Thinking intercom
Novice
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 24
Likes: 13
From: 3rd Rock from the Sun
I have been using Sena for a while now and I am very pleased with their product. You can still get a dual pack of the SMH5 for under $200. They are an older model, not as feature rich as the newer models but the work quite well. I get most of a day out of them if all i do is talk with the passenger. Battery life is significantly less if you are listening to music or using the nav. We have taken to carrying a simple USB jump pack and charge the helmets if we take long breaks just to prevent an inopportune loss of communication. Most of the time we make it the whole day and I charge them with the jump pack at the camp site over night.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,883
Likes: 809
From: Ormond Beach, Florida
You can buy online, but I would suggest you go to a local Cycle Gear, or similar helmet shop, who sell and install helmets and headsets. They can answer any questions and help with an install.
.The Sena 10S is a reasonably priced quality hadset that can be use in any kind of Helmet. A pair of these can talk to each other with out any thing else needed. They can also be paired with your phones to listen to music or receive calls. You can always spend more and get more eloborate headsets, but to meet your requirements as you outlined in the OP, this is simple and a highly recommended suggestion.
In a Half helmet, one that has pockets in the ear flaps for the speakers works the best. A 3/4 or fullface helmet is better to minimize wind noise as the mic is inside the face shield.
.The Sena 10S is a reasonably priced quality hadset that can be use in any kind of Helmet. A pair of these can talk to each other with out any thing else needed. They can also be paired with your phones to listen to music or receive calls. You can always spend more and get more eloborate headsets, but to meet your requirements as you outlined in the OP, this is simple and a highly recommended suggestion.
In a Half helmet, one that has pockets in the ear flaps for the speakers works the best. A 3/4 or fullface helmet is better to minimize wind noise as the mic is inside the face shield.
You may not need anything more, but think some on whether or not you might want something more. Be it FM radio, CB, cell, noise cancelling, multiple riders in a group, etc.
Helmet issues:
A full faced helmet lets you stick the microphone onto the chin bar.
An open faced helmet, and often a modular helmet, require a boom microphone.
If you ride without a windshield, you'll really want a wind sock on that boom to control wind noise.
Helmetless requires a headphone set to hold the microphone onto your head. You will attract police attention with that headset on.
Bluetooth or other wireless vs wired:
Beware mostly battery life. If you plan on long day rides, you can run out of battery power.
Wired gets you tangled up in wires, and can get pulled hard when getting off the bike when you forget to unplug.
Wired can run indefinitely because it is powered by the bike.
Speaker vs earbud:
Helmet mounted speakers tend to sound bad, and require tremendous volume to be heard. This can be a long term hearing damage problem, especially if you listen to music this way. The louder the riding situation, the worse the speaker problem.
Helmet mounted speakers often touch your ear, which can drive some rider nuts.
Earbuds require far less volume, but are a pain to install in your ear prior to placing the helmet on your head.
Many systems (SENA, etc) are wired for speakers, but can be cut and spliced for earbuds.
Helmet issues:
A full faced helmet lets you stick the microphone onto the chin bar.
An open faced helmet, and often a modular helmet, require a boom microphone.
If you ride without a windshield, you'll really want a wind sock on that boom to control wind noise.
Helmetless requires a headphone set to hold the microphone onto your head. You will attract police attention with that headset on.
Bluetooth or other wireless vs wired:
Beware mostly battery life. If you plan on long day rides, you can run out of battery power.
Wired gets you tangled up in wires, and can get pulled hard when getting off the bike when you forget to unplug.
Wired can run indefinitely because it is powered by the bike.
Speaker vs earbud:
Helmet mounted speakers tend to sound bad, and require tremendous volume to be heard. This can be a long term hearing damage problem, especially if you listen to music this way. The louder the riding situation, the worse the speaker problem.
Helmet mounted speakers often touch your ear, which can drive some rider nuts.
Earbuds require far less volume, but are a pain to install in your ear prior to placing the helmet on your head.
Many systems (SENA, etc) are wired for speakers, but can be cut and spliced for earbuds.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 269
Likes: 59
From: Akron ohio
You may not need anything more, but think some on whether or not you might want something more. Be it FM radio, CB, cell, noise cancelling, multiple riders in a group, etc.
Helmet issues:
A full faced helmet lets you stick the microphone onto the chin bar.
An open faced helmet, and often a modular helmet, require a boom microphone.
If you ride without a windshield, you'll really want a wind sock on that boom to control wind noise.
Helmetless requires a headphone set to hold the microphone onto your head. You will attract police attention with that headset on.
Bluetooth or other wireless vs wired:
Beware mostly battery life. If you plan on long day rides, you can run out of battery power.
Wired gets you tangled up in wires, and can get pulled hard when getting off the bike when you forget to unplug.
Wired can run indefinitely because it is powered by the bike.
Speaker vs earbud:
Helmet mounted speakers tend to sound bad, and require tremendous volume to be heard. This can be a long term hearing damage problem, especially if you listen to music this way. The louder the riding situation, the worse the speaker problem.
Helmet mounted speakers often touch your ear, which can drive some rider nuts.
Earbuds require far less volume, but are a pain to install in your ear prior to placing the helmet on your head.
Many systems (SENA, etc) are wired for speakers, but can be cut and spliced for earbuds.
Helmet issues:
A full faced helmet lets you stick the microphone onto the chin bar.
An open faced helmet, and often a modular helmet, require a boom microphone.
If you ride without a windshield, you'll really want a wind sock on that boom to control wind noise.
Helmetless requires a headphone set to hold the microphone onto your head. You will attract police attention with that headset on.
Bluetooth or other wireless vs wired:
Beware mostly battery life. If you plan on long day rides, you can run out of battery power.
Wired gets you tangled up in wires, and can get pulled hard when getting off the bike when you forget to unplug.
Wired can run indefinitely because it is powered by the bike.
Speaker vs earbud:
Helmet mounted speakers tend to sound bad, and require tremendous volume to be heard. This can be a long term hearing damage problem, especially if you listen to music this way. The louder the riding situation, the worse the speaker problem.
Helmet mounted speakers often touch your ear, which can drive some rider nuts.
Earbuds require far less volume, but are a pain to install in your ear prior to placing the helmet on your head.
Many systems (SENA, etc) are wired for speakers, but can be cut and spliced for earbuds.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 304
From: Providence Forge, VA
Get a PackTalk Bold with the JBL speakers. They are a little costly but they will last forever and are far superior to anything made by Sena, or any other brand for that matter. They have something called mesh mode, to be fair so does the Sena 30K, which is the mode in which you should always communicate. Bluetooth communication has become obsolete because of mesh mode and any brand worth anything is making a headset with mesh capability. Even when you are using it for rider to passenger communication it is crystal clear and much quieter.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 3,174
Likes: 1,465
From: Charleston, SC
Get a PackTalk Bold with the JBL speakers. They are a little costly but they will last forever and are far superior to anything made by Sena, or any other brand for that matter. They have something called mesh mode, to be fair so does the Sena 30K, which is the mode in which you should always communicate. Bluetooth communication has become obsolete because of mesh mode and any brand worth anything is making a headset with mesh capability. Even when you are using it for rider to passenger communication it is crystal clear and much quieter.
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 69
Likes: 44
From: Long Island, NY
+1 on the Cardo units. just bought the Cardo Freecom 4 +. This will allow passenger intercom plus 3 other riders. It also has the voice command suite that the Pack Talk Bold has. The main difference between the 2 is the Pack Talk has mesh which is best for riding in larger groups, assuming you all have Cardo units, a drawback of Sena too. The mesh network is proprietary to the brand. I don't need to talk to more than my passenger and maybe one other bike. The newer Freecom 4 Plus also has JBL speakers which I have read make a big difference (careful, I have seen them without the JBL speakers, maybe the older version). It has 2 Bluetooth channels, one will pair to my Zumo GPS and the other to my iPhone where I can use voice commands for Siri or Cardo.
RevZilla has them for $224 for the single pack and $350 for the twin pack. I got it on Amazon, $178 for the single and just under $300 for the 2 pack.
RevZilla has them for $224 for the single pack and $350 for the twin pack. I got it on Amazon, $178 for the single and just under $300 for the 2 pack.
Last edited by motorbtr; Mar 1, 2020 at 10:08 AM.
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