Garmin Zumo 390LM Motorcycle Mounts

The Garmin Zumo 390LM is yet another addition to Garmin’s long running Zumo line for motorcycles.  The Garmin Zumo line first came out in 2006 and continues to be a popular line in North America.  These 4.3″ screen size GPS systems are made for motorcycle use.  Unlike a car GPS, these are weatherproof and is rated to IPX7 which means it withstands incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. These units have glove sensitive displays which means that you don’t have to take your gloves off to interface with the display.  Lastly, they are made somewhat more rugged than car GPS units.  The Zumo 390LM provides lifetime map updates at no charge.  An interesting added feature is the ability to check your tire pressure using the optional TPMS accessory.  The GPS includes Bluetooth integration so that you can hear the directions through a Bluetooth enabled helmet.

The Garmin Zumo 390LM includes both a motorcycle and car mount which is a nice touch.  No reason why you can’t use these in a car as well as a motorcycle.  Saves some money in that you don’t need a second GPS for your car.  The car cradle has the standard 17mm socket on the back so a lot of the mounts that are available for a Garmin Nuvi that have a 17mm ball on the end will fit the car cradle for a Zumo 390LM.  We like the Arkon Suction Cup Mount for Garmin Nuvi as a suitable replacement that’s a notch above the Garmin entry and fits the cradle real well.  Don’t worry about it saying Nuvi, these fit the Zumo 390LM car cradle as it has a 17mm socket the same way that the Nuvi does.  There’s a vacuum lock on the mount to make sure it sticks firmly, just be sure to clean the windshield with the included wipe before use.  It also includes a dash disk if you would like to use it there instead of the windshield.

Garmin includes a real good handlebar clutch motorcycle mount with the Zumo 390LM.  That’s what is in the photo that accompanies this article.  As has been Garmin’s direction for the past several years on their motorcycle mounts, this mount is sourced from RAM and it’s a good high quality metal mount.  This is a mount that will attach to the back of the Zumo cradle using the bolts and screws that came with the motorcycle cradle that you received in the box with the GPS.  The square plate uses the standard 4-hole AMPS pattern.  Use the square metal top of the mount to line the screw holes up with the back of the cradle.  There is a metal arm that supports a ball and socket system.  The base has a dual mounting option.  Most will use the u-bolts that comes with the mount to attach to the handlebar and these will fit bars to 1.25 inches in diameter.  Some, especially those that ride Honda Goldwings as well as some Harley owners will use the brake or clutch options.  The brake / clutch options will require you to remove the factory installed bolts and replace them with the bolts that are included with the mount.  You may also use the spacers that are provided depending upon your model of bike.  Instructions to do this are included with the mount.  If you would like to add a second mount for another motorcycle, take a look at this mount from RAM.  If you need a second mount, my suggestion is to purchase the RAM Mount, save a few dollars and benefit from their lifetime warranty.

There are many other options for mounting a Zumo to a motorcycle.  A very popular option is to use the RAM Fork Stem Base.  This mount will attach to the stem hole on many motorcycles.  The mounting kit includes a bolt and a plastic cone that you can cut to fit the stem hole.  The plastic cone can be cut from 12 -20mm and 28mm or .5” – 1.10”.  You can replace the handlebar base with this fork stem base.  Use the arm and mounting plate from the one Garmin provided with the GPS.  No need to purchase anything more.

Another very popular option is the RAM Mirror Base.  This base is real popular on BMW models and features an 11mm hole that your mirror post can fit through or in some case, you can replace the mirror post with your GPS.  Like the fork stem base, the arm and AMPS plate will fit this base as well.

If you notice some glare once you have this mounted on your motorcycle, there are some nice inexpensive solutions available to shield your unit from glare and we recently reviewed the Glarestomper line of products which will help a lot.  You can read that review here.