The Garmin zumo 550 GPS is designed especially for motorcycles. The zumo comes pre-loaded with maps of Europe or North America, and Bluetooth allows for hands free cell phone calling through the cyclist's helmet. This high-end unit includes the SiRFstar III chipset for excellent reception, an MP3 player, and optional XM radio, traffic and weather. TMC traffic alerts are another available alternative.
The touch-screen zumo comes with a RAM motorcycle mount, and for those few times you're not on your Harley, there's an automotive suction mount (with an integrated speaker) included as well.
Compare prices on the Garmin zumo 550
UPDATE: A newer introduction, the zumo 450 has all of the 550's features except Bluetooth, the ability to speak street names and XM Satellite compatibility.
More Garmin zumo 550 reviews
- Several Garmin zumo 550 reviews have been posted by consumers at GPSNow.
- Likewise, consumer-written Garmin zumo 550 reviews have been posted at Amazon.
- GPSInformation.org has posted a Garmin zumo 550 review, in their typically thorough fashion.
- YourNav has posted a very thorough Garmin zumo 550 review, giving it a thumbs up.
- Gaj-It.com reviews the Garmin zumo 550.
- CNet has posted a zumo 550 review, giving it an 8.3 out of 10 rating, and posted 29 photos of the zumo 550 as well. Consumers are posting zumo 550 reviews there too.
- LordPercy has posted a Garmin zumo 550 review.
- Here's another hands-on zumo 550 review posted at the ADVrider forum. Thanks to Simon for his comment on this page, letting me know about it.
- A Garmin zumo 550 photo set has shown up on GpsPasSion.
- YourNav compares the zumo 550 with the TomTom Rider 2.
- Hands-on with the Garmin zumo 550.
- Women Riders Now posts their own Garmin zumo 550 review.
- Longrider reviews the zumo 550.
- DogFacedBoy has also posted a Garmin zumo 550 review.
- A consumer review of the Garmin zumo 550 has been posted at Epinions.
- Technical Itch reviews the UK version of the Garmin zumo 550.
- A user review of the zumo 550 at MotorcycleAddicts.org.
- Gaj-It reviews the zumo 550.
- A great two-part video review of the zumo 550:
I'll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some...
Other Garmin zumo 550 resources
- A PDF version of the Garmin zumo 550 owners manual.
- Want to see how the zumo 550 stacks up against other models? Check out this Garmin motorcycle GPS comparison tool.
- Here's a dedicated Garmin zumo message forum.
- This Garmin message forum also has a significant number of zumo-centric postings.
- A Garmin zumo wiki, complete with a Garmin zumo FAQ.
- Zumo Connect is a place to share routes of rides.
- Details on zumo routes, a little info on audio connections and MP3 capacity, more tips on audio and routing, and how to get to the compass screen. Chet answers even more zumo 550 questions.
- Garmin has a zumo 550 mini-site.
- Detailed zumo 550 installation instructions for the Harley Davidson FLHT.
- Syncing a Palm Treo 650 to a Garmin zumo 550.
- Here's a roundup of Bluetooth motorcycle helmets.
- Share your rides at zumo Connect.
Compare prices on the Garmin zumo 550 at these merchants:
- Get the low price on a Garmin zumo 550 at GPSNow, where shipping is free on orders over $99 (and the upgrade to overnight shipping is dirt cheap!); order by 5 p.m. Central Time for same day shipment.
- Check the current Garmin zumo 550 price at Amazon.com.
- Find the Garmin zumo 550 Motorcycle GPS Navigation System NEW LOW PRICE at TigerGPS, where you get free shipping on orders above $250.
- Buy the Garmin zumo 550 for an amazing price on eBay.
- Check out our GPS deals site for current specials and rebates on a wide range of GPS receivers
- Scroll down for more live price comparisons
From the official Garmin zumo 550 web page:
Customize your ride with zūmo™ 550 — the rugged motorcycle navigator that's born to ride. Designed by bikers, zūmo’s motorcycle-friendly features make it easy to operate while in the saddle. From back roads to rallies, its preloaded maps and high-end navigation features give you the freedom to go where you want.
Operate Easily on Two Wheels
Durable and intuitive, zūmo is built specifically for motorcycles:
- Glove-friendly touch screen with left-handed controls makes it easy to operate
- High bright sunlight-readable, UV-resistant display makes it easy to view your screen
- Motorcycle console for trip information, including fuel gauge to warn you when its time to fill up
- Motorcycle mount with universal mounting hardware so you can mount it anywhere
- Included motorcycle mount and automotive mount (with integrated speaker) for riding or driving
- Custom caps, available in a variety of colors, to reflect your style
- Vibration-tested, waterproof and built with fuel-resistant plastics to withstand the elements
Navigate the Open Road
zūmo 550 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps and a hefty points of interest (POIs) database, including motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply enter a destination, and zūmo takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names. In addition, zūmo accepts customized points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras and includes proximity alerts to warn of upcoming POIs. It is also compatible with Garmin's Tour Guide™ — a free utility that allows you to build and upload a database of POIs that are encoded with photos and MP3 files.
A rechargeable, removable lithium-ion battery (three hour typical use) is integrated into zūmo for trip planning or use on foot. In addition, zūmo even accepts electronic maps — making it the ultimate off-road navigator.
Add Optional Traffic, Weather, and Radio
With optional XM subscriptions and an XM antenna, you can check the weather, move ahead of traffic and listen to the radio when you travel with zūmo. As an alternative, zūmo can receive optional TMC traffic alerts (in select cities) when used with a compatible traffic receiver. Simply press a button on the screen, and zūmo recalculates your route to avoid traffic tie-ups.
Make Hands-Free Calls and Receive Wireless Voice Prompts
With zūmo’s Bluetooth® wireless technology, you can talk on the phone safely without removing your gloves or helmet. Connect zūmo to your Bluetooth-enabled headset/helmet and cell phone to make and receive hands-free calls. You can even make phone calls to POIs through zūmo’s Bluetooth interface. In addition, zūmo transmits navigation voice prompts to your headset so you can listen wirelessly.
Plan Your Adventures and Share Your Rides
zūmo 550 makes it easy to plan your next trip and share routes with your riding buddies. Plan trips on your computer before you start. Search for food and fuel stops and local attractions. Then, transfer your route to zūmo and go.
At the end of the day, share your favorite places and rides with other zūmo riders, and review your travels in Google™ Earth. SD card expansion makes it easy for storage and route sharing. Download routes to share with your riding buddies — even load mp3 files to your unit to enjoy tunes on the road. In addition, JPEG Picture Viewer lets you share photos of your adventures with friends and family.
zūmo 550: the navigator that's born to ride
Garmin part number: 010-00567-00
Suggested Retail Price:
$1076.91 U.S.D. (for domestic US market only)
- zūmo 550 features:
- High-sensitivity GPS receiver
- Display: 2.8” W x 2.1” H (3.5” diag.), 320 x 240 pixels; high bright sunlight-readable, UV-resistant, touch screen display
- Unit dimensions: 4.8" W x 3.9" H x 1.6" D
- Weight: 10.6 ounces
- Removable lithium-ion battery; up to four hours of use
- Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling and navigation audio prompts
- Supports optional FM TMC traffic alerts
- Supports optional XM NavTraffic with XM weather, and XM Satellite Radio
- Preloaded maps for all of North America or Europe
- Voice announces streets by name
- Look up addresses and points of interest
- Choose 2D or 3D map perspective
- Upload custom POIs, including alerts for speed zones and safety cameras
- Built-in MP3 player and JPEG Picture Viewer
- SD card expansion makes it easy for storage and route sharing
- Export and review your travels in Google™ Earth with a free account from MotionBased.com
- Glove-friendly touch screen with left-handed controls makes it easy to operate
- Sunlight-readable, UV-resistant display makes it easy to view your screen
- Motorcycle console for trip information, including fuel gauge to warn you when its time to fill up
- Motorcycle mount with standard 4-hole AMPS pattern so you can mount it anywhere
- Included motorcycle mount for riding and automotive mount (with integrated speaker) for driving
- Includes Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature
- Custom caps, available in a variety of colors, to reflect your style
- Waterproof: IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 min.)
Related posts:
I'm quiet dissapointet about the reviews. I did not read them all but the one YourNav was quite long and I thought that this should be a very interesting review. What I realized half down the review was that most of the test was made in the CAR!!! NOT ON THE MOTORCYCLE!!!! Reason: there were no bluetooth headset within the box and they didn't bother to buy one.
I think that when buying something at this prize - the navigations should work with no problems and the real testing is:
- if the bluetooth works good enough to give you the directions - even at high speeds as 130km/h - can you hear the speach when the wind is blowing
- can you choose between wired/no wired connection also with mic (if the perception is not good enough with bluetooth)
- can you use it as an bluetooth intercom between you and your passenger
- is 3 - 4 hours battery enough or can you easily plug it into your motorcycle battery - I'm planning a trip to spain (from denmark) and I'm going to ride the bike maybe more than 4 hours a day.
Has anyone testet it on a motorcycle on a longer period of time, maybe on a more-than-one-day trip? That would be interesting!
Posted by: Simon | April 18, 2007 at 05:24 AM
Only have my Zumo 550 2 days and am waiting for kit from Autocom to use on my bike, but works very well in the car. Only one point I would like to mention, it comes with a good carry case but it has no strap or facility for one.
John
Posted by: John Moloney | April 18, 2007 at 09:50 AM
Simon,
Those are excellent questions. The best motorcycle / GPS oriented forum I have found is http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=6
A search there for zumo turns up the following threads: http://www.advrider.com/forums/search.php?searchid=2692082
I would encourage you to post your questions there. If you do, please reply and let me know. I'd love to post a link to the answers.
Rich
Posted by: Rich Owings | April 18, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Hi Rich,
Thanks for the fast reply - I've been at the forum and allready found much better information - now I'm waiting for the moderator to accept my account and then off to write some questions :-)
I'll return when I have some interesting news!
//Simon
Posted by: Simon | April 18, 2007 at 01:22 PM
Hi again!
I actually found a guy who had done his own review at adrider.com - here is his review:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=218493
Lots of other people did reply and it has been quite interresting! I did buy the Garmin 550 and got it yesteday - I've allready been on the road :-) - now I'm looking for at headset.
Regards
Simon
Posted by: Simon | April 21, 2007 at 12:13 PM
Thanks Simon. I've updated my review, adding a link to the ADVrider post you cited. I'm glad it was helpful.
Posted by: Rich Owings | April 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM
The attachment to the battery cable comes incomplete. The battery cable ahould have the connectors, so all one has to do connect it, an go.
The Garmin itself is great.
Posted by: Thomas Anderson | June 21, 2007 at 09:45 PM
The Zumo 550 and 500 seems to be twins. I have the 500, and there are problems with the track log (Active log, as the Zumo calls it). The CURRENT log is supposed to hold up to 10.000 entries, before being moved to archive. It seems that this is not the case, and I have several archived logs that are much less then 10.000 points.
Second, empty archives are created (only XML heading) and no data. It is not clear (to me) if the track that is now missing was never written, or if the log got lost while being copied to archive.
Version 3.30 is supposed to fix it, but it doesn't.
Any suggestions?
Posted by: Tage Stabell-Kulø | June 23, 2007 at 05:19 PM
Tage,
I'm afraid I can't help on this one. The following message forums might be a good place to ask though...
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=161
http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=6
Posted by: Rich Owings | June 23, 2007 at 05:41 PM
I got my Zumo 550 from Cycle Gadgets.com and they were very friendly and helpful with everything. I will never need another gps this one works great.
Posted by: Joeseph | August 03, 2007 at 04:47 PM
I have one (since Christmas 2006). It's cool when you get it working right with Bluetooth. I have a Treo 650, and a J&M bluetooth headset.
Once I got them all talking, it was the bomb (some pains on setup).
I was sold my old bike, and the Garmin was giving voice directions...don't know that saving 30 sec by doing surface streets thru the Bronxs was a good choice, but, there I was.
A couple of hours later, the phone rang, it echoed in my headset, and displayed in the Garmin. It popped up that it was my wife (got that from the phone). I of course answered it. She was like "so what's you up to". I said "I'm cruising down the Garden state parkway expressway at 70 mph... So what's you doing?"
It worked flawlessly.
Bottom line, I got there, I could talk on the phone, and if I had music, I could have listened to that too
Life is good when technology does it's job.
Posted by: fred | November 22, 2007 at 06:38 PM
Sounds very cool. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Rich Owings | November 22, 2007 at 07:54 PM