Anyone using the Garmin 595LM?

[Chaos Theory]

I need a GPS for both the F800GS and the truck, so I need it rugged. I'm interested in many of the new features of the 395/595, but think they are waaaay overpriced considering the reviews they're getting. The biggest complaint is that they are unreadable in sunlight and that there are some route plotting issues-- which is kind of a problem for a bike-focused unit.

I'm hoping Garmin's next flagship, cycle-specific model is just around the corner, since these are over a year old now. But I'd imagine there will be a big price drop on the 595 when that happens so I might snag one.

Anyone have this unit, and what are your thoughts?

[notacop]

I just got a 2589 from GPS city? $129 Life time maps and traffic.
What could go wrong? It even fits in my Ram Aqua box!
With the Ram Aqua box, you don't need a cycle, very pricey, specific GPS.
2nd thought. The 2589 wants to have the finger tip, not the finger nail touch the screen to make it work. I've yet to test it behind the plastic screen of the Aqua Box.

[danham]

I ran a non-waterproof nuvi 760 for many miles, also in a waterproof enclosure. The big problem is that the GPS produces heat, so on a cool, rainy day you get so much condensation inside the box's screen that 1) you might as well be exposing the GPS to rain and 2) you can't see a damn thing.

If you want to hear directions, the non-zumos require clunky dongles or hardwiring. Not impossible to live with (I hardwired), but inconvenient (I murdered more than one earphone set at gas stops by forgetting I was plugged in). The zumos can talk to many brands of wireless helmet BT setups.

As for route planning, every single GPS on the market has quirks when it comes to this, some worse than others. As long as you "pre-flight" check your routes, most of the glitches can be anticipated in advance. Yes, the zumos are overpriced, but they do the job competently, as long as you learn their quirks.

-dan

[notacop]

Listen for instructions? not today thank you. I yell at it and tell it to shut up!
I've never had mine fog. Interesting.
if I'm listening to AI, who's the dummy? I like the POI's for food and gas, etc. But even that lies sometimes. Alt facts?

[danham]

Nota, I hear ya. When glitches happen, I talk back.

Yup, those POIs can be dangerously stale. Gas stations In Canada? Hahahaha. Came the closest ever to having to push a bone dry bike a few years ago in Toronto due to being directed to a station that did a very good impression of a rubble-strewn, abandoned lot.

-dan

[Daboo]

Chaos Theory...I for one, had enough chaos in my life. Sorry...couldn't resist that.

I tried several different car GPS models over the years. It worked okay, but not great at all. But, it was sufficient for my needs. Then I went to the Coeur d'Alene Getaway last Fall, and that convinced me to quit going cheap and just bite the bullet. I've had some big rides planned for this summer and have been looking at everything from the type of motorcycle to use, the riding gear, camera, and the GPS to make sure I have it all planned out beforehand. The last thing I wanted to do, was to go through a mad panic in the last few weeks before leaving...and so that trip was a little bit of a dry-run for the GPS solution.

I went over using my old trusty Navigon 2100Max. It was a great GPS in its day. The biggest limitation in my mind had been the visibility in daylight, but I had a large shade made for it that worked well in cloudy Western Washington. Plus, most of the day trips I made over on this side of the Cascades had few road choices. It worked great for about 8 of the 10 hour ride. Of course, there wasn't many choices on roads to take that close to the Canadian border, so I didn't need to look at it often. But once I got near Spokane, I had hit rush hour traffic and I just couldn't see the screen. Also, I couldn't hear the directions. So...if you can't see, and can't hear...the GPS isn't doing you much good. I did one of those last second exits off the freeway at one point, just because I hadn't seen the turn in the sunlight. That was a good chance for an accident that I put myself into because I was cheap. Then, when I'm getting close to the motel, I made a wrong turn...again because I couldn't see the screen. I turned around in the middle of the street...and almost dumped the bike. Hmm...another opportunity for several hundred dollars of plastic fairing replacement parts. By this time, I'm thinking I'm trying to save a few hundred dollars for a GPS that is readable, and I can hear the directions over the Bluetooth...but I'm about to spend even more on bike repairs, and perhaps hospital bills. And all the while, I'm also thinking I have this post-retirement trip planned where I need a good GPS. Do I want to waste the trip, to save a few bucks?

Then Saturday, it pours. Hmmm... I have a GPS in my smartphone, but it isn't waterproof. And I have the GPS visual in my Navigon GPS unit. Maybe I can route both to the same place and make this work? Use the Navigon for the visual. In the dark sky, it'll be plenty bright. The smartphone GPS can give me the audio directions. Sounds great, doesn't it?

But they decided to take different routes, even though I thought I had them set correctly. They were useless. And while I could put my Samsung Note 4 into a waterproof container...it wouldn't be convenient to use as a camera on my trip. Waaaay too much chaos!

So I came home and sprung for a refurbished Garmin 590LM. I've not been sorry.


If you want to cut costs on the ripoff the new "motorcycle" GPS units run, look for a factory refurbished unit. I got my 590LM for hundreds off the MSRP, and it looks identical to any brand new unit. The 590, isn't that much different in useful capabilities, so you might want to consider the older models as well.

Also, if you are willing to use the smaller screen of the 390/395 units...I'd really look hard at the TomTom 400. I was ready to spring for one till I decided to go with the larger 5 inch screen size.

I've been using the Garmin 590LM for about six months, daily. Visibility isn't an issue for me...but then I live in the Seattle area, not Texas. The only issue I've found on routing, has been that the "Curvy Road" function isn't as robust as I'd like. But then most routes I plan to take will be worked out on a PC first.

Chris

[FrankV]

I have a Zumo 590, recently upgraded to 595 firmware. Great product. I have been using Garmin bike-specific GPS's for more than 14 years now.
If you are new to the GPS world, you might also consider the new TomTom Rider 4xx series. A bit more easy to operate than the Garmin units, and great possibilities to plan interesting trips on the unit itself!

[Chaos Theory]

When I bought my R1200GS back in 2007, it came with the BMW Zumo 550. It was an EXCELLENT unit, and I miss it dearly. Unfortunately, since the mount on the bike was permanent, I included it in the trade-in for the F800GS. Big mistake... I figured after 8 years there was something much, much better than the 550, but all I'm reading on bike forums is how folks wish they still had their 550's! It wasn't fancy, had serious memory limitations, but it was bulletproof, easy to read, and uncomplicated.

I'm a tech guy, tho. I really like the new options the latest GPS's have, I just think the prices are out of control. No way in hell they are worth 6, 7, $800-- but who's their competetion? No one, really. *shrugs*

I'm looking at the TomTom Rider 400, which is probably what I'll end up getting. If there weren't such negative reviews for the current Garmins, I'd ante up the money against my better judgement.

I appreciate the replies! I still would like to hear from more folks who have used the newest Garmins before pulling the trigger on something.

[Daboo]

...I'm a tech guy, tho. I really like the new options the latest GPS's have, I just think the prices are out of control. No way in hell they are worth 6, 7, $800-- but who's their competetion? No one, really. *shrugs* ...

The refurbished unit was where I ended up going to get the price down to something I could swallow. These folks had a good deal on the refurbished 590LM. http://g.factoryoutletstore.com/cat/...cycle-GPS.html I think I paid a little over $500 for mine. Still high, but far less than new. They have a refurbished unit on there now, but the price doesn't make sense. If you're interested, I'd contact them. It is priced only $50 less than a new 595LM, so something is wrong on their web page. You just might find a deal there.

Here's another refurbished 590LM. I'd do some checking on whether that really is a "manufacturer" warranty though before purchasing. http://www.ebay.com/itm/GARMIN-zumo-...1/222490790575

When I got my "refurbished" 590LM, I couldn't tell the difference between it and a "new" unit. The box looked new. Everything inside was packaged as it would be when buying new. The unit looked new. No marks, or any evidence it had ever been turned on. The warranty also, is the new manufacturer's warranty. To me, it was a win-win. Like I wrote earlier, I have been using it daily for the past several months. No evidence of leakage at all when using it in heavy rain. And my reason for using it daily, was two-fold. To see if it did have any defects so I could get them repaired before my upcoming trips. And to get familiar with it, so I wasn't having to climb the learning curve on the trip.

I mentioned before that I like the TomTom 400 unit. The only other thing besides screen size that I found as a negative, was that the traffic is a yearly subscription, not a one-time purchase. Otherwise, I like it a lot. I have it on my smartphone and it is very easy to use.

Chris

[N4HHE]

Since when does a Zumo 590 "upgrade to 595 firmware?"

I have over 20,000 miles on my Zumo 595. It is typical Garmin in that many features and functions are excellent and too many suck.

There is an issue with the battery connector. GPS firmware is not smart enough to know there is a problem but display dims when battery is not making good connection. Doesn't matter if GPS is running off vehicle power. Its a simple fix to disconnect the battery and tweak the pigtail contacts just a little bit. Then problem solved.

Bought lifetime weather and traffic updates. The link from GPS to phone to weather works about 1 time in 20. Yet the phone has no trouble relaying incoming text messages to the Zumo display. No troubles displaying the current song playing from the phone.

Also have Garmin TPMS which integrate with the 595. Front often reports "low battery" no matter new battery, no matter if I swap its battery with the rear sensor. So I just ignore.

[FrankV]

Since when does a Zumo 590 "upgrade to 595 firmware?"

Not officially, of course But you can load the 595 firmware in the 590, en then it behaves like a 595 including options like Spotify, which are not possible withe the 590. Hardware of the two devices seem identical.

[notacop]

"But they decided to take different routes,"
I noticed that about the daughters phone instructions and my Garmin negotiating cross town Los Angels in traffic.
If you are going into the great unknown the results can be interesting. Like ending up in a lake. Or worser.
Some features of GPS, like Altitude I really like. Some don't do that. How the units depicts the route can make one brand more appealing than another.
I have a BMW Nagivator I. It's a physical pig with a large quantity of heavy batteries and it's limited memory so an upgrade to the little light weight Garmin that doesn't list the BMW dealers is easy.

[RichKerr]

I recently bought the Zumo 660LM on amazon, refurbished, for 319.00. It seems to work great and does everything I need it to do, but does lack a couple things the 595 offers, such as "curvy roads" routing. I also have a 550 I bought in March off another forum, and long story short, ended up with only Canada and border states so it's no use to me. I'll prob offer it up for sale soon here first.

[randyclark]

Wow. Kinda interested on that.