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Guide

How to export your first route to a Garmin Zumo XT2

Step-by-step: draw a route, export a Garmin-optimised GPX, and load it onto your Zumo XT2 so the device follows the line you drew instead of rerouting you mid-ride.

· 5 min read

MotoScore's Garmin-Compatible GPX is tuned for Garmin motorcycle GPS units so the device follows the line you drew instead of helpfully rerouting you onto the nearest interstate. This guide walks through the full export-and-import flow, from MotoScore to your Zumo's screen.

Step 1 — Export from MotoScore

Draw or load your route in the planner. In this example we'll use the Blue Ridge Parkway demo route — 23.2 miles from Fancy Gap to Mabry Mill, Virginia.

MotoScore planner with the Blue Ridge Parkway demo route loaded

Click Export Route in the sidebar. The export modal offers three options: Standard GPX, Garmin-Compatible GPX, and Open in Google Maps.

Export Route modal showing all three export options

Choose Garmin-Compatible GPX. This variant is tuned for Garmin motorcycle GPS units — the file has been tested on the Zumo XT2 and should be compatible with other Garmin motorcycle GPS devices as well.

Garmin-Compatible GPX option highlighted in the export modal

The file downloads to your device.

GPX file finishing download in the browser

Step 2 — Import into Garmin Explore

Open Garmin Explore in a browser and sign in with your Garmin account. Click the import button in the toolbar to open the Import Data modal.

Garmin Explore Import Data modal with Import As Tracks and Import As Routes options

Important — choose "Import As Tracks," not "Import As Routes." Importing as a Route substantially reduces the point count, which causes the Zumo to recompute the route along its own preferred path. Importing as a Track preserves the geometry MotoScore sent and keeps the Zumo on the line you drew.

Select the GPX file you just downloaded. Once the import finishes, the track appears in your Library under Tracks, and you'll see it drawn on the map.

Imported track visible on the Garmin Explore map view

Step 3 — Send to your Zumo XT2

You have two ways to get the track onto the device:

In Garmin Explore, use Send to Device on the track to queue it for sync. On the Zumo, open the track from the library and start navigation.

Before you leave home, verify the route on the device screen — zoom in on two or three turns and confirm the line follows the roads you actually drew. If anything looks off, it's much easier to fix in the driveway than at the first fork.

If the device still tries to reroute

If the Zumo still tries to reroute you once you're underway, double-check that you imported the GPX as a Track (not a Route) in Garmin Explore, and that you're navigating the Track on the device — not a recalculated Route derived from it.