Best Motorcycle GPS

The Garmin Zumo 595LM is a real find for real road adventures. Besides the addition of a host of useful features, it boasts the Garmin Adventurous Routing option that definitely sets it apart from the competition. This function allows moto riders to traverse twisty, curvy, and hilly terrain, varying intensity levels to their preference. To take advantage of the "thrill riding", you simply need to activate the Adventurous Routing and enter a needed destination. In less than half a minute, the Garmin will offer you a fascination route from point A to point B. This feature is really perfect for those who would like to add thrilling adventurous rides to their routine.

Besides that, the 595LM is packed with many other useful functions like TracBack feature, alerts for school zones, locations of interest, red-light cameras, and upcoming twists. All the functions are easy to control via the 5" high-resolution touchscreen display. If needed, it can transmit and update the 3D view in real-time to help you in tricky intersections. The display reduces glare and is easily readable even in direct sunlight. All this can take your motorcycle experience to a whole new level.

The Garmin’s ZUMO lineup has recently got a new addition - the XT All-Terrain Motorcycle GPS Navigation Device. As the name suggests, this advanced navigator can cater to the needs of those individuals who like to ride both on-road and off-road. It comes fitted with numerous built-in topo maps, a helpful database of historical sites, TripAdvisor ratings, iOverland points of interest, and other content that can come in useful for outdoor enthusiasts. No longer will you need to haul out your mobile phone to search for information on Google!

Yet, the biggest upgrade this device offers is the extra-large 5.5" screen with the crisp HD resolution that works either in landscape or portrait mode. The display is way better compared to any of Garmin GPS devices and those offered by other brands. The map retains detail even when zoomed further out. Also, it's very bright and well-readable even in the direct sun with polarized sunglasses on. When set at 100% brightness, the device lasts up to 3.5 hours on a full charge and goes up to 6 hours in regular settings. Alternatively, you can hard-wire it for constant power supply. What we also liked about the XT navigator is that it's made with a standard 1” ball mount, meaning it requires no additional cradles or adapters.

If you're new to GPS tracking and just looking for your first navigator, most probably, you want it to be functional yet budget-friendly. In many ways, the Garmin ZUMO 396LMT-S meets those criteria. Coming at half the price of its bigger brother (ZUMO 595LM), it meets and exceeds the basic needs of the majority of motorcycle riders.

To begin with, the ZUMO 396LMT-S is very easy to install and set up. It has only one power cable to connect with no extra jacks and USB inputs to hassle with. All the software and map updates are done via Wi-Fi, so actually you won't even need to plug it into your computer.

The sat-nav has a modest 4.3" screen with a simple learning curve. Even if you've never used such devices before, you'll be able to master it quickly. With that, the screen is not only intuitive for first-time users but also glove-friendly (works with both touchscreen-sensitivity gloves and standard pairs). The touchscreen works really well with gloves on, and most of the buttons are large enough to hit despite the overall compact size of the device. The unit is also easy to angle up or down to read in the sun.

If you're one of those who can't live without riding and don't deprive themself of fun to ride even in bad weather, you may really like the Garmin ZUMO 396 LMT-S. It's well-sealed from the weather and has an IPX7 protection class, meaning the screen is completely unaffected by water. So, it won't cause you any issues even while riding in the rain, regardless of how heavy it is. Moreover, the device is solidly-built and forged to military-grade 810G drop-test standards, so it's afraid of neither rigorous weather nor rough terrain.

Moving on, we would like to stress that this rainproof unit still works fine with any glove, no matter whether it has touchscreen sensitivity or not. This truly makes the device a joy to use. What also makes the device so admirable is the simple layout. Many of the menu icons can be scrolled and much of the information can be easily customized to your preference. The display shows smart notifications like alerts of emails, SMS, WhatsApp messages, Facebook notifications, missed calls, and other ones that typically appear on your smartphone’s screen. With that, you can select what alerts you want to see and what ones you'd like to turn off. It's also worth mentioning that if you’re going too fast, the display will glow red, and when you approach speed cameras, it'll show a warning.

If you're looking for a more rugged alternative to navigation on your phone but don't want to overpay for branded sat-navs, you may like the TomTom Rider 550. Operationally, it's quite similar to Garmin navigation devices - it's as easy to use and also has an intuitive interface. Yet, although the interface looks simple, there are no limits for route planning; you can choose the fastest routes or slower but more complex and thrilling routes. All of the routes can be set according to three levels of twistiness and elevation. Also, each of them can be further modified by adding extra stops.

If compared to the popular Garmin ZUMO 396LMT-S, both devices share many same features, but the area where the TomTom Rider 550 really shines is the longevity of the battery life. While the ZUMO 396LMT-S offers only 4 hours of cordless use, the Rider 550 has a battery life of 6 hours.

Like its direct counterpart, this navigation tool also has Wi-Fi, so you don’t need to connect it to your computer for updates. Owing to the large internal memory of 16 GB, you'll be able to download the set of all free world maps. The mapping data is very up-to-date with accurate speed zones, speed cameras, and red-light cameras.

Naturally, the device can be paired with Bluetooth intercom units, but one of the most striking features is that it's also compatible with Siri and Google smart assistants. So, when used with a headset, you can access music or make phone calls without a need to take your eyes off the road.