Search

 

Garmin zumo 550 customer reviews

Global Rating: 4.67 from 15 reviews.

Add your own review for this product

rating title date name city state/province country
Excellent GPS! (5/5) Jun 15, 2009 Gary Portland OR US
  I can't say enough good things about the ZUMO 550 for motorcycles. It is fantastic!

I have owned a Garmin "V" for 5 yrs up to the point of buying the 550. I loved the old "V" for my dual sport riding in the mountains and the deserts. The 550 is SO easy to use! My wife picked it up, and w/o reading any manual, within 15 minutes found how to load a waypoint for geocaching. Geocaching is easy too, with the off-road compass indicator (similar to how the "V" did it).

The interface is easy to use; the display is clear day and night; routing is fast; up/downloading is fast too. The stats it provides during the trip are great, and the fuel gauge reminder works perfectly...then providing you with all nearby gas stations. The list is too long.

I would say that like most threads you read, the little security screw is a bit of a pain to work with every time you want to remove the unit from the bike while making stops.

I would highly recommend this to any rider who wants a great GPS.
Christmas in a box! (5/5) Apr 7, 2008 Don Dessenberger Hendersonville North Carolina US
  Opening the large box is like Christmas Day! the box is FULL of cables, hardware, accessories and the best M/C GPS unit I have ever seen. This unit has obviously been developed by people who actually RIDE motorcycles on long trips. The security-locking M/C mount is very well thought out, and the RAM mount is the best in the industry. Just as an example of how well thought out this is, there is a rubber flap that snaps over the electrical connector on the bike dock when the unit is off the bike. The flap is attached, can't loose it, but so that it doesn't flap around in the wind when it it is not covering the contacts, it has a magnet that keeps it stuck to the bottom of the mount! What innovative design. A GREAT product!
Great Rides (5/5) Feb 10, 2008 Doug Novic Frederick Maryland US
  I found the initial set up instructions lacking some info, but once past that it is a great unit. Easy to see in the bright sun, easy to use on the road. It has even navigated us out of gravel side roads. We will take off for hours in the country with no destination in mind. After a great ride, hit the "Home" button and the Garmin does the rest. Also easy to set up a destination and go for a weekend ride. We keep discovering more features (after using it for over 2,000 miles) and enjoy the Garmin 550 more and more.
Bike Enthusiast (5/5) Oct 10, 2007 Murray Gardiner Montreal Quebec CA
  Well worth the high sticker price. Especially with helmet and phone conneciton via Bluetooth. Northern Canada maps need higher definition, GPS got lost a couple of times. But in more populated areas it proved excellent. I use it on the bike rain or shine and in the car extensively.
Very well thought out (5/5) Jul 17, 2007 Jim Robb Portland OR US
  This is a great unit, very well thought out and intuitive to use (with a little practice). Mounting hardware is of excellent quality and works well for both bike and auto. The built in fuel reminder is handy and allows quick location of nearby fuel stops while enroute...however the software database is a little dated and does not include all possibilities. After using the unit with a touch screen I cannot imagine using a unit without one on a motorcyle; it works extremely well. I recently used this unit on my Electra Glide for a 5000 mile trip from Portland to San Antonio and back without any problems in weather from heavy rain to 126 degrees. A great product.
GREAT UNIT (5/5) Apr 2, 2007 Clyde Bright Nashville Tennessee US
  I have used a Street Pilot III on my Harley Classic since 2004. I decided to get the Zumo for its advanced features. This unit is great. Very easy to use and see. I also purchased the XM antenna and receive XM radio through the unit. I plugged it into my aux receiver on my radio and listen to the radio and traffic navigation. I also used my Motorola Razor to Bluetooth to the unit. It is great. I can also receive it through the speakers. For cross-country cycle riders, this unit is a must. Garmin really surpassed the competition when they released this unit.
Computer Engineer (5/5) Dec 1, 2006 Arnold Kochis San Antonio TX US
  I found this GPS unit to be exactly as advertised. Easy to install and easy to operate. Screen is very Bright and can be seen in sunlight. I read another review about the weather cover flopping around. I found that there is a magnet in the cover that holds it place when the GPS unit is installed. Very slick!
Truly awesome (5/5) Nov 30, 2006 Monty Gage Gladewater TX US
  I have used handheld GPS Units in the past but wanted to update to new technology. Shopped Garmin and waited on the Zumo to be released. I am very glad I waited. The Zumo is everything it is advertised to be. Nothing left out you can tell that bike riders played a role in the development of the design and included parts. I had it out of the box and running routes and using the Bluetooth with my phone in less the 30 minutes. It is truly awesome. The MP3 player is great also. The included software for the pc works well and is easy to learn. Only thing that I have to say negative about the set up in the theft security of the unit in the bike mount. It seems that thought was placed into making it difficult to remove by having a special screw with included screwdriver to lock the unit in the mount. However the mount is set up on a RAM ball system with tension screw. It only takes a second to loosen the screw and remove the top part of the ram system along with the mount and GPS unit. Something to think about if getting out of sight of your bike with the Zumo mounted. I would prefer to have a simple plain quick type screw to secure the lock for riding but making it quicker to release so you can lock the unit up or take it with you.
Captain (USN,Retired) (5/5) Nov 19, 2006 HOLLIS HOLDEN ST MARYS GA US
  I was intimately involved with the early deployment of the GPS Systems in the military and owned some of the very first units released to the public. I have owned 10 different units and currently own 4 (using each for a different purpose) including the ZUMO 550 that I recently purchased and installed on my Suzuki Burgman 650 motorcycle. THIS ONE IS THE BEST GPS FOR THE PURPOSE INTENDED TO-DATE!!! IF YOU RIDE A MOTORCYLCE AND WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING WHILE LISTENING TO XM RADIO YOU MUST HAVE THIS ONE!!!
Homerun for Garmin (5/5) Nov 16, 2006 Michael Potter Marion IA US
  I have owned several GPS units over the years but this is by far the finest I have ever used. Garmin has thought of everything. Everything you could possibly need is included, from the auto and motorcycle mounts to the included mapping software. The unit itself is incredibly easy to use. The touch screen takes you effortlessly through the navigation process. I could have easily used the unit without reading the instructions. Punch in an address, hit go, and you're on your way. The display is bright, easy to read and vividly colorful. The unit's size is perfect for use on the motorcycle. I couldn't be more pleased. No more stopping to look at a map.
Works Great on My Goldwing (4/5) Apr 2, 2010 Daryl Dunham Ponca city OK
  I bought this about 9 months ago and I use it in my car and on the Goldwing. I used to have a Lowrance iWay 5ooe, but it was just too big and havy - it vibrated itself to death. The iWay had everything and I got spoiled with it. The Zumo 550 is a nice compromise for a motorcycle - I love the lightweight and battery feature (I can take it anywhere).
I mounted it with the Ram on the left handlebar and the 4 buttons are a breeze to use.
I use MapSource to program my routes on my computer and then download them to the Zumo - very easy.
I use a female voice with Australian accent - really gets your attention over the MP3 player. I also have a motorcycle icon for my position on the map.
The only thing I don't like it that it doesn't show secondary roads until you zoom in to a rather close-up level. I don't ride the interstates and look for interesting state and country roads to travel. It is easy enough to set up waypoints and plan a route on secondary roads, but just not easy to find them on the fly.
The auxiliary screens are nice and I like the custom looks for the motorcycle. The Zumo knows when it is in the special motorcycle cradle and gives you a few special features for motorcycle travel.
I love the Zumo and never leave home without it.
Initial thoughts (4/5) May 31, 2008 Richard Mitchell Newark DE US
  I have only had it one day, but noticed that the whole bracket is easily removed from the bike along with the gps even with the security screw. I needed assistance rgistering and updating it. However, it has been easy to program so far and is finding everything I program in. Even a new neighborhood in Richmond.
Zumo 550 (4/5) Aug 20, 2007 B. Earnest Nebraska US
  Probably the best gps yet. Easy to see and use.
Very good GPS (4/5) Nov 23, 2006 Neil
  Garmin has a real winner with the Zumo 550. I just got mine four days ago, but I have already loaded 150 songs on a 1 GB SD card, connected to my verizon v710 phone, and entered the Harley Davidson dealer POI locations. I love everything about the unit except for 2 issues:
1) The power supply for the motorcycle mount must be hard wired; there is no input for a cigarette lighter connection like there is on the supplied auto mount. I consider this a major design flaw for several reasons:
a) The bluetooth functionality won't work on just the Zumo battery alone, so you need to hardwire the connection to get important features.
b) When your remove the motorcycle mount, the hard wired power cable is still hanging out there, and there is no cap to put on the hot connector end. This means it will corode and possible short out in the rain.
c) It can be difficult and very time consuming to set up the hard wired connections on a bike like mine ( touring Harley Davidson ). Garmin says the unit is ready to use out of the box, but the wiring issue means this is not really true.

2) There is on way to attach a lanyard or rope to the unit in case it pops out of the case while on battery power. Garmin should change the case so you can attach a restraining wire.

With the MP3 player I no longer need to bring along my IPOD on long trips. The bluetooth phone setup is fun to play with but I'm not sure how much I will really use it. For a motorcycle GPS the Zumo is by far the best on the market. I'm just hoping they make it even better.
- Neil
Great new device (4/5) Nov 16, 2006 Alvin A. Segal Franklin Te US
  This is my first experience with a GPS so my comments may be a bit naive. The 550 is easy to work right out of the box. Didn’t read the entire CD directions. I used it in my Tahoe and HD Ultra and was surprised it worked so well as the weather conditions are less than desirable; overcast with rain. I installed the mount on my bike but haven't hard wired it yet. May have to seek some help on this item. The buttons on the left side require more pressure than I anticipated. Same for the on off switch. You have to exert more pressure than I would like, especially for a motorcycle application. The voice directions are easy and the display is more than adequate. The CD that contained the map program was bent and the CD warped. It would not work so I can’t tell how that portion of the system functions. I have asked for a new disc. Hope Garmin’s customer service is as swift as 4X4 books.

Back to previous page