Speaking of display, the 5.5-inch touch screen is crystal clear in all lighting conditions and works with all of my gloves.īeyond just getting you to where you want to go, the zūmo XT has a plethora of other functions such as controlling music, calls, and notifications from your phone, recording tracks of where you’ve been, and trip planning. Following routes on the zūmo XT seems to be easier than smartphone apps thanks to the optimized display and more accurate zooming with speed. Tracks also has the benefit of pointing the way if you include a trail the device would otherwise avoid. However, my experience is the Route functions work best if you’re letting the navi choose the route, whereas Tracks is the way to go for pre-planned trips. When you want to get off the beaten path and ride pre-planned routes, the zūmo XT is compatible with GPX files as either “Routes” (turn-by-turn directions) or “Tracks” (line on the map). But you can also choose a direct routing path or “Adventurous Routing.” I found the Adventurous Routing picked enjoyable paved routes but rarely got into gravel or dirt. Using the device’s basic functions is fairly intuitive, things like routing to a specific address or finding a pre-loaded point of interest work like you’d expect. Most users should be ready to ride within 30–60 minutes of cracking open the box.
Two things I found easier than expected were installing the Garmin’s mount arm and Bluetooth pairing, which was a first attempt success on two different brands of helmet communicators. When it came to mounting the device the most difficult part was routing the power cable neatly. And the device guides you through downloading the Garmin Drive mobile app on your smartphone (required for traffic and weather information), connecting to Wi-Fi, and updating the maps and firmware. Setting up and mounting the zūmo XT is just about as painless as one can ask for.
Life on the handlebars isn’t too much for the zūmo XT to handle either, given the IPX7 water resistance and a military-spec drop rating.
This type of USB cable was surprising, given that the movement is solidly toward USB-C, but I would not need the USB cable too often as an included mount enables the navi to be hardwired into the bike’s electrical system.
In the box with the zūmo XT are the instructions, a rubberized ball-mount system (compatible with RAM), electrical power cable, and mini-USB cable. Garmin’s motorcycle line has mostly concentrated on street, but their latest navi, the zūmo XT, has a few new features that make it more useful for adventure/DS riders off the tarmac. Garmin has long been the big fish in the pool of GPS, and their zūmo line of products has graced motorcycle handlebars for years.