GPS - How do the Nav6 & Zumo XT compare? Impressions on either?

[rickmoen]

Hello,

I recently bought a 2017 Spyder RTL with only 6000 miles on it. This is my third Spyder. I put a BMW Nav 6 GPS on each of the first two.The RTL came with a Zumo 590, which I will probably replace with either another Nav 6 or the Zumo XT. I'm familiar with the Nav 6 but have never seen a Zumo XT. Hopefully, someone out there has seen or used both and could share rider impressions or comparisons of both units. Any help is greatly appreciated and my thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[ThreeWheels]

Hello,

I recently bought a 2017 Spyder RTL with only 6000 miles on it. This is my third Spyder. I put a BMW Nav 6 GPS on each of the first two.The RTL came with a Zumo 590, which I will probably replace with either another Nav 6 or the Zumo XT. I'm familiar with the Nav 6 but have never seen a Zumo XT. Hopefully, someone out there has seen or used both and could share rider impressions or comparisons of both units. Any help is greatly appreciated and my thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I'm one of those geeks who always has to have the latest and greatest.
I had the Zumo 660 and HAD to replace it with a Zumo 590 as soon as it came out.
Then the Zumo XT came out, so I HAD to have that.
The main difference is the XT has WiFi capability. Not much practical difference, I should have saved the money.
The Zumo 590 was fine. If the prices are similar, go with the XT, but the 590 is very good if you can find one.

As always, my free advice comes with a double your money back guarantee.

 

[ff73148]

How did you mount the Nav 6 on your Spyder. The BMW mount is made only for the Nav 6.

 

[rickmoen]

Been a few years, but I'll try to reconstruct. I used the Dash Mount from JT's Spyder Store with RAM mounts to put the GPS above the Spyder's dash board. This gives a way better line of sight for the GPS. The GPS unit was mounted into a 4-button BMW cradle, found on ebay. Power came from a FuzeBlock (spelling?). The FuzeBlock was wired directly to the battery. A trigger wire from a light turned the FuzeBlock on. The GPS was plugged into a switched outlet on the fuzeBlock. A bit convoluted and expensive, but it worked. I've been looking for another FuzeBlock, but can't find any. Having switched power was very nice. If I can't find another FuzeBlock, I'll try tapping into switched power using Posi-Taps. Hope this is helpful.

 

[RayBJ]

I ride with guys using the Nav6 and 590/595s. The Nav6 guys seem to have more issues with their setups than those of us using the 590/5 or XTs. If the 590 is working, you won't get much benefit by switching to the Nav6.

 

[rickmoen]

The two Nav6's I had were completely trouble-free. The setup was a one-time thing. My main concern is readability. I did a ride on Tuesday and the 590 was nearly impossible to read in direct sunlight. The brightness was set on 100%. Readability was not an issue with my Nav6's. Really wondering about the Zumo XT's readability in direct sun. The price difference between the Nav6 and XT is considerable, so I'd hate to get an XT but then be disappointed. Can anyone vouch for the XT's readability?

 

[ff73148]

Been a few years, but I'll try to reconstruct. I used the Dash Mount from JT's Spyder Store with RAM mounts to put the GPS above the Spyder's dash board. This gives a way better line of sight for the GPS. The GPS unit was mounted into a 4-button BMW cradle, found on ebay. Power came from a FuzeBlock (spelling?). The FuzeBlock was wired directly to the battery. A trigger wire from a light turned the FuzeBlock on. The GPS was plugged into a switched outlet on the fuzeBlock. A bit convoluted and expensive, but it worked. I've been looking for another FuzeBlock, but can't find any. Having switched power was very nice. If I can't find another FuzeBlock, I'll try tapping into switched power using Posi-Taps. Hope this is helpful.

You were lucky to find a BMW cradle. They are hard to come by.

 

[Piratezz]

When connecting another power asking device, imho you should not use positaps, solder the connections, in the long run it will be better

 

[Mazo EMS2]

I've only had my XT for a couple months but lovin it so far. Lots of capabilities and options, easy mounting setup, easy to use, easy to read in sunlight, good battery life, bluetooth compatability to a phone and helmet at the same time, and the ability to update through home WiFi is something I really like, especially now that Windows 11 is bridged with a cobble from Windows 10. No more connecting to the laptop to do the updates, it'll do them while on the bike in the garage. Sorry, no experience with the other unit