Chigee AIO-5 Lite

The Chigee AIO-5 Lite is not something that I expect everyone will find a use for. But it is a cool wee gadget, with a lot of nicely though out functions, and features, let me explain.

Chigee reached out to me and asked if they could send me the AIO-5 Lite setup for me to install on my bike and test.  They asked if i might review it and with some scepticism, I agreed.
Generally when companies reach out to me out of the blue, I don't expect the best products, but when it comes to the Chigee AIO-5 Lite, I am pleased to report, I have been well and truly surprised.

Let's start with "What even is it?"
The Chigee AIO-5 Lite is an IP67 rated 5'-ish LCD display with some wires hanging out of it which connect to power, acc, earth, front camera, rear camera and a GPS module. in the kit I was sent, I also recieved a couple of tyre pressure sensors, a bluetooth remote, and an accessory bar mount.
When powered up, the unit automatically starts recording both cameras to the SD card inserted in the bottom of the screen, as well as connecting to your phone via bluetooth for Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
It's a dash cam, telemetry and navigation device, as well as having some very cool features, such as sentry mode, speedo, tyre pressure monitoring and more.

The build quality is top notch. It feels very solid and the finish screams quality. As well as the mounting hardware being absolutely brilliant. The mounting screws are all those star shaped security screws and the little pins in the middle, so it's very tamper proof.

Installation
Installation is reasonably straight forward, run a constant power off the battery, an earth off the battery and find a 12v trigger wire which powers on when the key is turned. Then all you need to do is find somewhere for the GPS module, mount the front and rear HD cameras, and run the cables. Connect all the clearly marked water-proof connectors and hide behind a fender and you're done. I originally mounted the screen on the bars of my Tenere 700, but after one ride, found it was too low to keep an eye on the info, so moved it to the accessory bar above the speedo, replacing my standard Quadlock mount for my phone.

I feel this could be a great unit for those not wanting their phone on the bars of their bike for security or safety reasons. however I have installed the Quadlock abck on the bars for now as i like having wireless charging for those longer rides.

Carplay
I run an iPhone 13 mini, so once the Chigee was paired to my phone, (a very easy process) Apple Carplay pops up straight away. Now I have access to all my standard apps, such as Google maps, Rever, Spotify, and Apple podcasts. If you have ever used Carplay in a car before, you'll know exactly how this works. With my Cardo paired to my phone, I can now sort maps on the fly, play music and podcasts, and change songs or directions as I ride, with both visual and audio enabled.

Cameras and Sentry mode
The unit comes with 2x 1080P cameras and the video feeds can be viewed live while riding. There is also a Bluetooth remote which controls most functions of the unit. Where it comes in very handy, is with a single touch of a button, you can mark a section of video for future viewing. It's a great dash cam, showing both front, back or picture-in-picture, all recorded to the internal SD card.
Further to this, the Chigee unit can sense when your bike is moved or tampered with while parked, automatically triggering the cameras recording function.

Blind Spot Monitoring and warnings
The Chigee has some AI smarts built in, which can flash up a warning light on the screen when it detects another vehicle in or approaching your blind spot, this feature works very well and up till now is something only found on the fancy euro bikes such as the Ducati Multistrada, Triumph Tiger 900 etc.

Tilemetry
Bush the home button and you are taken back to the Chigee home screen, which can give you a live readout of compass heading, speed, TPMS and more. The TPMS is fedd information from the little valve caps offered by Chigee as an optional extra. These give a live read out of pressure and tyre temp. The speed and compass info is all feed by the GPS module included in the kit.

As I said at the start, this is not a device for everyone, even me being a bit of a tech-geek, I might struggle to justify it. But it is great being able to add some of the tech only seen on the big, flash expensive touring bike to my humble Tenere 700. I can see it adding value for those who often have to park their bike in public spaces or car parking buildings. The dash cam functions would be great for regular commuters and the TPMS is handy for any motorcycle that does not come from the factory with this sort of tech. Its a luxury and a time saver. The Carplay functions offer another level of luxury for people like me who use their bike as their main mode of transport.

Price
This is not a cheap product, however the build quality is exceptional, and now having seen, felt and played with the unit in person, I think the price is justified.
On the Chigee website, this is marked at $995, however no information is given as to what currency this is in and at the time of writing, it is still marked as "Coming Soon". I assume the price shown on the website is in USD, making it around the $1500 mark in NZD. Not cheap. But when put side-by-side with the tech that this unit would replace, such as the Garmin Zumo at $1200, it's quite well justified, as it adds a lot more functionality and usability, thats just added value in my eyes.

I will continue testing this unit and getting to know it during my summer adventures, so expect a full review in the new year.