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Garmin Zumo XT Sale

In case anyone is in the market for one.. I just picked up an XT for $399 plus tax, shipping included. This will be my 1st GPS unit as I've always used my phone. It will be a learning curve for sure.
You're going to love it. XT was my first GPS as well and it works great. Learning curve is Basecamp.

Steve
 
Where is that mounting point??

I'm gunna either use the Kawasaki mount or handle bar mount, undecided.
I use a heavy duty ball mount that reuses the clutch bolts. Solid as a rock and positions GPS high enough that eyes stay close to road and low enough to not be in line of sight.
If you want a pic lemme know.
 
She’s still naked after the valve inspection and finishing up the Healtech Quickshifter install - but see photo of mount / location below.
You can run wires to the auxiliary power left side dash / I believe that is a keyed power source as well.
 

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So here's a thought for those of you who are military or retired. Buy it through Cycle Gear and get a 10% discount off the $399 price.

Chris
 
My XT is mounted using same RAM mount/arm shown above. All my accessory power wiring goes to a FZ-1 Fuzeblock that is mounted under right side main fairing and wired direct to battery.

Basecamp has all the power and quirkiness of the deprecated Mapsource program, along with a route/POI file database. Get into the habit of creating a Backup of basecamp regularly just in case the route database gets corrupted - especially when your route library starts to grow. Learning to use it does require an investment of time to learn what each tool does. Good luck and reach out if you have questions.
 
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So here's a thought for those of you who are military or retired. Buy it through Cycle Gear and get a 10% discount off the $399 price.

Chris
I didn't know they had them on sale. Looks like they're out of stock. Garmin is out of stock too, 2-3 week wait.
 
Be careful with that flimsy mount that holds the GPS, I went to move it and it came off in my hand. Scared the crap out of me. I have since bought a touratech locking mount. Expensive at $179 but not as much as a new GPS
 
I added a tether strap to my Zumo XT, especially after having my 595LM come off. As I've used the Zumo XT, I've noticed the mount seems to be "breaking in" and the locking action on the mount seems more definitive.

Chris
 
Thanks for the heads up on the mount guys. I was looking at a clutch/brake lever mount by Ram mount. It looks like there is a plate that secures it with 4 screws? You guys don't use that style?
 
Okay, here's how I have mine mounted. RAM handlebar mount with RAM arm and the Garmin mount. I believe all of it came with the Garmin Zumo XT.

1616437150779.png 1616437225678.png

This is how I added a tether strap. I didn't find a better place to add a tether, and I also wanted to mount my wireless heat controller where it was close to hand and easy to see.

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1616437456930.png

I hope that helps clarify things.

Chris
 
Previously I have mounted my GPS lower and found it very difficult / unsafe to reference in the Twisties or just in general while in full motion - too much time to reacquire eyes to road. 1 second = 88 FT @ 60 MPH...

I tend to use my GPS as a constant road aid and like to have as close to eye level as possible, of course without blocking..
 
Can anyone tell me if the XT is better than the 395 or the same with a new label. My complaints with the 395 were very slow to react to live action and not touch friendly
 
The XT is in another class itself. If I had a 396, I don't think I'd spend the money to buy the XT. But if I was looking at the two models, the XT and the 396, there's no question I'd spring the extra bucks for the XT. Over the long term, it will be so much more appreciated.

The XT has the most brilliant detailed screen I've ever seen on a GPS. It rivals my Note 9 smartphone and has the advantage of being able to function fully, even in 110+F heat. The additional screen real estate on a 5.5 in screen vs a 4.3" screen is appreciated by my late 60's eyes. It also lets my fat fingers touch the right things a bit easier.

The 396 is a great GPS. But I think if you want an upgrade from a 395...the XT is the way to go. I had my doubts...till I got one.

Chris
 
Ok, I'm going to throw out a question that I'm surprised no one asked yet. Why the change to GPS over Cell Phone with Google Maps and or Waze? Other than the obvious cell coverage ... what's the advantage? Normally have the phone with me... why not use? I have an older Garmin Zumo but mostly keep it in the drawer now. Someone tell me to get it back out...lol.
 
Ok, I'm going to throw out a question that I'm surprised no one asked yet. Why the change to GPS over Cell Phone with Google Maps and or Waze? Other than the obvious cell coverage ... what's the advantage? Normally have the phone with me... why not use? I have an older Garmin Zumo but mostly keep it in the drawer now. Someone tell me to get it back out...lol.

2 things immediately come to mind for me:
  1. Personal preference: I have found the dedicated GPS device more to my liking and performance expectations
  2. Cell phone damage: High frequency vibration ruins the cameras on our phones.
Then there is what you already stated that need not be said again - but I will... I am ALWAYS at some point on darn near every ride outside of cell reception and at times could be more than 50% of the day for days on end...
 
Then why not buy a rugged phone for a dedicated GPS and keep your primary in your pocket? Put it in airplane mode so battery doesn't drain looking for cell signal and you also don't have to care about vibration damage to the image stabilization platform. The GPS chip will work just fine without a data plan and you can download offline maps on wifi. A Duraforce Pro can be found for under $150 and you're not locked into the Garmin/TomTom/etc. ancient chipsets nor their proprietary map updates. OpenStreetMap is a free repository and tons of navigation software uses it anyway, so you can find what UI is your preference (Waze, Magic Earth, Sygic, etc.).
 
I looked into going the smartphone route and decided against it.

Heat is the primary reason I didn't go for it. The smartphones work great in average circumstances. But I've read of riders who've had theirs shut down from overheating in really hot temps. Last summer, I was riding to central Oregon and the temps were over 110F for a couple hours. It would not have been good for my smartphone to shut down in the middle of nowhere because it got too hot.

Yes, you can download maps offline...but only to a certain extent. I like Waze. It works well. But only if you have a data plan. You'd have to determine your route while you had wi-fi to download the maps...and if you vary from that route, well...you have no map. Waze isn't going to work well when I want to take a twisty motorcycle-friendly route. And for the warnings that make Waze so valuable...well, you don't get them if you don't have a data plan.

I can download and use OpenStreetMap on my Garmin Zumo XT...but why? The Garmin topographical maps serve my needs quite well. And when I consider the costs, it really doesn't make that much difference. The Zumo XT was recently selling for $399. If I buy from Cycle Gear, I get a 10% military discount. That brings it down to $360. Yes, a Duraforce Pro sells for half that...but then I still have the limitations of trying to use a phone for a GPS. And when you ride like I did last year and put on 15,000 miles...the cost difference is miniscule.

Chris
 
That's a good price for a Garmin Zumo. When I got mine a few years ago it came with the motorcycle mount included that uses the brake master cylinder mounting bolts mentioned above, looks rugged to me, so far no problems, almost eye level for me too. Initially, I did not like it, there are still some gripes I have about the whole GPS way of doing things, it still is only a reference for me as I still carry paper maps.

BTW, with so many people using their cell phones, GPS units are showing up at resale and Goodwill stores for some great prices. I got 2 practically new units with chargers that are both under 5 years old for $5 and $7.
 
GPS vs. Phone??? They both have there uses. I use a GPS as my primary and keep my expensive phone safely in a pocket. I have an older Samsung phone in a x-mount that I run MapsMe on for a larger overview map and can be used in case of a GPS failure. The newest phones are so capable and everyone uses them for everything so I can see where the desire is to only carry one device. I like a little backup, and yes paper could be one of them.
Even with a data plan I was driving the car around the NY/ NJ metro area and got off the interstate to get gas. WASE was unable to recalculate a route due to network traffic, the GPS worked. WASE still gave me the map and some notifications but couldn't provide the route. This was a holiday weekend with a lot of traffic.
 
That's a good price for a Garmin Zumo. When I got mine a few years ago it came with the motorcycle mount included that uses the brake master cylinder mounting bolts mentioned above, looks rugged to me, so far no problems, almost eye level for me too. Initially, I did not like it, there are still some gripes I have about the whole GPS way of doing things, it still is only a reference for me as I still carry paper maps.

BTW, with so many people using their cell phones, GPS units are showing up at resale and Goodwill stores for some great prices. I got 2 practically new units with chargers that are both under 5 years old for $5 and $7.

“They’re up at Goodwill”.
I never had thought of that.
I just dropped a load off at Goodwill. Next time I’ll check it out
 
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