No one piece of technology has given the touring motorcyclist so much benefit for so little
cost since the invention of map pockets on
tank bags. CycleGadgets has been a Garmin GPS dealer since 2001.
The current crop of GPS receivers includes all detail road maps for the
USA & Canada pre-loaded on solid-state, shockproof memory.
They also include additionalfeatures such as MP3, satellite radio, and
Bluetooth support. We pride ourselves on our experience
with all of the various GPS receivers; I switch my "primary" GPS to a
different model at least a couple of times a year just so that I can learn
all the subtle details of each model's operation.
We often get the question, "What's the best GPS for a motorcycle?"
The answer is always the same - "It depends on how and where you ride, and
what you want the GPS to do for you." Do you tour extensively?
Will you be using the GPS just on your bike, or also in a car, or boat, or
hiking? Do you want something compact, or is a large screen more
important?
Garmin's Zümo line of GPS receivers is designed specifically with
motorcyclists in mind. Garmin also makes some terrific automotive
and hiking and marine GPS receivers (as do Lowrance, and Magellan, and
Navman, etc. etc.) that can also be used on motorcycles. We carry
mounts, wiring, and accessories for a lot of GPS systems other than the
Zümo, but the Zümo is the only model of GPS that we sell.
| Model |
Motorcycling Benefits |
Motorcycling Drawbacks |
|
Designed for motorcyclists. Waterproof. Pre-loaded data for USA/Canada. Includes car kit. Bluetooth interface. |
Audio works ONLY with a Bluetooth headset - not a good choice for Gold Wing, Ultra Classic, J&M CB2003, etc. where a wired headset is used. |
|
Designed for motorcyclists. Waterproof. Pre-loaded data for USA/Canada. Includes car kit. Bluetooth interface. MP3 player. |
Not possible to add XM Satellite Radio or XM Weather Radar. Even if you don't want satellite radio, consider the 665 to get weather radar capability. |
|
Designed for motorcyclists. Waterproof. Pre-loaded data for USA/Canada. Includes car kit. Bluetooth interface. XM receiver with on-screen weather radar. |
XM subscription is housed within the GXM-40 antenna so it is awkward to use the XM features on multiple vehicles. All other features transfer easily. |
