HD Sena 20S headset pairing issues
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,328
Likes: 2,410
From: Jackson, OH
I wonder why the tech at the dealer didn't do that for you. Like I said before, please try to get another dealer to help you in the future. That dealer doesn't deserve your money and loyalty.
And at the very least, write a letter to the owner of the dealership and let them know what happened with that tech. IT might just be a bad employee and the dealer will be glad to know he/she has an employee that could be costing them loss of customers.
And at the very least, write a letter to the owner of the dealership and let them know what happened with that tech. IT might just be a bad employee and the dealer will be glad to know he/she has an employee that could be costing them loss of customers.
I say all this because I'm pretty sure people (owners) are encountering a disconnect (no pun) when dealerships do a WHIM flash and then send the customer out the door to complete the process on their own. If it goes smoothly, no big deal. But it's a serious pita to spend all that money and go through all the motions only to find you don't have a functioning audio/comm system due to a glitch. I personally think most dealerships are not experts at initializing the Bluetooth headsets. My dealership (which I love) had no clue how to do it. The service manager asked me to contact him after I had mine working so I could advise him on how to do it. Imagine that.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 286
Likes: 26
From: Hyattsville, MD
Not intending to hijack this at all....just speculating. If the dealership had sold the complete setup (WHIM, harness, 20S Headsets, etc) as a completely installed job, I would put them as responsible for pairing and doing initial setup on the headsets. If the customer did their own install and just brought it in for a flash and hopefully pairing of the headsets, it might get a little fuzzy. A service writer isn't qualified (generally) to perform any technical work. That's the job of a technician. If the work order didn't include pairing and initial setup, the tech likely did the flash and considered their job complete. Sounds like the service writer was pretty clueless about doing the setup.
I say all this because I'm pretty sure people (owners) are encountering a disconnect (no pun) when dealerships do a WHIM flash and then send the customer out the door to complete the process on their own. If it goes smoothly, no big deal. But it's a serious pita to spend all that money and go through all the motions only to find you don't have a functioning audio/comm system due to a glitch. I personally think most dealerships are not experts at initializing the Bluetooth headsets. My dealership (which I love) had no clue how to do it. The service manager asked me to contact him after I had mine working so I could advise him on how to do it. Imagine that.
I say all this because I'm pretty sure people (owners) are encountering a disconnect (no pun) when dealerships do a WHIM flash and then send the customer out the door to complete the process on their own. If it goes smoothly, no big deal. But it's a serious pita to spend all that money and go through all the motions only to find you don't have a functioning audio/comm system due to a glitch. I personally think most dealerships are not experts at initializing the Bluetooth headsets. My dealership (which I love) had no clue how to do it. The service manager asked me to contact him after I had mine working so I could advise him on how to do it. Imagine that.
Then I figured it had to be something I did with the software/firmware updates...
The fault was on me.
I could have been a ******** to the service writer and demanded he service the great I am but I knew all I paid was $28 and they did what they were supposed to.
Maturity prevailed. I did my research on forums and YouTube. Asked for help.
End result,I learned a lot about software updates with HD device manager. 🤓🤪
Stage I
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: North Alabama
20S EVO fails to pair
I am seeing the same issues. All firmware is on the latest versions, and the headsets have been factory reset. When i try to pair either one with the WHIM, I see the headset on the bike, but the pairing always fails on both headsets. They will pair with each other and with my iphone, but not the bike.
Stage I
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: New Brunswick
I can pair both headsets to the boom but have no comms or radio from the passenger headset. Both sets paired to each other before the whim installation so I know they work properly ie neither were defective. What am I missing?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 6,062
Likes: 1,821
From: Kalifornia
This is an old thread, but interesting, none the less. I have the Sena dual, NON HD, 20s evo headsets, and they will not pair to the bike. Is the pairing ability available ONLY to the HD version? I installed my whim in May and had it flashed soon after, so I figured it was up to date.
Is there a update number to look for?
Is there a update number to look for?
Novice
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 21
Likes: 2
From: Massachuetts
It is a complete mess. HD screwed up with the need to have HD Sena headsets. I thought I would try a different approach after watching LawAbidingBiker using a Indigo Bluetooth transmitter. They have seemed to have no issues with pairing...I do. Anyone have any solutions to pairing an Indigo btr9l transmitter to the Sena 20s. I've tried all the tricks I could read and watched videos with no success. I just want to be able to listen to my HD Boom radio and Nav. on the headset. Don't want the WHIM or buy the HD branded Sena.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 6,062
Likes: 1,821
From: Kalifornia
I have to update my statement. I since have gotten my Sena 20S to pair. Its done thru the "wireless headset" feature on the Boom, and NOT bluetooth. Of course the WHIM is necessary for this, but I do have the WHIM.
Having said that, I still wish I could speak to Siri, THROUGH the bike. They are definitely not 100% compatible. That's a bit of disappointment for me.
Having said that, I still wish I could speak to Siri, THROUGH the bike. They are definitely not 100% compatible. That's a bit of disappointment for me.
Novice
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 21
Likes: 2
From: Massachuetts
Thanks Handirifle, Having a Whim has its own issues too. I just want to keep it simple and inexpensive. But I don't think that's going to be possible. I'll have to keep searching for more solutions.
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Advanced
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 59
Likes: 10
From: Duncan BC Canada
Hey Lenny not sure how you have the bt transmitter hooked up but it is totally possible to do what you want. I run a BT transmitter to a pair of bt 5.0 ear pods (it will support two pairs simultaneously) with no issues. It worked when I had the 6.5GT radio and it still works with the GTS radio. I have both bt 4.1 and bt 5.0 transmitters and it works the same with either one. I do not have whim.
Novice
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 21
Likes: 2
From: Massachuetts
Thanks for that John. I want to do is pair the bluetooth transmitter to my Sena 20S and then plug the dongle with a 3.5mm female adapter (which I have) into the headphone jack on the gas tank. Then I should be able to hear the GT radio and nav thru my Sena headset. At least that was the plan. But pairing the xmitter and the Sena has been a bust so far.