Garmin Zumo XT Moto GPS Navigator - In Depth
- Thread starter Blind Squirrel
- Start date
DamMechanic
Active Member
I bought one late last summer along with the Touratech mount and have it installed on my Buell.
It’s a big leap ahead for Garmin in the Zumo line at a more reasonable price. The screen clarity is as good as any smart phone and touch sensitivity works well with gloves on.
The curvy road feature works fairly well if you just want to choose that feature while riding down the road without stopping and planning a route.
When tied to your smart phone through the Garmin drive app, you get the instant traffic, text, call notifications. You also get weather radar on the screen. And you can also play and scroll through your music on your phone or down load music to the XT.
It make a nice companion with using a smart phone for navigation.
It’s a big leap ahead for Garmin in the Zumo line at a more reasonable price. The screen clarity is as good as any smart phone and touch sensitivity works well with gloves on.
The curvy road feature works fairly well if you just want to choose that feature while riding down the road without stopping and planning a route.
When tied to your smart phone through the Garmin drive app, you get the instant traffic, text, call notifications. You also get weather radar on the screen. And you can also play and scroll through your music on your phone or down load music to the XT.
It make a nice companion with using a smart phone for navigation.
robp
Active Member
RE: Zumo Adventurous Routing (i.e. curvy road feature):
Is this similar to the Google Maps 'Avoid Highways' setting? For example, I am planning on a cross-country ride on which I want to avoid interstates but would like a fairly direct route on two-lane or secondary roads. Would this setting be appropriate for that or would I be better off planning a route and importing it to the Zumo? (I have not purchased the Zumo yet to experiment).
Is this similar to the Google Maps 'Avoid Highways' setting? For example, I am planning on a cross-country ride on which I want to avoid interstates but would like a fairly direct route on two-lane or secondary roads. Would this setting be appropriate for that or would I be better off planning a route and importing it to the Zumo? (I have not purchased the Zumo yet to experiment).
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For some reason, they don't have the "curvy road" selection, only the "adventure" routing when the XT came along. It no longer will put you on the "curvy" roads, unless it happens to be the route it does. I have tried the adventurous routing, and it is not very exciting, with a lot of going down one road, "experience it", and it has you u-turn it to get back on your route, more of a pain in the a**. I found the adventure routing still more of a direct route, just maybe not through town, but around it. For local riding, I really liked the curvy road selection, it was interesting at times.
You have the ability on the Garmin to select avoid highways in the trip planner, and is what you are looking for. It will plan on the two lane highways, or smaller, and avoid the freeways, if possible, and is more of a direct route. You can also select "avoid tolls, and dirt roads" if you want.
I usually have Google maps up on my computer, get the lat/long of the waypoints I want, and enter it on the unit itself (make a new trip). Once you have that, if you want, you can adjust your routing using "temporary" waypoints, in between the ones you put in.
You have the ability on the Garmin to select avoid highways in the trip planner, and is what you are looking for. It will plan on the two lane highways, or smaller, and avoid the freeways, if possible, and is more of a direct route. You can also select "avoid tolls, and dirt roads" if you want.
I usually have Google maps up on my computer, get the lat/long of the waypoints I want, and enter it on the unit itself (make a new trip). Once you have that, if you want, you can adjust your routing using "temporary" waypoints, in between the ones you put in.
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DamMechanic
Active Member
HeliMark is correct it is the Adventure route feature other then you have to touch the curvy road symbol. Attached is a couple photos of a route to a beer place I went to. If you are a local there are routes available to bypass the short section of I-5 but if you did not know the area it’s a pretty cool route.
So it’s similar to google map avoid highways. In the light route on the Gmap the northern portion is better but the southern portion is better on the Garmin.
So it’s similar to google map avoid highways. In the light route on the Gmap the northern portion is better but the southern portion is better on the Garmin.
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DamMechanic
Active Member
I should have added more. The best option is to get a map and plan your route. Google avoid highways is good, the adventure option on the XT is fair and is quick and simple but for me I always pull out a map and try to find a route that follows rivers.
yoyo
Well-Known Member
I love my XT and was looking forward to using the adventurous routing as I love a narrow single track road but it's far from exciting, it avoids some really good roads and sends you along A roads instead. Other than that it's a brilliant unit.
Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk
Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk
Cycledude
Well-Known Member
Did you watch the entire video in the very first post ? I definitely learned a few things I was totally unaware before watching the video, thanks to Blind Squirrel for the post !!
yoyo
Well-Known Member
Funnily enough I watched it before buying the XT, will need to watch it again and try stuff out as I go along.
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sureshshanmugam
Member
I am getting an XT today. Will also be installing TouraTech mount.
Question: does it use the Cellular Data to update Traffic/ real-time data?
Question: does it use the Cellular Data to update Traffic/ real-time data?
Cycledude
Well-Known Member
I actually have two Zumo XT , was going to buy another mount so could use just one XT on both bikes but Revzilla had the XT on sale for Christmas for $399 with a free $50 gift card so that made me buy another complete unit.
DamMechanic
Active Member
It uses the cellular data from your smart phone when you have the Garmin Drive app open.
Blind Squirrel
Active Member
Yes. You have to download an app for your phone that it connects to via Bluetooth.