Customer Rating: 
Summary: GPS Perfection
Comment: I've been kicking around the idea of getting a GPS unit for the motorcycle for a couple of years and finally decided to take the plunge.
I only wish I'd puchased it sooner. The Zumo is fairly easy to wire to the bike and the mounting system is superb. The day after I mounted it we went on a long weekend trip, so it got a good test. The unit performed flawlessly and was very easy to use. We ran through some heavy rain the first morning and I can attest to the fact that the Zumo is waterproof! The routing is easy and with a few tips from friends I became very adept at setting destinations with multiple waypoints.
Several friends have adapted automobile units for the bikes, but with the first raindrop they panic. Not having that worry is worth the extra cost, along with the glove-friendly controls.. I will have to purchase a car mount, but with the price I got on Amazon, I'm still money ahead.
Definitely a solid unit.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Solid hardware
Comment: This unit is rock solid in the weather and easy to read the screen in all conditions as promised, great for motorcycles. My only complaint is that I was surprised to find the box and unit without the protectective plastic with the back of the unit cardboard scuffed from shipping. Garmin assured me that this unit was still considered "new" but I have to think it was a return of some kind. Either way, Garmin assured me it would be under the full warranty. In the end, I tested it under Washington/Oregon rainstorms while navigating the coast fot four days and it worked flawless as a GPS, although the motel list was quite out of date!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wonderful GPS Unit; Needs More Audio
Comment: I purchased this unit to replace an older Garmin device on my motorcycle and used it on a cross country trip. It is pretty much bullet proof, rugged, waterproof. I didn't need all the extra features of the 550 (already have an XM radio, don't use Bluetooth) so I went for the 450. The gauge screens are quite useful and my favorite feature is the fuel gauge, which is easily reset after filling the gas tank. It is also easy to change route calculations on the fly when doing mental fuel stop calculations to see if the next city beyond is attainable. The touch screen works well with motorcycle gloves as advertised. And, of course, the GPS speedometer is more accurate than vehicle speedos, so I rely on it totally, rather than having to do the mental calculation off the bike display, "let's see, it says 70 mph but I'm really going 66." The security locking screw provides low level security and some peace of mind, but I wouldn't leave the unit on the bike overnight. Someone can still cut the wire and unscrew the RAM mount, making off with the unit.
The reason I gave it less than full stars is the audio connection. Here, I have to reference my older GPS solution, a Garmin iQue 3600 PDA. The iQue has an MP3 player with more than adequate audio output to drive headsets or the 3.5 mm stereo input to the Autocom bike audio system. At full volume setting, the Zumo audio is barely detectable. I'm sure Garmin had some technical reason, but the audio output level of the Zumo just doesn't cut it. The various bike forums talk about some $85 adaptor solution, or purchasing a Radio Shack MP3 headphone amplifier. From my viewpoint as an engineer, Garmin, for whatever reason, left out a $0.25 audio integrated circuit chip that would have easily remedied this, Instead, we are left to forage the online lists for a patchwork solution to a poor design.
Customer Rating:
Summary: harley rider
Comment: this GPS is delivered with the old map program installed and it takes countless hours to download and install the new maps. After that it seems to be very user frendly.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great unit....BUT
Comment: It worked great for two weeks. I was just over the "learning curve" when the unit developed a problem. I've had to send it back to Garmin for warranty work. Everything worked fine except when you typed in a street address and hit the "Done" it would power itself off. Support techs at Garmin spent quite a long time with me on the phone trying to solve the problem but I had to settle sending the unit back for warranty repair.
I think the unit is great. I especially like the MP3 playing my favorite tunes through my bike speakers (UniqueCyle). I also enjoyed downloading planned routes for our SCRC chapter rides. I liked the idea of knowing the route via the Garmin rather than relying on someone else. I can't wait to get it back. It's a great unit for the money if you don't need the Bluetooth. I would give it 5 stars except for the fact that I had to send it back for the warranty work.
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