Garmin Or Tom Tom ?

**StevieB** · 04 Jun 08, 12:44 AM

Thinking of buying a bike satnav

which is best ?

**Johnny** · 04 Jun 08, 07:17 AM

I got a Zumo 550 after using a Tom tom for year and hate the thing, They are miles behind TT in most respects. The only way the 550 is better is with the planning software but you can pick up programs that do that and convert without a problem

Which Sat Nav Do you use (if any)?

**singletrack** · 04 Jun 08, 07:46 AM

I've got a Zumo which I love - I like the idea of being able to plan my ride on the computer before I go, which you can't do with the Tom Tom.
The touch screen is easy to use and blue tooth effective. There is also the option to use am mP3 player and mobile phone. I haven't used that whilst travelling but it is easy to use when you stop without taking your gloves and helmet off.

I haven't used a Tom Tom so I can't compare it to that.

The only bad thing I would say about the Garmin is that it sometimes sends you on a bit of a circuitous route - not always the most obvious and not always ideal for a sportsbike.

If you want a push and go sat nav get the Tom Tom, if you want to be able to plan your rides and review them when you get home get a Zumo.

**RodH** · 04 Jun 08, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singletrack

I like the idea of being able to plan my ride on the computer before I go, which you can't do with the Tom Tom.

Oh yes you can.......

Personally I have no experience with the Zumo, but have nothing but praise to the TomTom Rider II, using it in the car and on the bike. On the I Famosi Quattro trip to Misano, Italy for World Ducati Week last year, we used TomToms without any problems at all.

**singletrack** · 04 Jun 08, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodH

Oh yes you can.......

Personally I have no experience with the Zumo, but have nothing but praise to the TomTom Rider II, using it in the car and on the bike. On the I Famosi Quattro trip to Misano, Italy for World Ducati Week last year, we used TomToms without any problems at all.

Apologies - I was under the impression it wasn't possible to pre-plan on a PC/Mac- consider me suitably chastised.
Can you track your route on the computer afterwards too?

**RodH** · 04 Jun 08, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singletrack

Apologies - I was under the impression it wasn't possible to pre-plan on a PC/Mac- consider me suitably chastised.
Can you track your route on the computer afterwards too?

No apology needed and I certainly wasn't chastising you

,maybe you had the RiderI. Not sure about tracking the route afterwards, but I'll definately have a look to see.

**jay748** · 04 Jun 08, 08:22 AM

i tried to sort out a new Garmin last year for the Father in law . Halfords always seem to push garmins for some reason . any way i was a mega pain in the Butt . wouldnt pick up satellites , would find locations , in the end we took it back and exchanged it for a large screen tom tom which ive used its very good reliable and easy to use .

TOM TOM ............

**Segart** · 04 Jun 08, 09:19 AM

I have never used a Tom Tom, having heard positive reports from others here and various mates I will probably go with a Tom Tom next time. I use a Garmin 550 which is generally really good but has one or two quirks that I don't like.
The pluses are:
Very sturdy construction
Nice big buttons and big buutons on the touch screen
Solid mountings for car and bike
Great mapping software for PC based route planning
Good battery life for fiddling with it in hotels etc (calm down)
General ease of use/intuitive controls for GPS/Bluetooth etc
The minuses are:
Slow to update itself, can be very vague about turnings especially when various road junctions are very close together. The centre of small French villages often confuse it terminally.
No earphones, bluetooth or otherwise for sound reception in helmet-its very hard to figure this out in a unit designed for bike use (and costing nearly £500 quid).
Garmin website insisted that there were no map updates for my unit (bought about a year ago) until it was exactly a year old when hey presto there is an update available and its £53 plus VAT. Oh and no provision for a VAT free sale even though we are outside UK! Thanks guys.
I find the lack of a 'Distance to travel to your destination' facility, whilst in mid journey, a bit irritating. Yes it tells you how far it is when you first calculate a route but after that th mileage to run is pure guess work.

I am generally very happy with the Garmin Zumo 550 but I can sense a change of brand coming along when I upgrade it in a year or or so.
Cheers
Rick

**Johnny** · 04 Jun 08, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodH

Oh yes you can.......

Personally I have no experience with the Zumo, but have nothing but praise to the TomTom Rider II, using it in the car and on the bike. On the I Famosi Quattro trip to Misano, Italy for World Ducati Week last year, we used TomToms without any problems at all.

Rod is this sofware on the PC or do you do it on the TT unit it's self?

**half man, half mole** · 04 Jun 08, 10:55 AM

I prefer Garmin. I use a basic 400 model with no audio directions (it has no no bluetooth but then I always have ear plugs in) just good and easy to read visuals. Its all I need.

Mike

**RodH** · 04 Jun 08, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny

Rod is this sofware on the PC or do you do it on the TT unit it's self?

A combination of both really. You connect the TomTom to the PC via a USB cable and then run the Tomtom Home software.

**Johnny** · 04 Jun 08, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodH

A combination of both really. You connect the TomTom to the PC via a USB cable and then run the Tomtom Home software.

yep, just seen the demo on their site- in that case no contest -TT rider every time !!

**Masher** · 04 Jun 08, 06:13 PM

I have the Garmin 500, I did months of research comparing the Tom Tom Rider, (the V2 had not been released) and finally plumped for the Garmin after to many reports of the TT Rider failing, resetting itself, issues with the bike mount. Halfords and Currys withdrew them from sale as far too many where being returned as faulty.
The V2 does seem a little more reliable but I would not buy it until it had been out for 6 months or so and when I bought the Zumo suppliers wherestill waiting for stock.

The Garmin had no such issues.
I do have a minor problem that planning a route and saving it to the Zumo seems to overwite previous routes but that may be the way I am doing it.

We have a Cardo Scala Rider Teamset for bluetooth Comms between rider and Zomu which also manages your bluetooth connected phone. The Zumo MP3 player is quite good as well, only downside and this is probably due to the Scala Rider, is the passenger can not listen to the music.

**Pedro1098** · 04 Jun 08, 06:43 PM

Used both - prefer the Tom Tom, it rarely gets it wrong.

Had a Garmin a couple of years ago & in central London it was up dead ends, one ways the wrong way & generally hadn't got a clue!

May have improved since then but it was enough to make me whack it on eBay & get a TT!

**triumph5ta** · 12 Jun 08, 12:05 PM

I use a fairly old Garmin Quest 2, no problems with it.
Oh and I use a map too.
I find Sat Nav really handy for finding your way to a hotel in a strange town/city, also for finding your way out of same town and onto the right motorway or whatever. But for navigation out on the "open road" I generally use a map.