Garmin launches Zumo satnav for bikers

Made by bikers for bikers

12 October 2006 10:28 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Garmin has brought out what it’s calling its first motorbike-friendly satnav, dubbed the Zumo.

The company brought bikers on board when designing the device to make sure that it’s as convenient as possible for a biker to use on the go. They started by creating a fully waterproof casing made from UV and fuel splash-proof plastic.

The 2.5-inch touchscreen is glove-friendly, while controls are left-handed so that they can be operated when the right hand is on the accelerator.

The solid-state memory is almost impervious to vibrations and shock, while Bluetooth connectivity means that riders can hear instructions through a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth-enabled helmets.

The zumo also boasts a 10,000 point tracklog so that bikers can record their trips and then transfer them to a PC for mapping via bundled software on the 3D Google Earth.

Other features include an SD card slot, capabilities to display speed, a fuel gauge, and a compass.

The Zumo comes in two flavours; the 550 is preloaded with European maps and points of interest, while the 500 Deluxe only includes regional mapping from Navteq. Both come with a free 3-month subscription to the speed camera database, and both have the option of receiving traffic updates via a TMC Traffic Receiver.

The 550 model also comes with mounts for fixing to the inside of a car, and costs £580, while the 500 costs £480.