The Zumo is a great motorcycle GPS but it does have its flaws.
The first thing you'll notice is that the Zumo doesn't come with a printed users guide. Garmin expects you to download the PDF version. It was easy to find on-line and this approach is fine since we're all supposed to be going green. What ships in box is a quick start guide. The web site says "installation instructions" are included but this is not accurate. The only installation information is contained in the quick start guide. It's pretty basic but more than adequate unless you want to attempt installing the wiring harness. If you plan on using the wiring harness you need to know how to tap into the electrical on your bike and handle all of the cable routing yourself or take it to a pro for assistance. (One note on the wiring harness: the cable doesn't include anything to cover the USB/power connector so if you install the harness and don't have the GPS unit plugged in the end of the power adapter is fully exposed to the elements.)
The second thing you'll notice is the device doesn't come with a wall charger. There is the permanent wiring harness and a car charger but they didn't include a wall charger. With a battery life of almost 8 hours I planned on just charging the unit at night and skipping the wiring harness since nearly all of my rides are under 8 hours. For the cost of the unit I was disappointed that I had to scavenge to find a power charger.
The battery life provided on Garmin's website states "up to 8 hours". I think this is a bit of a stretch. If you turn the volume off, turn the screen brightness down to under 50% (the default), and turn off Bluetooth you can get close to 8 hours. When riding with voice prompts, screen brightness at 80 to 90 (on a sunny day) and Bluetooth enabled I was able to get just over 5 hours of battery life. Still very respectable and more than most motorcyclists need for a single day.
One of the nicest features of the Zumo 220 is the ability to plan your routes on your PC and load them on to the GPS unit using Garmin City Navigator. It's easy to install but the unlock code, which is needed to use the maps, comes on a non descript yellow sheet that looks like something you should simply ignore or throw away. You need this special yellow sheet so be careful or you'll be explaining to your wife why you're digging through the garbage! Once installed and unlocked City Navigator is great. It's easy to use and simple to transfer routes to and from the GPS unit.
The GPS unit itself is a nice size but a little thick. If you're thinking you'll just throw this unit into your back pocket you can but there are two issues. First the unit is thicker than you expect and you will be aware of the bulge in your back pocket - it's not a petite unit. Second there is no power lock and it's very easy to turn the unit on when inserting the unit into your pocket or when moving around. It would have been better to have some sort of power button lock. I've resorted to removing the battery from its waterproof compartment, which is easy and quick to do.
The user interface is very intuitive and most of the data fields presented on main page can be customized, even when in motion. The keyboard is easy to use and has two modes that basically change the size of the buttons on the screen to make it easier to use when wearing gloves.
One nice feature is the fuel tank alert. Just enter the total mileage you expect to get from a tank of fuel and how many miles before empty that you want warnings and the unit keeps track of everything. Interesting note: the unit has multiple modes like driving, motorcycling, scooter etc. The only mode that fuel tank alerts work is when in motorcycle mode.
Another solid feature of the unit is if you do switch between a motorcycle and a car the Zumo 220 remembers your preferences for the route types of each mode. This makes it nice not having to reprogram anything when going between modes.
I have encountered a few issues with custom voices downloaded from the Garmin Garage. On at least one of the custom voices the unit seems to get confused and reboots on occasion. Changing back to the preinstalled voices seems to have fixed this quirky problem.
I have a big v-twin and my bike has a healthy dose of vibrations, especially when accelerating or using engine braking. The Zumo 220 is rugged enough to handle the vibrations with ease and the RAM mounts that came with the unit work great. One note on the u-bar attachment for the handlebar: If you have larger handlebars than 1 inch you're going to need to run out to your local hardware store to get a larger u-bar. If you've got a 7/8" - 1", like most people, you'll be fine.
Overall the Zumo 220 is a high quality unit that's easy to use, rugged and ready to hit the road. Just plan on doing a little extra shopping for things that Garmin should have included, especially given the high price point of this unit.Get more detail about Garmin zumo 220 3.5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator.
