New Zumo XT

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
Messages
4,516
Location
Ventura, CA
When following a route on my Montana, the device cannot look for a gas station along that route. It will find gas stations in the general area but even the closest often takes me away from the planned route.
On the zumo 550, when you pick “where to” whilst following a route it will ask “near” then select current route and it’ll pretty much only show gas stations ahead of and close to or on the road you’re using and ignore those behind you. Pick the one you want and add it to your current route as a waypoint.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

14kmtnman

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
476
Location
Yakima, WA
I have noticed that it also tracks me going thru tunnels like the Eisenhower tunnel thru the continental divde as well as shorter ones too. A cool feature.
 

HeliMark

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
995
Location
Tennessee
I bought the XT several weeks ago, and have used it several times so far. The display, is amazing, along with the amount of detail it is able to display. The upgrade from my Zumo 390 in processing power and internal memory is apparent, as when I go off route, the GPS doesn't take a minute or so to "recalculate", if you blink, you will miss it. The processing power is enough that there really isn't any wait time for any action you do.

I have put some of the satellite maps on it, and is nice, but obviously only so much detail due to screen size. Prior to my retirement, in the job I had, we used laptop size screens to display maps, and for several years, satellite maps on top of it. Like now, I find that the satellite maps are great to verify your position, what is around you, and what is ahead, but while moving, more of a distraction then a normal display. The Zumo does make it easy on the move to trigger between displaying the satellite maps or not.

About the only negative so far, other than learning the differences on how it handles routes and all the newer stuff from the older Zumo, is the sensitivity of the screen could be less. Not hard to get use to, but would be nicer if it was less, or adjustable.

On the forums, a lot of people are talking about the power output pins in the cradle being weak, and breaking. Garmin is replacing enough of them that the cables are now on backorder. Guess going cheaper on this is biting them on the hiney.
 

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
So far 6,300 miles on my new Zumo XT and I love it ! The new screen actually is as good as everyone has been saying, it’s ALWAYS very easy to read in any light situation. I only have one mount so it’s mounted on my Goldwing, still using my old Zumo 595 on the Tenere. I’m not sure but I think the adventurous routing feature actually works better on the 595, but it’s much easier to turn adventurous routing on or off with the new XT and I sure appreciate that improvement.
 

HeliMark

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
995
Location
Tennessee
So far 6,300 miles on my new Zumo XT and I love it ! The new screen actually is as good as everyone has been saying, it’s ALWAYS very easy to read in any light situation. I only have one mount so it’s mounted on my Goldwing, still using my old Zumo 595 on the Tenere. I’m not sure but I think the adventurous routing feature actually works better on the 595, but it’s much easier to turn adventurous routing on or off with the new XT and I sure appreciate that improvement.
I also think my old Zumo 390 was better on the the "adventurous" routing. Not fond of the way it routes, where you end up doing a lot of u-turns to get back on your original route, and it favors major roads, even when you have told it not to. It actually does better without using it. Also, in moderate and heavier rain, the rain will cause the screen to change. It has even selected a new waypoint for me, asking me to okay it.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
So far 6,300 miles on my new Zumo XT and I love it ! The new screen actually is as good as everyone has been saying, it’s ALWAYS very easy to read in any light situation. I only have one mount so it’s mounted on my Goldwing, still using my old Zumo 595 on the Tenere. I’m not sure but I think the adventurous routing feature actually works better on the 595, but it’s much easier to turn adventurous routing on or off with the new XT and I sure appreciate that improvement.
Are you by chance using the Garmin Explore that has replaced Basecamp? At some point I will end up getting the XP just because Basecamp is no longer supported.
 

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
No I have never used Basecamp and haven’t really done much with explore.

As far as u turns no my XT has never asked me to do that unless I drove to the end of a dead end road.

Haven’t ridden in much rain but so far I haven’t noticed rain having any effect on it.

i need to work on adventurous routing a little more, maybe the preferences are set a little different on my 595 . Just playing around on 100 mile routes I haven’t noticed hardly any difference where you slide the XT bar to but on a 800 mile route the XT added a lot of miles and time but I never actually took the route to see what it actually did.

I did complain to Garmin about the external speaker not being loud enough and they told me that in a future update they might be making it louder.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
They are pricey but worth every bit of the cost. I have been using Touratech mounts on all my bikes. Extremely durable and the locking features are very secure.
 

HeliMark

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
995
Location
Tennessee
They are pricey but worth every bit of the cost. I have been using Touratech mounts on all my bikes. Extremely durable and the locking features are very secure.
Guess my question is how is it mounted to the bike. Does it use a RAM mount, which is not secure, or does it have something similar to the RAM that is bolted to the bike.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
Guess my question is how is it mounted to the bike. Does it use a RAM mount, which is not secure, or does it have something similar to the RAM that is bolted to the bike.
You have your choices of mounts. Crossbar is what I use. If you install security bolts then it makes it pretty secure in the sense it has to by torn off to steal.

If you go with a Ram mount just purchase a locking one:


The best feature of the Touratech mounts are them being vibration free. I have a mount on my Beta. It's a thumper and my 76 CSX is steady as a rock setting over the rubber dampers.
 

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
One of my friends has a Touratech Mount for his 595, yes it’s a very nice and secure thing but the price is way more than I’m willing to pay. If I’m worried about someone walking off with my GPS I slip in in my pocket or some other place where I think it’s a little safer. Fortunately around here I don’t worry much about my stuff getting stolen off my motorcycle, in 50 years of riding I only had one thing stolen off my motorcycle and that was a cheap pair of sunglasses, on the way home I got pulled over for no eye protection but when I told the cop what happened thankfully he let me got with no fine just a warning, that was waaay back in the 1970’s .
 
Last edited:

Cycledude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
Are you by chance using the Garmin Explore that has replaced Basecamp? At some point I will end up getting the XP just because Basecamp is no longer supported.
I don’t use Basecamp and this is the first time I’ve ever heard it’s no longer supported, are you sure about that ?
 

HeliMark

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
Messages
995
Location
Tennessee
You have your choices of mounts. Crossbar is what I use. If you install security bolts then it makes it pretty secure in the sense it has to by torn off to steal.

If you go with a Ram mount just purchase a locking one:


The best feature of the Touratech mounts are them being vibration free. I have a mount on my Beta. It's a thumper and my 76 CSX is steady as a rock setting over the rubber dampers.
Interesting, never have seen the RAM locking nuts, but at $26 each, and needing two, just more than I want to spend. Takes 15 seconds to take off, and put into the locking top box, which cost almost as much as just the Touratech mount. I haven't had any vibration problems with the stock Garmin mount, using the RAM on any of my bikes.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
I don’t use Basecamp and this is the first time I’ve ever heard it’s no longer supported, are you sure about that ?
Oops, I misspoke. My bad for getting bad info from internet panic I read. I might add that you can transfer data from Basecamp to Explore:


How do you setup your navigation, transfer/edit tracks, plan, organize, create adventures, use trip planner, etc? Best feature of all is the ability to share and edit tracks per difficulty level. When doing single track and off road I can create bailouts and show/name the hard sections. I then simply transfer it to my GPS. Basecamp has been a game changer for me. It is arguably the best mapping system ever created.
 

elricfate

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
380
Location
Ohio
For those of you looking to lock it, I assume this isn't for sitting on the street, but rather as a precaution for things such as running into the store, parking the bike for a minute, etc.

I have a Zumolock XT. Way less expensive than the alternative. I also used a Motopumps GPS mount but you could also just use the pinlock on a RAM (it's how my doubletake mirrors are mounted).

20200915_143838_HDR.jpg

20200915_143900.jpg
 
Top