New Garmin Zumo XT Review - Updated

[Shawn K]

On a somewhat tangential topic...

A few weeks back, I was working a booth at the Mid-American Truck Show. In the course of speaking with many different OEM's, I had a chance to speak with one of the guys at Garmin (they had a particularly large booth at the show, with a lot of items on display).

We started off discussing their Dezl line of truck nav units, but after a while the conversation turned to the Zumo line. He confirmed that the reason for dropping the Sirius/XM capability from the old 595 series was because of prohibitively expensive licensing (he claimed that Sirius changed the licensing so much that it would add over $200 to the existing price of a Zumo unit), and that the reason for the switch to capacitive touchscreens for the XT was due primarily to customer demand.

I went over to the Garmin booth. Naturally, they had all of their Dezl line on display (it was the Mid-American Truck Show, after all), but they also had their other product offerings on display, including their fitness line. But I'll tell you this - I got the distinct impression that almost zero attention was being given to their Zumo line. Hardly anyone there knew anything about it, other than it exists.

I walked away from there with the sense that it wouldn't be surprising in any way if Garmin stopped making bike-specific nav units within the next 5 years. No one said those words to me, mind you; it was just a gut-level feeling.

 

[Marc11]

On a somewhat tangential topic...

A few weeks back, I was working a booth at the Mid-American Truck Show. In the course of speaking with many different OEM's, I had a chance to speak with one of the guys at Garmin (they had a particularly large booth at the show, with a lot of items on display).

We started off discussing their Dezl line of truck nav units, but after a while the conversation turned to the Zumo line. He confirmed that the reason for dropping the Sirius/XM capability from the old 595 series was because of prohibitively expensive licensing (he claimed that Sirius changed the licensing so much that it would add over $200 to the existing price of a Zumo unit), and that the reason for the switch to capacitive touchscreens for the XT was due primarily to customer demand.

I went over to the Garmin booth. Naturally, they had all of their Dezl line on display (it was the Mid-American Truck Show, after all), but they also had their other product offerings on display, including their fitness line. But I'll tell you this - I got the distinct impression that almost zero attention was being given to their Zumo line. Hardly anyone there knew anything about it, other than it exists.

I walked away from there with the sense that it wouldn't be surprising in any way if Garmin stopped making bike-specific nav units within the next 5 years. No one said those words to me, mind you; it was just a gut-level feeling.

Well when one door closes another opens....if Garmin stops making waterproof devices then someone will step up and make waterproof cases for them. Not much more to a motorcycle specific GPS these days anyway, even the routing options aren't so special,.compared to some apps out there and the Garmin routing algorithms are, shall we say interesting at times.

 

[SteveAikens]

Some of us are still sitting on perfectly usable older GPS's we can fall back on if it comes to that. I'm sitting on 2 478's, a 550, a Nav V and the XT. Actually still use the 478's in my trucks and they work just fine for their intended purpose.

If motorcycle specific GPS's go away - I'd guess most of us old farts are already covered.

 

[Stephen!]

Some of us are still sitting on perfectly usable older GPS's we can fall back on if it comes to that. I'm sitting on 2 478's, a 550, a Nav V and the XT. Actually still use the 478's in my trucks and they work just fine for their intended purpose.

If motorcycle specific GPS's go away - I'd guess most of us old farts are already covered.

Primary nav for us is still a 478 with 2019.2 maps (the last one I was able to install with the "lifetime" updates). Mostly because I have been using the 376c/478 line for so long now that can operate its physical buttons to do whatever I want without even looking and while wearing gloves. It is also our XM radio source. I have a near-new backup 478 but its maps are OEM from 2014 and cannot be updated. To supplement the 478 while rallying I have a Galaxy Tab A running split-screen with Google Maps and Waze. If there are routing differences, we typiccally go with the concensus. If the weather is sketchy, then the "My RADAR" app replaces one of the mapping apps on the screen, but the audio remains on the circuit. I recently added a wireless chaging mount on which I will be carrying my all-weather DuraForcce phone. Toss in the OEM Nav IV sitting waaayyy up there built into the dash and I will never have to look at the road again...

 

[EricV]

I'd love to buy a reasonably priced GPS from Google that used GM and it's routing software, was update-able via the GM site and offered a waterproof case option. Toss in a few more user defined avoids like a speed cap, (avoid roads with posted limits over(or under), XX mph, for example), along with grasping the difference between hwys and interstates, (which some units already do). And some basic coding If/Then statements to grasp that "faster route" doesn't mean going past your turn to do a U-turn and "shorter route" doesn't mean cutting every corner on a goat trail instead of following the major road to the next intersection for the turn.

 

[Ira]

Some of us are still sitting on perfectly usable older GPS's we can fall back on if it comes to that. I'm sitting on 2 478's, a 550, a Nav V and the XT. Actually still use the 478's in my trucks and they work just fine for their intended purpose.

If motorcycle specific GPS's go away - I'd guess most of us old farts are already covered.

Driving my personal staff car to the start, checkpoints, and finish of last year's IBR I used both my 478 and Waze on my iPhone. The 478's maps were just fine for the vast majority of the ~5K miles, with Waze getting me through cities and more recently changed roads. Never once needed to make a U turn.

 

[TomMcD]

On a somewhat tangential topic...

A few weeks back, I was working a booth at the Mid-American Truck Show. In the course of speaking with many different OEM's, I had a chance to speak with one of the guys at Garmin (they had a particularly large booth at the show, with a lot of items on display).

We started off discussing their Dezl line of truck nav units, but after a while the conversation turned to the Zumo line. He confirmed that the reason for dropping the Sirius/XM capability from the old 595 series was because of prohibitively expensive licensing (he claimed that Sirius changed the licensing so much that it would add over $200 to the existing price of a Zumo unit), and that the reason for the switch to capacitive touchscreens for the XT was due primarily to customer demand.

I went over to the Garmin booth. Naturally, they had all of their Dezl line on display (it was the Mid-American Truck Show, after all), but they also had their other product offerings on display, including their fitness line. But I'll tell you this - I got the distinct impression that almost zero attention was being given to their Zumo line. Hardly anyone there knew anything about it, other than it exists.

I walked away from there with the sense that it wouldn't be surprising in any way if Garmin stopped making bike-specific nav units within the next 5 years. No one said those words to me, mind you; it was just a gut-level feeling.

Given the rise of waterproof phones, on bike wireless charging and the ability to download maps. Then adding the tight integration of the main line phones into a majority of cars, and not a few bikes. The writing is certainly on the wall for niche market hardware. Component shortages and stubborn supply chain delays certainly won't help.

What I find surprising at this point is that it's not standard for gloves to offer touch screen compatibility. And the ones that do, are so varried in their effectiveness.

 

[igneouss]

Having just obtained a waterproof phone and installed a wireless charging and mount set up, I now have traffic/weather/and music covered. As well as an additional navigation device. This type of phone arrangement is filling any void that Garmin might leave.
Tom nailed it. My phone even has a 'glove' setting...

Given the rise of waterproof phones, on bike wireless charging and the ability to download maps. Then adding the tight integration of the main line phones into a majority of cars, and not a few bikes. The writing is certainly on the wall for niche market hardware. Component shortages and stubborn supply chain delays certainly won't help.

What I find surprising at this point is that it's not standard for gloves to offer touch screen compatibility. And the ones that do, are so varried in their effectiveness.

 

[Charles Weir]

Hmm, year-long thread - thank you, Greg, for starting it. I just mounted one of these new Zumo XTs and took it out for a break-in ride.
This should be a pertinent question: What temperature extremes has anyone put theirs through?
This past Easter weekend (Apollo / April 16), I took mine from a 95°F day in Earth TX to freezing (w/ wind chill: below) in Moon PA (BBG). Parked at a restaurant to eat; took the Zumo off the bike to the breakfast table and it would not power up. Not worrying too much about it, I ate and packed up. Mounted the gadget back on the bike and it still did not power on. Unmounted, remounted it and still no activity. Repeated a few times and variably tried the power button. Nothing. Wrote it off as an unreliable device. About an hour later and few degrees warmer down the road - I tried the power button again - viola - the boot screen starting creeping on, and it finished powering up slowly, but, the battery charge indicator, top right on screen, was buggered out with a lightening bolt through it. Like it was dead. Thought it was only running because of direct power. Hours riding later, I took it off the bike, let it power down normally, waited a few minutes and hit the button to power it up on its' own, and poof - all green, all good - like nothing was ever wrong. So... Battery physics? Chemistry? Apparent temperature intolerance to me. FWIW 2¢ US
*Post Script* The 665 mounted right next to it showed no such misbehavior. :-/

 

[TomMcD]

Sounds like the device went in to a safe mode. Both devices use the same chemistry for batteries, (Li-ion) and the same type of display. (TFT) One possibility is the 665 battery stayed warm enough from charging while on the bike that it didn't drop below the critical temperature, while the XT battery was "full" and stopped charging, allowing the internal temp to drop enough for the BMS interviene.

Garmin's Zumo XT manual:
Operating temperature range
From -15° to 55°C (from 5° to 131°F)
Charging temperature range
From 0° to 45°C (from 32° to 113°F)

And from the 665 manual:
Operating Temperature range: from -4°F
to 140°F (from -15°C to 60°C)
Charging Temperature range: from 32°F
to 113°F (from 0°C to 45°C)

Hmm, year-long thread - thank you, Greg, for starting it. I just mounted one of these new Zumo XTs and took it out for a break-in ride.
This should be a pertinent question: What temperature extremes has anyone put theirs through?
This past Easter weekend (Apollo / April 16), I took mine from a 95°F day in Earth TX to freezing (w/ wind chill: below) in Moon PA (BBG). Parked at a restaurant to eat; took the Zumo off the bike to the breakfast table and it would not power up. Not worrying too much about it, I ate and packed up. Mounted the gadget back on the bike and it still did not power on. Unmounted, remounted it and still no activity. Repeated a few times and variably tried the power button. Nothing. Wrote it off as an unreliable device. About an hour later and few degrees warmer down the road - I tried the power button again - viola - the boot screen starting creeping on, and it finished powering up slowly, but, the battery charge indicator, top right on screen, was buggered out with a lightening bolt through it. Like it was dead. Thought it was only running because of direct power. Hours riding later, I took it off the bike, let it power down normally, waited a few minutes and hit the button to power it up on its' own, and poof - all green, all good - like nothing was ever wrong. So... Battery physics? Chemistry? Apparent temperature intolerance to me. FWIW 2¢ US
*Post Script* The 665 mounted right next to it showed no such misbehavior. :-/

 

[bikerbill]

I'm not sure if it was charging when this screenshot was taken but it works flawlessly from 19F to at least 109F (I don't have a screenshot of the high temp.)

Zumo XT low temp

 

[Charles Weir]

I'm not sure if it was charging when this screenshot was taken but it works flawlessly from 19F to at least 109F (I don't have a screenshot of the high temp.)

Zumo XT low temp

Great, thanks, I must've gotten luck of the draw on the batteries.
Think you were chancing it on Rawhide? New tech and all.
Was a toasty 30 degrees in Kansas that night.

 

[Charles Weir]

Sounds like the device went in to a safe mode. Both devices use the same chemistry for batteries, (Li-ion) and the same type of display. (TFT) One possibility is the 665 battery stayed warm enough from charging while on the bike that it didn't drop below the critical temperature, while the XT battery was "full" and stopped charging, allowing the internal temp to drop enough for the BMS interviene.

Garmin's Zumo XT manual:
Operating temperature range
From -15° to 55°C (from 5° to 131°F)
Charging temperature range
From 0° to 45°C (from 32° to 113°F)

And from the 665 manual:
Operating Temperature range: from -4°F
to 140°F (from -15°C to 60°C)
Charging Temperature range: from 32°F
to 113°F (from 0°C to 45°C)

Yep, makes sense. The XT is closer to the wind. RTM for me.

 

[TomMcD]

For what it's worth, that's 75% of my day job. Troubleshooting and figuring out why X doesn't work is an automatic reaction at this point.

Yep, makes sense. The XT is closer to the wind. RTM for me.

 

[Charles Weir]

For what it's worth, that's 75% of my day job. Troubleshooting and figuring out why X doesn't work is an automatic reaction at this point.

Mine is fixing the stuff people making 2X times more than me, break.

 

[Pappy35]

The newest software update allows turning off the Helmet Laws notification.

Hallelujah! That was, by far, the most annoying "feature" of my XT.

 

[bikerbill]

I just ran into an issue with the newest firmware update. The 3-dots that allow you to select displayed data on the right side of the display were not working properly so I did a Factory Reset after performing a Backup via Garmin Express. After the Reset and Restore I found that the Service History app data was gone. All of the Service History that I had previously input was not there.

I asked Garmin about this and it seems that this is a known issue that was not conveyed before I did the reset.

Be Warned!!

 

[bikerbill]

Think you were chancing it on Rawhide? New tech and all.
Was a toasty 30 degrees in Kansas that night.

Charles,
Sorry about the late reply. I had received the XT as a Father’s Day gift from my family and Rawhide for me was a shakedown for the 2021 IBR. Better to find out sooner rather than later.

 

[EricV]

Off topic, but something discussed in this thread. For those of you using waterproof phones, does the touch screen work when it's wet?

 

[kerrizor]

Off topic, but something discussed in this thread. For those of you using waterproof phones, does the touch screen work when it's wet?

I have EXTENSIVELY tested this because I ADHD and take my iphone into the shower with me a lot, and yes, it still works but the precision drops and drops.