Garmin Zumo 450 Review:
The Garmin Zumo 450 includes many of the 550’s motorcycle-friendly features, minus Bluetooth wireless technology, text-to-speech and XM Satellite, at a price that won’t break your budget.The Garmin 450 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps and a hefty points of interest (POIs) database. The Garmin Zumo 450 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.

If you among those who can’t wait for the hands-on approach the Zumo 450 is very intuative to use. For my first trip I actually used it in my car. For that I had also ordered the Garmin automotive mount (010-10860-00) together with the 12-Volt Vehicle adapter (010-10747-03). The automotive mount has a built-in speaker that alows the Zumo 450 to read the turning instructions back to you. Although the little speaker is not great, the mount comes with an audio output (as well as a mic input) which allows you to connect the automotive mount to your car stereo. I have a simple car stereo with a tape deck where I use one of those tape casette adapters with audio connector to connect the Garmin Zumo 450 to my car stereo. Throw some MP3s on a optional SD card (the type that is used in many compact digital camareas), insert it into your Zumo 450 and you can listen to music and the turnig instructions of the Zumo 450 at the same time (the Zumo pauses the music like it’s much more expensive built-in cousins when giving instructions). I tested it out last weekend on a 500+mile trip to unknown territory. In the past I would be “armed” with Mapquest printouts which can become sometimes a challange in heavy traffic when reading printouts and paying attention to the moving sourroundings at the same time. I can gladly say those days are over (although I don’t believe in using a GPS because one doesn’t know how to read a (paper) map).

The installation on the bike is straightforward, with running the wire for the electric hookup of the Garmin Zumo 450 (included) took me the longest. I was amazed about the vibration free display. A big difference to what I get from the mirrors on my KLR at higher rpms. Although the included mount for the motorcycle has audio in and output as well as a USB connector I will not use them on the bike as the Garmin Zumo 450 will be a visuell guide for me only. The Garmin 450 comes here really handy when navigating in areas you don’t know as it lets you concentrate on traffic and keeping an eye on those car drivers who are too busy to otherwise notice a biker.

Last but not least the built-in battery of the Zumo 450 is supposed to last for up to 4 hours (I haven’t tested the batteries capacity yet) in those instances when you’re exploring places on foot. The battery recharges once you connect it back to your auto or bike mount.

In terms of the software that comes with the Zumo 450 it allows you to plan trips ahead of time using MapSource (included). Mapsource works along with Google. However, the version of MapSource that came with the package did not recognize the Zumo 450 properly which prevented up and downloads of routes, maps, waypoints to and from the Zumo. Downloading the latest version of MapSource from Garmin’s website fixed that problem. So if you want to plan a ride this is one way you can do it.

I found the 3D view to be extremely accurate. And I enjoy it more than the 2d of the GPS V & 60Cx, though the 60cx is suppose to do a version of 3d when navigating a route. Easy to read and since I have problems now seeing up close I found I could read this without glasses. Glare did not seem to be a problem, even with sun glasses on I could still read the Garmin Zumo 450. If I knew the address in and typed it in the Garmin 450 could find it. And it was pretty accurate. Lacks some features of older models, like the GPS V & 60Cx that make nav a little more easier, and for a motorcyclist. More convent.

Garmin Zumo 450 Features:
Navigate the Open Road
The zumo 450 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps and a hefty points of interest (POIs) database, including motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply enter a destination, and the zumo takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names. In addition, zumo accepts customized points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras, and it also includes proximity alerts to warn of upcoming POIs. A rechargeable, removable lithium-ion battery that offers up to three hours of use is integrated into the zumo for trip planning or use on foot. In addition, the zumo even accepts electronic maps, making it the ultimate off-road navigator.

Traffic Alerts
The Zumo 450 can receive optional TMC traffic alerts (in select cities) when used with a compatible traffic receiver. Simply press a button on the screen, and the zumo recalculates your route to avoid traffic tie-ups.

Route Planning, Sharing, and Entertainment
The Zumo 450 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 zumo riders, and review your travels in Google Earth. SD card expansion makes it easy for storage and route sharing, and you can download routes to share with your riding buddies. You can also load MP3s onto the unit so you can enjoy music while you’re riding. Plus, a JPEG picture viewer lets you share photos of your adventures with friends and family.

Compare Prices Of Garmin Zumo 450