Suitable Subsitute for Zumo 550 or 660???

[MSmith]

Happy New Year all. I’m looking for a less expensive GPS solution. With all the after Christmas deals, is anyone using a non-motorcycle specific GPS? I would think if necessary, you could just put it inside your map pocket on the tank bag, still use the Bluetooth and touch screen functions or put it away if it starts to rain. Anybody using something other than Zumo 550 or 660? Thanks.

[Dave R1100RT]

I was unsure of which direction I wanted to go...still figuring it out...so until I do....I went the el-cheapo route. My son had bought me Garmin Nuvi 200 (cheapest one they made) a few yrs back. I bought a small used RKA tankbag on craigslist for $40. Bought a few assorted cords($30)....I run power from the dash to a socket on the front of the tank bag....inside I power to a cig outlet for the Garmin, and to an ipod adaptor for my ipod. My bike came with a Nuvi Ram mount form previous owner. Power out of the bag to the Nuvi. Did a Lake Superior Circle tour trip in Sept - used the Nuvi 200 the whole way...when it rained I used a zip lock bag and rubber binder....all worked well....probably about as simple as it gets...I guess the point is...sometimes alittle creativity can bridge the gap...dave

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Haven't tried it yet as UPS is a bit slower than anticipated but, Tomtom riders 2ed are on Ebay for around $200.

[jb11GSA]

I just got a great deal on a StreetPilot 2820, has all the goods I wanted (up to date maps, blue tooth, MP3 and water resistant). Water resistance was a priority for me - I got caught in the rain with a GPS not water friendly, and made the trip interesting.

 

Always have maps with me, but love the GPS technology - the 2820 is a great unit and can be had for $200.00 - $300.00.

 

Joe B

 

04 R1150RT

[EffBee]

I've been using a 2720 in the car, but it's too big for the bike. So I checked around and other riders told me that the Nuvi's worked well and the touch screen would respond to a gloved hand. So I checked out all the Nuvi models (there are at least 20) and I found what I wanted in the 765.

 

Then about a week later I found the 765T, with free lifetime traffic, on sale at Amazon for $204. Too good to resist.

 

I haven't used it on the bike yet, but in the car it's fantastic. And the traffic feature works great!

 

I can't recommend it yet because it hasn't passed the on-bike test. But if it works there as it does in the cage, it'll be a winner.

[krussell]

The Nuvi 500 or 550 are often available near the $200 mark. They, are motorcycle friendly according to Garmin, with the same waterproof specs as the Zumo.

[pokorskij]

How does Garmin define motorcycle friendly? What about Trucker friendly?

 

Is it more than waterproof?

 

Does the 765T allow routing like the BMW Nav II and similar units?

 

Are motorcycle friendly units built to withstand greater vibration exposure?

 

Thanks

 

 

[TampaJim]

The Nuvi 500 or 550 are often available near the $200 mark. They, are motorcycle friendly according to Garmin, with the same waterproof specs as the Zumo.

 

I got a Nuvi 500 for Christmas to replace my 4 year old burned put Quest. Very pleased with it. Same size screen as the Zumo 550, waterproof, bright screen, gloves operation and otherwise motorcycle friendly. They sell a strong cradle (as does RAM) and battery hookup kit for around $25 although I opted to use a 18" powerlet cable into the accessory plug. They will download you a free map update and a copy of Mapsource for your PC when you register the unit.

 

The manual leaves a lot to be desired. It took me half a day to figure out how to load routes from Mapsource to the Nuvi but once sorted out it works great.

 

The only thing I miss is an audio plug out but for the price $220, I can live without.

[XTrooper]

How does Garmin define motorcycle friendly?

Is it more than waterproof?

 

 

 

Are motorcycle friendly units built to withstand greater vibration exposure?

 

Thanks

 

 

Yes. Garmin motorcycle GPS units are waterproof and vibration-resistant.

 

In my opinion, there is no suitable substitute. I've been using my zumo 550 for 4 years and 30,000+ miles on three different bikes without a single hiccup. It's worth every penny I paid for it and then some.

[cali_beemer]

my only issue is I want the XM radio. Its only an option on the 550, 2730, 2820 and one other one I beleive (a 4xx model). If the nuvi had XM capability I would be all over it.

[jaytee]

The Nuvi 500 or 550 are often available near the $200 mark. They, are motorcycle friendly according to Garmin, with the same waterproof specs as the Zumo.

 

So, what exactly are you getting for your extra $500-$700 ??????

 

I am just starting to explore bike GPSs and I am completely confused. $200 compared to $999(zumo 665) or even $799(Zumo 550) seems crazy. I thought the extra $500 was gettign you the waterproof, vibration resitant and gloved operation features but if the Nuvi has the same for 1/3 the price why would anyone buy a Zumo???

 

 

 

JT

[TampaJim]

The Nuvi 500 or 550 are often available near the $200 mark. They, are motorcycle friendly according to Garmin, with the same waterproof specs as the Zumo.

 

So, what exactly are you getting for your extra $500-$700 ??????

 

I am just starting to explore bike GPSs and I am completely confused. $200 compared to $999(zumo 665) or even $799(Zumo 550) seems crazy. I thought the extra $500 was gettign you the waterproof, vibration resitant and gloved operation features but if the Nuvi has the same for 1/3 the price why would anyone buy a Zumo???

JT

 

I asked the same question on two other forums and never received a satisfactory answer. The Zumo's are marketed to the motorcycle community which isn't that large so I guess Garmin feels economies of scale dictates a much higher price. They do come with added feathers -XM, audio plug, MC cradle, tracking etc.. These additions my be deemed mandatory for some riders, but I just wanted a basic unit for occasional trips. I would have gotten a Zumo 400 but could not find any except at a premium price so I got the Nuvi 500. The whole package (cradle, hookup wiring , Mapsource etc.) was $250.

 

[krussell]

my only issue is I want the XM radio. Its only an option on the 550, 2730, 2820 and one other one I beleive (a 4xx model). If the nuvi had XM capability I would be all over it.

 

Check out the Zumo 665. XM and more for a mere $995 MSRP.

[Dick_at_Lake_Tahoe_NV]

"Is it more than waterproof?" Yes the IPX7 rating for the Nuvi 500 and 550 means you can imerse it in water to a depth of 1-meter

for 30-minutes. The only difference I see between the two units is the 500 has a topo map, and coverage for 48-states, The 550 covers North America (including Canada)

[krussell]

The Nuvi 500 or 550 are often available near the $200 mark. They, are motorcycle friendly according to Garmin, with the same waterproof specs as the Zumo.

 

So, what exactly are you getting for your extra $500-$700 ??????

 

I am just starting to explore bike GPSs and I am completely confused. $200 compared to $999(zumo 665) or even $799(Zumo 550) seems crazy. I thought the extra $500 was gettign you the waterproof, vibration resitant and gloved operation features but if the Nuvi has the same for 1/3 the price why would anyone buy a Zumo???

 

 

 

JT

 

One very important clarification. Only the Nuvi 500/550 is declared motorcycle friendly, other Nuvi models are not.

 

Things you get with a Zumo 660, that you don't get with the Nuvi 500...

 

- The Zumo display is 4.3" diag, the Nuvi is 3.5"

- The Zumo has 1000 waypoints, the Nuvi only 20

- The Zumo has 20 routes, the Nuvi only 10

- The Zumo has lane assist guiding you through complicated intersections

- The Zumo has 3-D building view

- The Zumo has Bluetooth

- The Zumo lets you choose QWERTY or ABC keyboard layout

- The Zumo plays MP3 and Audio Books

- The Zumo has audio line out so you can connect it to intercom and/or amplifier to get navigation and/or music to your helmet speakers

- They Zumo comes with Mapsource City Navigator in the box with a full unlock

- The Zumo comes with a carrying case - (I thought it was extremely cheap, the zipper broke like the third time I used it.

- The Zumo comes with a motorcycle mount that has everything you need to mount it on most bikes, including cabling for direct power and audio in/out as well as traffic receiver connections.

- The Zumo comes with a car mount and power cable

- The Zumo comes with a USB cable

 

 

If you want to know how to get from point A to point B, or where you are, and the slightly larger display isn't important, the Nuvi 5xx will serve you well at significantly less cost. If you want a more complete solution that integrates with your intercom etc, plays music, etc, etc. open that wallet.

 

Finally, ladies seem drawn to a Zumo user, Nuvi not so much.

[rickmoen]

"Finally, ladies seem drawn to a Zumo user, Nuvi not so much."

 

Oh, if it was only that easy!

[cali_beemer]

 

a mere $995 MSRP.

 

There in lies the problem............

[cali_beemer]

Finally, ladies seem drawn to a Zumo user, Nuvi not so much.

 

I can see it now, the Zumo, "Big Pimpin Edition". It comes complete in gold trim

 

 

[elkroeger]

+1 Nuvi 500/550. waterproof, has various modes ("car", "scooter", "bicycle", etc.). Each mode will route you differently according to various preferences.

 

We bought two for a cross country trip (one for each bike), and they really did the trick.

 

$259 at GPS City. You can buy extra units, beat 'em up or get 'em stolen, for the price of some of these zumo units.

[racer7]

Zumo is good, complete, a bit pricey. Got one. If it died I'd just grab a cheap Numi that I literally found (without a traceable owner name or location in its home location so I couldn't track it to the looser for return) and put it in a bag in a pinch.

The biggest pain with all GPS units is persistent errors in rural map data that are sometimes consistent across brands and never seem to get corrected. I can think of a half dozen locations within my daily driving distance easily and there are probably several times that many that I haven't found yet. Not one is new road, either.

There are even places in NC where a GPS will show you traveling several hundred yards off in the fields when you're actually on I-40- even though the GPS has a solid signal. First time I saw that I was more than a little surprised..

 

And we had a few days this Dec when not one of my 4 GPS units could get a solid signal at a fixed location. Not sure whether that was weather, key satellites out, or military diddling for some reason.

 

Never trust one of these things off main roads for directions if your life could depend on it- eg about to be snowed in or iced in rural situations. With that caveat, I use mine for convenience a lot and rely on my compass, the sun, or a map if the GPS is feeding me bs.

 

[RiceToy]

Got my Zumo550 on Amazon.com for $450 delivered early last year, so they are not sooo much more - especialy if you consider the cost of all the RAM mounts, multiple cradles, wiring variety, and additional features like running on its own battery power. I've used one for over 10,000 miles last year, and in the truck (it has become my preferred music source). Whatever works for you, the Nuvi500/550 sounds ok (and I might even go that way if I had to do it again now), but you should also consider the cost of all the mounting goodies you'll have to buy. Forget about a non-waterproof model, as that is sure to be ruined promptly - money wasted even if you only intend to use it in a car in my opinion. Is the Nuvi500/550 motorcycle cradle waterproof (especially with unit removed) - thigs to consider.

[Morrie]

Consider me 19th century I guess. I have a Street Pilot III that has been on my last three bikes and is still going strong. It has been hardwired to each bike for power and has been thoroughly soaked countless times. It still works fine. I suppose it doesn't have a lot of the new features, but it tells me where I am and where my intended location is and that's all I really need.

 

 

 

[NonComp]

I skimmed the previous posts and I don't remember seeing this point: the Zumo 550 is designed to operated with the left hand, and has water-proofed buttons that can be used with gloves on (in addition to the touch screen).

 

A couple of differences between the 550 and the 660 (from a Garmin rep at a BMW rally): the 660 has no buttons and some people have trouble with the touch screen while wearing gloves. The 660 has no XM radio option. The 660 has a cheaper satellite chipset that may not work as well as the 550. But 660 has a wider screen and some interface improvements.

[Lmar]

How about the new 665?

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=135&pID=65203

[pokorskij]

EffBee, any chance of an update on this unit?

 

Thanks in advance.