Garmin Zumo 395LM Motorcycle and Car Mounts

We look at Garmin Zumo 395LM Motorcycle Mounts and HoldersThe Garmin Zumo 395LM was introduced in early 2016 as the latest addition to the very successful decade old motorcycle lineup.  The Garmin Zumo line first came out in 2006 and continues to be very popular.  This Garmin Zumo 395LM is very similar to the Garmin Zumo 390LM from 2015.  There are some new bells and whistles in the software especially in the area of connectivity.  The hardware is pretty much the same with a 4.3″ screen on a GPS 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.

Mount Analysis

The Zumo 395LM provides lifetime map updates at no charge and offers the ability to check your tire pressure using the Garmin Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor also known as TPMS.  Very useful features.

The Garmin Zumo 395LM includes both a motorcycle and car mount.  Don’t be shy about using this in your car as the features are as good, if not better, than a GPS made for a 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 395LM.

Mount Recommendations

If using this in a car, we recommend 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 Garmin Zumo 395LM 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.  Be sure your state allows attachment to a windshield as there are a few that do not.

Garmin includes a very good Zumo Motorcycle Mount with this GPS.  They partnered with RAM several years ago and continue the partnership with the 395LM.  These attach to the back of the motorcycle cradle using 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 plus 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.  It’s not hard, but do read the instructions carefully or allow your motorcycle mechanic to do it.

Some Alternative Locations

There are many other options for mounting a Garmin Zumo 395LM to your motorcycle.  A very popular option is to use the BRCOVAN Metal Motorcycle Fork Stem Mount Base with 1” TPU Ball.  This mount will attach to the stem hole on many motorcycles. This mount will attach to the stem hole on a motorcycle.  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.  This mount will attach to the stem hole on many motorcycles.

Another very popular option is the RAM Mirror Base.  This base is 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.

The Garmin Zumo 395LM is good entry to mid level motorcycle GPS unit.  The mounts that are included are solid and can be supplemented with little effort using our recommendations in this article.