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"The Zumo 550 lacks basic functions." on by crankstermo
Pros: Bluetooth, MP3, photos
Cons: No altimeter, no compass or bearing indicator
Summary: I purchased a Zumo 550 to go along with the many motorcycles I own. I thought it would be a nice tool to help navigate on my trips. It is a GPS and should be able to provide basic navigational information, right. Wrong! While Garmin added a lot of nice bells and whistles with Bluetooth and MP3 capability, it failed to include such basic functions as altitude and a compass that functions while the unit is navigating to a waypoint. It also fails to provide a heading indicator or any reference of direction on the route page. You can toggle to the trip information page and get a basic heading readout (N,S,W,E) but not a true compass heading. Give me a break.
Garmin needs to provide the following fixes to this product.
1. Provide altimeter readout. (this is a GPS isn't it?) It would be nice to know if you were operating at 500 feet or 15,000 feet.
2. Provide a compass that is accessible not only while off road but while navigating a route.
3. Provide a bearing indicator on the route page so that you can determine direction of travel while viewing this page. Again, it would be nice to look at the route page and be able to determine direction of travel. I know the Garmin 360 has a bearing pointer on the route page.
Garmin dropped the ball on this one. The information I have outlined above is critical to a motorcyclist. I paid close to $1,000.00 for this product and it has in some instances less capability than a basic model. It also requires a $250+ antenna to receive XM radio. What gives?
Garmin’s marketing campaign sums it up best, "designed by bikers...motorcycle-friendly...high end navigation features ". I think not. Someone should have included a motorcyclist on their design team. -
"Beware of XM issues." on by TexasNewfy
Pros: Screen, routine functions.
Cons: XM support, price, audio output.
Summary: General functions are ok. Simple and intuitive. I have had to recalibrate the touch screen three times in two months, but all appears ok now.
Beware of using two GXM 30 antennae (one for motorcycle and one for your car) as you will require two XM subscriptions. This takes away from the unit's ability to serve both motorcycle and auto needs. -
"Prayers have been answered!" on by xftbllplyr
Pros: Internal Antenna, Bluetooth, MP3, waterproof, bright touchscreen
Cons: Price, Expensive accessories (XM antenna SD Card), or No universal mount
Summary: First of all I am not a techie, and not an expert with many GPS devices. I received this gift from my fiancee for the holiday and it is a snap.
The bright touchscreen works with a glove hand. Also the screen is bright enough for daytime riding. Most touchscreens lose its visibility in the sunlight, but not the Zumo. This GPS device is awesome for a biker. Most of the controls are located on the left (clutch hand). Also this device has bluetooth capabilities that you can connect to your Bluetooth phone and make phone calls from the device. It will actually download your phonebook from your phone automatically.
I know many riders complain about not being able to plan their routes on the internet. No worries with the Zumo as well. You can plan trips with alternative routes etc.
Another great thing that bikers would love with this device is that the satellite antenna is actually internal. So no worries about extensive wiring for the satellite, but only one wire to connect the motorcycle mount to the battery.
The MP3 player is great too. You need to purchase a SD card for more music. And you have to use Apple iTunes for music downloads. It even stores pictures (a function that I really don't care about).
The Zumo isn't just for your motorcycles but it does include an automobile mount that comes with a speaker/microphone so you can hear warnings, directions, phone calls and music. It also can be connected to your 12V plug, so that the battery can recharge.
All and all this is a wonderful product. Another negative I would say is that the mount doesn't fit my 2004 BMW K1200GT (handlebar or clutch mount). I had to get a special mount to hold it.
No more riding just to get lost anymore. With the quick satellite connection, you'll always know were you are. -
"Bluetooth Poorly Implemented" on by SOTY_LP
Pros: Bluetooth Headset & linking
Cons: Bluetooth Monorail, MP3 Poor Quality
Summary: Ok, this is concentrating on the Bluetooth Functionality.
Because Garmin choose the Parrot CK5000 chip instead of the Parrot CK5050 series chip, you won't be able to listen to your MP3s in stereo with the quality it deserves. You may find, like I and many others, that your music will sound hissy and distorted. It's so bad it gives me a headache. Being a motorcycle rider, the idea of hands-free operation with Bluetooth along with listening to my music with Bluetooth was appealing. However, the sound quality for MP3s does not cut it.
You CAN get stereo sound from the base output jack, but then you lose hands-free.
Firmware updates won't fix the issue.
It's notable to point out on the positive that linking a phone and a headset to the unit works great.
Also, the unit has tried to take me down one-way roads when it calculates routes. -
"Excellent GPS unit" on by vfr_800_rider
Pros: Excellet unit, many functions, clear screen, two mounts w/wiring, good map coverage
Cons: Meager manual, typing on touch screen cumbersome, cannot Bluetooth to PC
Summary: This is an excellent unit with many features and functions. Clear sound from car mount speaker. Sometimes Bluetooth would not disconnect from phone when powering down. Hard to plan a round on the unit, best to work with PC software. Connection to PC easy and quick with supplied cable.
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