Accessories

Excellent motorcycle gps!
The Garmin Zumo 450 was easy to install. I installed it directly into the extra power wires located in my bike's headlight. The gps mount is very stable and with the power plugged into the headlight power, the Zumo turns on and off when I turn the bike on or off. I just used it through a hard rainstorm last weekend and it was perfectly fine. The display is nice and bright for any conditions I've encountered so far. If you don't need audible directions or bluetooth connections, then this gps is perfect.

Zumo 450 OK but hard to update
The Zuom 450 is a great product and works easily and intuitivly. However, the model being sold through Amazon has out of date maps which are hard to update. I have not yet been able to get this update working as yet and the download takes a very long time. The other problem is that it send you the most direct route and uses interstate highways when ever possible. This is ok for most travelers but motorcyclists often are looking for the less traveled route and the senic route and the route which is the most fun to ride. This is dificult to do with the Zumo 450.

GPS Perfection
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a GPS unit for the motorcycle for a couple of years and finally decided to take the plunge.
I only wish I'd puchased it sooner. The Zumo is fairly easy to wire to the bike and the mounting system is superb. The day after I mounted it we went on a long weekend trip, so it got a good test. The unit performed flawlessly and was very easy to use. We ran through some heavy rain the first morning and I can attest to the fact that the Zumo is waterproof! The routing is easy and with a few tips from friends I became very adept at setting destinations with multiple waypoints.
Several friends have adapted automobile units for the bikes, but with the first raindrop they panic. Not having that worry is worth the extra cost, along with the glove-friendly controls.. I will have to purchase a car mount, but with the price I got on Amazon, I'm still money ahead.
Definitely a solid unit.

Solid hardware
This unit is rock solid in the weather and easy to read the screen in all conditions as promised, great for motorcycles. My only complaint is that I was surprised to find the box and unit without the protectective plastic with the back of the unit cardboard scuffed from shipping. Garmin assured me that this unit was still considered "new" but I have to think it was a return of some kind. Either way, Garmin assured me it would be under the full warranty. In the end, I tested it under Washington/Oregon rainstorms while navigating the coast fot four days and it worked flawless as a GPS, although the motel list was quite out of date!

Wonderful GPS Unit; Needs More Audio
I purchased this unit to replace an older Garmin device on my motorcycle and used it on a cross country trip. It is pretty much bullet proof, rugged, waterproof. I didn't need all the extra features of the 550 (already have an XM radio, don't use Bluetooth) so I went for the 450. The gauge screens are quite useful and my favorite feature is the fuel gauge, which is easily reset after filling the gas tank. It is also easy to change route calculations on the fly when doing mental fuel stop calculations to see if the next city beyond is attainable. The touch screen works well with motorcycle gloves as advertised. And, of course, the GPS speedometer is more accurate than vehicle speedos, so I rely on it totally, rather than having to do the mental calculation off the bike display, "let's see, it says 70 mph but I'm really going 66." The security locking screw provides low level security and some peace of mind, but I wouldn't leave the unit on the bike overnight. Someone can still cut the wire and unscrew the RAM mount, making off with the unit.

The reason I gave it less than full stars is the audio connection. Here, I have to reference my older GPS solution, a Garmin iQue 3600 PDA. The iQue has an MP3 player with more than adequate audio output to drive headsets or the 3.5 mm stereo input to the Autocom bike audio system. At full volume setting, the Zumo audio is barely detectable. I'm sure Garmin had some technical reason, but the audio output level of the Zumo just doesn't cut it. The various bike forums talk about some $85 adaptor solution, or purchasing a Radio Shack MP3 headphone amplifier. From my viewpoint as an engineer, Garmin, for whatever reason, left out a $0.25 audio integrated circuit chip that would have easily remedied this, Instead, we are left to forage the online lists for a patchwork solution to a poor design.