Zumo 660 can't be trusted in my opinion

[Wrongway]

My wife and I went away for a nice 5 day/4 night tour of northern Ontario this week.
I just bought the spyder not long ago and have had some pretty significant issues due to water intrusion. It took the dealer a week to dry out the fuseboxes, clean them out and get the bike back to me. Since getting it back from the dealer I've put 1600 miles on the spyder and it's performing great.

Anyway, on the last night of our trip we were 200 miles from home.
When I selected HOME on the Zumo, it said that my ride was going to be 1300 miles.......YIKES!!!

I cancelled the trip on the Zumo and then selected my destination in cities and is was still 1300 miles.
Because we're somewhat familiar with the area I selected the same city in my Co-Pilot app on my phone and it said it was 211 miles.

In the Zumo my settings were no highways, no tolls and no ferries. It was set as motorcycle and fastest time. I realize that a GPS will not always take you the way you think it should when you're somewhat familiar with the route but this seemed just a little bit extreme to me.

I'm not new to using a GPS and because of this experience I put the ram mount on my spyder today and will use my Co-Pilot on my phone in the future. For phone power I just ran a 10' lightning power cord from the rear trunk and under the seat.

It's a shame because I was really looking forward to using the Zumo but now I'm not sure I can trust it.

I just thought I'd post this because it's always good to look at how far it is to your destination before setting out on your trip.

[UtahPete]

My wife and I went away for a nice 5 day/4 night tour of northern Ontario this week.
On our last night, we were 200 miles from home.
When I selected HOME on the Zumo, it said that my ride was going to be 1300 mile.....YIKES!!!

I cancelled the trip and then selected my destination in cities and is was still 1300 miles.
Because we're somewhat familiar with the area I selected the same city in my Co-Pilot app on my phone and it said it was 211 miles.

In the Zumo my settings were no highways, no tolls and no ferries. It was set as motorcycle and fastest time. I realize that a GPS will not always take you the way you think it should when you're somewhat familiar with the route but this seemed just a little bit extreme to me.

I'm not new to using a GPS and because of this experience I put the ram mount on my spyder today and will use my Co-Pilot on my phone in the future. For phone power I just ran a 10' lightning power cord from the rear trunk and under the seat.

It's a shame because I was really looking forward to using the Zumo but now I'm not sure I can trust it.

I just thought I'd post this because it's always good to look at how far it is to your destination before setting out on your trip.

Trust but verify. I've had strange results from the Garmin at times, but it was always because I was doing something wrong.

[Wrongway]

Trust but verify. I've had strange results from the Garmin at times, but it was always because I was doing something wrong.

I know, I thought it must be something I'd done but everything looked right to me.
I left it programmed to take me the 1300 miles but because I was familiar with the area, I went the way I've always gone.
Thank goodness I had it on mute because it spent the day recalculating.
It finally got with the program about 60 miles from home.

[Peter Aawen]

Did you try turning off the 'No Highway' exemption??

A lot of the 'extra miles' in the route it recommended were probably due to what the GPS maps have labelled as 'Highways'!! There's a good chance that you'd asked the GPS to exclude any route that included the roads you ended up travelling on, simply because it's mapping documentation had them all labelled as 'Highways' while you (& obviously many others) don't consider those particular routes as 'highways' warranting avoidance......

I've had similar issues halfway thru a 1000 mile trip!! The GPS started out directing me the way I expected, I even checked to make sure it was following the same route I've used many times in the past before setting off.... But once on the road & about 200 miles into the trip, instead of following the route it showed me on the overview that I'd checked earlier, it wanted to take me off my well travelled direct route & head out into the boondocks & add another 500 miles to the total trip distance in the process!! Zooming back out to look at the overview & read the turn by turn directions, and that extra diversion wasn't in there, but let the GPS zoom back in to the detail screen so it could show me the turn by turn map, suddenly this massive diversion was there again!! Had me puzzled until I checked the exemptions, and then I realised that the larger scale map didn't exclude the route thru that particular & many following towns, but the highly detailed zoomed in maps did!! In this particular case, my GPS had planned the route on one scale map, only when we actually got there & it zoomed in to show the detail, the map file changed & the road both I & the GPS epected to follow from the larger scale planning map was now a road on my exclude list!! And it had the same issue with every map file change for each of the next 30 towns we were going to travel thru, so it was now planning to detour via another State to avoid them all!! (bear in mind that most 'States' in Aust are bigger'n Texas!!) So, simply uncheck the offending exemption (in your case, it'll probably be 'highways') & suddenly my projected route was back to the route I expected & the same as that the GPS had planned on the larger scale overview map!!

So Wrongway, it was most likely an 'operator/device interpretation conflict' rather than anything inherently unreliable in the GPS!

[UtahPete]

I know, I thought it must be something I'd done but everything looked right to me.
I left it programmed to take me the 1300 miles but because I was familiar with the area, I went the way I've always gone.
Thank goodness I had it on mute because it spent the day recalculating.
It finally got with the program about 60 miles from home.

It's all part of the adventure!

[DGoebel]

Just checking, but had you done the recent maps updates 2019.20 that were released last month? It does have the lifetime map updates correct?
I used one to travel about 4800 miles from MN, into Canada, then down to Fort Meyers Florida, then back through Kentucky and Ohio, to MN.

PS, You didn't have Home set for your winter home in Zephyrhills Florida, that would have been about 1300 miles wouldn't it?

[Wrongway]

Just checking, but had you done the recent maps updates 2019.20 that were released last month? It does have the lifetime map updates correct?
I used one to travel about 4800 miles from MN, into Canada, then down to Fort Meyers Florida, then back through Kentucky and Ohio, to MN.

PS, You didn't have Home set for your winter home in Zephyrhills Florida, that would have been about 1300 miles wouldn't it?

Yes, I've done the most recent updates and yes it hs lifetime map updates.
LMAO, nope I had Home set as out home in Canada lol

[Wrongway]

Did you try turning off the 'No Highway' exemption??

A lot of the 'extra miles' in the route it recommended were probably due to what the GPS maps have labelled as 'Highways'!! There's a good chance that you'd asked the GPS to exclude any route that included the roads you ended up travelling on, simply because it's mapping documentation had them all labelled as 'Highways' while you (& obviously many others) don't consider those particular routes as 'highways' warranting avoidance......

I've had similar issues halfway thru a 1000 mile trip!! The GPS started out directing me the way I expected, I even checked to make sure it was following the same route I've used many times in the past before setting off.... But once on the road & about 200 miles into the trip, instead of following the route it showed me on the overview that I'd checked earlier, it wanted to take me off my well travelled direct route & head out into the boondocks & add another 500 miles to the total trip distance in the process!! Zooming back out to look at the overview & read the turn by turn directions, and that extra diversion wasn't in there, but let the GPS zoom back in to the detail screen so it could show me the turn by turn map, suddenly this massive diversion was there again!! Had me puzzled until I checked the exemptions, and then I realised that the larger scale map didn't exclude the route thru that particular & many following towns, but the highly detailed zoomed in maps did!! In this particular case, my GPS had planned the route on one scale map, only when we actually got there & it zoomed in to show the detail, the map file changed & the road both I & the GPS epected to follow from the larger scale planning map was now a road on my exclude list!! And it had the same issue with every map file change for each of the next 30 towns we were going to travel thru, so it was now planning to detour via another State to avoid them all!! (bear in mind that most 'States' in Aust are bigger'n Texas!!) So, simply uncheck the offending exemption (in your case, it'll probably be 'highways') & suddenly my projected route was back to the route I expected & the same as that the GPS had planned on the larger scale overview map!!

So Wrongway, it was most likely an 'operator/device interpretation conflict' rather than anything inherently unreliable in the GPS!

So I've just been sitting here playing with the GPS and you are 100% correct.
The OFFENDER is when you set the gps to avoid HIGHWAYS.
Although I do agree with you that this is an "operator/device interpretation conflict" it should be this way.
I've had severl GPS's including the Co-Pilot app that I've been using for about a year on my iphone and when I select to avoid highways it's never been an issue.

Really strange because while I'm here playing with the GPS I select my daughters place which is 100 miles away and is actually on the route to the place 200 miles away. With the gps set to avoid highways, it avoids the highway even though many of the roads are near the main highway. With the same settings, I select the place 200 miles away and BOOM - 1300 miles.

Definately and good thing to be aware of but the problem happens when you're on a trip in areas that you're not familiar with. You could have some very very long days

[DGoebel]

I do wish Garmin would allow a distinction between Interstates and Highways. Or Limited access highways versus non-limited access.

[TomG]

Yes, I've done the most recent updates and yes it hs lifetime map updates.
LMAO, nope I had Home set as out home in Canada lol

Must admit that your twin bugs had my attention for a moment LoL

TomG

[Wrongway]

Must admit that your twin bugs had my attention for a moment LoL

TomG

Apparently if you have a cat on your lap, they love to try to catch the bugs

[pauly1]

"In the Zumo my settings were no highways, no tolls and no ferries." I've had a Zumo 660 since 2010. No highways means no paved roads. Never fully, blindly trust any automated GPS navigation device, even for short distances. I've found errors in Google Maps. Glad it worked out.

[Chupaca]

Just can't resist ... with a handle of "Wrongway" it would seem you need one that is spot on.... I don't use one and just ryde and get there when we get there...

[PaladinLV]

Looks like cockpit error to me!
"In the Zumo my settings were no highways, no tolls and no ferries."

No highways? Good luck with that!
Suggest you change that THEN see what Zumo does.

AJ

[Bfromla]

Just can't resist ... with a handle of "Wrongway" it would seem you need one that is spot on.... I don't use one and just ryde and get there when we get there...

A lot can be in the settings, but adjusting out in mid trip is not the place to play with just route yourself somewhere close & familiar go from there or try again. I've also learned locally namely all E TX dealers have the right address & phone number, but the GPS location for that address is 6-15miles off guess whoever input the information fat fingered the numbers & it's not just Garmin either, my TOM TOM & Google maps off phone. Most the dealers are aware & can guide you when you call(the few that are left anyway) aggregating but technology is particularly good at that
With or without updating

[Wrongway]

Just can't resist ... with a handle of "Wrongway" it would seem you need one that is spot on.... I don't use one and just ryde and get there when we get there...

I'm Surprised that it took so long to comment on the handle of "Wrongway" when I'm talking about GPS routing.
Believe me, I've earned the handle.

[INfox]

Yes, I've done the most recent updates and yes it hs lifetime map updates.
LMAO, nope I had Home set as out home in Canada lol

I did the latest updates little over a week ago and went to a place I know; but we used a different route. My 590 Zumo directed me to a wrong direction, although I didn't reset my setting at all. While driving in a group the same day, another member of our group had very similar issue, we ended up turning around few times. He did update his Zumo as well (I'm not sure which model though), his unit was purchased separately.

There is something wrong with the latest Garmin Zumo map updates in my opinion.

[Bob Denman]

Your bike new EXACTLY what it was dong: taking you on the scenic route!
Seriously: the unit can only do what you asked it to: based upon the parameters that you set...

[Purple Guy]

I have heard this complaint quite often with the Zumo 660. There are a few riders in our club that totally refuse to use it.
My experience with it has been nothing short of Stellar!!!
My wife & I go on a 2 to 3 week road trip every year, leaving on a 4700 Km one next Friday and have absolutely no fear in the guidance the Zumo 660 is going to provide!
To be fair I do use TyreToTravel routing software to make my own routes and import them into my Garmin as we like to avoid interstates and ride down the roads less traveled.
If mine ever stopped working I wouldn't hesitate to buy another...

[Easy Rider]

It's a shame because I was really looking forward to using the Zumo but now I'm not sure I can trust it.

I just thought I'd post this because it's always good to look at how far it is to your destination before setting out on your trip.

With the settings you specified, it is selecting a "scenic" route for you.....which is a "motorcycle" feature that most don't have.
I think this is mentioned in the Owners Manual, which you have to download from Garmin.

I like it, in most cases, but I always review the route parameters to get an idea of how "scenic" it decided to be.

YOu might be able to fix that just by setting it to "car" instead of motorcycle. Or allow highways.....or both.
My 590 seems to realize fairly quickly that I don't want to use it's route and plot me something instead going the way that I start out.

One final thought: On every GPS I've ever had......a really LOT of them......the voice prompts always seem to get it exactly wrong sometimes, saying "keep left" when the display obviously indicates keep right.

[Easy Rider]

I've had a Zumo 660 since 2010. No highways means no paved roads.

No it doesn't. Not on any brand or model.

In the GPS world, it means no Interstates or limited access Freeways.

[johnsimion]

I agree with everything Peter Aawen and the others said, but I have one comment and that is, "How much have you used the Zumo before?" I ask that not to be snarky but because of my own experience. I installed an aftermarket GPS into one of my cars and programmed it for "home" (just on the other side of the city) and it gave me a ridiculous result -- in which I actually had only to exit the highway and make a left turn, but the GPS told me to exit, turn right, turn left and turn left again, all in the same intersection. It was very irritating but I ignored it since I knew where to go anyway. When I contacted the manufacturer about this weird glitch, they told me it was common when the GPS is brand new and just to keep using it -- sure enough, the next time I went through the intersection, it got it right. These things are never foolproof, anyway.

[UtahPete]

I agree with everything Peter Aawen and the others said, but I have one comment and that is, "How much have you used the Zumo before?" I ask that not to be snarky but because of my own experience. I installed an aftermarket GPS into one of my cars and programmed it for "home" (just on the other side of the city) and it gave me a ridiculous result -- in which I actually had only to exit the highway and make a left turn, but the GPS told me to exit, turn right, turn left and turn left again, all in the same intersection. It was very irritating but I ignored it since I knew where to go anyway. When I contacted the manufacturer about this weird glitch, they told me it was common when the GPS is brand new and just to keep using it -- sure enough, the next time I went through the intersection, it got it right. These things are never foolproof, anyway.

John, I have NEVER been able to get my gps to give me the right directions in and through Las Vegas. There's just something about the constant road construction there that confuses the hell out of Garmin (and me).

[INfox]

I agree with everything Peter Aawen and the others said, but I have one comment and that is, "How much have you used the Zumo before?" I ask that not to be snarky but because of my own experience. I installed an aftermarket GPS into one of my cars and programmed it for "home" (just on the other side of the city) and it gave me a ridiculous result -- in which I actually had only to exit the highway and make a left turn, but the GPS told me to exit, turn right, turn left and turn left again, all in the same intersection. It was very irritating but I ignored it since I knew where to go anyway. When I contacted the manufacturer about this weird glitch, they told me it was common when the GPS is brand new and just to keep using it -- sure enough, the next time I went through the intersection, it got it right. These things are never foolproof, anyway.

That was my experience and similar by our other club member. I assume the "learning" memory got somehow cleared at the time of the new map being updated and new experiences are being recorded from scratch. That would be a programmer error, not a user error if the Zumo is showing a route to a different address and driving left, right... ending up somewhere else instead of straight to a known address .

When that happens we use Google Maps, they never failed us and if there is an accident or a road block as a result of high traffic, Google Maps will find a very nice back road we can depend on.

[DGoebel]

+1 for PurpleGuy's process, I use the MyRoute-App plotting features for advance planned trips, which allows you to select lots of motorcycle beneficial routing, then export it into the Grmin format to create a route. BUT, all that doesn't help when you're out on the Spyder and just pick Go Home as the OP stated. Though if I'm within 200 miles of home I likely already know the way and the GPS is just clarification isn't it?