Just in time for spring, on April 19, 2023, Garmin introduced its new zūmo XT2 GPS unit. By now, the name zūmo is likely familiar to most riders, as it’s been the navigation specialist’s motorcycle-oriented GPS line for years. The XT2 offers riders a larger screen, an IPX7 waterproof rating, increased brightness, 32 GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot that can handle up to 256 GB cards, and of course a load of navigation, connectivity, and communication features. Let’s dive in.
As riders have no doubt experienced by now, handlebar vibration can be a significant problem with some phones. By contrast, Garmin specifically calls out that the zūmo XT2 is built to withstand motorcycle handlebar vibrations—which you’d certainly hope for with a motorcycle-specific GPS unit, but which is nonetheless reassuring to know.
For riders who like to ride with friends, Garmin also touts its Group Ride Mobile feature, which utilizes either the Garmin Tread smartphone app or its Group Ride Radio accessory (sold separately) to tell you where your buddies are if you get separated. Utilizing the Tread app will also make real-time weather, traffic, and smart notifications available on your zūmo XT2. (The availability of all features that are dependent on smartphone connectivity will, of course, vary with how strong a rider’s signal is in a given area.)
Gallery: Garmin Zumo XT2
The zūmo XT2 offers visual route planning right on the device, or else via the Tread app on your smartphone if you prefer. Riders can also toggle between three types of maps as they prefer: on-road maps, topographic maps, or satellite maps. Incidentally, Garmin says, satellite imagery is available via a quick map download whenever you have access to WiFi—no subscriptions to additional Garmin services required.
Other features on the zūmo XT2 include the ability to see popular paths as determined by other riders in the area, as well as Garmin Adventurous Routing (with four levels of difficulty to choose from). Hooking your zūmo XT2 up to the Tread smartphone app will allow you to see Ride Summaries, with full details of your ride for analysis. The Track Recorder feature will record your ride data at will and allows you to also share it with friends. Finally, the Tread app will also let you share GPX files of your favorite routes with friends—as long as they’re also using the Tread app. The zūmo XT2 is also pairable with Garmin’s inReach satellite communicator units (sold separately).
If you’re interested in getting a Garmin zūmo XT2, they’re available immediately at an MSRP of $599, which is a $100 increase over the price of the older 5.5-inch-screened zūmo XT. You can check your local Garmin retailer for availability, or else order directly from Garmin via its website.
