GPS for your bike
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,717
Likes: 35
BUT in defense of the OP the Zumo 665 has features that no car GPS has such as XM Satellite radio and XM NAV Weather. I have been considering the 665 for a while but am waiting because rumor is that Garmin is coming out with a new motorcycle specific GPS soon.
I want the XM Radio and XM weather in addition to the NAV. I ride a Road King so it would be nice to have satellite radio piped through to my Bluetooth Scala rider headset.
I want the XM Radio and XM weather in addition to the NAV. I ride a Road King so it would be nice to have satellite radio piped through to my Bluetooth Scala rider headset.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,277
Likes: 4
From: Austin, TX - Some call it heaven.
I have a Zumo 550 and it's one of the best things I've ever put on my bike. Yes, any GPS will get you there, but the Zumo does two indispensable tasks that the cheaper auto only units don't.
The first is the bluetooth pairing with my phone. Although I don't take calls on the bike, I can see the caller ID on the Zumo. Since my job requires me to answer customer emergencies 24X7, this is a must. If I see a call from a customer, I pull over and call him back. A friend can wait until the end of the ride.
The second thing my Zumo does is play MP3's. I can store 1000 songs on one SD card, so I can pack a ton of music in a very small space.
When it dies I will probably upgrade to a 665 or whatever is available, the weather radar is a nice feature when you're on the road.
People have different needs, wants and budget considerations for a GPS. To me, the features are worth the price. But in all honesty, I expected the Zumo line to have dropped in price by now. That doesn't seem to be the case.
The first is the bluetooth pairing with my phone. Although I don't take calls on the bike, I can see the caller ID on the Zumo. Since my job requires me to answer customer emergencies 24X7, this is a must. If I see a call from a customer, I pull over and call him back. A friend can wait until the end of the ride.
The second thing my Zumo does is play MP3's. I can store 1000 songs on one SD card, so I can pack a ton of music in a very small space.
When it dies I will probably upgrade to a 665 or whatever is available, the weather radar is a nice feature when you're on the road.
People have different needs, wants and budget considerations for a GPS. To me, the features are worth the price. But in all honesty, I expected the Zumo line to have dropped in price by now. That doesn't seem to be the case.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
I have a Zumo 550 and it's one of the best things I've ever put on my bike. Yes, any GPS will get you there, but the Zumo does two indispensable tasks that the cheaper auto only units don't.
The first is the bluetooth pairing with my phone. Although I don't take calls on the bike, I can see the caller ID on the Zumo. Since my job requires me to answer customer emergencies 24X7, this is a must. If I see a call from a customer, I pull over and call him back. A friend can wait until the end of the ride.
The second thing my Zumo does is play MP3's. I can store 1000 songs on one SD card, so I can pack a ton of music in a very small space.
When it dies I will probably upgrade to a 665 or whatever is available, the weather radar is a nice feature when you're on the road.
People have different needs, wants and budget considerations for a GPS. To me, the features are worth the price. But in all honesty, I expected the Zumo line to have dropped in price by now. That doesn't seem to be the case.
The first is the bluetooth pairing with my phone. Although I don't take calls on the bike, I can see the caller ID on the Zumo. Since my job requires me to answer customer emergencies 24X7, this is a must. If I see a call from a customer, I pull over and call him back. A friend can wait until the end of the ride.
The second thing my Zumo does is play MP3's. I can store 1000 songs on one SD card, so I can pack a ton of music in a very small space.
When it dies I will probably upgrade to a 665 or whatever is available, the weather radar is a nice feature when you're on the road.
People have different needs, wants and budget considerations for a GPS. To me, the features are worth the price. But in all honesty, I expected the Zumo line to have dropped in price by now. That doesn't seem to be the case.
Thread Starter
|
Banned
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 11,232
Likes: 16
From: Socialist Republic of the USA
Actually I first used a nuvi and it was very frustrating. Between not being able to see very well in sunlight and dealing with rain, I finally broke down and bought a zumo 660. I also had to replace the power cable for the nuvi twice as after many storms they became damaged to the point where electrical cleaner would not help. My unit is not to be confused with the more expensive Roadtech. Can't tell you what other differences might be but I had to download software and then add the HD shops for North America. The only HD part is the handlebar mount which I like much more than the Motomount that I still have (now a paperweight) as it brings the unit closer to my aging eyes. So no, I did not make an HD commercial. What I did do was create a post that was intended to help folks that might be on the fence about a true motorcycle GPS.
I don't use one enough to justify the cost of a Zumo. I have a Garmin Nuvi 200 that pretty much was collecting dust because when in my vehicle I use my smartphones which are way more accurate anyway. The Garmin is mounted on a RAM mount. As far as waterproof if it is raining when I need it I throw a zip-loc baggie over top of it.
Thread Starter
|
Banned
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 11,232
Likes: 16
From: Socialist Republic of the USA
Well.....
"Just stating facts"....if you check the Zumo forums, you will very quickly see that after years and years of trying, Garmin has been unable to get their Zumo GPSes to handle the bluetooth audio stream hand-offs between cellphone, cellphone music, and Zumo navigation directions. This, after firmware updates up to the current one, far as I know. And this issue has perpetuated through the Zumo 665.
I spent a lot of time trying to get all this working, as did many other Zumo 660 owners, to no avail. I see in the forums that Zumo 665 owners are not having any better luck.
Garmin doesn't seem to be able to get their Zumo GPS'es bluetooth stuff right. If your device is turning in decent BT audio performance, consider yourself in the minority, and very fortunate.
"Just stating facts"....if you check the Zumo forums, you will very quickly see that after years and years of trying, Garmin has been unable to get their Zumo GPSes to handle the bluetooth audio stream hand-offs between cellphone, cellphone music, and Zumo navigation directions. This, after firmware updates up to the current one, far as I know. And this issue has perpetuated through the Zumo 665.
I spent a lot of time trying to get all this working, as did many other Zumo 660 owners, to no avail. I see in the forums that Zumo 665 owners are not having any better luck.
Garmin doesn't seem to be able to get their Zumo GPS'es bluetooth stuff right. If your device is turning in decent BT audio performance, consider yourself in the minority, and very fortunate.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
BUT in defense of the OP the Zumo 665 has features that no car GPS has such as XM Satellite radio and XM NAV Weather. I have been considering the 665 for a while but am waiting because rumor is that Garmin is coming out with a new motorcycle specific GPS soon.
I want the XM Radio and XM weather in addition to the NAV. I ride a Road King so it would be nice to have satellite radio piped through to my Bluetooth Scala rider headset.
I want the XM Radio and XM weather in addition to the NAV. I ride a Road King so it would be nice to have satellite radio piped through to my Bluetooth Scala rider headset.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 914
Likes: 1
From: Republic of Texas
For example, if you pair a Zumo to a phone using bluetooth, you should be able to hear mp3s, navigation prompts, and phone calls in your headset, and the Zumo should be able to hand off each bluetooth audio stream appropriately. Many times, the hand offs are messy - music won't resume, volume levels get screwed up, or something else will occur to interrupt things, and the wheels come off the whole thing.
Here are a few examples of problems people have been having -
http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?...82138#msg82138
http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?...76565#msg76565
http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?...81276#msg81276
I posted in the last discussion above. I've since pretty much given up on my 660. It just never panned out in terms of what it was supposed to be able to do.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Former Sponsor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 3
The truth is you can use any GPS without worrying about it falling off the bike as long as you have the right mount. You don't have to spend $800 on the Zumo setup. We have an online page that helps with that: http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/gpsguide.html
Former Sponsor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 416
Likes: 3
Hi all, just thought I'd mention that there are some simple anti-glare screens that help you see GPS in sunlight. We carry a simple one for our customers convenience. And no, I don't believe you have to pay $800 for a GPS, we sell mounts for all the Nuvis and many TomToms four years now (or is it five?) and as long as you have the right mount, you can make a $100 GPS work fine: http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/motorcycle-gps-mounts/