14 DAY TRIAL // There are relatively few GPS devices designed especially for bikers available on the market nowadays, but it seems that the demand in this segment has become a pretty serious one as well, as more and more manufacturers try to come up with such products. And the latest announcement regarding a device of this type comes from Garmin, who has partnered with renowned motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson in order to announce the Road Tech zumo, a customized version of Garmin's popular motorcycle-specific GPS device particularly enhanced for Harley owners.
Road Tech zumo owners can access trip details directly from the zumo trip information page. The bright display shows the rider speed, heading and a customizable fuel gauge that lets him define the motorcycle's maximum fuel range and find a gas station when necessary. If a rider wants to leave the pavement for the trail, the zumo accepts electronic topo maps for off-road navigation. And since we've mentioned the gas stations, it's also worth noting that the Road Tech zumo features an extensive directory of Harley-Davidson dealerships, as well as a preloaded database of more than six million points of interest such as hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions.
A custom handlebar mount, designed to withstand the severe vibration environment commonly experienced in motorcycle riding, quickly secures the Road Tech zumo while providing the option of easily transferring the device to one's car or truck for four-wheel navigation. Moreover, for additional convenience and safety, the Road Tech zumo has a glove-friendly design with left-handed controls and oversized touchscreen buttons, while the casing is waterproof (IEC 529 IPX-7 standards).
It's also very interesting to note that the Road Tech zumo offers a wide range of security features, the Garmin Lock, for example, a proprietary theft prevention system that disables the zumo from performing any function until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location. If the user does not know the PIN or secure location, the zumo will be inoperative.
The Road Tech zumo also incorporates Bluetooth wireless technology, which allows the user to connect the zumo to his Bluetooth-enabled headset/helmet and cell phone to make and receive hands-free calls. He can even make phone calls to POIs through zumo's Bluetooth interface. In addition, the zumo transmits navigation voice prompts to one's headset so that he can listen to them wirelessly.
As expected, the Road Tech zumo is a lot more expensive than most regular PNDs on the market, as it sells in Harley Davidson dealerships for around 800 US dollars.
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