Helmets with speakers and microphones

[kerrfunk]

I don't even know what to call them but I know they exist.

My wife has been riding two-up with me quite a bit this summer, and I wonder about getting a pair of helmets that allows us to speak to each other.

Any stories you have? Any recommendations (for or against)?

 

[Guest]

I don't even know what to call them but I know they exist.

My wife has been riding two-up with me quite a bit this summer, and I wonder about getting a pair of helmets that allows us to speak to each other.

Any stories you have? Any recommendations (for or against)?

it seems as though Cycle Gear has sales on Bluetooth and other communication devices often. If you buy half helmets, your wife can just whisper in your ear, just don't run off the road when she does it.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Charmayne and I use the Cardo Smartpack which is the less frilly version of Cardo's Packtalk. It allows me to talk with her and my other daughter or wife when they ride with us, and anyone else with a Bluetooth headset that joins the pack. I also have the option of listening to music from the iPhone or via a radio connection the headset has built in.

Sena has a good system but I didn't care for their layout.

Bluetooth systems like these are nice in that everything is self-contained on your helmet, no cords to the bike or separate buttons to push, but there is a battery life to contend with. If just listening to music, I can get about 7 or 8 hours of life out of the system before I recharge it. This is okay for the most part but that obviously means I can be without the system on an extremely long ride for a period of time (I have a 12v outlet on the bike but don't want the cable reach for the headset portion).

One note as I just re-read your question; I would recommend against helmets with built in Bluetooth and go with a separate system for one reason - if the system breaks you are without your helmet too. At least with a separate system like Cardo or Sena, you can still ride with the same helmet you always use.

 

[Nschultz]

my wife and I use the Bilt Techno Bluetooth helmets. they can pair together so that you can talk on comms, or listen to music or phone calls. CycleGear has them on sale constantly. I think it was something like $250 for a modular one. Not a bad helmet.

 

[Guest]

I use the SenaSMH10's, best money I ever spent for 2 up riding, or riding with friends. Everyone I know uses them, better than the Scala, AWESOME customer service and support/warranty. 110% waterproof and super durable. I use mine on both my street helmet and my dual sport helmet. I would recommend it to anyone.

 

[Burque73]

I don't even know what to call them but I know they exist.

My wife has been riding two-up with me quite a bit this summer, and I wonder about getting a pair of helmets that allows us to speak to each other.

Any stories you have? Any recommendations (for or against)?

Did you decide on an intercom thing?

My wife and I picked up a paired set of Sena 20s. You can configure the settings on your home computer. Too many capabilities to list, they're just fantastic things! At cycle gear we picked her up a new Sedici helmet and a pair of Sena 20s things for $600 and change. She loves the helmet too. I have a habit of whistling and singing the random songs that pop into my mind so she had to learn to mute the intercom, LOL. I never rode with music before but this is fantastic! Even with earplugs I enjoy the music. I can still hear the engine, traffic and other sounds. I need to get a music subscription somewhere but Pandora has worked for the most part. Locally I just use the FM radio so I don't have to mess with any settings.

Last year we rode by a cow that had just given birth and you could see the sack still connecting mom and calf. I wanted to get my wife's attention to look in that direction but it came and went so fast there wasn't a spot to pull over. Anyway, that was the moment I started thinking about a bluetooth com device. It really is nice to share the ride in real time rather than reminisce about it later on.

 

[Guest]

I use the SenaSMH10's, best money I ever spent for 2 up riding, or riding with friends. Everyone I know uses them, better than the Scala, AWESOME customer service and support/warranty. 110% waterproof and super durable. I use mine on both my street helmet and my dual sport helmet. I would recommend it to anyone.

I second the SMH10's. My wife just started riding this year and I can't imagine what it would be like to have to communicate only at stop signs, traffic lights, etc. Easy to install, last a long time on a charge, good range and relatively inexpensive.

 

[kerrfunk]

No, I never did follow through with this.
And we've been riding together a lot more this year. Seems every free evening or weekend and she's asking for some motorcycle therapy.
She's due for a new helmet. She's got a 3/4 WOW! that we got in probably 2010? 2009?

 

[Redman]

Kerry, Let me stress a point that others have mentioned.
THese days you dont get a helmet that has communication.... you get a helment that will accept such (some have a little compartment) and add a communcation system into it.... or get a commuciation system that goes onto the side of a helmet.

I cant give you any specifics of what is available, because I am too cheap to gett something that I havent had for 35+ years of riding.......

 

[Redman]

................
Any stories you have? Any recommendations (for or against)?

The bike I have at my daughters house came with a set of helmet that have communication built into them. These helmets (Element ONeal Blinc) were one of first helmet to come out with that, I dont know, something like 12 years ago. (Since then the indusrty has changed purchasing the communcation system seperatly.) It was real awarkward to set them up to get them to communicate, and the sound quality was awfull, and if tryied to turn it off or down it was reall difficult to get them back in operation.
My biggest memeory of using them was that we took a lot of time to get them setup, and then riding on this somewhat unfamiliar bike, and we are out-of-state (California) where the gas pumps opearted different, so I am trying to figure all this out, while wife is trying to tell me what she thinks the problem is and is reading the instructions printed on the pump (annoying) to me over the communication system while I am trying to figure out the pump , and eventually I come to understand that for credit card I have to go into the store. THese helmets were difficult to get on, with the speakers by the ear that might move out of position, so I dont take off the helmet, and go into the store, and have to speak to the clerk (that barley speaks english) and then wife who is standing out at the pump starts trying to tell me about the flower planter on house across the street or something. So I am having this awkward conversation with the clerk and trying to politly tell wife that I cant talk right then (unsecsesfull at both). So that didnt give me a good introduction to the helmet comunication system.

It was usefull for us to be able to talk at low speed, but at higher speed was usless (that set anyway).

I understand that the newer ones these days operate a lot better sound quality and are easier to operate.

 

[ChicagoBob]

I like my Bell Qualifier DLX (it's full-face, but Bell also makes an open-face model with the same features), which is designed to fit the Sena Bluetooth devices. Installation was very simple, and the Bluetooth unit is much more integrated than with a standard helmet. You have to order a kit from Sena to install the unit.

If you order the helmet without the color-changing shield, you can save about $80. Mine came with a clear shield and a tinted one. Cost about $225, I think, from eBay.

 

[Burque73]

...........
I understand that the newer ones these days operate a lot better sound quality and are easier to operate.

I was cautious not to get intercom units that were made to fit one helmet because these things will likely outlast the helmet. The Bell Qualifier, which is what I use as well, was made to hold a Send SMH10 I believe, but as mentioned the clamp thing to hold it on is a separate purchase. The Sena 20S unit doesn't fit in the recessed spot for the transmitter/ receiver thing but the speakers inside do fit in the recessed under the padding. No more displacing the speakers while removing the helmet. I found that not wearing ear plugs and lowering the volume of the music or intercom makes some frequencies piercing and others inaudible. If I wear earplugs and crank the volume more of the spectrum of sound comes through. Hope I said that right...

The 20s has an external output so you can avoid using the helmet speakers and use whatever ear buds you like. This feature is nice but I haven't had a chance to shop for ear buds, like the sound canceling ones. That's my next purchase.

When we change helmets in a few years I'm hoping the intercom system will still be functioning and we'll just transplant them to the new helmet.

 

[Steve]

[Paul Harvey voice] And now for the rest of the story. [/Paul Harvey voice]

Coming from the Goldwing end of the motorcycling spectrum, I have choices in other equipment, but they would be far less appealing in your situation. Virtually all Goldwings have intercom capability built into the bike. Most, but not quite all, Goldwings also have a CB radio for commuication with other bikes. Accordingly, our helmets have microphones and speakers that plug into the jack on the bike.

Yes, it's possible to add an aftermarket unit to a GS. Our three GSes in the stable all have them. Made by J&M, the unit mounts on the left side of the handlebar, it has intercom for the on-bike riders, CB radio for contact with others, AUX input for your cell phone, iPod, mp3 or satellite radio and weather channels. Definitely NOT cheap, but since our helmets are all set up for the Wing, it was cheaper for us to just get the radio that worked for us. For anyone starting from scratch, the investment would be well over $600, not counting your helmet(s). Since we only had to get the radio, it was 'only' about $350. Oh, that's "per bike".

.

 

[Gumpster]

Kerrfunk, Take a look At Tcom-sc on eBay. I have owned two sets and enjoyed great results. A set of two will cost about $100 and will last 5 hours or more continuous. You can listen to music from a phone through Bluetooth or built in FM receiver. My GF and I ride two up but mostly on different machines and communicate up to about a mile apart at 100+ mph. They probably aren't the best but work quite well for over 5 years. The helmet clip is the weakest part but mine also came with a Velcro bracket. Amazon also has them. Mine are not the SC model which means it has a screen but this latest version has a battery status indicator.

 

[Burque73]

I just discovered a really cool feature in the Sena 20s. I'm not sure what I did, but after tweaking the settings the volume changes by itself. Speed up, volume raises, slow down and it lowers. Amazing!! Maybe it's just wind noise that triggers the volume adjustments, but man I like it.

Just had to share this.

 

[salty_monk]

The main useful difference between the SMH-10 and the 20/20evo for Sena is an extra Bluetooth receiver. That means twice as many people can potentially group together and also that you can play music / have navigation running from your phone at the SAME time as having a conversation. It’s overlaid. The 10’s you have to switch from one to the other, it’s a royal pain...

the 30’s are really buggy. The new 50 supposedly sorts that out but who knows... all brand have their lovers and haters. Senna was the go-to for sure with the 10. Cardo might be these days...

 

[Burque73]

The main useful difference between the SMH-10 and the 20/20evo for Sena is an extra Bluetooth receiver. That means twice as many people can potentially group together and also that you can play music / have navigation running from your phone at the SAME time as having a conversation. It?s overlaid. The 10?s you have to switch from one to the other, it?s a royal pain...

the 30?s are really buggy. The new 50 supposedly sorts that out but who knows... all brand have their lovers and haters. Senna was the go-to for sure with the 10. Cardo might be these days...

I can count on one hand the times I've ridden with other folks and don't use a GPS so most of the cool features of the 20 it seems will go undiscovered for me. I did take a ride last Memorial Day weekend with a friend who used some sort of Sena unit. That was fun to chat bike to bike.

I made a call to my wife and rode for a while just to see if it worked. She didn't even hear the wind. Too distracting though. Think I'll just wait till I stop from now on.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I have this helmet from Bilt. Got on sale at Cycle Gear.
https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/bilt-techno-20-sena-bluetooth-modular-helmet?rrec=true

I use it primarily to listen to music over bluetooth from my phone. Have received a few calls from my wife while riding, pretty much just to test it. Works really well, but agree with Roger, that it is really distracting. Listening to music is passive. Conversing with someone require my attention being taken away from more important functions. I have never ridden with anyone else in a group but I like the possibility if the situation comes up, to be able to communicate with others. One minor gripe on the phone part. Siri doesn't work with it, so I can't say " Hey Siri, call the wife". That's OK, I didn't want to talk to her anyway. The audible alert for a text message does come through in the headset, so at least I know I may need to stop and address it.

Just last week, I had the phones navigation on to test the turn by turn directions when riding to someplace I'd never been before. Worked great rather than stopping when I wasn't sure where I was, getting the phone out, checking the map, repeat.

I want to get a handlebar mounted phone mount like all the motorcycle vloggers use, something like this by Rokform. But I'm afraid that having something else in my vision could be too distracting.

 

[Burque73]

Rich, that bar mount looks useful. Maybe throw an old phone in it strictly for GPS so notifications of calls or messages don't distract. In fact, I may do that with an old android phone...maybe.

I'm ashamed to admit on a deserted stretch of road after not seeing another vehicle for miles, I took off my gloves and pulled the phone out to check how far it was to the next town. Tucked the phone away and put gloves back on. Long straight boring road and throttle lock. I could've made a sandwich and had lunch on the bike, LOL.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Cardo's newer Packtalk Bold works with Siri just fine though it took me a bit to get used to it. I do a decent job of concentrating on the road while talking but I also won't hold a long conversation as I'd much rather ride.