Garmin Zumo 660 Installed (w/photos)

[websterize]

After weighing how to connect to the bike's battery, I'm happy to report successful installation this afternoon. Got a 100-mile ice cream cone afterward, the first test ride, and so far everything works. I like how the 660 streams navigation prompts wirelessly to Etymotic ER-6 headphones, which are plugged in to a Jabra BT3030 headset. It's elaborate, but you don't have to remember to plug in/out. The 660 also streams music in stereo Bluetooth, an upgrade from the 550, and auto-pauses music for navigational prompts. Wilco never sounded so good. And thanks to POI Factory, I uploaded every BMW Motorrad dealer in the USA, every U.S. Rest Area and all of the locations — updated weekly — of speed traps and red-light cameras in the Washington, D.C., area. You can customize the audio clip warning to slow. I like the British lady.



I used Posi-Tite connectors to link the bare wires of the 660 power cord to the BMW CAN-BUS plug. I used Posi-Taps with P3 and Photo Blaster installs, and Harry Costello mentioned Posi Lock in another thread. Straight forward for a wiring newbie and as complicated as mending a button.




Finding the accessory power connector for that CAN-BUS plug was a bear, even with the BMW illustration pinpointing connector's location. Bright light is a must with this part. You have to turn the handlebars all the way to the left, and I had to remove the black, plastic fuel-tank cover to reach the connector. Then I used pliers to cut away the cable tie that fastens the accessory connector to the down-frame. I felt, rather than saw, the plastic protective cap of the connector and struggled to fish it out. Here is the damned thing in the light of day:




One of the design virtues of our bikes is its decluttered look. I'm fearful of corrupting the clean lines, of committing farkle creep, especially with wiring. I try to keep as many of them out of view as possible. I felt uneasy about the 660's new 4-in-1 power cable and how it would look. In the end, no worries. I'm using only the power cable, and as another rider suggested, bundling the other three connectors in a plastic bag and feeding them under the gas tank to the area under the seat works fine.




To load routes onto the 660 I use Garmin's Roadtrip mapping software with Mac OS X. The software is slower and less intuitive than Google Maps, but there's a bookmarklet that will convert Gmap routes to GPX, the file format that Roadtrip can import and then send to the 660.

I bought the navigation mount, four $8-handlebar screws (!) and the BMW power socket from Chicago BMW. They offer a 20-percent discount.

Overall, I'm pleased with the 660, particularly its stereo Bluetooth, and the widescreen is attractive on the R12R. I wish the water-tight battery cover wasn't so difficult to remove and that USB access was easier, but I guess that's the price to pay for rain-ready gadget. Also, sign up with the AMA, and you get a discount for Garmin stuff. I think it was 15 percent.

Thanks to everybody in the bare wire thread for feedback that helped me complete this project. Where To?

[Jeffreydas]

That's real nice. 660 is a bit too pricey for me and my uses. Thinking of going with the Nuvi 550 and keeping it on battery power.
Nicely done!

[famousperson]

Nice job! I thought that the center mount would obscure the instruments, but I guess not. Thanks for the picture. Maybe now I'll switch over from the RAM mount I affixed to the left-hand bar. I'm not sure which position offers the least distraction, though.

[websterize]

Nice job! I thought that the center mount would obscure the instruments, but I guess not. Thanks for the picture. Maybe now I'll switch over from the RAM mount I affixed to the left-hand bar. I'm not sure which position offers the least distraction, though.

Thanks much. The most difficult part of the install was finding the GPS connector under the gas tank. I like how clean it looks on the bike. The 660 slightly obscures the bottom of the gear-shift number in the multi-function display, but it's nothing I'd complain about — you can also pivot the GPS on the mount's horizontal axis for better readability.

When touring I don't look at the GPS screen so much because of the audio navigation prompts. When moving I usually only look at it to load a new music playlist. I'd probably do the same with the RAM mount.

[Nick S]

Looks great. Does mounting in that position completely negate the use of a tankbag or is it still visible?

Thanks

Nick

[websterize]

Looks great. Does mounting in that position completely negate the use of a tankbag or is it still visible?

Thanks

Nick

Still shopping for a tank bag, so I'm not sure. I've been eyeing this hardshell tank bag from Sargent. It's just under five inches tall and looks as if it'd work with the 660.

[Mark]

The mounting of this is very clean. Does the unit come with what appears to be two angled bracket parts as well as the plastic piece that clips to the unit?
You say that you had to buy 4 x $8 screws - do these replace the handlebar clamp bolts or are they additional? Can't quite see in the pics.

[websterize]

Does the unit come with what appears to be two angled bracket parts as well as the plastic piece that clips to the unit?

Garmin includes RAM mounts with the 660. I used BMW Navigator mounting parts, which Garmin omits from the 660 package. I had to buy the BMW mounting parts separately.

You say that you had to buy 4 x $8 screws - do these replace the handlebar clamp bolts or are they additional?

The $8 screws (No. 7 in the parts diagram above) replace the handlebar clamp screws.


BMW announced the Navigator IV about a week after I bought the 660, so I returned it. The BMW Navigator mounting parts that work with the 660 also match the Navigator IV.

[Mark]

Thanks for the details.

One last and possibly stupid question.
If you were to put the bracket on the other way around, would it give you a better view of the instruments?
As it is shown, the bracket holds the unit towards the upper extent of the assembly.Rotate the bracket 180 degrees and does this still allow the unit to tilt to the correct angle but sit it closer to the tank.

As I say, this is probably a stupid question and I'm almost certain that BMW would have thought about this assembly very well but I thought I'd ask anyway.

[websterize]

Rotating the GPS mount 180 degrees should work as the holes appear to line up. Only the bottom half of the rev counter is obscured by the mount for me, which I can live with. (Tend to shift by sound, not sight.) It's definitely worth trying out the mount both ways to see what fits. Good luck.

[texozmoses]

I have just found your post. I am trying to do same install on my 09 F800ST that I believe has the same CAN-BUS power outlet, also in a hard to find place. Would you by any chance have the part number for the BMW CAN_BUS plug you used? Thanks.

[websterize]

PN 83300413585

Chicago BMW sells the repair connector online with a 20-percent discount, but they take forever to ship.

[texozmoses]

Thanks very much...I have now located one at a local BMW dealer. If I can trouble you once more....being a total novice when it comes to anything electronic I am wondering how to identify which 2 of the 3 yellow wires are used to connect to the red and black zumo wires?? Do I need to use a voltmeter? Regards.

[Mollygrubber]

Not to try and dissuade you, just another take on it... I have mine wired directly to the battery, as I like to fiddle with it a bit after shutting the bike off sometimes. If you have a Centech or similar wiring bus installed, you can differentiate between items you want switched or not...

I actually ordered the repair connector and never ended up using it. Yet.

Peter

[websterize]

Thanks very much...I have now located one at a local BMW dealer. If I can trouble you once more....being a total novice when it comes to anything electronic I am wondering how to identify which 2 of the 3 yellow wires are used to connect to the red and black zumo wires?? Do I need to use a voltmeter? Regards.

The yellow wires are labeled: wire 1 is ground, wire 3 is hot and you can tape off wire 2.

Check out pictures of another installation. And good luck.