Toying with the idea of getting a Zumo 550 to replace my StreetPilot III in time for a March trip. Noticed they say it comes with a MC mount. Has anyone bought one, and was the mount even moderatly usefull? Just would rather if I can use their mount, great. If I can't I'll get a new one, but if I am going to get it, might as well order it at the same time as the unit to save shipping costs. Spike
Got one for my coast to coast this summer. The MC mount is a must. It activates some nice features like big buttons (so the touch screen works with gloved hands) and the gas mileage feature for bikes. You just tell it the miles you get per tank and it gives you fuel warnings/provides a gas gauge for bikes that don't have one. The thing goes on by just replacing two bolts with the ones provided and has a really easy release so you can take it with you when you're away from the bike. So yah, way worth it. Sorry for the bad pictures, I was in a hurry.
Very cool, thank you. So that was all just with the mount that comes with it from Garmin? That last shot has a piece that looks like it is from a RAM mount.
The RAM mount is part of the motorcycle kit that comes with it. On the Garmin website, the accessories you're seeing are replacement kits for what comes with it. It came with the moto mount, a suction cup mount for the car, car cig adapater AND a moto power cable. Although I don't have it hard wired yet on the bike. Surprisingly enough, you can load a bunch of mp3s onto an SD card or upload some to the onboard memory and listen to them through the audio jack (or built in speaker). So it can be hardwired to your intercom/helmut. The bluetooth is insane. It'll act as a speakerphone or if you have a bluetooth helmet you can answer/make/dial calls thru the zumo while you ride. AND anything in it's database (hotels, etc) with a phone number it'll dial for you. Can't remember offhand it if had access to my phone's addressbook though. This is the FIRST small portable GPS that has actually impressed me. I'm used to Garmin products like this...
Oh, I was just going off your pic, not what is on the Garmin site. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't augmented what came in the box from Garmin. Be weird to see it mounted on my handlebar, as I have always mounted my GPS units to the top of the triple tree for stability and ease of placement. Don't have a BlueTooth Helmet yet... ANd yeah, that is a little more advanced than the GPS units I have used in the past.:smile:
Installation couldn't be easier. Their hardware goes right onto my clutch bracket, so I didn't have to use their supplied bracket. The only thing I did was swap out the stock bolts with the longer bolts. It's currently on the Blackbird (that red pile in the background is the VFR), so installation should be the same since the VFR has the same mount. Left side positioning feels good to me so far, but I haven't used it a lot on the bike. It's completely designed for left handed operation, which I like. And the double jointed mount can be angled so it's pretty close to center. Newegg has them for $719 right now. Might be able to find it cheaper still, but I trust them...
Love the Zumo 550. It does add your home address book to its system when connected. Only problem I have found is the XM radio Antenna GXM30. It must be wired into the speaker system, will not work using Bluetooth speakers. I have the Scala Rider bluetooth intercom/speaker system. Works well except the XM Radio issue. Sounds as good as any speaker can on a motorcycle. I also changed the Icon on the Zumo to match my Red VFR (Fun stuff)....
Went with a mount from www.gadgetguy.net, whole setup worked great on my trip, except I haven't wired the power for it yet, so I was limited to the battery power.
Here are some pictures of mine. The mount is actually made pretty well, but more "cruiser" oriented it seems to me. The U-bolt is actually made to go around the handle bar, and the thing also comes with bolts that you can run through the factory clutch mount location. I'm getting ready to fabricate one using one of the flat base RAM mounts, then running a piece of aluminum rod through the steering head that the mount screws into on one end and a bolt on the other.
I also have a Zumo 550 and I really enjoy the flexability that it gives me with the two different mounts that was provided by Garmin. While the motorcycle mount is easy to set up, I am not to fond of the GPS mount being on my handlebars. I recently saw a mount that mounted on the forward tank mount bolts. This provides a GPS to be placed over the tripe-clamps (between the handlebars) and not be interfer by handlebar movement. A riding buddy of mine told me where to purchase this mount, but I forgot the name of it. As soon as I find out, I will pass it on to you guys.
