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It is highly likely that because the embedded map is more useful for a user, that it may be considered better for search rankings. I personally believe embedded maps to be an essential part of local seo or seo for anybody with a location for the very fact that it ties an address to your webpage.

Additionally, Google may be recording metrics regarding the interaction users may have with your embedded map.

While Google is a black box, I believe it is probably easier, safer, and better for users to embed maps rather than provide an image which may be completely useless or frustrating for users. I personally suck with maps and need to get the directions (using the embedded map). The embedded map is more accessible to me.

"Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful." && "#1: Focus on the user and all else will follow." - Google's "About" page.

Ok so. If a bit of content resides at /bikes/mountain-bikes/ and the menulink I use is /bikes/mountain-bikes/ I'll get a status code 200. There is no added delay, no page rank lost, 200 == OK. The menu link points directly to the destination content.

Now lets say you've decided to change the location of that content to /bikes/mountain-bikes/index.html.

You do the 301 redirects on from the old url to the new one, THEN you need to update your links to reflect the new location so you're not just pointing at 301 redirects.