Garmin's Zumo 550 MSRP: $965
The Zumo 550 is Garmin's latest unit, one they say is designed "for and by" motorcyclists. its long list of features includes a built-in city Navigator Nt map for North America, points of interest such as gas stations, restaurants and hotels, and turn-byturn directions to any of the points on the map. the Zumo is also equipped to interact with Bluetooth devices, receive Xm and Fm radio and get Xm updates on traffic and weather. An sD card slot allows you to store extra tracklogs or add preloaded mapsets.
Inside the Zumo is the SiRFstarIII chipset (also used in Garmin's Nuvi units), the latest and greatest in GPs technology. the chipset allows the GPs unit to tap into as many as 20 satellites at once, resulting in better performance in closed spaces and quicker pinpointing of your location.
The 550 kit comes with mounts and electrical hookups for both your car and motorcycle. you can use the supplied u-bolt for a 3/4-inch tube handlebar (it doesn't work well with a 1-inch Harley- Davidson handlebar) or use the ball mount from a rAm system to attach the GPs mounts. the kit also includes a sync cord for your computer, charge cards and an extra set of endplates.
The rugged case is weather-sealed, with four rubber-covered buttons to control page view, volume, zoom and power. the touch screen's buttons can be tough to use with gloves on, but unlike older Garmins the interface is pure simplicity. even nontechnical types should have little trouble figuring it out.
The available screens include the map view and a slick customizable digital dashboard with two different views, one whose main image is an onscreen compass and another showing speed. You can also choose to have the dashboard views display elevation, mileage and time of day. the Zumo's gas-tank feature lets you set the fuel range of your bike-and warns you when you're getting low. Destinations can be selected by inputting addresses, cities, intersections or latitude and longitude.
The built-in map will find almost any address in America. i was only able to fool it with entries in remote, rural places. routing is much better than on older units, but the suggested directions are occasionally less than direct in urban areas.
The turn-by-turn directions feature gives you ample warning of upcoming turns and shows the estimated time of arrival on the screen. you can choose to save your route and share it with other Garmin GPs users by loading it onto an sD card or Zumo connect, a Garmin site that allows motorcyclists to upload and download their favorite rides.
If the Xm and Bluetooth aren't important to you, the Zumo 450 has the same features without Xm, Bluetooth or the automotive mounts.
The Zumo is powerful and easy to use, and it comes out of the box with everything you need to hook it up to your bike. After six months of living with the unit it has become an invaluable travel tool, something i use religiously when visiting unfamiliar cities on assignments.
The Zumo 550 can be found on sale for about $650. the 450 retails for $750 and can be found for $550.-Lee Klancher
Dimensions: 4.8 x 3.9 x 1.6 inches,10.6 ounces
Screen: 2.8 x 2.1 inches, 320 x 240-pixel color tFt
Memory: internal solid state (optional SD Card)