Garmin Zumo 450
The Garmin Zumo line is designed for motorcycles and the Zumo 450 is the second entry (in the USA) for the Zumo line. The Zumo 450 is a less expensive version of the Zumo but still comes with many great features. So what makes this a “motorcycle” GPS?
Like the other Zumos, the 450 comes with a design that is easy to operate, even with riding gloves on. The buttons are big, sturdy, and located along the left side of the device so that you can operate it left handed, keeping your right hand firmly on the bike. The plastic used on the GPS is designed to be resistant to nature’s elements such as rain, and UV light. In fact, this Zumo is IPX-7 waterproof so no need to worry about the rain either.
For mounting, this GPS also comes with a standard 4 hold AMPS pattern motorcycle mount. There is a motorcycle power cable and security screwdriver to help protect your GPS. Another security feature is Garmin Lock which will only allow operation of the GPS with a PIN number. This can be overridden by taking the GPS to a specific, preprogrammed location.
There are also motorcycle specific software features on the Zumo 450. For example there is a resettable fuel gauge which will warn you when your fuel is getting low. And of course a natural extension of that is the POI database. Low on fuel? the Zumo 450 can point you to the nearest gas stations via the extensive POI database.
There are other software features that you don’t find on many other Garmin devices such as the ability to save routes. You can even save a route, export it to an SD card, pass the card along to a friend, and they can import the route into their own Zumo. This is a great feature for group rides where you want to stick together, but have the freedom to not necessarily travel as a tight pack. Everyone can follow the same route on their GPS at their own time, yet still traveling together.
The Zumo 450 is also designed to take a pounding on the road. It is protected more against vibration and is even built using plastics which are fuel resistant.
In the future the Zumo will also accept TOPO amps in the future for off-road locations. Expect to be able to purchase one of these in March.
The 450 is currently at the bottom of the Zumo line. However this does not make it any less capable of a GPS navigation system. Many people don’t need features like traffic receivers or Bluetooth hands free calling. For those who do, step up to the Zumo 550 which has an MP3 player, a traffic receiver, text-to-speech, and can even connect to XM satellite services.
Comparing to other manufacturers, you might want to compare the Zumo vs the TomTom RIDER, a gps also designed for motorcycle use. The RIDER has Bluetooth, but doesn’t have an optional traffic receiver nor an MP3 player.
| Store | Rating | Best Prices |
|---|---|---|
Compare all prices on the Garmin Zumo 450 Motorcycle / Scooter GPS ranging from $383.49 to $699.99. | ||
 |  In Stock at Dell.com | $699.99 |
 |  In Stock at Buydig.com | $383.49 |
 | In Stock at Dell Small Business | $699.99 |
 | In Stock at PCNation | $511.80 |
 | In Stock at RadioShack.com | $629.99 |
 | In Stock at Staples | $699.99 |
 |  In Stock at Universal Mania | $512.00 |
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Does anybody know when the 450 is shipping and how much it will cost? It should be a nice compromise from the 500 for those of us who do not want to talk on the phone when riding.
It isn’t shipping yet, but should be within a month or so. The retail price is $857.13 but I expect retailers to start offering it somewhere around $699 initially.
Is it possible to program a ride using the Zumo450 internal mapping system rather than a computer and then downloading?
Yes.
After some work I was able to successfully load a route directly onto the zumo 450. These tips may help you do the same:
1. Never assume the artificial intelligence will pick the exact roads you’d like to take. If there’s an opportunity for it to alter the route by taking a faster route or shorter distance it will. You have to put in a few intermediate Via points to insure you stay on the road you want.
2. After putting in starting and ending points, when entering the Via points you’ll need to page down after each point to make sure they go in succession. Otherwise your route will be entered in reverse order.
3. If you know the exact city/county that an intersection is located in then use the ‘Intersection’ function. Otherwise I’ve found that if you first hit ‘Near’ and pick your last Via point, the hit ‘Browse Map’ you can follow your intended route and place the cursor exactly where you want the next Via point to be. Then hit ‘Select’.
4. Any intersections that have ramps for entry/exit, use the (+) to zoom in enough and place your Via point on the ramp to insure the turn will go in the direction you want. I’ve found that this zoom feature really helps with any questionable intersections or if there’s a quick jog and you want to make sure the Zumo picks it up.
5. If the planned route will take your over divided roads/highways be sure and put the cursor on your intended direction, otherwise you’ll find either a u-turn or exiting at the next intersection and doubling back to redo the section of road you just covered. (in other words if your highway is I-64 E or W, and you want to go east, pick I-64 E)
If you’ve looked at both the Zumo 450 and the 550, I’d love to hear what you decided upon, and some of the reasons.
(I’d be using the gps 60% bike / 40% car.
thanks!
Phil - I chose the Zumo 450 for the following reasons:
1. Don’t need the bluetooth capability.
2. Text to speech is not improtant to me on the bike, I follow the visual instructions and have the volume off.
3. No need to subscribe to XM radio, I use my 40g iPod.
If you plan to use it often in the car the auto mount is included with the 550. Needs to be bought separately with the 450. Just wired it to the bike today as I had been using the battery. Battery is good for any rides under 4 hours.
I am planning a motorcycle trip from Canada to South America. Are maps of Mexico, Central America and South America available for this unit?
Coverage in Mexico is currently limited to major highways. South of there I don’t believe there is any coverage.
Had the Zumo 450 for 1 week and left for cross country trip. On the second day, the Zumo would not turn on. Checked fuse and power connection - both good. Also would not turn on when out of the mounting cradle using only the battery. Two days and 1,000 miles later, discovered solution on the Troubleshooting section of the manual on the CD - If display is “frozen” (in my case, “frozen” in the OFF position) press the power and + key at the same time to “reset” the display - in my case the unit turned on and worked without problem for the remainder of the trip… who know? Otherwise great GPS for a bike.
If you want to hear the GPS commands, is there a way to hear it inside your helmet?
Does the Garmin 450 come with the ability to plug it into the motorcycle battery pigtail to power it if you are traveling longer than 4 hours (on the Garmin battery)?
Thanks…John
Does the 450 have a track log? I sometimes come across great roads while exploring and would like to remember them for future rides.