Sena Intercom Headsets
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,399
Likes: 8,509
From: Spartan Country, Michigan
I can't help you fellas with your Sena units. I have Cardo PackTalk Bold. My 3 riding buddies and I have these units and they work ok for what we want. We can communicate, which is important. I can listen to music off my phone, so that's good on trips. I can listen to my bike radio on local rides, so that's good. I just updated to the PackTalk NEO and have not set it up yet. I do not have WHIM, but did install the "bypass connector" under the fairing. Not so much for the PackTalks, but had intentions of using a different GPS app off my phone rather than the HD Ride Planner.
To me the important part was to have comm with my riding buddies. Which works. Glad to hear you all are getting your systems going or are happy with them. These are great units.
And NO!! I do not wish to talk on my phone when riding my bike!!! I'll give you a call or text when we stop! Just give me my music and comm with buddies!!!
To me the important part was to have comm with my riding buddies. Which works. Glad to hear you all are getting your systems going or are happy with them. These are great units.
And NO!! I do not wish to talk on my phone when riding my bike!!! I'll give you a call or text when we stop! Just give me my music and comm with buddies!!!
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 29
Likes: 12
From: Utah
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 22,999
Likes: 11,439
Well no you do not need HD branded. Even my old Q3 Cardo will connect with the WHIM..
You are right no stereo and most of the other functions to control head sets will not work with hand controls.
You are right no stereo and most of the other functions to control head sets will not work with hand controls.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,484
Likes: 272
From: Canton, GA
The Sena 20sEvo was mounted to my helmet when I picked up the bike and it was working within minutes of the first attempt
After reviewing posts here I immediately understood it doesnt get stereo due to firmware
I havent gotten the music to play in the background through the Whim yet while using intercom though .if anyone has, please message me and let me know how
Thanks
HDF Community Team
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 506
Likes: 241
From: CA
I am hoping that the electronic whiz at my HD dealership is back from vacation today to help me set up the intercom for my system. I've had the 50S for my WHIM equipped CVO for a while and it's worked flawlessly, but I recently got another 50S for my wife to ride 2-up and for the life of me, I cannot get the intercom to work... it's ridiculous.
Here's the manual:
https://oem.sena.com/harley-davidson..._en_220209.pdf
Scroll to section 7.2: Starting Mesh Intercom
7.4.1: Creating a Group Mesh
There are other neat features you get with the H-D head unit, such as audio overlays where when you VOX activate the intercom the music fades into the background but navigation prompts will break in.
Last edited by bson; Jul 27, 2023 at 02:52 PM.
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 107,687
Likes: 20,116
From: Ft. Worth, TX
I am hoping that the electronic whiz at my HD dealership is back from vacation today to help me set up the intercom for my system. I've had the 50S for my WHIM equipped CVO for a while and it's worked flawlessly, but I recently got another 50S for my wife to ride 2-up and for the life of me, I cannot get the intercom to work... it's ridiculous.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,937
Likes: 320
From: Vancouver, WA
I am hoping that the electronic whiz at my HD dealership is back from vacation today to help me set up the intercom for my system. I've had the 50S for my WHIM equipped CVO for a while and it's worked flawlessly, but I recently got another 50S for my wife to ride 2-up and for the life of me, I cannot get the intercom to work... it's ridiculous.
Last edited by RG Pilot; Jul 27, 2023 at 08:08 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 120
Likes: 79
From: NM
I went down and the guy got the intercom to work, however, nothing else seems to be working as it should really. It will take some more work on my part to sort it out. When I first paired my original 50S and used the Apple CarPlay, I was able to play music through the phone and listen to it through the fairing/bike speakers and control volume and tracks with the left thumb switch. I could receive and send phone calls and texts adjusting volume with the same left thumb switch... the right thumb switch moved the cursor around for selecting items.
Once I paired the second 50S, and went down the intercom rabbit hole, things changed. Now when I start the system up - I don't even hear the female voice in my ear say "Hello." I can, with difficulty sometimes, get the music to play through the bike speakers but I cannot control the volume with the left thumb switch - I just get a loud beep through the helmet speakers when I trigger the switch. The switch DOES affect the volume of phone calls which properly come through the helmet speakers though. Text messages do not read (text to voice) over CarPlay at all into my helmet speakers (or bike speakers for that matter - you can see on the display that CarPlay is reading them out loud, it just is not reaching the speakers.
I've read the Sena manual and the Boom manual - now I'm going to look to YouTube LOL.
Once I paired the second 50S, and went down the intercom rabbit hole, things changed. Now when I start the system up - I don't even hear the female voice in my ear say "Hello." I can, with difficulty sometimes, get the music to play through the bike speakers but I cannot control the volume with the left thumb switch - I just get a loud beep through the helmet speakers when I trigger the switch. The switch DOES affect the volume of phone calls which properly come through the helmet speakers though. Text messages do not read (text to voice) over CarPlay at all into my helmet speakers (or bike speakers for that matter - you can see on the display that CarPlay is reading them out loud, it just is not reaching the speakers.
I've read the Sena manual and the Boom manual - now I'm going to look to YouTube LOL.
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 647
Likes: 151
From: Tampa, FL
If you pair a rider headset to the GTS with a WHIM do not pair it directly to the phone.
Phone pairs to GTS via Bluetooth
Headset pairs to GTS via WHIM menu choice
This will enable the GTS to control functions with the hand controls. There is an audio routing function to select where each speaker out should direct.
For a passenger:
DO NOT pair the to the GTS via Bluetooth
Pair headset to GTS via WHIM menu choice
Pair their phone to the headset using the headset secondary phone choice
If the headset were not bought as a dual set, paired to each other from the factory, you will need to do the headset pairing function.
For rider to passenger comms you can use the GTS intercom function. Then you can both hear the GTS audio, like music playing, but it will lower the volume when you chat.
An6 comm function on the headset directly - Bluetooth headset to headset, Mesh, Phone - will have a higher priority that the GTS intercom/music and will silence the GTS while in use.
Phone pairs to GTS via Bluetooth
Headset pairs to GTS via WHIM menu choice
This will enable the GTS to control functions with the hand controls. There is an audio routing function to select where each speaker out should direct.
For a passenger:
DO NOT pair the to the GTS via Bluetooth
Pair headset to GTS via WHIM menu choice
Pair their phone to the headset using the headset secondary phone choice
If the headset were not bought as a dual set, paired to each other from the factory, you will need to do the headset pairing function.
For rider to passenger comms you can use the GTS intercom function. Then you can both hear the GTS audio, like music playing, but it will lower the volume when you chat.
An6 comm function on the headset directly - Bluetooth headset to headset, Mesh, Phone - will have a higher priority that the GTS intercom/music and will silence the GTS while in use.