17 replies to this topic

[FJRBilldo]

I know everyone swears by the 550. Has anyone had success with the 665?
This is assuming money was not an issue.

Thanks all,
B

Edited by FJRBilldo, 24 March 2012 - 09:24 AM.

[TomInCA]

Are you kidding? The Zumo 665 is something to lust after. It includes the XM antenna that you pay for with other systems, and is a complete navigation, communication and entertainment center. The only thing left to figure out is how to put the sound in your helmet. For that it offers either hard-wired audio and microphone jacks or full duplex AD2P Bluetooth. It has memory capacity, navigation and routing features that make the old Zumo 550 look like your grandpa's antique. Seriously, there is no comparison.

[blrfjr]

I just bought the 665 6 weeks ago and I love it Now that I have it Im wondering if I really needed that XM radio. After all it is a $150 option versus the 660. And, its not even the $150 its the subscription fees you will pay as long as you want the music/talk/weather about $200 per year. I went with the basic music and the Nav weather. Both are nice!! Now you need to think about how to get that nice music,gps prompts and phone calls to your ears. Oh and dont forget about the radar detector warnings. All of this is possible through the 665. THE 665 DOES IT ALL!!!AND MORE!!I have mine paired with my scala team set pro for wife and I and it works flawlessly except........for the sound quality This is not the fault of the zumo rather the scala. Im planning on doing the scala earbud mod this week. A good pair of earbuds are a must to get some good clear sound and tp minimize road noise.
Having the Nav Wheather is nice. I was rolling down the road the other day when a prompt notified me that the roads may be wet (they wern't). Two miles later another prompt that said it was raining(it wasn't) but 2miles down the road it was!! Kind of a nice heads upthere. There was also a botton you can push wich takes you directly to the radar map!!! I was impressed. It really didnt look like rain when it gave me the prompts. I love the weather option which is i think $75 of the $200. Also if thats not enough,,,,it even has a built-in MP3 player. SO, you can load your music on a micro SD card and put it in the zumo or you can use the audio in jack and plug your ipod into that. I think. Some of this sounds like a bit much but thats a good thing. Im still figureing out all the things it can do, like routing on the zumo itself and importing gpx files on to it. 660 or 665....a yearly bill or not, thats the question.
Get either one and you wont be sorry. Have fun, Bryan

[FJRBilldo]

I just bought the 665 6 weeks ago and I love it Now that I have it Im wondering if I really needed that XM radio. After all it is a $150 option versus the 660. And, its not even the $150 its the subscription fees you will pay as long as you want the music/talk/weather about $200 per year. I went with the basic music and the Nav weather. Both are nice!! Now you need to think about how to get that nice music,gps prompts and phone calls to your ears. Oh and dont forget about the radar detector warnings. All of this is possible through the 665. THE 665 DOES IT ALL!!!AND MORE!!I have mine paired with my scala team set pro for wife and I and it works flawlessly except........for the sound quality This is not the fault of the zumo rather the scala. Im planning on doing the scala earbud mod this week. A good pair of earbuds are a must to get some good clear sound and tp minimize road noise.
Having the Nav Wheather is nice. I was rolling down the road the other day when a prompt notified me that the roads may be wet (they wern't). Two miles later another prompt that said it was raining(it wasn't) but 2miles down the road it was!! Kind of a nice heads upthere. There was also a botton you can push wich takes you directly to the radar map!!! I was impressed. It really didnt look like rain when it gave me the prompts. I love the weather option which is i think $75 of the $200. Also if thats not enough,,,,it even has a built-in MP3 player. SO, you can load your music on a micro SD card and put it in the zumo or you can use the audio in jack and plug your ipod into that. I think. Some of this sounds like a bit much but thats a good thing. Im still figureing out all the things it can do, like routing on the zumo itself and importing gpx files on to it. 660 or 665....a yearly bill or not, thats the question.
Get either one and you wont be sorry. Have fun, Bryan

Thanks Brian. I already have Scala with the earbud mod. Did it myself...piece of cake. Works GREAT!! Also already have an XM subscription for my car so I think I can just add another device. I was already leaning towards the 665 - think that's the route I'm gonna go. Just hoping any issues they had have been resolved with firmware updates. Sounds like maybe that's the case.

[FJRBilldo]

Are you kidding? The Zumo 665 is something to lust after. It includes the XM antenna that you pay for with other systems, and is a complete navigation, communication and entertainment center. The only thing left to figure out is how to put the sound in your helmet. For that it offers either hard-wired audio and microphone jacks or full duplex AD2P Bluetooth. It has memory capacity, navigation and routing features that make the old Zumo 550 look like your grandpa's antique. Seriously, there is no comparison.

That's my opinion as well but I've heard of lots of problems with it. And many retailers are no longer stocking it. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I've sent Garmin a message asking them to verify bugs are sorted out and that it's gonna be around for a while.

[DeltaKappaZeta]

I chose the 550 for two reasons:

• The retailer I dealt with said he got a fair amount of negative feedback on the 6xx series. (see the link below)
  
• I felt that I didn't need all the "toys" up front but if I wanted I could add them for the same cost in the end as the 665.

http://thebestmotorc...550-660-665-220

After 3 seasons and 4 major tours I've seen no reason to get the extras.

Hope this helps.

[Fairlaner]

I love my 665, the weather radar works great.....

R

[TomInCA]

Adding to Sir Richard's post, I also took his advise to feed the sound to the helmet using an Autocom communications unit. I have Radar Detector, GPS/Phone/XM, Auxiliary stereo input, and bike to bike radio using a Motorola TK3101 GMRS radio. The system delivers sound via helmet speaker (meh) or ear monitors (wow!). Bluetooth is a great concept, and someday it will match the wired system, but not yet. It is not easy nor inexpensive to dial in any audio and communications system. If your total costs are under $800 and your are happy, you have hit the jackpot.

If you can do without phone, bike-to bike and good fidelity you should be able to stay under $200.

Richard, what does the XM Weather subsrciption cost? I have the music subscriptions for $85 the first year, but I thought weather was really expensive. I am using some real-time iPhone apps to get radar feeds. That fails where no internet(wifi/3G/4G) connection is available.

[Bustanut joker]

I'm more of a traditionalist .....



8 years and 900 k miles all over the highways and backroads of the midwest dragging housetrailers, and it never let me down.
Plus the added benefit of knowing it's time to stop for the day when the music is me singing to meself....

[Old Michael]

... using an Autocom communications unit. I have Radar Detector, GPS/Phone/XM, Auxiliary stereo input, and bike to bike radio
using a Motorola TK3101 GMRS radio. The system delivers sound via helmet speaker (meh) or ear monitors . .
I have the music subscriptions for $85 the first year,... I am using some real-time iPhone apps to get radar feeds.

Oh, the tranquility of riding a motorcycle.

[beemerdons]

I'm more of a traditionalist .....



8 years and 900 k miles all over the highways and backroads of the midwest dragging housetrailers, and it never let me down.
Plus the added benefit of knowing it's time to stop for the day when the music is me singing to meself....

+1, Gunny; Folks, this is the reason right damn here why our Bustanut joker is fully considered "The Brains" of this fecking dog, pony and cockatoo FJR show! WORD!

[beemerdons]

... using an Autocom communications unit. I have Radar Detector, GPS/Phone/XM, Auxiliary stereo input, and bike to bike radio
using a Motorola TK3101 GMRS radio. The system delivers sound via helmet speaker (meh) or ear monitors . .
I have the music subscriptions for $85 the first year,... I am using some real-time iPhone apps to get radar feeds.

Oh, the tranquility of riding a motorcycle.

+1, Gunny; Very Well Spoken Old Michael, these techno fruit loops should be driving a fecking car! Or at least a god damn Hondapotamus instead of a performance FJR!

[Old Michael]

Folks, this is the reason right damn here why our Bustanut joker is fully considered "The Brains" of this fecking dog, pony and cockatoo FJR show!

Hang on there, Don!
I'll need a very large mug of beer to wash that one down.

[Bustanut joker]

Folks, this is the reason right damn here why our Bustanut joker is fully considered "The Brains" of this fecking dog, pony and cockatoo FJR show!

Hang on there, Don!
I'll need a very large mug of beer to wash that one down.

Shit..... I thought it more of a Flea Circus

[beemerdons]

Folks, this is the reason right damn here why our Bustanut joker is fully considered "The Brains" of this fecking dog, pony and cockatoo FJR show!

Hang on there, Don!
I'll need a very large mug of beer to wash that one down.

Shit..... I thought it more of a Flea Circus

Attention Ladies, Germs and Amoebas (Canadians!), I'd like to proudly introduce The Ringmaster of our Fine FJR Forum Flea Circus, for your viewing pleasure: Bust!

[/

[TwoWhldTerror]

So what did you get.

[FJRBilldo]

So what did you get.

Neither! I had a chance to pick up a brand new, Nikon D800 for cost...so I jumped all over that like a fat lady on a commode. I've always been a Canon camera guy so I have jumped over to the dark side. I'll have to wait on the GPS and follow the wisdom of one of the previous posters on this thread and break out the road atlas for this trip

Or just use the Iphone.

Edit - No offense to any fat ladies who may read this. I'm a bit portly myself.

Edited by FJRBilldo, 30 March 2012 - 11:07 AM.

[yamafitter]

I'm more of a traditionalist .....



8 years and 900 k miles all over the highways and backroads of the midwest dragging housetrailers, and it never let me down.
Plus the added benefit of knowing it's time to stop for the day when the music is me singing to meself....

+1, Gunny; Folks, this is the reason right damn here why our Bustanut joker is fully considered "The Brains" of this fecking dog, pony and cockatoo FJR show! WORD!

Bust had a GPS but confused it with an Etch-A-Sketch and dropped it while giving it a shake on his way to Mt. Temblant in 2010.