Zumo User Forums

A few weeks ago I posted about discovery that BC changed a route sent to me by a riding buddy. This led him to create a custom activity profile that matches my "Motorcycle" profile. His intent is to use the profile whenever working with routes that he intends to share, or that originated from me. Does anyone see any flaws in this approach?

I created a couple of my own custom profiles in BC years ago. They have been working fine within Basecamp.

If you and your buddy have the same profile settings in Basecamp, regardless of what they are named, and if you are both using the same map, then you will both get the same results in Basecamp.

When Basecamp exports a route, the gpx file includes the profile name but not the profile's settings. It does export the calculation mode. When you transfer a route to a zumo, if the route is recalculated there for any reason, the zumo's settings for the profile, which can differ from Basecamp's, will be applied.
If the zumo does not have or does not support the profile named by Basecamp in the GPX file, then the zumo's default profile will be used.

Bottom line, matching in Basecamp does not assure matching on the zumo.

smfollen wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2026 2:27 pm Bottom line, matching in Basecamp does not assure matching on the zumo.

Yup. We learned this early on. Neither of us realized though that BC could change a route that had been imported and then immediately calculated.

smfollen wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2026 2:27 pm When Basecamp exports a route, the gpx file includes the profile name but not the profile's settings.

So let me ask this. If I created a custom profile that was named the same as his, would a recalc by me of a route received from him automatically use my same-named profile?

So let me ask this. If I created a custom profile that was named the same as his, would a recalc by me of a route received from him automatically use my same-named profile?

I'd have to test, but I suspect you would have to select your same named profile for the route in the dropdown list after importing and selecting that route.

Unfortunately we users select a profile but Basecamp exports a transportation mode - Profile and Transportation Mode are not entirely the same thing.
For example I created profiles "Motorcycling _w_Highway" and "Motorcycling - Curvy" but when I export a route using either one of those, the transportation mode in the gpx file is "Motorcycling".

Thanks again Garmin for consistently being inconsistent.

I should correct my previous statement

When Basecamp exports a route, the gpx file includes the profile name but not the profile's settings.

I should have said ... the gpx file includes the transportation mode, not ...

smfollen wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2026 3:39 pm I should correct my previous statement

When Basecamp exports a route, the gpx file includes the profile name but not the profile's settings.

I should have said ... the gpx file includes the transportation mode, not ...

Thanks. My sense then is that custom profiles won't help should help with recalc deviations but I think we'll still need to follow my original thinking of sending each other the route and its track to compare the recalc result to. Either that or remember to create a track before doing the recalc. It is the 'remembering' that is the hard part.

Had a similar problem with MRA routes.
Have you tried disabling all avoidances on both units, you should then just be able to follow the imported route.
Just an Idea

Scarecrow wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2026 7:14 pm Have you tried disabling all avoidances on both units, you should then just be able to follow the imported route.

We've talked about that but I ride a Goldwing so it's important for me to avoid unpaved roads. He rides an adventure bike so welcomes unpaved roads for his solo rides. Obviously our default Motorcycle profiles need to be different which is what led to the custom profile idea.

Peobody wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2026 2:52 pm So let me ask this. If I created a custom profile that was named the same as his, would a recalc by me of a route received from him automatically use my same-named profile?

No. The custom setting is stored with the basecamp route, rather than in a commonly used profile. (In fact, the custom setting isn't a 'profile' at all).

It has it's advantages in that when you change the settings of a route using the custom setting - the changes to the route in Basecamp are implemented immediately.

If you change the settings for the ones stored in a profile that is used by many routes, then you can expect a long wait while it recalculates every single route in the Basecamp database that uses the same profile.

None of the settings in the profile, or route settings are ever transmitted to the Zumo. They are there just for the route that Basecamp calculates. Since Basecamp sends the plotted route in the form of thousands of ghost points (gpxx route point extensions), The zumo knows exaclty what was plotted in Basecamp - but if it recalcuates the route, then that information is lost. If you use the smae maps on the zumo as you used to plan the route in Basecamp then and either you do not deviate from the route or you turn off automatic recalculation, then the BAsecamp route is what you follow.

But if the route does get recalculated, then it is the zumo settings that are used for the recalculation - and that can vary between zumo models.

Devices like the 590, 595 and XT could store different routing preferences for Car, Motorcycle and Off Road. If the Zumo had routing preferences set for Motorcycling, it would use the routing preferences that you had set in the Zumo for Motorcycle. Similarly with Driving Profile in BC and Car profile in the XT.

If you created your own profile and gave it a name in Basecamp, the Zumo would not recognise it - in which case it defaulted to using the routing preferences for the Motorcycle.

The gpx file sends only the name of the transportation mode (eg Motocycle) and the name for the routing preferences (eg Faster)
The 590, 595, XT and XT2 all default to Motorcycle and Faster unless the gpx file contains an alternative that it recognises.

The best option, I find, is to have all preferences turned off in Basecamp, and use Faster Time. Create a custom route and make changes to the settings for that route - eg change the avoidances, ferries. If the route actually changes, then there is a place to add a shaping point. Keep doing it until it makes no significant changes. Practice repositioning the shaping points rather than adding more. eg two shaping points at 1/3 and 2/3 distances along a particular road are often enough to stop it from straying onto a faster road.

When your done, assign the route to use the Motorcycling profile (with all avoidances cleared).

But no - there is no way to get your friends preferences into your route. I believe that the data is stored in the Windows registry. I did once export my Basecamp registry, changed the settings and then reimported the registry to see if it would bring back the previous settings. It was only partially successful and I didn;t follow it through. I'm starting to think like the poor chap who made the mistake of working out how long it would take him to listen to all of his CD collection, and realised that he didn't have enough life left.

I have been trying hard to stay out of this tread, to avoid more confusion. But I need to make a comment on the remark about 'Unpaved'. Sorry if it all gets even more complex.

- The avoidances are NOT exported by Basecamp.
- So If your buddy has not set Unpaved to avoid, and you import his GPX in your Basecamp it will get YOUR avoidance settings, for YOUR profile that matches the transportation of the GPX.

Example:
Buddy exports to GPX. His Basecamp has profile named 'Motorcycle' with Unpaved allowed.
In the GPX you only see <TransportationMode>MotorCycle and <CalculationMode>FasterTime (Actual values can be different)

You Import the GPX. Basecamp will look for profile with <TransportationMode>MotorCycle and use the Avoidances that are in YOUR profile. The <CalculationMode>FasterTime is copied.

Bottom line: Dont rely on Avoidances when you receive a GPX!
The best thing I can think off is to have no avoidances, EXCEPT like you my bike is not fit for Unpaved so I have that avoidance. (BTW a Honda VFR1200F)
I think that this is more or less what you already understood from this tread. But wait... There is more confusion coming.

Not only when transferring from/to Basecamp the avoidances are ignored. ALSO when transferring a GPX to the ZUMO the avoidances are ignored. When you send a BaseCamp calculated GPX to the Zumo initially the route will be the same, but once it starts recalculating it will use it's settings and they can be quite different.
Also consider when the group of riders gets bigger that they will have different models of satnavs, possibly not even Garmin. That is why many motor clubs in the Netherlands only distribute tracks, and only the leaders drive the route. No I dont like that either, but it is a way of dealing with this problem.