Motorcycle GPS Systems: Garmin vs TomTom

Many motorcycle riders today are buying GPS navigation systems. Many good systems are available today, and prices are comparable; so, the real issue is: which brand, Garmin or TomTom?

The Garmin Zūmo 550 GPS Navigation System

Here is a GPS system that was designed with the motorcycle enthusiast in mind. The Zūmo 550 is waterproof, so there is no need to worry about the weather, just navigation. It contains a touchscreen that displays a 3.5-inch map of North America. It is also possible to add topographical maps to the Garmin Zūmo 550 for those bikers wanting to go off-road as well. This GPS has an excellent receiver, which is able to pick up GPS signals in tunnels and other areas that normally have bad reception. It is also XM Satellite compatible! In addition to its great navigation, the Garmin Zūmo 550 GPS Navigation System also features text-to-speech, Bluetooth wireless, a mp3 player, an internal rechargeable battery, as well as it comes with its own motorcycle mount, so the Zūmo 550 is already to be setup and used as soon as it is taken out of the box.

The TomTom Rider Motorcycle GPS Navigation System

The TomTom Rider contains a hooded LCD display with a 3.5-inch visual image of a map or routing info. The Rider has a touchscreen that shows either a 3D or flat version of the map, which presents clear routing instructions for motorcyclists. In addition to its motorcycle-friendly GPS coordinates, speed, compass heading, and the UTC time, it also includes a built-in satellite tracking indicator. Like the Garmin Zūmo 550 GPS Navigation System, it too is Bluetooth compatible, and comes with motorcycle mounting brackets. However, unlike the Garmin, the TomTom makes it difficult to use the touch screen when wearing gloves, but does offer more advanced routing features than the Garmin Zūmo 550 GPS Navigation System.