Garmin Zumo 550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator | 
| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $899.99
Buy New: $608.90
as of 7/29/2010 00:49 CDT details
You Save: $291.09 (32%)
New (37) Used (6) Refurbished (1) from $499.00
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 320x240
Display Size: 3.5
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 3.3 x 2.2 x 4.6
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 010-00567-00
Model: 010-00567-00
UPC: 753759061753
EAN: 0053759061754
ASIN: B000H2W4E6
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 3.5-Inch Screen | | • | High-Sensitivity GPS Receiver | | • | 10,000 Point Tracking | | • | Bluetooth-Enabled For Hands Free Calling & For Sending Audio To Compatible Helmets | | • | High Bright Display For Sunlight Readability & Uv Resistant |
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Product Description
3.5" screen High-sensitivity GPS receiver 10,000 point tracking Bluetooth(R)-enabled for hands-free calling & sending audio to compatible helmets High bright display for sunlight readability & UV resistant IPX7 waterproof & fuel-resistant plastics Glove-friendly touchscreen & left-hand buttons Motorcycle console for trip information including fuel gauge Removable rechargeable Li-Ion battery with 10-hour life 4 amps mounting pattern fits third party mounts Secure Digital Card (TM) expansion for storing maps, routes, tracks & waypoints Full featured routes & track logs may be shared with other zA1/4mo(R) receivers Fly tracks using Google Earth (TM) Audio output for MP3, Audible & XM Satellite Radio(R) Traffic compatible with GXM 30 or GTM 20/21 JPEG picture viewer Dim: 3.9"H x 4.8"W x 1.6"D Weight: 10.6 ounces Includes auto & motorcycle mount
Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description Born to ride, the Garmin zumo 550 brings all the power of a GPS navigator, wireless communicator, multimedia entertainer, and tour guide all into one device. And it's made just for motorcycles. Designed by bikers, zumo's motorcycle-friendly features make it easy to operate while in the saddle. From back roads to rallies, its preloaded maps and high-end navigation features give you the freedom to go where you want. View the zumo 550 in action. You can also see a demonstration of the product's features. (Best viewed with Internet Explorer) 
The zumo comes with a motorcycle mount with universal mounting hardware so you can mount it anywhere. | 
An internal battery lets you roam on foot with the device. | 
The unique motorcycle console offers valuable trip information, including a fuel gauge to warn you when its time to fill up. View larger. | 
The zumo 550 features a glove-friendly touch screen with an intuitive interface, as well as left-handed controls that make it easy to operate. View larger. | Made for Two Wheels
The zumo is made for extreme durability; it's vibration-tested, waterproof, and built with fuel-resistant plastics to withstand the elements. It's also intuitive, with a glove-friendly touch screen with left-handed controls that make it easy to operate. There's a bright, sunlight-readable, UV-resistant display that makes it easy to view, as well as a unique motorcycle console for trip information, including a fuel gauge to warn you when its time to fill up. The display measures 3.5 inches diagonally and features 320 x 240 pixel resolution. Measuring 4.8 x 3.9 x 1.6-inches (WxHxD) and weighing just 10.6 ounces, the zumo is small enough to carry with you while you're off the bike. The high-sensitivity GPS receiver is powered by the SiRF Star chipset, which offers extreme accuracy, even when you're riding under dense foliage or between tall buildings. The unit also features Garmin Lock -- an advanced anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific four-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location. The zumo comes with a motorcycle mount with universal mounting hardware so you can mount it anywhere. An automobile mount is also included, and it features an integrated speaker. Garmin also provides custom caps, which are available in a variety of colors, so you can reflect your style. Navigate the Open Road
The zumo 550 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator NT street maps and a hefty points of interest (POIs) database, including motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply enter a destination, and the zumo takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions that speak street names. In addition, zumo accepts customized points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras, and it also includes proximity alerts to warn of upcoming POIs. Plus, the unit is fully compatible with Garmin's Tour Guide feature, a free utility that allows you to build and upload a database of POIs that are encoded with photos and MP3 files. A rechargeable, removable lithium-ion battery that offers up to three hours of use is integrated into the zumo for trip planning or use on foot. In addition, the zumo even accepts electronic maps, making it the ultimate off-road navigator. Hands-Free Calls and Wireless Voice Prompts
With the zumo's Bluetooth wireless technology, you can talk on the phone safely without removing your gloves or helmet. Connect the device to your Bluetooth-enabled headset/helmet and cell phone to make and receive hands-free calls. You can even make phone calls to POIs through the zumo's Bluetooth interface. In addition, The zumo transmits navigation voice prompts to your headset so you can listen wirelessly. Traffic, Weather, and Radio
With optional XM subscriptions and an XM antenna, you can check the weather, move ahead of traffic and listen to the radio when you travel with the zumo. As an alternative, the zumo can receive optional TMC traffic alerts (in select cities) when used with a compatible traffic receiver. Simply press a button on the screen, and the zumo recalculates your route to avoid traffic tie-ups. Route Planning, Sharing, and Entertainment
The zumo makes it easy to plan your next trip and share routes with your riding buddies. Plan trips on your computer before you start. Search for food and fuel stops and local attractions. Then, transfer your route to your zumo and go. At the end of the day, share your favorite places and rides with other zumo riders, and review your travels in Google Earth. SD card expansion makes it easy for storage and route sharing, and you can download routes to share with your riding buddies. You can also load MP3s onto the unit so you can enjoy music while you're riding. Plus, a JPEG picture viewer lets you share photos of your adventures with friends and family. What's in the Box
zumo 550, preloaded City Navigator NT North America, MapSource City Navigator NT DVD (full-unlock), motorcycle mount with RAM mounting hardware, automotive suction cup mount with integrated speaker, dashboard disk, carrying case, AC charger, vehicle power cable, motorcycle power cable, USB interface cable, security screwdriver, custom caps (silver and black), Garmin stickers, owner's manual on disk, and quick reference guide.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Zumo 550 - A Few Thoughts February 4, 2007
hiendtime (Northeast USA)
233 out of 236 found this review helpful
People complain about the Zumo not having a built in speaker. Well, you wouldn't be able to hear it while riding your bike it if it had one, so it's a bit of a moot point.
On a side note, I think there are some features the unit lacks that can be somewhat annoying. First, and definitely the most annoying for me, the elevation by which you view your position on a GPS determines the amount of detail you see, i.e. POI's, street names, distance of road to travel, etc. The units I have used previously (factory nav in a Honda, other Garmins and the Mio 310 to name a few) had the ability to select zoom/elevation from the main nav screen allowing you to choose your "view" of the road so to speak, at anytime. With the Zumo, you cannot change elevation/zoom from the main nav screen, you can only adjust it while in map mode searching for a destination. The second you go back to the main navigation screen you loose the elevation you chose and go back to a default level of zoom, which for me is real irritating.
Another annoying feature is the keyboard for text input does not offer a QWERTY layout. I have not had to type on an ABCDEF style keyboard since the invention on the PC. In fact, I have a Garmin IQue 3600 that's 4 years old and it has a QWERTY keyboard?
Also, the search function on the Zumo is relatively slow at times. I once waited 4+ minutes while searching for a popular restaurant. It found it eventually, but for a while I thought the unit just froze up. I happen to be sitting in my driveway so it was only a minor annoyance, but if you were parked on the roadside with cars buzzing by it would seem more like an eternity.
One other issue, the built in hard drive is pretty much full with maps right out of the box, which isn't that big of a deal with the open SD slot. The SD slot lets you slip in a SD card for expanded memory capability (MP3 storage etc.), but when loading routes from your PC (which is a great feature I'll touch on below) you must save the data directly to the units hard drive in order for the Zumo to be able to read it. Well, that's going to be an issue when the hard drive fills up from firmware updates, etc.
While I'm at it, I think the icon that marks your position on the map is annoyingly large. It makes your car or bike look the size of a lake, or some other large map detail.
On the plus side, I believe that all of the issues I mentioned are correctable via a firmware update and a few bugs are to be expected to some extent given this is the 1st generation of a new model. Although, you can also argue that with the price this thing sells for combined with the experience Garmin has building GPS devices there is really no excuse for the Zumo lacking anything.
A nice feature, which is common on Garmins top units, is that you can map out routes on your PC, load it to the Zumo (again, on the built in hard drive though not the SD card) and away you go. This comes in handy if you're in sales for example and need to hit a few clients on a particular day or if you're going to be cruising on your bike and have a bunch of places you want to stop at during the trip. Rather than having to wait and program destinations one at a time as you make your stops, you can knock them all out the night before on your PC so you're entire trip is planned before it's even begun.
Also, the Bluetooth feature is sweet and works flawlessly. Pairing the Zumo with my Blackberry was a breeze. The Zumo was able to read my address book and displayed the contacts on the phone screen so there was never a need to touch the Blackberry once paired. When in the car, the speaker worked well and people on the other end seemed to have no trouble hearing me. I disagree with the one reviewer that said the mount looked weak. I think the mount would successfully support a cinderblock on rough road.
Installing the Zumo on my ZZR1200 took me about 30 min. It takes some time to run the wires and connect to the battery. You will need to crimp connectors (that are not supplied) on the end of the wires that go to the battery. The Ram mount is real solid. The Zumo does not move once you're locked in and on the road.
Now for the justification of the 4 star rating given I beat the Zumo up quite a bit. The build quality of this thing it second to none. It is literally built like a tank. I'd bet it would outlast anyone who buys it. Again, firmware updates will likely take care of all its shortcomings over time. And last but not least, Garmin tech support is second to none. No matter who you speak to they are knowledgeable, professional and will provide answers to anything you can throw at them (and I come up with some good ones) all without making you feel like you're annoying or a technological moron.
Therefore, I don't think you can go wrong with any Garmin, if you can swallow the price of the unit.
 Zumo 550 with updated software (04/2007) April 18, 2007
Average Joe (US)
88 out of 91 found this review helpful
I just wanted to comment on the Zumo 550 with current software. I purchased this unit about 3 weeks ago and before I got it I was a little disheartened by some people's reviews on some lacking features. However when i got the unit and upgraded to the latest software (that was available as of 4/15/2007) many negative comments seem to have been addressed (if I'm understanding the commented issues correctly). First the views of the unit seem very flexable and I don't see the limitations. You can select between 2-D top down views for the people who are used to that view or 3-D. The unit has multiple levels of zoom/un-zoom from the big buttons on the outside as well as on the touch screen... I'm just not seeing any limitations. You can also taylor how much detail you want to see on the screen ( more or less). The only thing I do agree with is the Icon's used to show your position (you can choose between about 6 or so) are kind of large. Would have been nice to have the choice to alter that but I chose the 'wedge' and it works nicely with the screen size. Second, definitely a software upgrade was the addition of two different compus views.. .one small indication on the main map screen and a full 360 degree compus graphic with ELEVATION on a separate screen (selectable from the big rubber buttons or through the menu). The unit is unbelievable compared to earlier units I've had .. I can litterally stand in my family room under cover and turnaround and move 1 step (sometimes 2 is needed) and the unit will reflect the change in direction! I use this with a common motorola razr phone and a Scala Rider helmet bluetooth unit (on a shoei rf-1000 helmet) and everything works perfectly. Also, as far as weatherproofing the manual indicates it can be kept under 1 meter of water for 30 minutes! Great mounting hardware and super easy to use.. definitely a fantastic unit with the latest software upgrades. Thanks.
Zumo 550 on a Harley FLSTSC January 28, 2007
Neal R. Bloomquist (Carterville, IL.)
53 out of 53 found this review helpful
The 550 works very well. Specs say it works between 32 & 140 degrees. I ride all winter - so far it works at 15 degrees F. Surprisingly easy to use with heavy winter riding gloves. The motorcycle mount is much cleaner than I expected. Very flexible, allowing the unit to tuck in close and not look dorky. The car mount is clean with an acceptable albeit not great speaker. It's VERY easy to move between vehicles. I was somewhat disappointed at first about the lack of a built in speaker, but if I need to walk around with it, it's no big deal to use your cell phone Bluetooth with it. Maybe that's the price you pay for a truely waterproof unit. While riding, you can hear the alert tone using a cell phone Bluetooth, but cannot understand the audio. I plugged in iPod ear buds into the bike mount and it sounds great without being obvious about being "plugged in" (I ride a half helmet). If you use a full face with built in speakers you will be very happy with the audio.
Others complained about the lack of things like a real compass and satellite acquisition display and built in speaker. I have addressed the speaker issue. The compass displays eight points (like the one in the rear view mirror of your GM car). That's all I really need. Showing the satellites it has acquired is neat - but what do I really care - the thing is very sensitive. I get 5 of 5 bars IN my house. The MP3 player does work well although it does not have play lists. You can at least sort by album, artist and genre. To listen to decent quality audio, you will need ear buds. Displaying pictures looks good but the response is a little sluggish.
Storing up to 50 routes is great - and being able to download them to Google Earth and visualize them is very slick (it does take Google Earth Plus - a $20 annual fee to support this feature).
Overall I am VERY pleased with this unit - it does exactly what I need (and then some) - looks great - very sturdy.
Two steps forward, one step back December 1, 2006
L. Blake (Danville, CA)
67 out of 70 found this review helpful
The new Zumo 550 is a big step forward in ease of use, but sacrifices some of the flexibility of previous units (Streepilot series, x76C series). The touch screen display and integrated buttons on the left side of the unit are easy to use even with riding gloves, and the new locking mount is a big improvement. GPS reception also seems to be GREATLY improved; not getting lost under dense tree coverage. The display is relatively big, bright and clear; but difficult to read in really bright sunlight. Also, much of the screen is used for large display items and touch "buttons", so the actual map display is fairly small. The built in battery is an improvement over the StreetPilot, allowing the unit to be used when the motorcycle is off. The battery also allows the unit to be connected to a PC without an AC adapter.
The new operating system is easy to learn and use, but lacks some of the flexibility of other units. Long time GPS users may feel restricted by the fixed display formats, but new users probably won't notice. The operating software still has a few bugs and route guidance prompts need some work, but Garmin does a good job of making updates available (with WebUpdater) and has already released v2.3.
The MP3 player is simple to use but does not support playlists and still seems to have software bugs.
I have linked the ZUMO to a bluetooth helmet (Dainese) and phone (LG-VX8500) and it seems to work very well. Although told that the MP3 would not work over bluetooth, it does in my set-up.
In summary: even with the display restrictions and software issues this is a great GPS for motorcycle use.
Wow. April 8, 2007
R. McAnally (Mountain Top, PA)
36 out of 36 found this review helpful
All the write-ups suggested this Zumo 550 was going to be impressive. They weren't wrong. The BIG positives, from my perspective:
1. Satellite acquisition must be seen to be believed. In my basement it took less than 15 seconds, out of the box, first power-up. That performance has been repeated every time since, with the exception of first-power-up after upgrading the firmware to 3.2. Thereafter it went back to sub-20 second acquisition.
2. Its built like it should be, like you wanted it to be. Solid. Its going to spend time on my Harley ElectraGlide and in my Corvette and I wanted someting that matched their image. I got it.
3. Firmware upgrade was a 5 minute affair, no hassles, no fuss, no tears. Several nice new features were added, for my 5-minute investment.
4. Interchangeable top and bottom plates, in contrasting black, are a nice little extra. They even included the Allen wrench for the 3-minute task.
5. There's no need to buy extra (read, "expensive") accessories. This was the biggie, for me. This unit ships with a bike mount, complete with hard-wire power connector, AND it ships with a car-mount, with its own power connector. The fact that Garmin includes BOTH mounts with this unit was the deciding factor for me. The fact that both docking cradles with each mount are thoughtfully designed to allow super-quick, super-solid on and off mounting of the GPS unit itself, is a nice added plus. Also, the voice quality and volume of the built-in speaker in the car mount is impressive.
6. Bluetooth pairing of both my Blackberry 8700 and my Jabra BT800 was simple and flawless. Thereafter, when the BB and the Jabra were on and the Zumo was insereted into either the bike mount or the car mount, the Zumo automatically paired back with each unit, within 30 seconds of being mounted. I love technology that works. The real zinger was that the Zumo synched the 400-odd contacts in my BB8700, inside of 45 seconds.
7. For me, simply put, Garmin hit a BIG homerun with the design, execution and packaging of their new Zumo 550. Is it expensive? Not really, considering I didn't need to go out and scrounge up the expensive extras Garmin included for free. And the little things, like designing a magnetically-positioned weather cover for the bike's connector pins, is just icing on a big, well-decorated cake.
Bravo, Garmin.
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