Saturday 11th

Frustration day. Was in Aachen for a bike part, which I got, and thankfully also met a really helpful man at the Mororrad shop Tom Nick thankyou Tom. We had a usual frustrating time with Garmin, and I do not know why BMW Motorrad do not apply more pressure on Garmin to improve their product and their service. I think the comment Garmin are "only there to make money" is the true. Like a US Banker, "just give us your money" ! So why do I complain. The Unit for bikes is a Zumo. You get one location map with each Zumo. If outside that geographic area you either need another Zumo ($750 US) or an SD card which is pure hell to download maps to, and then to make work on the Zumo. Slow and dangerous when on a new road with no directions until the turnoff you seek has been passed. The Zumo lack "memory" so routes (trips taken or planned) are limited by space. The ability to upgrade maps is severely restricted by a password process that is mostly incomprehensible but there solely to stop someone else getting a $190 map for free, as if they would want their maps, which are usually out of date before you get them. You cannot "correct: their mistakes...by uploading from your routes taken, like roads closures, they stay there for all users to take that road which is closed. Then there is the "home" system where a user must "log on" to a big computer somewhere in the mountains of Colorado. That is a real pain and slow and has a password wall round it like the Pentagon, but for what ? The result is to solely frustrate bona fide users from getting what they already paid for. I spent 6 hours on the help desk phone before I left NZ and yesterday another hour in the BMW showroom with my friend Tom and still I can not access either of two map updates that I paid for. Well that is after the unit "froze" twice needing two reboots, then would not update the operating system, then it did but would not update the map of Europe. I now have two Zumo, why ? easy, because one will often not work effectively. So why do people buy them simple, most bikers are in the US and they never leave their own state. If the do they never leave the country. Same in Australia, or UK. So why would Garmin go to the trouble when 90% of users never travel anyway ? Well because they actually say that you can. It is sold and promoted as a world wide product, BOLLOCKS ! I have met engineers that can make them work sort of, with a lot of inside knowledge (there is no effective manual no training but there is a on line chat which is where frustrated users talk to other frustrated users). I guess that is the way Garmin try to avoid a massive law suit from people actually trying to follow a Garmin route and being involved in an accident. Then the good news. I returned to de Hobbyist in Hunsel. Kaspar is one of lifes gentlemen. Helpful courteous and knowledgeable. IF anyone has a BMW an older model mostly, and needs a part there is just one place to go, de Hobbyist in Hunsel.(info@hobbyist.nl) Kaspar was busy helping me while his granddaughters waited for "ompa" to finish work on Saturday afternoon that was after taking me home for lunch. He not only restored communications between the helmet and my GPS but also his son made some repairs to the bike (oil leak), and all the while running the business and smiling. Then he found me a Hotel to stay at for Euro50 which is a good price too. The Hotel is in Veghel which is 5km up the road from where the World BMX championships are being held today and my friend and once an employee Sara is there with her Son competing for New Zealand. I hope the rain does not impact on the races as it has been hot and dry like 30C plus which is pretty hot in a town where it gets to -10 and even -20 in winter. Great vegetable growing area here, and on the canal waterways, so many barges and cruising boats. I sat in the main street last night amongst "locals" and was able to have small conversations. The small lady on the large Harley that parked (with some difficulty) does not ride a lot she says because she runs the Art Gallery down the street. Then the lady having breakfast here this morning lives in Holland, and has an eventing horse that is here for training for a month while she and her husband are boating in Split (Croatia). I get the impression Holland is doing pretty well just now. It is full of people and seemingly all busy. The state of cleanliness is to be admired. The houses and the town are all clean and tidy, and perhaps immaculate may be a better description. No untidy cars, no untidy houses, and in the street many people riding bicycles. Not many hoons in cars in Holland and all the better for it. I have to observe that Belgium was not the same. Not much to pictorially record today. Oh and a footnote. So I am the unhappy owner of 4 Garmin Zumo Motorcycle GPS system.....(more fool me); Zumo 1 Had developed an unreadable screen on the Dakar after riding the Americas, it was fixed in Holland and is now in NZ. Zumo 2 which was on the R1200 after crossing Russia, was stolen in Belgium at the BMW Dealership, registered to me but Garmin say sorry if it "turns up" we will tell you. Zumo 3 I purchased while riding in France when the screen on " Zumo 1" failed. It still works but because it will not upgrade to memory it runs EU map on an SD that I had to buy after purchasing a download that would not install because a lack of memory. It is slow and inefficient and is a menace because it is so slow. It has limited memory, runs on a card and cannot store routes or logs. Zumo 4 purchased in Holland, failed, returned for repair, failed again, Ton Nick at Motorrad rebooted it twice. I tried to upload new maps that had been purchased for it but will not load. Garmin and Google are at war (their war but we are the casualties), so another operating system is needed. The Net here does not like Apple Mail so will not send mail. Will not download 'drivers" on to apple either. So Garmin say use Microsoft (not apple) and do not use Google or you will have numerous problems. So I have a Zumo that will not start, would not upload updated "lifetime" maps (paid for), so thank you Garmin and your stupid restrictions on commerce. Of course Garmin systems are now in motor cars where they stay in one place and do not need to upgrade because the car gets sold, someone elses problem ! New phrase in commerce, when it comes to GPS..... BIKER BEWARE !