Anybody notice......

[ths61]

I don't know how long in actual terms , but the Garmin I just bought has lifetime traffic and maps for whatever that is worth.

I believe Garmin's "lifetime" update is the "lifetime" of the unit. It is not forever. I have 2 Garmin's that still work, but upgrades are no longer available.

From Garmin's website:

"... if your Garmin product comes bundled with a nüMaps Lifetime or other lifetime map subscription, you will receive map data updates when and as such updates are made available on Garmin.com during the useful life of 1 compatible Garmin product or as long as Garmin receives map data from a third party supplier, whichever is shorter. ..."

[F6Bster]

I still update my maps each year on my ZUMO 550 (14 years old) and my Nuvi 2460 (I’ve had it about 7-8 years with lifetime maps). No new software updates for the Zumo but still every now and then for the Nuvi. The old Zumo actually calculates routes faster than it used to. Perhaps the mapping programs have improved over the years.

[ths61]

I still update my maps each year on my ZUMO 550 (14 years old) and my Nuvi 2460 (I’ve had it about 7-8 years with lifetime maps). No new software updates for the Zumo but still every now and then for the Nuvi. The old Zumo actually calculates routes faster than it used to. Perhaps the mapping programs have improved over the years.

I have a StreetPilot 2820 and apparently you have to hack a map DVD and create a smaller unlocked map to be able to update the map on it using MapSource. The online updater recognized the unit, but won't update it. I found a guy on FleaBay that provides the upgrade service. I also have a Nuvi 855 that I will have to retry.

[F6Bster]

That Streetpilot is even older than my Zumo!!! I had one of those many years ago. My Zumo works with the Updater and I store the maps on the SD card as the internal memory is no longer enough for all the maps.

[carpdm]

Been there, done that, paid the price and the down time. Will let someone else be the eager guinea pigs this time as well as give the aftermarket some time to catch up.

I am interested in how they will continue to offer 10 year free map upgrades over the lifetime of the bike. If the bike has a 10 year run, that means they will have to offer map upgrades for 10 years after that for the last production year. I have yet to find a GPS manufacturer that supplies map upgrades 10 years after the product has been discontinued.

I'm guessing the map updates are compatible with the Honda automobiles.

[dadeo]

Garmin is flat out lying in its sales material. I have one, I like the unit. A lot. But Garmin no longer updates its software for free forever. You will get about 10 years of updated maps at most. TomTom still seems to provide lifetime updates for as long as the unit itself works. TomTom does not have the fine print that Garmin does and I updated the one I bought over 10 years ago until it died last summer.

I have to note that I don't get free updated maps on any other GPS I own. Certainly not in any of my cars units. Charts for my marine unit (SIMRAD Northstar) are updated annually. But they come from a third party company that takes government charts worldwide, coverts them to the right format for my unit, and charges me about $70 a year as a subscription. This gets me an updated map for part of the world each year. If I take my boat to another part of the world, I can get another SD card for a few months, and return it when I get back (or I can add to my subscription and keep it). Updating maps each year costs money. Someone has to pay for this work, The data doesn't get into that thing by itself. Garmin has probably figured this cost into their prices, and I'd bet they guess that 10 years sitting on a bike handlebar is about all it will last, on average.

[VStarRider]

As with any new product; sometimes flaws are not apparent until they have been used for awhile.

Save yourselves some grief and aggravation. Let others be the field be the unknowing beta testers for a year or two.

There is a lot of evidence to support what you and I are saying, despite the sentimentalism over a new product. It is a still a very new design and it is impossible to replicate the complete end user experience in any sort of practical manner for a for-profit company.

Check the reliability ratings of any all new design from any manufacturer...the first few years always have trouble spots. Even Honda. The first few years of the 3.5 V6 / automatic combination in the Accord and Odyssey minivans resulted in premature failures until they beefed up the transaxle to handle the power of that motor. The first five years of the VStar 1100s are to be avoided, due to starter motor failures. The first two years of the Apex snowmobile from Yamaha featured premature bushing failures due to lack of grease zerks to save weight, as well as broken support arms in the rear suspension that required a gusset to be welded in after a TSB. Our own F6Bs went through a small transmission redesign to address ghost shifting out of 5th gear.

And so on.

I am excited about the new GWs, and I am sure they will be great...but I will still wait for the inevitable issues that will need addressing as well as a couple of years worth of tweaks and upgrades and color options before laying down $31k in 2020.

[dadeo]

Our 2003 Toyota 4Runner was the first year of a complete redesign. I got so fed up with this thing that I traded it for Dodge Durango in 2005. We had transmission troubles that ultimately resulted in a rebuild and then a completely new transmission. The day that I got it back with the rebuilt transmission, the cat converter failed, with the dashboard lighting up like a christmas tree. Once they replaced that, and the engine and transmission control computer, I drove it to the Dodge dealer, who gave me $19,000 for it. It has a V-8 engine and new computer controlled automatic transmission. Maybe they got it right in 2004, maybe all the replaced components would have fixed everything. I will never know for sure. But the car had already spent a combined total of nearly 2 months in the shop, waiting for replacement parts.

Three years later my wife fell in love with a convertible Solara. Against my advice and judgement she bought it. I wanted her to have the V-6 Mustang. Within a year the transmission on that thing also failed, on a long trip out of town, making it even worse. It was the second year of a redesign. I was tempted to dump it. Toyota promised that they would have a new transmission in it within 4 days. I had to rent a car to get home. My wife stayed with the car, and then drove it home. Even though Toy paid for the tranny and gave us a lifetime warranty, this little incident cost us $500 in hotel and rental car bills that toy would not pay for. What's most annoying, periodically the replacement tranny will start to shift rough, so it has to be "re-flashed" about once every two years.

Imagine having to deal with this on an automatic transmission bike. Not me.

[ths61]

That Streetpilot is even older than my Zumo!!! I had one of those many years ago. My Zumo works with the Updater and I store the maps on the SD card as the internal memory is no longer enough for all the maps.

I got it in 2008.