the screen behaves like the CarPlay display in a car. Your iPhone does the work and holds the maps, and the unit mirrors CarPlay wirelessly. Most of the popular ones also do wireless Android Auto, so the same screen works for Android riders too. What you are buying is not a sat nav with its own maps, it is a tough, weatherproof window onto the navigation app you already use.
Why riders are putting CarPlay on a scooter
The appeal comes down to a few real problems with just mounting your phone:
- Weather. A phone clamped to the bars takes every drop of rain and every pothole. A purpose-built unit is sealed against both, and your phone can stay dry in a pocket or under the seat.
- Sun. Phones dim themselves when they get hot in direct sun, right when you need the screen most. These displays run brightness levels built for daylight riding.
- Battery and wear. Navigating with the screen on full brightness drains a phone fast and ages it in the heat. Offloading the screen to the bike spares your phone.
- Theft and damage. A phone on the bars is an obvious grab, and vibration from the engine can genuinely damage a phone camera over time. A cheap display on the bars is a far smaller loss.
- The interface you know. CarPlay is big, simple and glanceable, with gloved-finger touch targets and voice control through Siri. It is a nicer thing to use at a junction than squinting at a phone.
None of this replaces the app doing the routing. It just gives that app a better home on the bike.
The displays people are actually buying
This is a crowded, fast-moving category, so treat model numbers as a snapshot rather than gospel, and check the current listing before you buy. These are the units that come up most often, with the specs the makers themselves quote.
Disclosure: the product links below send you to your local Amazon store with an affiliate tag, so Urban Rider may earn a small commission on a qualifying purchase, at no extra cost to you. We are not paid by the display makers and their payment plays no part in what is listed here.
| Display | Size | Waterproof (claimed) | Wireless CarPlay / Android Auto | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpuride W702 / W502 / W619 | 7 in / 5 in / 6 in | IP67 | Both | The category leader. 1000-nit screen, dual Bluetooth (phone plus helmet intercom), glove touch. Pro versions add TPMS, compass and barometer. |
| Aoocci C3 / C3 Pro | 5 in | IP67 | Both | A smaller, lower-cost option with optional TPMS. Good if 7 inches is too much on tidy bars. |
| Spedal 6.25 in | 6.25 in | IP67 | Both | Around a 900-nit screen; a middle-ground size that suits a lot of scooters and mopeds. |
| Budget 6.25 to 7 in units | 6.25 to 7 in | IP67 to IP69K | Usually both | Many near-identical screens from different sellers. Some add a dash cam. Quality and support vary a lot, so read recent buyer feedback. |
A note on honesty: those IP ratings and brightness figures are the manufacturers' own claims, not independent tests, and prices move constantly, so I have not quoted any here. The links go to Amazon so you can see current models, stock and prices for yourself.
What to check before you buy
- Wireless CarPlay, and Android Auto if you need it. Almost all modern units are wireless, but confirm it, and confirm Android Auto is listed if you ride with an Android phone.
- Waterproofing. IP67 is the sensible floor for a bike that lives outside. IP69K is better if you ride in heavy rain or jet-wash the bike.
- Brightness. Look for roughly 800 to 1000 nits or more. Anything dimmer washes out in summer sun.
- Power and fitment. Most units wire to 12V power, so they suit petrol scooters, mopeds and motorcycles. Many are explicitly not for electric kick scooters, which often have no 12V supply. Check your bike can power it before you order.
- Mount and size. Measure your bars. A 7-inch screen is glorious on a maxi-scooter and comical on a 50cc. Check the bracket fits your bar diameter.
- Dual Bluetooth. If you want music or turn-by-turn voice in a helmet intercom while the phone stays connected for CarPlay, you need a unit that pairs two Bluetooth devices at once.
Urban Rider on your new screen
Here is where it gets good for scooter and moped riders. A CarPlay display is only as smart as the app you run on it, and a general map app will still route your 45 km/h moped like a car, straight at a dual carriageway. Urban Rider does not.
Urban Rider now works with Apple CarPlay on iPhone. Connect your phone to the display, and you can start a trip from the car screen itself, from recent places, favourites or search, then follow turn-by-turn guidance with the next maneuver, lane guidance, a speed-limit sign that warns you when you are over the limit, direction arrows, and a remaining distance and arrival time that turns orange when traffic is slowing you down. You can recenter, see the overview, mute, stop, or hand navigation back to your phone, all from the display, and spoken directions play through the system. CarPlay support needs iOS 27 or later.
Under all of that is the part a car-focused app cannot do: the route itself is built for your vehicle. Pick the scooter or moped profile and Urban Rider keeps you off motorways and roads your bike may not use, and times the trip at real scooter speed. On a big weatherproof screen on your bars, that is a genuinely nice way to ride.
Android Auto: support for Android Auto is in development and coming soon, so for now the car-screen experience is on iPhone through CarPlay. On an Android phone you can still use Urban Rider mounted as normal while Android Auto is finished.
Now with Apple CarPlay, built for your scooter
Urban Rider routes your moped or scooter onto roads it is actually allowed to ride, avoids highways by default, and gives arrival times at real scooter speed, now on the car screen through CarPlay. Free 7-day trial, no account needed.
Display, built-in dash, or just your phone?
A waterproof CarPlay screen is not the only way to navigate, and it is not always the right one. If you mostly ride in good weather and short hops, a phone in a good handlebar mount is cheaper and already in your pocket. If you were hoping the scooter's own dashboard would navigate for you, read which scooters really have built-in navigation first, because the answer is usually "it just mirrors a phone." A dedicated CarPlay display earns its place when you ride a lot, in real weather, and want your phone kept safe and dry while a tough screen takes the abuse.
Whichever you choose, the app is what makes the route right. For how Urban Rider compares with the usual map apps, see our guide to the best scooter and moped navigation apps.
The bottom line
You cannot buy most scooters or mopeds with a real navigation screen built in, but you can add one. A waterproof CarPlay display from the likes of Carpuride, Aoocci or Spedal gives you a bright, weatherproof, glove-friendly car-style screen on any 12V bike, running the navigation app from your phone.
Pair one with Urban Rider on iPhone and you get that big familiar CarPlay screen plus routing that actually respects a scooter or moped, not a car. Urban Rider offers a free 7-day trial on iOS and Android, needs no account, and now runs on Apple CarPlay, with Android Auto on the way.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put Apple CarPlay on a scooter or moped?
Yes. You cannot add CarPlay to the scooter's own dashboard, but you can mount a small waterproof CarPlay display on the handlebars and power it from the bike. Your iPhone connects to it wirelessly, and the screen then shows CarPlay apps, including Urban Rider, so you get a car-style navigation screen on a scooter that never had one.
Do these displays work with Android Auto as well?
Most of the popular units, such as the Carpuride and Aoocci models, support both wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, so one screen works whether you ride with an iPhone or an Android phone. Check the listing before buying, because a few cheaper screens are CarPlay only.
Does Urban Rider work with CarPlay?
Yes. Urban Rider works with Apple CarPlay on iPhone, so you can start a trip from the car screen and follow turn-by-turn guidance, lane hints, speed-limit warnings and a traffic-aware arrival time, then hand navigation back to your phone. CarPlay needs iOS 27 or later. Android Auto support is in development and coming soon.
Are these CarPlay screens waterproof enough to ride in the rain?
Most are rated IP67, and some claim IP69K, which covers rain and splashes. Those are the makers' own ratings rather than independent tests, so treat them as a guide. If you ride in heavy weather often, pick a higher rating and check the cable and power connections are sealed too.
Do I still need my phone if I have a CarPlay display?
Yes. The display is a screen, not a phone: your iPhone still does the navigating and holds the maps, and the unit mirrors CarPlay from it over a wireless connection. The upside is your phone can stay in a pocket or under the seat, out of the rain and the sun, while the waterproof screen takes the glare and the vibration.