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Customer Reviews and Ratings for Garmin Zumo 660 |
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69% of our reviewers recommend this item.
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Indie Girl
Boston
Nov 16, 2011
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I LOVE MY ZUMO!
Pros: easy to use, intuitive, custom routes
Cons: speaker could be louder
I love my new Zumo 660! It is the perfect GPS for a motorcycle. It was very easy to program in custom routes and take off. Easy to use, intuitive, can't imagine how I rode without it before. I also loved the lane assist pictures for confusing intersections -- made it very easy to find my way.
Recommend? YES
11 viewers found this helpful.
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Brian
St Louis, MO
Oct 31, 2011
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EXCELENT MOTORCYCLE GPS
Pros: well lighted to see in bright sunlight, waterproof
Cons: have to open the back to use the usp port
Purchased the unit to replace a automotive Garmin for my Goldwing. The Zumo is very well lit and is readable in bright sunlight with polarized sunglasses on. I am using the Mini SD card for music and running the sound over my motorcycle speakers. Sound and verbal directions are clear. Needed to update the unit to the new 2012 maps but Garmin allows one free upgrade. This unit has been in heavy rain and handles the wet very well. Easy to install however, I already had the clutch mount brackets from Ram installed.
Recommend? YES
14 viewers found this helpful.
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Jb
Canberra, Australia
Oct 18, 2011
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BETTER THAN 550
So far I have found this one better than my old 550. The lane assist is handy on US freeways
Recommend? YES
12 viewers found this helpful.
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Kevin
Monrovia, Ca
Oct 4, 2011
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GREAT PRODUCT
This is a great unit. With that said, the first one they sent us had a problem with the built in speaker. I called GPS City and they immediately sent me a replacement unit. Great customer service.
Recommend? YES
17 viewers found this helpful.
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BA
Sanford Fl.
Oct 2, 2011
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NO TEXT TO SPEECH
Pros: works great in vechial cradle
Cons: wont do text to speech in motorcycle cradle
I bought this unit 6 weeks ago and still havent had any luck with Garmen support with why it doesnt do text to speech while in motorcycle cradle thw Harle dealer told me it will never work with Harley the only one that will work is the roadtech 600 & 655 and even then you have to have modular interface wired in so what I have is a very exspensive car GPS
Recommend? NO
17 viewers found this helpful.
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Tony
Toronto, ON
Sep 26, 2011
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GOOD FRIEND
Pros: very easy to read at speed. works well with gloves
Cons: some quirks, but nothing serious.
Seriously, there are a lot of very nitpicky people writing reviews here. I used a Zumo 660 for an 8500 km road trip this summer through the Atlantic provinces and New England and by the end it was an old friend who I found I could rely on. Sure, there was the odd minor glitch here and there. There were a couple of unexpected re-boots a couple of unusual routing choices (but that's City Nav, not the hardware) and they turned out to be really enjoyable anyway. Once the City Nav software told me the closest gas station was 195kms away when there were two within 15 kms (again that's the mapping software).
But overall, it was rugged, reliable, intuitive, and easy to operate with riding gloves on. I had a bunch of maps with me which I used only at night in my motel room to get an overall sense of where I wanted to go next and which I never once had to pull out during the day.
Knowing what I know about the unit after using it every day, all day for 22 days, I wouldn't hesitate to get another one or to recommend that you get one. It's not cheap to buy, but it made my trip an absolute pleasure and was the most used and most trusted accessory I had on the trip.
One thing: just get in the habit of taking the two seconds it takes to pop the thing out of the cradle and into your pocket each time you leave your bike. I didn't even go into a Tim's for a coffee without pulling it off and taking it with me. I would have been completely heartbroken if it had been stolen, but worse, I would have been completely lost.
Loved it. Buy one. Stop thinking about it. :)
Recommend? YES
18 viewers found this helpful.
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DenV
Gatineau / Ottawa Canada
Aug 28, 2011
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ZUMO 600
does excatly what i hoped for and more. clear and easy to see screen easy to operate and figure out love the blue tooth so i see calls coming in while riding
Recommend? YES
35 viewers found this helpful.
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keith
rosemount, minn
Aug 15, 2011
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MOTORCYCLE GPS
love this gps. easy to use and a lot of functions that are very useful to the motorcycle rider. screen is easy to see even in the bright sunlight. screen size is good to see from the riders seat.
Recommend? YES
35 viewers found this helpful.
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Bob
New York
Aug 14, 2011
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EXCELLENT SO FAR
Pros: functions. garmin map sets
Cons: see above
I bought the Zumo to replace a Nuvi 350. I wanted something I can use in the car and on a motorcycle. So, far the unit has performed well, although I have not completely put it through its paces in terms of uploading routes from my computer. I do not expect any problems in that area.
You may see complaints about the amount of screen detail, but you can mitigate that some by using a menu option to display more detail on the map. It's different than on older Garmin but it takes only one or two trips to get used to.
I have not paired it with a bluetooth device yet, but the process seems straightforward enough. All in all I'm satisfied with my purchase and dealing with GPS City was hassle-free.
My only nit to pick so far is this: for motorcycle use, you are committed to mounting it with the wiring harness. There does not appear to be an aftermarket solution to allow you to mount just the cradle and run on the battery (which is what I'd like to do).
Recommend? YES
43 viewers found this helpful.
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Valkyrie
Richmond, VA
Jul 21, 2011
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ZUMO 665
Pros: weather, traffic, sensitivity, recalc speed.
Cons: hard to see in sun map color scheme searching
I used a Quest2 on my motorcycle and switched to the Zumo 665 because of its signal sensitivity - which is wonderful. The Quest2 should have been named "Lost Satellite Reception2". However, the Zumo 665 has its limitations also. It is difficult to see in sunlight and does not show map features like a real map. I use the "Track Up" 2D feature for more realistic maps. I wish they had another color scheme like with less dramatic colors. More dark on light background - I can't see colors well and find the many colored roads distracting.
I also don't like having to remove the battery cover to load data and its hard to get off.
Searching is not as easy. It does not allow you to find places near the cursor like the Quest2. You have to spell a city name. It is much easier to search the map and point to a location and then search for things nearby.
The traffic and weather features are great. It has saved me from horrific delays on interstate hwys. It has routed me around accidents that I didn't know about until I was well clear of the congestion. The weather feature alerts you to rain or road conditions that might affect your travel. It give you alerts to storms, tornados, even heat advisories. You can touch the alert areas to find out what it means.
The bluetooth link with my phone works great and I can answer my cell phone by touching the screen and talking to the GPS. It has great reception and the calls are very clear. I use a bluetooth earpiece in my helmet and the link is fine.
Recommend? YES
60 viewers found this helpful.
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RLS
IL
Jul 16, 2011
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ZUMO 660
Cons: could use maybe an eq for music play
We are very happy with this item.
Recommend? YES
69 viewers found this helpful.
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Poseidon062
Baltimore
Jun 22, 2011
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HELP
Pros: great service
Cons: nonevat this time
I may be jumping the gun here but I had to say my 2cents gumby said was very very bad customr help. Well my sumo 550 whent belly up 3 days before I was due for 6,000 mile cross country trip. I called and was told they would have a replacement to me next day mail (well shortly after hanging up I get E mail and told no 550s in stock till mid July ) so they worked out and going to send me the 660 and they give me there word I will have it tomorrow well to me that is taking care of the customer. So I will wright again after my trip and tell u how the 660 is to me
Recommend? YES
73 viewers found this helpful.
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No-Plan
Fort McMurray, Alberta
Jun 14, 2011
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PRETTY HANDY.
Pros: quick recalculation, bright, handy.
Cons: expensive, keyboard is slow to respond.
Had to upgrade from a Zumo 450 (which I loved) and after a ton of reading reviews decided to take the plunge on a 660 for the better Bluetooth then 550. I didn't even turn it on until I updated the maps and firmware, and upon doing so every single problem I have read about didn't exist.
Pretty epic little thing IF UPDATED! you must update this before you even bother to look at it, then and only then will you not be disappointed.
Recommend? YES
73 viewers found this helpful.
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Jim
Greensboro, NC
May 23, 2011
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ZUMO 660
Cons: usb cable location.
Extremely happy with the unit. It is a little difficult for me to see in bright sunlight. Also having issues with the Garmin map software planning trips but that improve as I work with it more. Over all satisfied.
Recommend? YES
78 viewers found this helpful.
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Bob
Aroda, VA
May 19, 2011
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OUTSTANDING GPS ON OR OFF YOUR BIKE
Pros: good size screen, easy to read on my bikes.
This is a very good unit. It works well on my big dresser. The fuel level reminder is a nice tool on my smaller bike.
The unit works so well, I bought a second unit for my wife's car. She is also very happy with it. This is our forth Garmin Model.
Recommend? YES
81 viewers found this helpful.
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Tim
Illinois
May 13, 2011
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NOT FOR A WANDERING MOTORCYCLIST
Pros: search and routing.
Cons: map detail.
I am a long time and repeated buyer of Garmin products for use with motorcycling. I did not hesitate to buy the Zumo 660 for my motorcycling. MISTAKE! It is impossible to use for navigating by detailed mapping. Every other Garmin unit I have owned allows me to do this. The 660 is great to find places by search menu and then set a route there. But I want to be able to see where I am in relationship to other roads, towns, and places of interests (like lakes and rivers) and vear off and follow the scrooling map-screen and the 660 does not do this. Again, the 660 map detail is not there (always set to "most" detail) .... just a lot of blank screen area. So I've taken out of retirement my old Garmin 276C and I'm back in love with motorcycling GPS. When Garmin says the 660 is designed by motorcyclists for motorcyclists ... that is merely advertising hype ... except probably for the Bluetooth technology ... but useful motorcyclist GPS it is not.
Recommend? NO
99 viewers found this helpful.
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Brian
Trenton, ON
May 8, 2011
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GARMIN ZUMO 660 OFFICIAL REVIEW
Pros: beatiful bright display on a 4.3" display
Cons: price is high but remember, it's only money.
Garmin did it right with this GPS unit. This is my 6th GPS purchased from Garmin and my first motorcycle certified GPS. The display is viewable even on the brighest days. I recently completed a 250 km trip with several stops along the route where I removed the GPS from my Spyder RT-S (gas/coffee stops). When I got to my destination and reviewed the trip, the whole route was captured with the option to save it. It paired easily with my I-phone and Scala G4 comm package. The only complaint is I don't find the volume loud enough at max settings on the road. So I will re-adjust my helmet speakers to see if that corrects this issue. On a recent trip I found the music was cutting in and out while listening to some MP3's via blue tooth.
Recommend? YES
80 viewers found this helpful.
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Roger
MN
May 3, 2011
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YEAH!
Cons: you need to remove battery door in order to upload
I've had Garmin units for a while and this latest is very nice. Does everything I want and very easy to load routes or download the days trip to my computer. The trip profile is a cool feature giving you the low altitude and high altitude along with distance traveled and total feet ascent and total feet descent.
Recommend? YES
78 viewers found this helpful.
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Bruno
Toronto, ON
Apr 26, 2011
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ZUMO 660
Pros: steady when in the mount and practical to remove.
Cons: the software is light years behind tomtom software
Got it delivered on time. Could have installed it myself, but since the bike is still under warranty, I took it to the dealer and the installation was great, with the wires going under the tank an so on, no cables or wires hanging around. I only had the chance to use it once so far. The unit seems to be very resistant and the mount that comes together is really steady and practical. Easy to clip on and remove the gps every time I jump out of the bike. The great con is the software, and the software for connection on the computer and do the updates. The tomtom software (that I have on my car gps) is lightyears ahead of garmin, much easer, friendly and functional.
Recommend? YES
86 viewers found this helpful.
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Chuck
Renfrew
Apr 25, 2011
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NOT IMPRESSED
I've owned a Zumo 550 for the past three years, love it to death.
So I assumed that the 660 would be even nicer...WRONG!!! Only good thing is a slightly bigger screen. (Which incidentally is really why I bought it)
- the 660 has a slower rate of redraw! and when in busy traffic this is a nightmare! - screen does not refresh soon enough (ie. when in track up mode does not go from 50km to 30km to 20km to 12km and so on)the ratio seems to be off compared to the 550 - little white arrow turn indicator is very small comparedt to the 550 and there fore very hard to see at a glance. It also gets lost behind road names. - I also dont like the many colours that try to make it look like an actual satelite shot. (similar to Google maps Satellite or map view). They should stick with the map type view.
I will admit Lane assist is pretty cool.
But I'm just not pleased with the way it operates.
I do not recommend this product.
Mine is going on Kijiji today!
Recommend? NO
93 viewers found this helpful.
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Doug
Victoria B.C.
Apr 12, 2011
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THE BEST, USER FREINDLY GPS
Pros: most user freindly for mounting and operation.
This is the most user freindly gps i have ever used,(with gloves on). The wirering harness was easy to install and al the brackets you need for mounting the gps base come with it.
Recommend? YES
86 viewers found this helpful.
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Gumby
Edmonton, AB
Apr 6, 2011
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DON'T LOSE OR DAMAGE THE SOFT WEATHER CAP!
I have had great luck with the unit, HOWEVER The weather cap that protects your line out/antenna connections CANNOT BE REPLACED. Garmin does not sell it, stock it, provide it, hell, they don't even have a part number. They also can't tell you what size of machine screw you need to attach it so making your own becomes extremely difficult. Their warranty repair depots don't have it either as this part is not supplied to them. Garmin told me my only alternative was to purchase a ENTIRELY NEW unit for a part that, at most, would cost only a few bucks. Their (Garmin's) support staff are the worst I have ever dealt with.
Recommend? NO
102 viewers found this helpful.
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Jim
Nashville, TN
Mar 17, 2011
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GREAT MOTORCYCLE GPS
This GPS works as advertised to work. It interconnects with my intercom and radio system its easy to program doesn't take an electronics engineer to make it give you the info you want. I have no complaints big screen is great you would have to be blind to not see it. I highly recommend it. If you notice most of the negative comments about this unit are from Europe it must work different over there no problems here in the good ole USA
Recommend? YES
92 viewers found this helpful.
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Madman
Maine
Mar 5, 2011
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FANTASTIC VALUE
Great motorcycle GPS. Has everything you need in one package. And GPS City had the best price!!
Recommend? YES
100 viewers found this helpful.
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Lazyace
Gator Country
Feb 15, 2011
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DISSAPPOINTED
Pros: waterproof
Cons: expensive, dated gui, poor quality bluetooth
I ordered this after extensive research and many mixed reviews. I gave it a thorough evaluation. I decided that it didn't meet my needs or expectations. #1 - way too expensive! The Bluetooth transmittal to my motorcycle headset was very poor quality. The unit was very hard to see in daylight. The Garmin GUI is very outdated. It needs an update. The only advantage this unit has over the unit I exchanged it for (NUVI 3790LMT) is waterproofness. I'm not sure that is a big deal, just put a ziplock over your GPS and a rubber band around the bottom when you absolutely just have to ride in the rain. Otherwise, just toss it into a saddlebag or put the ziplock over it. Also, everything Crocodile said in his review. The 3790 has a new interface, is easy to read in the sun, doesn't do MP3s, but I just slip my iPod into a jacket pocket and plug a short coiled cord into my helmet and I'm good to go. BTW, the 3790 was $180 cheaper. GPSCITY was great on the exchange! No hassles and I'm happy with my second choice. All it cost me was return shipping which I felt was more than fair.
Recommend? NO
117 viewers found this helpful.
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Crocodile
Australia
Jan 15, 2011
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WHO WERE THE "BIKERS" WHO HELPED DESIGNED THIS?
Pros: gets you to major roads and most places
Cons: slow, intrusive ui, poor design in many areas
I don't know who the "bikers" were who designed this, although I can assure you it was not me.
I have been using this GPS for over 1 year now, and I do a lot of long distance riding. It seems that it doesn't like telling me the names of small streets, assuming that a little squiggle or a plain blotch of land is enough for me to know where I am. On a motorcycle there is little time to think about it based on a blotch or squiggle.
The slow redraw speed is no good. My Pentium 150 (Windows NT Workstation 4.0) can draw things hundreds of times faster than this GPS can. Either optimize the software more and/or get a faster processor.
In addition, it doesn't seem to understand that 150m is NOT the same as 15m - because whenever I am almost at the corner I am supposed to turn, it decrements 150m, 140m, 130m, 120m, etc. up until I am actually at the corner, before decrementing further (15m, 10m, 5m, 0m) and it does this even when I have stopped, eg. at a red light.
Also, the design of accessing the USB port to get updates is stupid I had to open the battery compartment and access the USB port (tried plugging it into the one on the side, but it keeps telling me "The USB cable is plugged into the wrong port" or some other error) - a bad design to begin with.
And just why does the mount have to have 18 pins on it?! Has anybody heard of a "set of sockets"? The more pins you have on a mount that is exposed to the elements, and the more pins on the device that is exposed to the elements, the greater the wear and tear on them, 24K gold plated (I'm guessing) doesn't make much of a difference here. It's the mounting and unmounting actions that can wear it out more.
Integrated circuits have this many pins (and in many cases, less, depending on the IC) because they don't get mounted and unmounted every time a device is turned on or off.
A "weather cap" is quite a useless thing either yes it protects the badly designed mount contact pins, but it can get stolen easily and it must be a pain to have to order them.
The mount is also supplied with cabling that you have to SOLDER inline to the power supply. Strictly speaking, alligator clips (small ones) or even ring terminals at the end are a good choice here.
I had to move the GPS mount from one bike (CB250RS) to another (XV250) and it was a pain having to shorten the cable by just a little in order to get it working (I got a Yamaha dealer to do it on the new one) - as if the cable was not short enough already.
I think the only thing the mount really needed was power supply connections and possibly antenna connections. external devices should be able to connect to the GPS without needing the mount. A headphone jack does NOT belong in the GPS mount for sure. And neither does a USB cable, which doesn't work when plugged into the PC anyway.
And the webupdater only supports Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP and above, but what about Linux users or Mac users? Gotta think *cross-platform* and *easy-to-update* here.
If I were them, I'd be recompiling the software for different platforms.
In addition, putting a speaker in there (even though it appears to be a mylar cone type, which probably explains its IP65 rating - although it probably just matched that standard) is NO good if you ride in the Australian country, where speed limits go 80km/h and above, and you get insects galore and end up running into insects at high speed. They can get into the small speaker grille and clog them up and render the speaker completely useless. And if debris is small enough to get in, puncture the cone and the GPS is no longer waterproof.
Another problem is that it ALWAYS asks you to agree to a safety statement I am sick of having to press that just to get to the main screen!
And why can't it pop up asking me if I want toll vs non- toll? Why do I have to set it up beforehand? Tomtom does this!
Had lots of issues with the touch screen too. Have to press harder than when I first got it and I'm not Godzilla and I have to do things through gloves. It needs a slightly larger screen.
And many of the icons tend to be too small to touch (eg. music icon), and the popups for alerts tend to be very intrusive and block access to other areas. In addition, it often thinks I am on Road X when I am actually on Road Y but doesn't realize until a few more seconds of Road Y travel.In my opinion too, the various GUI controls seem to have been designed by a 16-year-old "web developer" rather than a software engineer. Too much eye candy and transition effects in many places. Overall, a very intrusive and poor user interface design.
Only advantage of getting this is that it gets you somewhere. It is not worth the price for this "motorcycle" GPS for sure. I can think of LOTS of improvements to make to the GPS for sure.
Recommend? NO
123 viewers found this helpful.
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Ben
Quebec
Nov 17, 2010
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GOOD GPS
Pros: the new maps are great
Cons: bluetooth stereo is poor quality
Everything is great except for the Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) the sound is like mono using them with the Scala G4 it was so bad I reconnected to my Blackberry. I hope they will fix that.
Recommend? YES
106 viewers found this helpful.
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Genesisn
Fairview, Texas (Near Dallas)
Oct 26, 2010
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BATTERY IS BAD!!!
Pros: great screen
Cons: battery cannot take any warm heat at all
I love the way the GPS works. I use it all the time in my car and on my motorcycle. I have had it for 3 months and if it gets the least bit warm the sound gets crackling, it tells me to put the battery in or the touch screen quits working. I would think a GPS intended for motorcycles could take a little heat.
Recommend? YES
114 viewers found this helpful.
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Gil
St. John's, NL
Oct 3, 2010
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ZUMO 660
Pros: easy gui, works well with gloves, bright display
Cons: sticky power button, non-locking mount
We had great success with the 660 on our 6500km trip for the most part. It did shut off/reboot twice in a row while we were on the road. Luckily, where we were when this happened I was somewhat familiar with and was well marked. This would have been bigger issue if we were on an unfamiliar section of highway/interstate with lots of traffic and on/off ramps etc! The power button is sticking so this could be an explanation for the unexpected reboots. The unit does seem to provide more information for US roads than Canadian. ie speed limits, lane assit info etc. I really liked these features when travelling through NY State and Pennsylvania. Only once did it try to send us down the wrong way on a one way street in Troy, NY! Other than that, I'm very happy with the unit and I think it worked as advertised. A locking mount would have been nice feature but for the extra few seconds it took to remove and lock in our top box it wasnt a big deal.
Recommend? YES
114 viewers found this helpful.
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Don
Calgary
Sep 23, 2010
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A PRETTY FACE
The Zumo 660 is a drop dead gorgeous blond that you'd be proud to be seen with anywhere, but not a single brain cell in her head!! HAHA!! -)
My latest issue with the 660 is the auto zoom. It doesn't show the same level of detail as my 2730 did. Here is how the 660's auto zoom was explained to me:
First of all, understand that the Zumo doesn't use the same "auto-zoom-to-next-turn" language as the older units. The 660 Zumo uses PROXIMITY zoom, and SPEED zoom. Two seperate applications running at the same time.
You have two user settable zoom settings on your 660. A low speed zoom, and for speeds over 60mph, a high speed zoom, which drops back to your low speed zoom at approx. 40mph and will stay there until you start approaching a turn or speed back up above 60.
You can set the zoom scale while travelling slowly, and then again while travelling over 60, and it will be remembered, and if you want the same scale for all speeds, just set it to your preferred scale twice (once below 60 and again above 60.
If you set your speed to the same scale at both speed settings, she will still begin to draw in when you start approaching a prescribed turn. If you have a 3.80 or later version update on the system, you also have the option to turn zooming OFF, which leaves you at a totally fixed zoom scale with NO pop-up indicators and NO proximity zoom. When zoom is set to off, the unit may not remember your preferred setting after shutting down, so you may have to manually set the scale each time you use it.
The 660 scales back it's details to give you less clutter on the screen (nobody asked me if *I * minded the clutter :-(. You'll find the road name and detail imaging at 800 ft to be on par with what your 27xx had at .2 miles. If you set both units side by side and set the 27xx scale at .2 miles and the 660 scale at 800ft, both screens will LOOK identical in size and scale. This is because they use a differen MEASUREMENT for the scale on the 660. (take some calipers and measure the little line that the scale is relating to, it's a different length on both units).
The 660, also cuts back on road names that are way out in front of you (We're talking 2D screen setting here. I want to see a map, not a movie!). At 800ft. It will show you the name of the road that is closest to your location, then the distant road names will appear as you get closer to and pass the first one.
The 660 is a fantastic "finder" machine. The search function and screen readability is fantastic. I like the speed limit indicator, although it ain't always right and doesn't work in Canada, and I LOVE the turn and info layout on the screen. It just sucks as a "route keeper". At least for me anyhow. I still recommend them for NEW GPS USERS who've never tasted the technology that was tossed out from the earlier streetpilots.
As for me I'd like to get my 2730 fixed and go back to using it.
Recommend? YES
112 viewers found this helpful.
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don
Calgary
Sep 14, 2010
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ZUMO 660
Pros: internal battery, good screen
Cons: useless as a mapping device, not enough detail
My last GPS was a Garmin 2730 and compared to the 660 the 2730 is a much better GPS.
On the plus side the 660 has an internal battery, a larger screen and offers posted speed information, if you are riding in the US.
What the 660 doesn't do as well is function as a map! The auto zoom feature more ofen than not will settle into a scale that will not display cities or cross roads or highways. I may have 80 kms to go before my next turn but the 660 will show the map at an 800 meter scale. This might show six or seven kilometers of purple line, but with no detail whatsoever. There could be a city within 3 or 4 kms and it will not show on the screen.
To my mind it is near useless as a mapping device.
Recommend? NO
110 viewers found this helpful.
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Bigguyed
Dallas Tx
Sep 1, 2010
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MY THOUGHTS
Pros: well designed formats
Cons: audio output from external jack low
Most of the features that I have used work well. I would have prefered the USB interface jack would have been put external as I have a hard time getting the battery cover off with my big hands. When I corrupted the map data on the ram I could not reload from disc because it thought I was data sharing. It was a good thing I had all the data backed up in a flash drive. This is my first GPS and overall I am pleased with the features and preformance. I have found that some of the interstate modifications do not show up such as business-bypass-toll with the same highway number. Over it is not a bad unit!!!!!
Recommend? YES
103 viewers found this helpful.
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Marco
Saint-Hubert, Quebec , canada
Aug 19, 2010
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GOOD GPS
Pros: easy to learn and use
Cons: map should recognize dirt road
Last weekend we ended up in a gravel road !!!!! I was not very impressed. I thought buying a zumo 660 that is made for motorcycle it would at least recognize the dirt road.
Recommend? YES
112 viewers found this helpful.
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Ron
Saskatoon Sask.
Jul 27, 2010
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MOTORCYCLE GPS
I like the fact that you can use a pin number for security. It keeps telling me to insert the battery when it is all ready installed.
Recommend? YES
111 viewers found this helpful.
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Tudgie
Peterborough, Ontario
Jul 26, 2010
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LOVE THE ZUMO!
Very easy to learn how to use this unit. Lots of features that my Nuvi didn't have - current m.p.h. posted speed and the speed I'm going was a good feature in the U.S. when I only have kms on my Harley.
Recommend? YES
112 viewers found this helpful.
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Cliff
Palatka, FL
Jul 26, 2010
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MOTORCYCLE GPS
Pros: large touch screen
Cons: see review.
This unit performs very well within its limits. Garmin still has a few issues to resolve but still considered the best available for the specialized market. There are some bluetooth issues related to some apparent conflicts with voice commands while paired with both a bluetooth headset and cell phone. Also needs some refinement in setting avoidances for routing.
Recommend? YES
129 viewers found this helpful.
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War
Surrey BC
Jul 14, 2010
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ZUMO 660 4 BIKERS
Pros: large screen, touch screen, 3d mode rocks
Cons: none so far. mp3 format for music
I just used this gps on a day trip from Vancouver to Manning Park and back with a couple of riders. The device worked really well and was accurate. I really enjoyed the 3D mode which gives you up and down perspective of the road as well as left to right. If a blind corner is coming up, it shows that it crests and then dips sharply to the left which lets you know to "really slow down". Wonderful and useful setting. I didnt get a chance to check out how the software re-adjusts to a route change. It took awhile for it to find a new route but got on board after awhile. I used the touch screen with summer gloves on and it worked fine. Almost no missed pressed positions. The screen worked quite well in full sun. I need reading glasses and I could still see most of the letters and numbers. I am looking forward to using it on a bigger trip this summer but so far I am very please with this purchase. I bought the 660 instead of the 550 because I wanted the bigger screen for my eyes. I am glad I went for the larger one. Also, if you want to use the MP3 player, use ear plugs. The speaker is not loud enough. Make sure you use mp3 type download format. It seems to be the only one that works on it. After alot of frustrating hours and attempts to get music on the sd card, I finally got it figured out that it uses mp3 format ONLY! I use a Zune and a Creative and they use all sorts of formats but I didnt have my songs on mp3. So I had to change them all to put it on the card.
Recommend? YES
115 viewers found this helpful.
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Dave
Derry, NH
Jul 13, 2010
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MOTORCYCLE SPECIFIC GPS
have used it for a 2000+ mile canada trip, was very useful and got me away from lost or confused several times. would like to see a more detailed operations manual, included with the unit, as i had to have a friend download and print one for me, being without a printer. also the read-out is difficult to see when riding with the sun at my back. would like to see maybe some type of snap-on sun-shade for on off use in those conditions. had a garmin gps V prior to this unit, it was easier to see riding out of the sun. otherwise a very good aand useful unit. seems to be fairly difficult to update the maps, but the support[garmin] is pretty quick on answers when specific questions are submitted to them.
Recommend? YES
109 viewers found this helpful.
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Gumby
Edmonton, AB
Jul 11, 2010
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I THINK THE TRANSLATION FOR ZUMO IS GARBAGE . . .
I had nothing but problems with this unit. You definitely do not get value for your dollar, you run the risk of the unit running out of memory doing an update to your maps, and, if I haven't stated it before, YOU DO NOT GET VALUE FOR YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY.
So, what I did was take an alpine pnd-k3 GPS (I'm sure that any kind of GPS for that matter would work) had it wired into my tank bag, put velcro strips on the bottom of it and on top of the bag, made sure I had enough cable to store it in one of the side pockets on the bag if it rained, and by the time I bought the GPS, the tank bag, took it to my favorite bike shop to have them tie it into the Autocom, mp3 player and satellite radio all off of ONE power cord so I could just grab the tank bag in seconds, it was WAY CHEAPER and worked way better than the 660. Just some food for thought.
Recommend? NO
128 viewers found this helpful.
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Jan
Tallahassee, FL
Jun 30, 2010
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GARMN ZUMO 660 NICE CYCLE GPS
Pros: quick recalculation, nice large screen, trip compu
Cons: garmin map update process sucks, need pois on scre
First, GPS City had the best price and shipped very fast. Thanks GPS City.
The unit itself works just great. The map update process at Garmin was terrible. I used it on a couple of short rides on the motorcycle and some short trips in the car to get used to it's functions. Then this week our group went for a 550 mile ride on Harley's Million Mile Monday. The route worked better than some other GPS I have used but did have a couple of times it wanted to take a strange route. But, it quickly recalculated when common sense prevailed. The trip computer function was great for viewing info like average moving speed, stop time and total average speed. There is not option to show points of interest like gas stations, food, etc on the screen. Any favorites you put into the unit will show on the screen but none from the map POI file. You can have it search for gas or food and get directions, but it does not show them on the map until you select GO. Have not been rained on yet so I can not speak about how waterproof it is.
Recommend? YES
120 viewers found this helpful.
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Dave G
Ottawa, ON
Jun 29, 2010
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A BIT BETTER THAN THE 550
I already owned a Zumo 550 when I purchased my Zumo 660. There are some features on the 660 that are better than on the 550, and some that are not. I've listed some below.
1) The 550 uses one of it's "hard" buttons to allow you to instantly return to the navigation view, regardless of what page you may be currently looking at. For example, if you are currently searching for a point of interest, you may be 3 or 4 pages deep. One press of the hard button on the 550 gets you back to the navigation view. On the 660, it means multiple presses of a soft "return" button, then pressing the "view map" soft button. 2) On the 660, if you are looking for lodging, you will find that all types of lodging are lumped together under a single category. There are no subcategories for camping, hotels, motels, etc. If you want to find campgrounds, the only way to do it is to search for "camp" or "campground", or "camping" under the general lodging category. The 550 offers subcategories under lodging to make this easy and straight forward. It boggles my mind why Garmin would take away what seems to me to be very basic functionality that existed on the 550. 3) Regarding avoidances, on the 550 you can select both "Interstates" and "Highways" as separate avoidances. On the 660, only "Highways" is available. I find that selecting "Highways" on the 660 does avoid interstate highways, but will still route you along some pretty major, multilane highways. Again, why did Garmin take functionality away on the 660 that was available on the 550? 4) The 660's display is significantly larger than the 550's - very nice. 5) I love the fact that I can choose what data I want displayed in the lower left and right corners of the 660's display. For example, if I have a deadline for arriving at my destination, I will choose to have time of arrival shown if I'm driving in the mountains, I may choose to display elevation. 6) A tap of the vehicle icon on the navigation page on the 660 takes you immediately to an information page that shows the address of where you currently are and gives you quick access to a fuel search. Very handy. Not available on the 550. 7) If you are using the 660 to track your fuel consumption while in motorcycle mode, the music player button on the navigation display is replaced by a fuel search button when the low fuel level is reached. This makes it easy to find fuel, but you no longer have access to the MP3 player functions from the navigation display, until you reset you fuel gauge. This is a PITA. 8) The Zumo 550 has a theft deterrent feature built into its motorcycle mount. A special tool that comes with the 550 can be used to lock down the release latch, making it more difficult for someone to quickly remove the 550 from your bike and walk away with it. I relied on this if I was just popping into a store for a minute or two. No such feature exists on the 660 motorcycle mount. It literally takes only a couple of seconds to remove the unit from the mount. 9) The lane-assist feature on the 660, not present on the 550, is very handy. Unfortunately, the navteq database does not always have the information available for Garmin to use. I have to presume that this will only get better over time, though, as long as I keep the database up to date. 10) The same goes for the speed limit display on the 660. When good data is available, it's really nice to be able to see the current speed limit. The problem is that you cannot trust the information. Sometimes the wrong speed limit is displayed, and if you didn't happen to notice, you may find yourself speaking to the man in blue. This is a navteq database content problem, not a Garmin problem. 11) The cable on the motorcycle mount for the 660 is permanently attached to the mount. I liked the fact that on the 550 the cable can be removed from the motorcycle mount, thereby allowing the 550 to be used on a bike in battery powered mode without cable clutter. If you want to do that on the 660, you're going to have about 6 feet of heavy cable and multiple connectors to deal with.
Overall, I would say I like the 660 a bit better than the 550, but not by a whole lot.
Recommend? YES
131 viewers found this helpful.
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Sue
Washington, DC
Jun 28, 2010
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BEST MOTORCYCLE GPS
Great product with great features. This GPS is very glove friendly. I found the unit and the software very easy to use. I used to have a Quest 2 which was supposed to be motorcycle friendly (NOT). The Zumo 660 is a far superior product.
Recommend? YES
118 viewers found this helpful.
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MM
Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 9, 2010
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CAN'T DO THE BASICS WELL
This GPS has promise, but it is far from being a great or even good GPS. The basic problem is that a bike rider must be able to look quickly at a GPS and glean all information needed instantly. This is impossible with the 660.
1. The screen is very prone to glare. Much more so than my TomTom rider. The case should be designed in a way such that the screen is protected from sunlight as much as possible.
2. Fingerprints show up easily and reflect sunlight, again making it difficult to see the data on the screen.
3. The map is way to cluttered. Too many different colors, to many shades of the same colors and too many nonessential items make it difficult to relate the map on the screen to the street you are riding down.
4. Fonts are way too small.
5. The turn screen is much too small. This is the basic function of a nav device, to tell you where you need to turn. A bike gps should make it easy to see where you need to turn, even if you have no sound. The turn marker is very small, the distance to turn font is probably 10pt at the most, and the type face used is not the best.
6. The processor is too slow for maps, even set normal resolution. I prefer my nav maps to be in 2D with my direction of travel at the top. This forces nav units to frequently redraw maps and the 660 just can't handle this job. If you make a wrong turn it may take 3-5 seconds to recalculate and redraw the map.
7. With FW 3.8 there are many bugs, including random shut downs
Recommend? NO
148 viewers found this helpful.
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haggiz
Scotland, UK
Jun 6, 2010
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WHAT A PIECE OF C**P
Pros: great if it worked
Cons: just not reliable
I'm on my second 660 after the first developed a screen fault after only two months. The unit they replaced it with was a reconditioned unit that was three months older (this became apparent when i re-registered it, and it had previouslu been registered in june 09 rather than the sept 09 of my original unit) However i wasnt too bothered as i thought, well these things happen, and i figured the unit would now be good for many years to come. NOT SO. I spent the last couple of months figuring out the ideal route down through France into the pyrennes across Spain and returning up through France, Belgium, aned Holland. Day 1 in France it completely froze. it wouldnt power off, until i removed the battery, then when replaced would sporadically power up and freeze, until absolutely nothing. I am disgusted, this completely changed the nature of the trip my friend and i were taking, and although a trip on your bike with a good friend is always good, it did put a massive damper on the trip as we had relied so heavily on the Garmin. i am currently in communication with Garmin, so we will see what happens next. They can either do the bare minimum that they are legally obliged to do, ie replace the unit, or they can take the matter seriously and attempt to salavage a ver disgruntled customer. in my opinion, but the TomTom.
Recommend? NO
137 viewers found this helpful.
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Old timer
Long Island, NY
Jun 5, 2010
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FIRST TIME USER
Pros: easy to use
Cons: cost
I just had the unit installed on my Harley ultra classic using the optional fairing mount. The unit was just installed so it has only been used locally with no proplems thus far. It is very user friendly, even for us old timer's from the stone age.
Recommend? YES
133 viewers found this helpful.
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John
Kanata Ontario
Jun 1, 2010
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EXCELLENT GPS
Cons: none
Great features.I have replaced my zumo 550 as it was stolen. I find the 660 easy to use,installation was very easy. The display is much nicer.
Recommend? YES
143 viewers found this helpful.
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Arthur
San Diego CA
Jun 1, 2010
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GARMIN ZUMO 660
Pros: motorcycle mode is great!!
Great product. Works exactly as I need for my motorcycle. I also use it walking and in the car. The videos from GPS CITY took the mystery out of mounting it.
Recommend? YES
140 viewers found this helpful.
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Ricardo
Roseville, CA....Panajachel, Guatemala, C.A.
Jun 1, 2010
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THEY'VE GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME, BUT NO MANUAL
Pros: all good, the speed limit signs help a lot.
Cons: at this price they should include a manual
This Zumo replaced a Street Pilot 2720 that gave up the ghost. It is better in all ways, more intuitive, asks the right questions, simpler to work,etc. I'm using it at the moment in Europe a couple of weeks into a 6 week tour. I bought a chip to slip in for Europe an it loaded painlessly. I took a few trial rides in the States with it and found no problems. I downloaded the 3.5 upgrade when I got the unit and Garmine seems to have corrected the problems with the earlier software. A big change that I hadn't considered, was the lack of a need for security. The Street Pilot was brick like, and I bought a lockable Tourmaster mount for it that seemed like it could be subverted with a screw driver. This unit is about 1" thick and can be removed from it's mount effortlessly and slipped in a pocket. No problem with theft...nothing there to take. A huge change from the Street Pilot, is that you can turn off the safety function that comes on when you try to operate the unit while moving. That was a major hassel. Now....let's see how long it lasts....hope it's longer than the last one. Oh yes, I needed to print out the manual, then have it bound. You'd think for these prices they could have thrown in a full manual that you could take with you. What would it have cost them? A tip....I used the longer ram arm that was attatched to the tourtech mount and it put the GPS more into my line of site. The included arm was 1/2 the length. This was mounted on a BMW R1200GS. Get it up there where you can see it.
Recommend? YES
141 viewers found this helpful.
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Doug Huchteman
OKC OK
May 25, 2010
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VERY NICE IN THE TRUCK AND ON THE BIKE
Pros: easy and fun to use
Cons: wish you could program just a town name
I got this unit because of the Youtube videos from GPScity. Set up easily and we played with it in the pickup before mounting it on the Harley Davidson ElectraGlide. It acquires the sats easily and gives you directions just like it should. I particularly like seeing the cross street names on the map. I have, several times, went against it's directions and it quickly and easily sets up new routes for me. The only direction problems I have found are the fault of the info provided by the DoT with new road constuction. Can't fault the unit for those.
Recommend? YES
133 viewers found this helpful.
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newbie
Victoria, B.C.
May 18, 2010
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OBSERVATIONS UPON UNPACKING
Pros: intuitive software, very easy to use.
Cons: assumes you know a lot about gps and computers
the zumo 660 is a brilliant unit-waterproof, shock resistant and very user friendly, but there was not much info for the newbie to go on. what is the disk in the box? where is the instruction manual? - only a quick guide comes with it. It's up to me to figure this out, and not being a techno guru, it was very puzzling.
Recommend? YES
139 viewers found this helpful.
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EEK
Tampa Bay Area
May 13, 2010
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FOR YOUR MOTORCYCLE - ZUMO 660
Pros: big screen, lane assist, poi database
Cons: no scale on screen, strange zooming levels
I like my Zumo 660 so much, I bought on for my friend. He was still using the ancient eMaps we had for years. Every day is a new discovery with the Zumo.
Recommend? YES
139 viewers found this helpful.
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Glenn
Vernon, BC
May 6, 2010
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GARMIN ZUMO 660
Went from vernon to victoria on motorcycle and back, unit worked great...did what it's suppose to do...bluetoothed phone and headset..works great..
Recommend? YES
142 viewers found this helpful.
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Michael
Vancouver, BC
Apr 2, 2010
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ZUMO 660
Pros: rugged, car and basic motorcycle mounts provided
Cons: expensive, heavy, installation can be problematic
I have not taken a long highway trip yet with my Zumo 660 so this review is about the purchase and installation. When I first found the unit at GPSCity it was priced about $100 more than several US outlets but experience has taught me that by the time you import it, pay the extra shipping charges that gap narrows a lot but more significantly if you have a warranty issue it's best to buy in your country. Mostly though I just like to support Canadian businesses. Having tried a Garmin 780 last year and deciding it was not rugged enough for motorcycles I returned it and saved a lot more pennies for the Zumo series. This spring I decided to buy. Funny thing was the Google search produced a price of $369 but when placed in the shopping cart the price went to $739. When I told the salesperson that their competitor in Calgary was $30 cheaper the price was immediately adjusted down to $729. Today it is showing up at $724 so prices are dropping albeit slowly. I explained I intended to mount this unit on a BMW R1100RT and was told the included mount was universal. Well, it is but only for bikes with round handlebars. I wish the sales person had checked this at time of purchase because after using the RAM mount site to get the right setup for my bike I discoverd I needed another part. This mirror mount part was about $12 and cost me another shipping charge of about the same. There goes my supposed savings. As it turns out, the RAM mount site omits a very important detail. The 3" double socket ball arm is too short. Once mounted the Zumo blocks the view of the left hand mirror by just over 1/3 of available viewing area. This is actually very dangerous. Back to the RAM mount site.. There is a 6" double socket ball arm available and it costs about $15 to $20 depending where you buy. This should solve the problem although I have not purchased it yet. For now I am leaning over to the left to see my mirror! And of course I will have to spend yet another $12 or so for shipping charges. The next hurdle you will run into is the power cable for bikes has two bare wires at the end of it. No connectors of any kind are provided so you will have to source your own. I opted for some GM OEM weather proof connectors from an automotive parts supplier and replaced my BMW accessory connector with these. Another 10 bucks for that. I know some of this is not GPSCity's fault but when you call yourself GPS +experts+ you should be able to do better than what I have experienced. Buyers should be told their bike will need extras and best to buy them NOW and save shipping charges. The shipping itself is really fast and the product arrived in perfect condition. In and around the city it works very well but more time is needed to really evaluate. This is a very expensive navigator so my expectations are high. So far I see no significant differences in the firmware from the Nuvi 780 which is a very nice navigator. It does seem a tad faster at updating screens and handles an 8GB memory card loaded with photos and music pretty well. It takes a few seconds to load the long list of songs in the media player but it is tolerable I think. User group reviews and comments are still reporting significant bugs with the Zumo but Garmin continues to release new firmware. Really helpful support is available here: http://www.zumoforums.com For me the real test is a long trip to points unknown so I can't fully review it till the weather improves!
Recommend? YES
136 viewers found this helpful.
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Vince
Youngstown
Feb 22, 2010
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GESS WHAT???
Pros: none!!
Cons: price, screen info and nav capabilty.
Garmin just came out with a new motorcycle GPS the Zumo 665. For only 999.99 You have to be kidding Garmin couldn't get the 660 to navigate correctly down the road and they put out a newer version of the the same pice of crap that cost more because it has satilite radio and a weather map. If I can't navigate with the 600 that I have now, why would I by a newer verson of the same useless GPS? They say it was made for motorcyclest by motorcyclest, I can tell you that the way Garmin has the GPS set up all you do is follow a pink line, you have no clue where you are or what is coming up down the road. You have to touch the "glove frendly" screen to see any kind of scale or even to find out which way north is, let alone see what street is coming up next. There is not enough information on the map to tell you anything other than where the pink line is. Glove frendly or not you need both hands on the handle bars, Garmin needs to put as much info on the screen as they can, when I stop I can fiddle with the views and switch screens to see other nice to know things, but on the road I need to know which way north is, and at the least what road is coning up, I already know what road I'm on. Come on Garmin, you can make a better product than this, your the leader in GPS. The Zummo is not a product Garmin should be proud of.
Recommend? NO
170 viewers found this helpful.
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JOHNIE
BRANDON FL
Jan 1, 2010
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ZUMO 660
I wish it would do like my 2820
Recommend? YES
169 viewers found this helpful.
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Randy
British Columbia
Nov 18, 2009
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THINK TWICE ABOUT THIS
Pros: large screen, easy controls.
Cons: read the text.
I have now had this unit 6 months. I would like to say trouble free months, but that would be lying. Bluetooth connectivity is somewhat sporadic. It still will not connect to my car radio, had some success with my helmut headset and phone. The RoadTrip software does not transfer data correctly. You set up routes and transfer them to the Zumo and all that shows up is the waypoints. Lastly, it has been plagued with "memory full" errors even after I deleted all the waypoints and favourites from the unit. It is recently losing satellite connections and is unable to re-establish. This is on route that had no problem 3 months ago. Overall, I paid top price for this and it is worthless after 6 months. Undermines the Garmin quality name.
Recommend? NO
187 viewers found this helpful.
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Vince
Youngstown
Nov 6, 2009
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NOT WORTH IT
Even after Garmin lowered the price and most people paid the higher price the unit isn't worth it. They didn't fix anything the motorcycle rider needs to have to navagate down the road. There is still no map scale while navagating, most of the time you can't even see what road is comming up ahead. A motorcycle rider needs to have both hands on the handelbars, not fooling around trying to see what road is coming up and not trying to find a page on the map that has a sale on it to see how far a landmark is down the road. Bring back the Quest or model the Zumo after the Quest. I'm stuck with a useless map I paid a butt load of money for, I can't afford to get rid of it, please put the features on the GPS that we can use.
Recommend? NO
203 viewers found this helpful.
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Mike
Calgary, AB
Oct 9, 2009
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2ND UPDATE
Pros: lcd size & brightness, touch screen
Cons: user friendliness, maps
well I have used it for 5 months now... still lacks in many areas such as: doesn't recognize addresses that are valid, did a firmware update that just about rendered it useless, was fortunate enough to reload and not have to send it in for repair, need to be careful with settings (shortest, fastest, off-road) as it will really aggravate you and was part of my initial dissatisfaction... not the most user friendly... while price has come down from initial release there it is still overpriced in my opinion.
Recommend? NO
173 viewers found this helpful.
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Jim & Bernice
Haliburton, ON
Sep 28, 2009
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ZUMO 660 MOTORCYCLE GPS
This GPS is a disappointment. When wired into my motorcycle sound system it completely shuts off your stereo. This is the harness supplied by Garmin. The maps are so outdated that if you don't know where you are going it is entirely confusing and the info is limited and outdated.
There should be improvements made that allow a person to go "via" a certain place without having to go into the town centre. The unit keeps arguing with you or you have to cancel your route!!! Stupid programming in the unit.
The handlebar mount for the motorcycle has no lock meaning you either take your GPS off or leave it exposed to easy theft.
Recommend? NO
202 viewers found this helpful.
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Slider
Victoria, BC
Sep 9, 2009
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BLUETOOTH NEEDS MUCH WORK
Pros: good nav instructions, nice stereo sound
Cons: bluetooth functionality is unsatisfactory
I bought the Zumo 660 because I needed to use it on a motorcycle (this should not be news). It has excellent features, great visibility and excellent user interface. It works quite well as long as you don't use bluetooth.
One minor issue - when searching for an address, you are asked to enter the house number, then the city. If you are in a metropolitan area, it expects you to know the name of the suburb you are in. If you enter the wrong one, the Zumo will tell you "Address not found". You can get around this by "searching all" cities in which case, the correct location will be displayed (with the name of the suburb indicated).
I you use a bluetooth headset (pretty common among bikers), you are in for trouble... If you are listening to MP3s and use the navigation, the bluetooth will lock up the first time any nav instructions are sent to the headset. After that, bluetooth will fail and the only way to fix it is to turn off nav or MP3 and restart the Zumo.
A similar situation arises when you receive a phone call while listening to MP3s. The phone call will correctly interrupt MP3 playback. After the call, MP3s will not resume automatically (as it should). You will have to navigate through the menus to restart playback.
The sound is quite clear and stereo sound for MP3s is very good. I find there could be more volume available because at high speed (over 100 kph), the max volume is not quite loud enough to hear the navigation clearly. At 80 kph or less, the sound levels are quite acceptable.
Navigation - Routes are calculated fairly quickly and usually correctly. I had a few instances where it calculated the route but did not display it. I had to go to previous points and reselect the route and it always worked the second time. The lane-assist feature is really neat and very appropriate in heavy, fast-moving traffic.
I would recommend the Zumo 660 to everyone, but you will have to keep bugging Garmin to make the last few software fixes to make the product fully functional.
Recommend? YES
241 viewers found this helpful.
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J. Rojsen
Mexico
Aug 17, 2009
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GREAT ZUMO 550 REPLACEMENT
Pros: a2dp bluetooth, screen, huge built in memory
Cons: buggy (needs some software improvement)
It's a great device. The signal acquisition is hell fast also the route calcullation, I didn't miss my 550 at all.
Recommend? YES
239 viewers found this helpful.
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martinpy
Laval, Québec, Canada
Aug 7, 2009
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BEST MOTORCYCLE GPS
IT is fast to locate the sats, nice wide screen, it does not name the oncoming intersections... or write the name the next oncoming street. You need two différent cable for the traffic receiver. The GTM12 when U are using the motorcycle, and U need a subscribtion to Clear Channel, and the GTM20 if U want to use it in the car for the traffic. Both cables are pretty expensives.... If U are living in Canada U need to subscribe to Clear Channel because it is the only Co. tha covers parts of Canada.
Recommend? YES
227 viewers found this helpful.
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F798GS
British Columbia
Aug 7, 2009
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BETA UNITS SHOULDN'T BE RELEASED.
Pros: big screen
Cons: everything else
Route transfers from pc to zumo doesn't work, now I keep getting a message, "memory full". Sporadically it shuts off after about 30 seconds. This is the only garmin I have bought, and is likely the last.
Recommend? NO
230 viewers found this helpful.
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BigHawgDawg
Idaho
Jul 28, 2009
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GREAT MOTORCYCLE GPS
I really like this unit!
Recommend? NO OPINION
246 viewers found this helpful.
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Peter Martin
Laval Québec Canada
Jul 17, 2009
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GOOD MOTORCYCLE GPS
Pros: good visibility, waterproof,fast,
Cons: does't work with nolan, need gtm-12&20
Cons: you need two GTM cables to get the FM TRAFFIC in the car or the motorcycle, you have to buy the GTM12 that cost around 160.00 for the FM traffic + you have to pay a subscription of 60.US to Clear Channel for the motorcycle, and the GTM20 that cost 130.00 CDN for a lifetime subscription to Navteq that ables you to get the fm traffic in your car. Having a hard time to connect to my Nolan's helmets???
Recommend? YES
252 viewers found this helpful.
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jeff
Montreal
Jul 6, 2009
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GREAT FOR MOTORCYCLES
Cons: bluetooth does not work with nolan n-com system.
Easy to use, love the lane assist feature, works very well on my bike.
Recommend? YES
258 viewers found this helpful.
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jpalcover
Crans-Montana Valais Switzerland
Jul 2, 2009
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GOOD PRODUCT, CAN IMPROVE WITH SOFTWARE UPDATES
Pros: display size navigation logic reasonable size
Cons: software (currently v3.10) still needs improvement
Been using the Zumo 660 for a month or more previously used the StreetPilot 2720. Both on a R1200R.
Connects well to my Nokia N95-8GB, but sometimes needs some "help" to do so (tweaking the connection procedure). Connects well to my Cardo Scala Rider Q2.
Somme issues with wiewing the "trip logs", but when using MapSource (or Zumo Connect site) problems solved
Recommend? YES
262 viewers found this helpful.
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R3SP0NSE
Alberta, Canada
Jun 28, 2009
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GOOD UNIT, COMPATIBILITY ISN'T THE BEST
Pros: large screen, looks good, very consistent
Cons: screen could be brighter on power source
I am pretty impressed with this unit as it is my first GPS besides the one in my truck. So I installed this on my BMW K1300R and had 0 issues, easy and quick. The problem with this unit is that I spent hours and hours planning an 8 day trip on the MAC software "Garmin Roadtrip" and when I transferred the data to my ZUMO 660 and loaded a route just to make sure things were ok, it only took me to the first waypoint. :( I proceeded to furiously search for an answer as to why. So I found a forum indicating that the ZUMO 660 has a "BUG" that makes it completely override any routes made with other software. SO, the waypoints for that particular trip transferred fine and apparently they work ok. All I had to do was make the route within the GPS GUI and it worked like a charm. The device is solid and works amazing once you get past that.
Recommend? YES
266 viewers found this helpful.
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Mike
Calgary AB
Jun 25, 2009
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FURTHER REVIEW
Update to previous review, I too: 1 - had difficulty with uploaded Mapsource route where it only showed pink straight line route and not turn by turn instructions, given it is my first GPS I thought it was possibly my problem in file not knowing the unit. 2 - have been instructed to do U turns & telling me to turn in 50 meters as I pass the street. 3 - have had trouble getting the detail of streets as previously mentioned, recently in Kentucky I had created a route (on the Garmin not using Mapsource) and it missed turns, had incorrect numbers for roads and took me on a circular detour route that led me back to my start point after riding 20 kM. I never did complete the scenic (& twisty) route that was loaded and recommended by a friend. I have mixed feelings given the price I paid but it does do some things well in that a road was closed and it got me to my destination using an alternate route in unfamiliar territory, not that a less expensive model could have done. Given it doesn't have some features of 550 (XM radio capable) I was expecting more, hopefully as others mentioned there will be a software upgrade, for time being I'll take it as it is, but not what I paid for in my opinion. At this time I would not recommend to a friend based on price & functionality.
Recommend? NO
284 viewers found this helpful.
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Mike
Calgary AB
Jun 23, 2009
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ZUMO 660
Pros: good display brightness, lane assist is helpful
Cons: mapsource is less user freindly than others
Was missing a mounting nut for motorcycle plate when opened package. Mapsource wanted product serial number that wasn't in package (as stated), and after much frustration found it was provided on-line from Garmin. Basic function is easy, creating routes is a bit more complex (for me anyway) but after having used it for 3 weeks is improving.
Recommend? YES
289 viewers found this helpful.
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Daniel
Vancouver, BC
Jun 19, 2009
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NOT FINISHED PRODUCT!
Pros: rugged, waterproof, well built unit.
Cons: firmware appears to be still in beta if not alfa.
Unfortunately, the Zumo 660 is not what we waited for. Even the Automotive Nuvi 660 was way better. Too many bugs in the firmware make this unit not fit for the die hard biker. Having said all that there is no doubt in my mind that Garmin will correct all of this glitches in up coming updates. Looking forward to them and in the mean time I use my Zumo as a glorified map.
Recommend? NO
330 viewers found this helpful.
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BramFrank
Montreal, QC
Jun 19, 2009
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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
Pros: waterproof, wide screen, lane assist, user replace
Cons: missing much critical functionality. loaded with
Why is my review summarised the way it is??
Because this navigator should have been held back by Garmin until they got it right. Anyone that disagrees with my assesment likely is not a long distance rider and/or has limited experience with navigators in general. This is not to say that it doesn't work at all, but rather that it doesn't do what I, for one paid a huge premium to have it do beyond that of it's basic navigation, communications and entertainment functions.
Garmin started with a reasonable premise; The Zumo 550, a waterproof, motorcycle friendly navigator needed a widescreen cousin to capitalise on the present market trend to widescreen, and advanced (such as that term means) features like those in navigators such as the newer Nuvi series devices ending in '5', such as the 265WT, 765, 885 and so on.
And I agree,
However Garmin has done no one a favor by dumbing down and decontenting the Zumo 660 to the point of being almost useless for the rural motorcyclist and then, to add insult to injury, released it as a heavily buggy, fitful device in which certain features are missing that THIS author would prefer to see incorporated (if for no other reason than that they are part of the predecessor device, the Zumo 550).
OK, let's start with the basics;
It is a navigator. Do I have to explain what they do? Yes? Then have a look at my original 'what a navigator is' type review here on epinions at http://tinyurl.com/276-review and my original Zumo 550 review, accessible here: http://tinyurl.com/Zumo-550-Review
Now for the 660:
It has been about 2 years since Garmin released the 550. For the most part the 550 was a competent navigator, but it exemplified Garmin's ongoing propensity to strictly define the navigation experience by reducing the configuration and display choices available to the consumer.
Garmin has provided more features such as 'lane assist'. Unfortunately we still can't use MSN Direct on our motorcycles. This is unchanged from the Zumo 550
Like it's cousin the Zumo 550, the 660 comes with both car and motorcycle mounts that are complete with all brackets and cables necessary to mount the device to the bike's handlebars.
Garmin's biggest change here is that rather than providing a detachable power cord and jacks on th bike mount they have integrated the cabling and put the audio and power connections at the end of a 3 foot umbilical.
On my bike (a Yamaha FJR1300) I opted to mount the unit on the center bolt using a drilled and tapped stem nut with a RAM ball affixed. Cost for the RAM Ball and 'stem nut' were less than $30. Garmin's included gear has the unit mounted near the left or right grips and I really prefer the centered mount - the screen is available at a glance.
Mounted in my location the cabling is just long enough to reach under the tank to the tool tray under my seat. Had I installed the unit on the standard clutch bracket it would not have been long enough.
However included in the cabling is a faux USB connection that one can presently use with Garmin's newer traffic receiver (but NOT for MSN Direct nor for the XM radio feature Garmin offered with the Zumo 500). Doesn't much matter, because THAT connection is for some reason shorter than the ones for the stereo output, microphone input and fused power connection. Being shorter means that it is difficult to access the connection if you run your cabling under the fuel tank like I did.
Further, the faux USB connection (Faux, because it LOOKS like a USB connector, but supports nothing but the traffic receiver) is sensitive to moisture - the navigator reports that there are unsupported devices plugged into the connection if the connector gets wet. My USB connection is now wrapped in a plastic bag.
More insidious is that Garmin has done away with the security screw that fastened the Zumo 450 & 550 to the mount. The rider now must remove his navigator when he parks his bike. It wouldn't have been hard to supply a security screw that blocked operation of the somewhat awkward rlease lever, but they did not.
And I for one would have expected that since they are forcing me to remove the unit from my bike, that they would have included the 'Garmin Locate' feature that temporarily marks the location of the vehicle when the unit is pulled from its mount. The temporary waypoint can then be used to navigate through a parking lot to get back to the machine - what would that have cost Garmin? Probably nothing except for the brownie points for having left it off.
As a car unit, Zumo 660 is delivered with Garmin's traditional suction mount and a basic power cord. One can purchase and plug in Garmin's standard traffic receiver or MSN Direct receiver to the base. Be advised that this navigator does not support MSN Direct's enhanced feature set. You get the same things that you got with the Nuvi 680, but not the flight arrival or other extended information that the second generation receivers appear to deliver.
For entertainment Zumo 660 supports MP3 music and will play Audible formatted material. The latter is perfect for improving one's social skills while riding the twisties. The player will stop for navigation announcements and the music (or book) will restart when the announcement concludes. It all works well enough except for the fact that the onscreen access button is covered when the navigator's fuel warning system decides you need to fill up, in which case the icon is hidden under that of the fuel gauge.
To store music in any significant quantity requires that the user purchase and install a separate microSD card - be warned that not all of these cards are the same.
With a stated maximum capacity of 8 gigs, there are repordly users with 16 gig cards installed that work well. At this time of this writing, an Adata 8 Gig card with regular SD adapter costs about $22 - not a serious hardship, but to be fair, Garmin could have included one with the unit and increased the MSRP slightly - at these premium prices we expect premium product.
On the car version of the quick release bracket there is an external microphone input - I have an external mic in my car. There is, however no external stereo output. There IS one on the navigator itself, but if you want to use the MP3 player and if your car is not equipped with Stereo Bluetooth (and none that I know of are) then you will need to plug a 3.5 mm cable into the side of the Zumo itself, which obviates the entire quick release mount. I suppose Garmin might have included an FM transmitter like they did on the Nuvi 7XX series, but alas, they have not.
Zumo 660 now supports A2DP Bluetooth for wireless stereo connections to the vehicle. Unfortunately there aren't any vehicles that I know of that presently support stereo Bluetooth, though there are several motorcycle helmets and hardware adapaters that do - however those helmets have insufficient battery life to run for a whole day of operation.
All this Bluetooth hype is pretty much a waste considering that Garmin recently changed chipset providers, moving from Parrot to Motorola.
Unfortunately in doing so they've pretty much broken the Bluetooth very badly.
I own three Bluetooth phones. All of them worked flawlessly on the Zumo 550 (and the various Bluetooth Nuvis I own and owned). But NONE of them works worth a darn with the Zumo 660.
I can't get them to pair reliably. The Zumo 660 crashes (by shutting off) when my Nokia N95-4 sends more than about 200 contacts to the navigator. Connections to my Palm phone are simply impossible and so on - but all of this worked (and continues to work) with the Parrot equipped navigators.
When I called Garmin I was told that the problem is my phone.
Really?
I am also told that Garmin does not support delivery of SMS messages to the screen.
Why not? TomTom does.
There are issues with the display software;
Zumo 660 will often go into a delay mode while drawing a screen. It will paint about a quarter of the screen, then pause, sometimes for up to 30 seconds and then continue drawing; However Zumo 660 is also equipped with the extremely annoying 'Autozoom'. When it goes into the 'delay painting mode' while attempting to guide you through a complex intersection it never does fully draw the exit and this can be VERY dangerous.
I've had it happen to me and it is very disconcerting to depend on the navigator for specific directions on where to go and have it painting gibberish and incomplete depictions.
Having said that, Garmin has included the very sexy 'lane assist' into this navigator that puts up an almost photographic depiction of an upcoming exit to help the driver/rider prepare for ther manoeuver - it works well, displaying a pretty representative image of an exit or turn-off to help you get organised to take that exiit - Lane assist only functions on limited access highways and only for complex intersections, so it's presence appears to be somewhat random to the rider.
More important is that ALL of my older navigators (starting with the old SP3 and all the way to my Nuvi 780) would display the name of each upcoming cross street on the information bar at the top of the screen. This is more than extremely useful to help the rider plan his drive when just 'using' the navigator to get somewhere, because one often wants to know where to turn without going to the hassle of entering an address and following the directions - you KNOW you have to turn left on Elm, and it is nice to kno when you get to that street to make the turn.
For some reason they no longer do this except of limited access highways. They continually display the name of the road on whch I am driving; But NOT the names of the cross streeets - since I supposedly know what street I'm driving on, why bother? I DO need to know the name of the upcoming streets so I can prepare to turn.
The absence of the information is of no significant concern while actively navigating to a destination because the navigator will tell me when to turn and where to go, but at all other times it is absolutely necessary.
A navigator is ssupposed to replace paper maps. And on a moorcycle, to refer to one's map one used to have to stop the bike and check things out. However up to now electronic navigators have provided the ability to 'see' the upcoming road details (how they twist and turn) on the fly. Not so with the Zumo 660.
Garmin has seen fit to reduce the map detail to below the level of useless. You cannot see secondary roads any father away than about 3 miles. As a rider, I want to be able to explore. To do that I want to be able to see just 'how squiggly' an upcoming road might be - so I know if it is filled with twists and turns and is worthwhile exploring.
Of interest is that when I'm on a secondary road and the zoom is set to greater than 500 meters, it display NO secondary roads, not even the one I am are riding on!!! My Nuvi 760, which has a scfreen with the same resolution and a less capable processor provides details at 4 times the zoom level when the display detail is set to 'most', why not Zumo 660?
There is a feature called the 'browse map' that allows the user to pan around the high zoom maps and look around. It is essentially Garmin's intended solution for the missing map detail. You can use the browse map when the bike is stopped or when the car is rolling; But you cannot when the bike is moving. And that's when you need that map because you can't see the upcoming roads.
At the present time there is a very large list of bugs and missing features that is being compiled maintained by the Zumo community and those of us early adopters have been keeping Garmin informed with our observations by contacting the copany in writing and by phone - but the reactions we've been receiving so far have, as mentioned not been encouraging.
Issues relate to such things as a limited number of routes; Bugs in the proximity POI functionality; The inability to do off-device routing; Strange routing and lots more - all of this will be expanded on in a future edit.
Come on Garmin, get your act together.
As with all complex devices, I didn't expect perfection on day one - however Garmin seems to have almost gone out of it's way to deliver a decontented and buggy device. Calls to Garmin support are met with wrong information, unsympathetic acknowledgements and such.
The reality is simply that the Zumo 660 is NOT the right navigator for me in it's present form. I am seriously considering returning mine and buying another Zumo 550, though the 276c and it's sister units remain attractive and viable alternatives and have that absolutely amazing graphic display.
However the biggest issues relate to the half-baked firmware and what appears to be arbitrary function definitions which absolutely detract from the experience.
At $800 this is a premium navigator. As a user and for my money I expect a premium feature set that fulfills the s[pecific needs of this specialised market and Garmin has NOT delivered.
Recommend? NO
440 viewers found this helpful.
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Loco Amigo
Edmonton AB.
Jun 18, 2009
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IT'S GOOD SO FAR, MORE EXPERIENCE NEEDED THOUGH!
Pros: ease of use, screen size
Cons: expensive
The mounting system is good. I haven't wired into the bike power or purchased a headset so my exposure is limited. Nice screen, easy to use. I wonder how it will do in the rain????
Recommend? YES
279 viewers found this helpful.
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Mark
Toronto, ON
Jun 12, 2009
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ZUMO 660
Pros: big screen, runs smoothly
Cons: custom maps not the same when imported
Overall it's not that bad except for these annoying things.
When creating a custom route on map source and importing it to the 660 it comes out different. Some things that occur are: - It does not have any voice prompts, turn prompts - Shows unnecessary "UTURNS" on your route details - Purple line draws straight from one way point to another
I had to fool around with this thing to get it working properly.
I am hoping GARMIN will make a fix to address these glitches as we are spending almost about $1000 on a unit that does ALTER our custom MAP.
Recommend? YES
317 viewers found this helpful.
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Randy
Victoria, BC
Jun 11, 2009
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FIRST GARMIN, SEEMS ADEQUATE.
Pros: big readable screen, easy operation
Cons: software issues.
This is the first Garmin I have bought. The installation in both my bike and car is very easy. First problem was I could not access the NT2009 maps, luckily I had a free upgrade to the NT2010 maps, but each time I start the Garmin Road trip program it wants me to activate the NT2009 maps, kind of annoying. Secondly, when I transfer maps from my MAC to the Zumo660, the routes change???? Lastly, Garmin has only a on road OR off road setting, so good luck finding your way to the off road routes. Beyond those issues, the unit is clear to see via the big screen, easy to navigate with the touch screen and clear with the driving instructions.
Recommend? NO
290 viewers found this helpful.
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vince
youngstown, ohio
Jun 8, 2009
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POOR MAP PRESENTATION
Pros: it's got a big screen
Cons: no map scale
Garmin leaving out the map scale makes the map useless to motorcycle riders. I don't have a free hand to freeze the map to see the scale. while riding I should be able to glance at the map and be able to judge how far a landmark is down the road. I have a Garmin Quest and find that it has everything that a motorcycle rider could want in a GPS. For $800.00 the Zumo doesn't come close to the $150.00 Quest!
Recommend? NO
314 viewers found this helpful.
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Henry
Ontario
May 27, 2009
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HARD WIRING OR PLUG IN
Pros: nice big screen for easy reading
Cons: no mount for cigarette lighter like cars have.
I like the size of the 660 for my bike, I can see it with no trouble, but I wish it had a mount like the car does, because I have a HD with a cigarette lighter socket and I was hoping to just mount the 660 to the handlebars and plug into the cigarette lighter. But I found out fast that you have to hard wire it to the battery with the special mount. Too bad Garmin can't make the same mount for those of us that have cigarette lighters sockets on bikes, like the ones on auto's.
Recommend? YES
303 viewers found this helpful.
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Not impressed
Quebec
May 27, 2009
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BUGGY AND LACKING
Pros: solid hardware, nice screen.
Cons: lacking map detail, redraw speed, some bad bugs.
This new unit seems like it was released too early. For example, the map drawing is sorely lacking in detail and is outperformed by much cheaper Nuvi units. The are things for Garmin to fix before this unit is worth the asking price.
Recommend? NO
289 viewers found this helpful.
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Bob
Springfield, Mo
May 25, 2009
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660 ZUMO
Cons: can't attach to bike without attaching to battery.
Works great in a car. Very easy to use. As to installing on my bike, have not had time to get to my dealer to connect to the battery. I would like to have the 660 mount on my other bikes without having to connect to the battery. They need to provide a mount like one used in a car for other bikes. I realize you would have to charge the battery after use. Also, should of come with a battery charger like your cell phone.
Recommend? YES
301 viewers found this helpful.
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