| Author | Message | ||
     Sanchez |
I installed my Zumo 550 and rode 235.2 miles today, and I am happier than Britney Spears in a wig shop. The Zumo interface rocks. I'm talking TiVo level intuitive here. It's that good. Not only does it do everything I think a GPS ought to do, but it does it when I press the buttons and screen menus I think ought to do them. Also, I have no trouble using the menus in my winter gloves. The install was a snap. I removed the flyscreen cover (6 hex screws) and tapped into the accessory jack using splice connectors. I coiled up most of the spare wire and ran the rest out under the gauge pod with the existing bundle of left control wires.   The included RAM mount has clear instructions and installs easily. A u-bolt holds the base to the handlebar, and the rest connects via two ball joints. Mount it high for easy visibility.   The accessory jack powers up when you start the bike, so the GPS turns on automatically. The first menu looks like this:  "Where to?" lets you find a destination by name or address, and "View map" shows your current position. It found Two Wheels Only by name with no sweat.  You can also choose "Home" as a destination or pick from saved favorites. You set your home address either by typing it in or by setting it to your current position when you're at home. After choosing your destination, you get the map view with turn-by-turn directions and a pretty darn accurate arrival time estimate.  From the map screen, you can switch to a dashboard view or cycle through each turn, complete with estimated travel times.    The unit also features Bluetooth integration. I don't have a head set so I can't actually place or receive calls, but I do at least get a notification on screen (including caller id) that my phone is ringing.  When you stop the bike, the Zumo prompts you to run on internal battery power and shuts itself down if you don't answer in 30 seconds.  I can't compare the Zumo to any other GPS because I haven't owned another one, but I can't imagine it getting any better than this. | ||
| Sanchez |
Oh, and the map database is great. I left the pavement in favor of a forest service road today, and the Zumo showed me every twist and turn. | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Very nice install. It actually looks smaller on your bike than I thought it was. If I ever decide to go GPS, I like this one the best. Just a fair warning though that someone is going to say something about using those vampires for the wiring. I have personally never ever had a problem with them and see nothing wrong with using them, but there are always those who swear by the cut, splice, solder, heatshrink connections. The only think I would say is never tap a ground wire. It's ok to tap a power wire, but you should always run a new ground wire to a common ground point for less interference and problems. | ||
| Sanchez |
> there are always those who swear by the cut, splice, solder, heatshrink connections Those people haven't seen how poorly I solder.  > you should always run a new ground wire to a common ground point Hmm, is there a good ground point under the flyscreen? Admittedly I didn't even look for one, but as far as I can tell, everything in there is either plastic or aluminum. All the factory electronics connect to a wiring harness that runs through the frame and all the way to the rear. | ||
| Teeps |
Scotch-Locs have their place, they are just not my first choice for the job. I've seen too many problems caused by their incorrect use over the years... The potential problem with the Scotch-Loc system pictured is the severing of the wire bundle. If enough of the wire bundle gets severed, it can cause resistance in the circuit. This could lead to localized heating of the splice, to the point of ignition. This type of splice would be preferable: http://www.allproducts.com/manufacture13/uta/14-cl ose_end.html Or even a simple wire nut of appropriate size potted with hot glue would be better than Scotch-Locs. Time to go riding.... (Message edited by teeps on February 25, 2007) | ||
| Wildwilly |
Snachez: Thanks for the pics and write up. I am looking for GPS with everything in the U.S. already installed. Interstates, state highways, county roads, all city streets etc. Would the Zumo fit the bill? | ||
| Sanchez |
Yep, I just unwrapped it, put it on the bike, and headed for the hills. There's probably some cool stuff you can do by connecting it to a PC, but I haven't messed with it yet. So far it does everything I want right out of the box. For short trips, you don't even have to wire it up. It has an internal battery. It also comes with a car mounting kit and a 12v accessory plug. Unfortunately the 12v plug only connects to the car mount and not the bike mount, so you can't just use the 12v socket on your Uly's dash, but running the other wiring was easy enough. | ||
| Debueller |
Check this forum for everything you need to know about the Zumo 550: http://razorbiker.com/zumo/index.php | ||
| Court |
Lust | ||
| Windrider |
Sanchez, Great Write up and pics. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Wildwilly, "Would the Zumo fit the bill?" The zumo comes preloaded with City Navigator North America NT V8, that does have all the roads you asked about. If you want to get a feel for the level of detail you would get with those maps, got to this link, click on the MapSource Map Viewer link, zoom in close, and select most detail: http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/cityna vnt.jsp The zumo has room for storing additional maps like topo maps too. You can choose the maps you want to see/use from the zumo. Jack | ||
| Sanchez |
Oh, this is too cool. You tell the Zumo how many miles you can run on a tank of gas, and it alerts you when you have 30 miles left ... and then it leads you to the nearest gas station! > Great Write up and pics. Thanks.  | ||
| Court |
Looks like they can be had for in the range of $678.99, that sound on par? | ||
| Sanchez |
Yep, I got mine for $681 with free shipping. | ||
| Scooter808484 |
I got one for Christmas as a complete surprise. Used to drive (with Uly in the back) 3300 miles from SC to WA. Since then used it for house hunting on the Uly. I can honestly say that I have no idea how I got along without it before! | ||
| Maximum |
I just completed a 1600 mile trip with my Zumo last week. LOVED IT!!!! http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/258527.html?1172343444 There were a couple times that it did not choose the route that I would have, and a couple times it navigated me to a store that was no longer there, but it did great otherwise. I did add the GXM 30 antenna for the XM radio function, and although the extra $200 was a hard pill to swallow, it ended up being worth it. Lucy rocks! My only disappointment on the trip was the basic weather services that came with the $3/month NavTraffic add-on to the XM service. I could only see the current weather condition and temp for a destination I would go through and select in the GPS portion. This was a drag! But the good news is that last week Garmin release software version 3.0 (from 2.5) and it fixed almost everything I was disappointed by. It now has a dedicated local and area weather button with forecasting sub menus. Now the weather functions rock too! 3.0 also added some new feature for the GPS too, like page with a full 360 degree compass with elevation information, and many more things. You guys should do the 3.0 upgrade asap! | ||
| Sanchez |
Maximum, that looks like a load of fun. I can't wait to get out on another long trip now. The XM antenna is bigger than I thought it would be. I guess being a combined receiver/antenna makes it bulkier than the standalone antennas I'm used to for car units. Any chance it would mount under the flyscreen cover? Does it come with a long enough cable to mount back on my luggage rack? | ||
| Maximum |
Yes, the antenna is fairly large. I considered mounting it under the flyscreen, but the antenna needs line of sight with the satellites, so it cannot be covered by anything. The cable is pretty long, about 6 feet or so, so it could be run from just about anywhere on the bike. It connects to the mini USB port on the front side of the GPS cradle. My primary consideration was to install it in a way where it could be quickly removed for use in the car, using the car cradle which is included in the Zumo kit. I am not home right now, but I will take some close up pictures this next weekend to show you mounting system I used. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Maximum, I've heard that there may be some issues with the 3.0 software. The problem was described as that, if you are panning a map to find/mark a location with a finger touch, when you have your destination marked and press the Go button, the screen will freeze or black out and you have to cycle the power to get it back. Have you used 3.0 yet? And seen that happen? There seems to be some people having the probleem and some not. Sanchez, The GXM 30 will need a good sky view, it might not work under the flyscreen. My experience with the standard XM radio mag mount antenna on my FXD is that even when mounted to the top of the headlight cover (in the open, good sky view, level, nothing blocking) that it will lose the signal fairly regularly as you ride. Trees, building, semi trailers, etc.) can all block the signal long enough to use up the buffered audio tracks. With GPS you have 4 to 10 or even more satellites in view and some those can come and go without losing your fix (locally calculated within the receiver). With XM there is one satellite and when the signal from that is lost for more than a second or two, you'll lose the audio. Jack | ||
| Maximum |
Jackbequick: I have been using 3.0 for the last week and that had never happen to me, but that was probably because I did not try that new feature. If there is a bug, I'm sure that it will get fixed quickly, but for me the 3.0 is awesome because it adds the complete weather interface and I like having the full compass and elevation. I have found no flaws with the functions that I use. Also, with the XM antenna mounted on my cross bar, I do have any cutting out/rebuffering of the audio. It does cut out in tunnels (obviously) and when pulling under the overhang at gas stations. Other than that it has been perfect. | ||
| Etennuly |
What are you guys using for speakers? I've tried a couple of different in helmet ones that did not impress me. They were either speaker units that were not loud enough with the wind blast, or very uncomfortable in ear units(with full face Buell Asphalt helmet). | ||
| Jim_sb |
Court, Garmin has announced a new version of the Zumo - the 450 - that does not have the XM Satellite radio or Bluetooth features. It will be cheaper. Get the one that meets your needs. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Freyke |
I like what I'm seeing. The XM 30 antenna comes with a metal plate that could be attached to the flyscreen; that way it might have a better chance of seeing the XM satellite carrier or terrestrial repeater. The S-band RF used by XM is line-of-site. In other words it won't penatrate most objects (fiberglass and windows excluded). It is possible that in heavily wooded areas and heavy rain events that you could loose the signal.  If done right, I think the XM 30 antenna would look pretty cool mounted on the flyscreen. Regards, Kevin | ||
| Maximum |
Etennuly, I am using Shure E3's, which are a little on the expensive side, but very good quality of sound. The come with several types and sizes of ear inserts, but I prefer the classic yellow foam style. | ||
| Etennuly |
Thanks I'll look for those. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Etennuly, I was using the Shure E2c ear buds, those are one step down from the E3c's costwise. They also seal the ear against outside noises, providing about the same amount of sound deadening as you would get from a set of disposable/industrial grade ear plugs (26 dB or so of attenuation). So when you set the audio in level it does not have to conquer the outside noise too. If you hold your finger vertical and move it lightly across your ear, the E2c's will not be felt or only be touched lightly. Typically, a helmet will not press them inward and cause discomfort. But I found that the audio level needed to be increased and decreased as speeds went up and down. My XM receiver was in a tank bag (on an M2 at first, now on a Dyna FXD) and the final variant was to have a small "dongle" with a thumb wheel volume control (a Shure part) hanging out of the tank bag and the E2c's plugged into that. That all worked okay and was enjoyable to listen to. The E2c's are very good quality audiowise, those and the volume control dongle set me back about $100.00. But the hassle of dealing with it all is such that I would use it on all day or so rides but not for short or around town rides with some stops. When I don't have the E2c's in my ears I have either ear plugs or my hearing aids. I mute the hearing aids when I put my helmet on and get the same level of muting that I would get from ear plugs. The helmet makers are so distracted by the safety thing that they have failed to develop a good in-helmet audio system. To me, the perfect helmet would be one that provided 26 dB of sound protection when I put it on. And it would have built in speakers that were inside the attenuated zone. And the audio level would be easily controlled by a finger touch or maybe even automatically controlled by an ambient noise sensor. And do all of that in a helmet that is not difficult to put on or take off and is not too tight to wear for a long day. Jack (Message edited by jackbequick on February 26, 2007) | ||
| Galloper |
Very nice done. I have a Garmin 278C mounted in a bit different way. | ||
| Stevem123 |
I went a totally different route and saved some bucks in the process. I have an HX 2795 pocket PC. I also bought the bluetooth GPS navigation system to go with it. Now I can listen to my toons while navigating and when a wireless hotspot is found I can check/send email and surf the net! All on the same device. I also use the e2c earplugs and the sound is great! The whole mess set me back just under a grand so I think I found the best bargain there is for GPS/Music/and wireless broadband! It all fits in my pocket to boot! BC Steve | ||
| Stevem123 |
Oh one more thing I can do with it is to reset my TPS and check my codes etc. since I also loaded VDSTS onto it! Betcha can't do that with your $800 Zumo!  BC Steve | ||
| Sanchez |
Neat. Got some pictures? Is VDSTS something I can download, or is it a commercial product? My Treo runs the same OS as your iPAQ. I wonder if it would work? |
