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Road Tech zumo 550: a GPS by Harley-Davidson and Garmin
April 3, 2009
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| Editor Ratings * | |||
| Quality |
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10 | |
| Style |
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10 | |
| Portability |
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9 | |
| Convenience |
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10 | |
| Price |
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9 | |
| Value |
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10 | |
| Overall | 9.7 | ||
| Spectacular | |||
| A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. | |||
| *Out of a possible 10 points | |||
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Introduction…
The Road Tech zumo 550, made by Garmin to Harley-Davidson’s specifications and distributed through Harley-Davidson’s network of dealerships, is loaded with information and features to facilitate navigation for motorcyclists. Its functionality seems infinite! The Road Tech zumo is shipped with everything you need to understand how to operate the zumo, and to navigate roads and highways. In addition, the zumo system is supported by Garmin at http://www.garmin.com which provides resources and accessories for your Road Tech Zumo.
This review will not attempt to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the Road Tech zumo 550. A combination of the Road Tech zumo Owner’s Manual, Harley-Davidson’s and Garmin’s website does that. Rather, this review will highlight our evaluation of the Road Tech, and at least some of the things we learned while using the Road Tech zumo - its features and capabilities.
The Road Tech zumo 550 is a very useful navigational tool.
Example 1:
While riding two up on a Harley-Davidson Ultra in Mount Rainier National Park one afternoon, our route was in a westerly direction and visibility was compromised due to the late afternoon sun. The result was intense shadows created by a combination of the setting sun, very tall pine trees, other vegetation, variable terrain, and the day’s contributions to a spotty motorcycle windshield and helmet face shield/visor. While these conditions are something motorcyclists typically learn to take in stride, on this day safe driving was called into question.
So, as I am heading into the next curve I realize that about the only thing I can see is the “very bright” screen on the Road Tech zumo 550 attached to my motorcycle’s handlebar staring me in the face. I touched the Stop Navigation function and let the Road Tech Zumo 550 alert me to the direction and curve characteristics of the road ahead.
What a relief! I could now anticipate the direction I needed to go and was fully prepared for curves as I advanced into them.
Example 2:
I have operated a motorcycle in Canada before, but never with the comfort level I enjoyed this time. Everything is metric of course! Miles become kilometers and feet become meters, so it is impossible to be sure about how far you need to go, how far you’ve gone, how fast you are getting there, and how high you are. Most would agree that knowing these numbers while motoring down/up the highway enhances the ride, allows for planning ahead, and can save you money.
At our first opportunity after arriving on Canadian turf, I changed the GPS Locale setting to metric and we were good to go. I now had command of all the information I needed to continue our travels in a country where data is managed just a little bit different than in the United States. Thankfully, there were no speeding fines, in spite of the fact that locals seemed to travel very fast.
Example 3:
I am approaching 200,000 miles on a motorcycle and have never run out of fuel. But I have come close!
The Road Tech zumo 550 has a nifty feature for those of us who tend to stretch our motorcycle’s fuel capacity. When necessary, touch the fuel pump icon on the screen and the GPS system will tell you what fuel options are available, the distance needed to get to them, and direction to take. It will even provide you with walking distance if that becomes your only option.
I actually used this feature while testing the Road Tech zumo. In a very rural area of the United States and long stretch of interstate, I rather suddenly realized that it had been many miles since I had seen a fuel station, and there was no promise of a fuel source in the immediate future. This meant there was a good chance that the remaining fuel in my motorcycle’s tank would be gone before the next fuel source would appear. It was counterintuitive to my typical navigational skills, to begin a search for fuel outside of the fences and crossroads retail establishments that define the parameters of most interstates. Road Tech zumo to the rescue! “My thought was, we will see how the zumo bails me out of this?”
I touched the fuel icon and the zumo informed me of a little town with a fuel station eight miles from the interstate. My only choice was to head in that direction. After a very nice leisurely ride, on a country road, we were in business. I put 5.1 gallons in the Ultra’s 5-gallon tank, and we were back on the road, enjoying the ride. Most importantly, I can still say I have never run out of gas on my motorcycle!
Harley-Davidson and Garmin have collaborated to create a product that is really second to none as a global positioning device. Most of the readers of this product review know Harley-Davidson’s history of quality and innovation in providing motorcycles and motorcycle products for their customers. Similarly, Garmin, the company, is founded on the principles of innovation, convenience, performance, value, and service.
For Garmin, what began as a brainstorming session of a handful of engineers around a card table in 1989, has evolved into a worldwide collaborative effort of thousands of colleagues. Garmin’s goal, as it was then, remains simple: To create navigation and communication devices that can enrich customers’ lives.
The Road Tech zumo 550 is the result of the collaboration between these two standard setting U.S. Corporations.
First Impression…
It works! The Road Tech zumo 550 is: functional, durable, easy to read the display even in bright sun shining conditions, easy to navigate, provides access to a lot of navigational information, and may be smarter than me.
It is complicated, but quite interactive and intuitive. I am thinking: “I can get used to this!
I have now used the Road Tech zumo 550 while traveling 13,000+ miles and I continue to learn new features, gain access to new information, and now wonder how I could ever leave home without it.
The Road Tech zumo 550 comes fully loaded and ready to set up and operate. Open the package and you will find:
· Road Tech zumo 550
· Preloaded with Harley-Davidson dealer addresses, distance, and routes to get to them
· MapSource® City Navigator North America NT DVD
· Carrying case
· AC charger
· Motorcycle power cable
· USB cable
· Security screwdriver
· Owner's manual
· Quick reference guide
Please Note: The custom motorcycle mount designed specifically for harley-Davidson with mounting hardware is sold separately.
Features…
Designed by bikers, Road Tech zumo’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 anywhere you want.
Durable and dependable features include:
· Glove-friendly touchscreen with left-handed controls making it easy to operate while maintaining control of your motorcycle
· Vibration-tested, and built with fuel-resistant plastics to withstand the elements
· Case: fully gasketed, water resistant, and submersible at 1 meter for 30 minutes
· Temperature range: 32 to 140 degrees
· Batteries: rechargeable lithium-ion with life up to 4 hours depending on use
Additional navigational, entertainment, informational, and communication features:
· High brightness, sunlight-readable, UV-resistant display makes it easy to view your screen
· Motorcycle console for trip information, including fuel gauge to warn you when it's time to fill up
· Compatible with Bluetooth technology for hands-free and wireless technology
· Compatible with available Road Tech Bluetooth 2.0 Helmet System
· Voice prompts announce streets by name
· Capacity to add custom points of interest: Custom POI: imported from SCV files. POI Loader is free software for your computer that lets you upload customized points of interest to your compatible Garmin device. With the help of POI Loader, you can update your compatible Garmin GPS with the latest restaurants, safety camera locations, tourist destinations and more
· Turn by turn routing with voice prompts and street names
· 3-D mapview, quick auto zoom, panning features
· Choice of route setup
· Auto re-route, fast routing/re-routing times
· MP3 player, Audio book player, picture viewer using the integrated SD-Card slot
· XM Satellite Radio Capability and XM NavTraffic compatible (free activation and 3 months free with purchase)
· Compatible with H-D Ride Planner
Specification:
· Receiver: High sensitivity GPS receiver by SiRF
· Battery charge time: 6 hours
· Unit dimensions: 4.4” W x 3.2” H x 2.87” D (in cradle)
· Display size: 2.8” W x 2.1” H
· Display type: 64,000 color bright QVGA transflective anti-glare TFT with touch screen
· Display resolution: 320 x 240 pixels
· Standard GPS antenna: Built-ion patch
· Unit weight: 10.6 ounces
· Screen orientation: horizontal
· External antenna hookup compatible
· Voltage Range: 12-24
Operation/application…
There is a learning curve in operation because of the volume of information to learn about the Road Tech zumo 550 capabilities. Get started by registering your Road Tech zumo at http://my.garmin.com. During this process, you can also subscribe to online services and unlock optional maps.
Continue by installing the Road Tech zumo on you motorcycle using the custom motorcycle mount designed specifically for Harley-Davidson (30 minutes to 1 hour). Please note: your warranty is impacted favorably if your zumo is installed by an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer.
Next, review the Owners Manual and Quick Reference Guide, and practice, practice, practice!
You cannot compromise the Road Tech Zumo’s operational capacity by hitting the wrong button or pushing the wrong icon at the wrong time. Granted, you may not get useful information, but you simply back up and start over.
· To Navigate the Open Road
Road Tech zumo 550 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps and hefty points of interest (POIs) database including Harley-Davidson dealerships, motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. This is fairly intuitive.
When the unit is powered on, the first screen you will see will say: “Where to” and “View map.” Touch “Where to” and you can enter an address, locate a Harley-Davidson dealer, locate food, lodging, and other services, identify a “Recently Found” destination, identify a “Favorite” destination, or the zumo can take you home (Go Home).
Simply touch a “Recently Found” or “Favorite” destination or enter a destination “Address,” as prompted by the touch screen, push Go, and Road Tech zumo takes you there, turn-by-turn.
The Road Tech zumo 550 accepts custom points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming Points Of Interest. The zumo also comes with a rechargeable, removable lithium-ion battery for trip planning or use on foot, and even accepts additional maps. More about other uses later.
· Listen to a little music
Road Tech zumo features SD card expansion that makes it easy to transfer MP3 music files to your unit. Just plug in you road Tech stereo headset and enjoy music while navigating. As you approach a turn, the music volume automatically lowers as your turns are announced.
· Add 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 Road Tech zumo. As an alternative, Road Tech zumo can receive optional TMC traffic alerts (in select cities) when used with a compatible traffic receiver. Simply press a button on the screen, and Road Tech zumo recalculates your route to avoid traffic tie-ups.
· Talk and Listen Wirelessly
With Road Tech zumo 550’s Bluetooth® wireless technology, you can talk on the phone safely without removing your gloves or helmet. Connect the unit to your Bluetooth-enabled headset/helmet and cell phone to make and receive hands-free calls. You can even make phone calls to Points Of Interest through Road Tech Zumo’s Bluetooth interface. In addition, the Zumo transmits navigation voice prompts to your headset so you can listen wirelessly.
· Plan Your Trips and Share Your Rides
Road Tech zumo 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 your zumo and go.
At the end of the day, share your favorite places and rides with other Road Tech zumo users, 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.
The Road Tech zumo 550 easily adapts to automobile or other vehicle use and you do not need to purchase any additional accessories including mounting brackets. Simply program your zumo for the destination you are looking for, lay it in you lap, and the zumo will take you there turn by turn. Just remember to charge the battery using you AC charger or DC adapter.
On a recent business trip, I went from Denver to Kansas City. From there, I had eight destinations before returning to the Kansas City airport. Having input the addresses of each before departure, I simply touched the destinations as I needed them and drove to each destination as if I knew exactly where they were. This capability made the need for maps obsolete.
Value…
The Harley-Davidson’s published price for the Road Tech zumo 550 is $799.95 plus $79.95 for the handlebar mounting bracket. By shopping the internet, motorcyclists may be able to find lower prices that may not include all items; e.g., “motorcycle mount with mounting hardware and warranty.” For some this may be a big price tag and preclude a purchase. Cost is a personal thing and each motorcyclist must weigh cost of the zumo against individual financial resources.
We found the Road Tech zumo 550 to be reliable in all operating conditions.
All Road Tech zumo 550’s are warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. Warranty is extended to one year if installed by an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer. Warranty is extended to 2 years when installed by an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer at the time of delivery of a new vehicle and registered to the vehicle.
Within warranty periods, Garmin International, Inc. will, at its sole option, repair or replace any components which fail in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or labor, provided that the customer shall be responsible for any transportation cost. This warranty does not cover failures due to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized alterations or repairs.
Harley-Davidson Corporation provided this product to support this review. Considering the Road Tech zumo’s contribution to navigation, music, hands free wireless communication, and sharing routes with others, it is an extraordinary value. If it lasts for five to ten years, with Garmin updates, the Road Tech zumo goes a long way toward enhancing motorcycling experiences.
Final Thoughts…
There is a saying in the information/data management world: “garbage in equals garbage out!” The more I learn about the Road Tech zumo, the more I am certain there is no garbage in.
There was one instance, while negotiating city streets in Duluth, Minnesota, when I was absolutely convinced the zumo was confused. While the zumo 550 displayed updated instruction based on its calculation, I was unable to assimilate the updated instruction with what I was experiencing while operating the motorcycle on unfamiliar, high traffic, and complex city streets in a manner that advanced me to the intended destination.
In retrospect, what I would say now is this. The zumo 550 is able to manage and process a lot of navigational information. However, it is a machine, and therefore, limited to the performance of the job for which it was designed, which it does quite well. However, the zumo cannot reason.
What we humans know as common sense is not part of the equation. So, if you have the privilege of owning a zumo 550, and share my conviction that when you travel you will want to take it with you, also remember to take your common sense. These two capacities working together can take you a long way.
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