Garmin Zumo 390LM Motorcycle GPS Review

The Garmin Zumo 390LM is yet another addition to Garmin’s long running Zumo line for motorcycles.  The Garmin Zumo line first came out in 2006 and continues to be a popular line in North America. Hardware These 4.3″ screen size GPS systems are made for motorcycle use.  Unlike a car GPS, these are weatherproof and rated to IPX7 which means it withstands incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.  So don’t attach these to a submarine. The Garmin Zumo 390LM has a glove sensitive display which means that you don’t have to take your gloves off … Read more

How to Use a Garmin Nuvi or Garmin Drive GPS on a Motorcycle

When I ask which models come to mind when you hear the words ‘motorcycle GPS’, what do you say?  Probably Garmin Zumo or TomTom Rider?  Well there are a lot of motorcycle owners that use a Garmin Nuvi or Garmin Drive GPS on their motorcycle.  This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using a Garmin Nuvi or Garmin Drive GPS on a motorcycle, and how to do that. The photo that accompanies this article is of a Garmin Nuvi 2455LMT on a Harley-Davidson.  Yup, a car GPS on a motorcycle. So what’s the difference between your everyday Garmin Nuvi / … Read more

How to Use a SmartPhone as a Motorcycle GPS

This article is a little different from others which appear on our site.  We typically concentrate on traditional motorcycle GPS devices like a Garmin Zumo or TomTom Rider.  Today, we’re concentrating on how to use a smartphone as a motorcycle GPS.  We’re talking about larger phones like an Apple iPhone 6s Plus or Samsung Galaxy S7.  Given the larger screens of these phones and some terrific GPS apps, these can make very capable navigation devices. There are a few things to think about when considering this move.  Let’s take a look at what’s important when deciding to use a smartphone … Read more

Power for a Garmin or TomTom Motorcycle GPS

Purchasing and installing a Garmin or TomTom motorcycle GPS device is half the work.  Installing your new GPS is often much more difficult.  After figuring out where to put it, you need to determine how to power it.  We covered How to Mount a Garmin Zumo or TomTom Rider GPS in a prior article.  That’s a great article to figure out how and where to attach the motorcycle GPS on your bike.  Often, hardwire is the selected method to get power to your motorcycle GPS and that’s what we’ll talk about in this article. First – If all of your anticipated rides are short … Read more

How to Mount a Garmin Zumo or TomTom Rider GPS

A lot of media and marketing attention is splashed all over a new motorcycle GPS.  However, very little attention is paid to how to mount a motorcycle GPS.  This article will give advice on how to mount a motorcycle GPS as well as where to put it. Most motorcycle GPS devices sold over the past 5 – 10 years supply a mount.  Interestingly enough, they practically all include a mount from a company called RAM.  This company is based in Seattle, Washington and they have been making high quality mounts for a long time.  I have been familiar with their … Read more

Garmin Zumo 590LM Motorcycle GPS Review

Garmin has been making a GPS specific to the motorcycle market for roughly ten years.  The Garmin Zumo 590LM is their first GPS with a screen size greater than 4.3 inches and naturally includes a lot of new features unavailable in their older Zumo products. The photo that accompanies this article is of a Garmin Zumo 590LM on a BMW motorcycle. A good question to address is if you need a motorcycle GPS or can one that’s made for car use be sufficient.  As you will see from the remainder of this article, the Zumo 590LM has features that are specific to … Read more