As long as you don't mind the less than invisible mounting, the Freewire is a home run for Harley owners. Not only is it only $250, but it DOES NOT check to see whether or not your headset is an "official" Harley headset, and shut off your stereo sound and drop you down to walkie-talkie quality audio. The only thing you give up is that your passenger, if you have one, can't hear the infotainment system outputs. Your headsets can obviously communicate with each other or other paired bluetooth riders, the passenger just can't hear gps instructions, etc..
As long as you don't mind the less than invisible mounting, the Freewire is a home run for Harley owners. Not only is it only $250, but it DOES NOT check to see whether or not your headset is an "official" Harley headset, and shut off your stereo sound and drop you down to walkie-talkie quality audio. The only thing you give up is that your passenger, if you have one, can't hear the infotainment system outputs. Your headsets can obviously communicate with each other or other paired bluetooth riders, the passenger just can't hear gps instructions, etc..
Your are right. The sound is the same quality as with my corded set up.
For the Sena wireless setup, my 7 pin wire runs from inside the fairing, under the tank and seat and into the topcase. I had to buy a longer line, from Sierra Electronics to do this. It is a clean set up and not visible. A passenger can still plug into the 7 pin in the back. If they wanted to be wireless, this would require a complete duplicate freewire setup.
SENA makes the Harley-Davidson BOOM Audio bluetooth headsets. SENA also makes the H-D Wireless Headset Interface Module, or WHIM.
That is correct. First, you cannot pair any bluetooth headset to a Harley-Davidson unless the bike has the WHIM. Then, when you pair your bluetooth headset to the WHIM, the WHIM checks to see if the headset is a H-D BOOM Audio headset. If it is, the WHIM will connect in full stereo. If not, the WHIM will downgrade the audio to monaural.
The SENA 30K has turned out to be an absolute disaster. The mesh technology will not work unless all the other riders have 30k's, and then it barely works. The 30k's are being returned by many, many owners.
If you want a SENA, and you want to be able to connect to your bike in both stereo and high def audio, then your only choice is the BOOM Audio 20S Evo. The BOOM Audio 20s will also connect in stereo, but not high def audio. Keep in mind, you're on a motorcycle and not in a Lexus. so that's not necessarily a fail.
If being able to easily connect to other bikes is more important to you than listening to music from your bike in real stereo, then the Cardo Packtalk Bold is the one to get. If you have your music loaded on your phone, then the Cardo will absolutely play that music in full stereo.
That right there is enough reason for me not to buy a Harley with the Bluetooth system.
I had so much trouble with Sena trying the 30K and 20S that I gave up on them, after 3 years of loving a SMH10R, and went to a cheap no name Bluetooth Headset from Amazon for $55.
I may try a Cardo next, but based on the above I won't be buying a Harley to talk to it.
I started out with an SMH-10, and I liked it so much I later moved up to a 10-S. Still good, but pairing became kind of a pain. When I upgrade again, it will be to a Cardo Packtalk Bold.
They aren’t sold as a single unit, but Schuberth has an integrated Cardo unit available that replaces the neck roll. All of their helmet shells have FM and Bluetooth antennas molded in. Pretty seamless system IMHO. My post above shows my helmet with it installed.
They aren’t sold as a single unit, but Schuberth has an integrated Cardo unit available that replaces the neck roll. All of their helmet shells have FM and Bluetooth antennas molded in. Pretty seamless system IMHO. My post above shows my helmet with it installed.
I went from a Sena SMH-10 to the Sena 20S and this has been a great setup for me. Stereo music from my iPhone and turn-by-turn GPS instructions from my Garmin Zumo 595. A really slick setup. I do not do group rides so can’t speak to the intercom function.
01-12-2019, 01:07 PM
