The Garmin zūmo 660
a Garmin Motorcycle GPS

This top of the line Garmin motorcycle GPS is one of the best motorcycle GPS units on the market today. The Garmin zūmo 660, a waterproof GPS really has it all. Equipped with pre-loaded maps of North America or Europe and a 4.3" wide, bright, touch screen the zūmo 660 is loaded with features for today's motorcycle enthusiast.

It comes with a removable lithium ion battery that can deliver up to 5 hours of battery life between charges. A micro SD card slot is built-in (the card is not included). You receive voice instructions over the built-in speaker. Text to speech is included, allowing the GPS to tell you the name of the street on which to turn in addition to when and what direction to turn. The maps may be viewed in 2D or 3D and you will even see the buildings along the way in 3D.

Creating a route is easy too. You can just enter the address of your desired destination or select one of the thousands of Points of Interest included with the unit. You can also add your own points of interest. You can even select one of the geotagged photos and navigate right to it. Multiple destination routes can also be entered and if you want, this Garmin motorcycle GPS will sort the stops to create the most efficient route. You can also specify how the route is created. You can avoid highways, tolls and more. You can also request the fastest route or the shortest distance. If you miss a turn or take a wrong turn, the 660 will recalculate your route to get you back on track. In heavy traffic changing lanes at the last minute can be a challenge, but with Lane Assist, this Garmin motorcycle GPS, the zūmo 660, will guide you to the proper lane in preparation for the upcoming turn.

The zūmo 660 features Bluetooth wireless technology so you can stay in touch while you're on the move. With it, you're free to safely talk on your phone without having to remove your gloves or helmet. Simply connect your zūmo 660 to your Bluetooth-enabled headset or helmet and then pair with your cellphone to make and receive calls on the go. You can also call POIs through the zūmo's Bluetooth interface -- perfect for last-minute change of plans or a quick pit stop for food and fuel. And with spoken street names functionality, the zūmo 660 will also transmit voice prompts to your headset for wireless and worry-free navigation. A couple of other nice features are the Speed Limit indicator that displays the speed limit for most major roads and Garmin Locate™ which marks your location when the unit is removed from the windshield mount. Where am I? is an included safety feature that automatically gives your location and that of the nearest hospital, police and gas station and the nearest address and intersection.

The 660 is also compatible with FM traffic alerts and MSN® Direct. You will need a subscription to the service and applicable receiver as they are not included in the purchase price.

Navigation is not the only feature included with this Garmin motorcycle GPS. Garmin Garage™ allows you to select the vehicle displayed on the map and you can also choose the voice for your device. Entertainment features include a MP3 player, picture viewer, Audio Book player, world travel clock and currency and unit converter. You can also visit zūmo Connect -- Garmin's online community of routes and riders. It's a great resource for finding new rides and planning trips. Just because your bike’s parked doesn’t mean your day is done. The zūmo 660 also pulls double duty as an in-car navigator when you’re on four wheels instead of two. In addition to the included motorcycle mount, this Garmin motorcycle GPS also includes a carrying case, vehicle mount and power cable. It’s like having two full-featured navigators for the price of one. For some fun, you can down load funny and famous voices for your GPS.

Specifications - zūmo 660 Garmin motorcycle GPS

Introduced: January 2009
Unit dimensions, WxHxD: 5.3"W x 3.3"H x .9"D (13.5 x 8.4 x 2.3 cm)
Display size, WxH: 3.81"W x 2.25"H (9.7 x 5.7 cm); 4.3" diag (10.9 cm)
Display resolution, WxH: 480 x 272 pixels
Display type: WQVGA color TFT with white backlight
Weight: 9.5 ounces (270 g)
Battery: removable, rechargeable lithium-ion
Battery life: up to 5 hours
Waterproof: yes (IPX7)
High-sensitivity receiver: yes
RoHS version available: yes

What's in the Box

Garmin zūmo 660, Garmin motorcycle GPS
.Preloaded City Navigator® NT for North America or Europe (full coverage),BR.MapSource® City Navigator North America NT DVD or City Navigator Europe NT DVD (full unlock)*
Motorcycle mount with integrated power cable and mounting hardware
Carrying case
Battery pack
Automotive suction cup mount
Automotive power cable
USB cable
Dashboard disk
Quick start manual

*City Navigator North America NT DVD included in North American Version; City Navigator Europe NT DVD included in European version.

Garmin motorcycle GPS Owner Reviews

Amazon

By jfee "xsoul", May 16, 2009

Garmin has released software version 2.80 for the zūmo 660. The update states the issues brought up in the previous reviews and corrects them. Kudos to Garmin for acknowledging the previous shortfalls, and concerns, then addressing them in a software update. It is always good to point out shortfalls to a company that responds, otherwise they don't know if there is anything wrong.

Garmin motorcycle GPS

I presently own three Garmin's, a street pilot purchased 4 years ago, a Nuvi purchased 6 months ago, and now the zūmo 660 for my motorcycle. The zūmo is obviously one of the most expensive GPS units a consumer can buy. It is by far the fastest screen updating and most accurate GPS I own. Beats the 6 month old Nuvi by a long shot. I recently drove (haven't mounted the 660 to the bike yet, wanted to test drive the unit) from central NJ to Baltimore. If the Garmin display was the windshield, I could have used only that screen, it is that fast and accurate. The lane assist function takes all thought out of figuring which lane one should be in for the interstate lane crossover. It was as if the 660 took a snapshot of the overhead signage in front of me and had it on the screen. In checking the accuracy of the unit, I found that I was looking too much at the Garmin and not the traffic, because I was amazed at the accuracy of the river crossings, the bridge crossings, the parallel service road vs. the interstate, to see if the Garmin picked up the subtle differences, it did 100%.

I will now use the included software to plan a route with POI and see how well it performs. With the software update, I'll let Garmin if there is any shortfall because I know they'll listen.

So far, I would recommend this unit and am thinking of adding the traffic cable for the next road trip.

GPS City

Garmin motorcycle GPS
By Randy, June 11, 2009

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 zūmo 660, 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.

Garmin motorcycle GPS
By vince, June 8, 2009

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 zūmo doesn't come close to the $150.00 Quest!

Garmin motorcycle GPS zūmo 660 Owner Ratings

Amazon:

4 Reviews
5 star = (1)
4 star = (1)
3 star = (0)
2 star = (1)
1 star = (1)

Test Freaks: 7 reviews: 7.4 out of a possible 10

GPS City:

5 Reviews
5 star = (1)
4 star = (1)
3 star = (2)
2 star = (1)
1 star = (0)

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