Bike communication

[Kyriverbanks]

I think it is time to spring for a good communication system. Have been looking at J & M. So wanted to pose the question to the collective. What is a good reliable system. Longer term bike to bike would be needed. Short term need rider passenger intercom or blue tooth. Would like to integrate iPod and gps. I always wear a shoei flip lid. A good reliable functional system is more important than price alone. I only want to buy this system once and not have to work my way through 2 or 3 iterations. I know you guys know what I mean. Any insights appreciated.

 

[CAJW]

BTDT, one word - Autocom!

My journey to Comm heaven

 

[Aasland]

I was going to suggest the Sena SMH-10 for it's simplicity, but getting the Ipod and GPS to work together is something I don't have experience with. I think the SM10 hub might work for you though.

 

[302]

I think it is time to spring for a good communication system. Have been looking at J & M. So wanted to pose the question to the collective. What is a good reliable system. Longer term bike to bike would be needed. Short term need rider passenger intercom or blue tooth. Would like to integrate iPod and gps. I always wear a shoei flip lid. A good reliable functional system is more important than price alone. I only want to buy this system once and not have to work my way through 2 or 3 iterations. I know you guys know what I mean. Any insights appreciated.

I think it is time to spring for a good communication system. Have been looking at J & M. So wanted to pose the question to the collective. What is a good reliable system. Longer term bike to bike would be needed. Short term need rider passenger intercom or blue tooth. Would like to integrate iPod and gps. I always wear a shoei flip lid. A good reliable functional system is more important than price alone. I only want to buy this system once and not have to work my way through 2 or 3 iterations. I know you guys know what I mean. Any insights appreciated.

Collett communicators are the best

 

[sportsguy]

I just installed a J&M. Excllent system. Lots of volume, clear communications with your passenger and others.

Replaced the Scala G4 system (bluetooth) that never really lived up to its potential.

J&M allows you to easily plumb in the GPS and MP3 player, but be careful as J&M has different cables that allow different things, so shop wisely for your accessories.

Easily worth the money for this system and I wish I'd done this before trying the G4. Nothing wrong, really, withthe G4, but the J&M is much more to my liking.

 

[AVGeek]

I wore out my Autocomm system, and replaced it with the Sena...I did wear out the earbud clamp, but replaced it and added another on as a spare to my inventory. Next up for me is to upgrade the module (I have the first gen, non-upgradeable model) and add the SR10 to integrate the Garmin Montana and my ham radio. Overall, I am very happy with the Sena and my custom earbuds.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I use the Cardo Scala Rider G4 and overall like it very much. I never used any of the other systems and did not know anyone else who used one so I purchased mine based on internet research. I have no real complaints, it does what I bought it for. The radio sound quality is not perfect I assume it is let down by the speakers but I did not buy it for that. Bike to bike comm is better than I had ever hoped and you can have a clear phone conversation at 70+ and the other person will never know you are on the bike unless you tell them. They at first don't believe you are really riding the motorcycle. I have heard good things about the Autocom but I don't personally know. I like the Cardo. One other thing, the Cardo mounted to the side of a Nolan modular or an HJC will fit into the saddlebag of the FJR, or the Honda ST. I assume they all do, but again I don't know.

 

[Bust-A-Cap]

I have used Autocom for years with my friends and we have had no real issues with it. It is one of the better made units on the market.

 

[jtr1174]

I use the Cardo Scala Rider G4 and overall like it very much. I never used any of the other systems and did not know anyone else who used one so I purchased mine based on internet research. I have no real complaints, it does what I bought it for. The radio sound quality is not perfect I assume it is let down by the speakers but I did not buy it for that. Bike to bike comm is better than I had ever hoped and you can have a clear phone conversation at 70+ and the other person will never know you are on the bike unless you tell them. They at first don't believe you are really riding the motorcycle. I have heard good things about the Autocom but I don't personally know. I like the Cardo. One other thing, the Cardo mounted to the side of a Nolan modular or an HJC will fit into the saddlebag of the FJR, or the Honda ST. I assume they all do, but again I don't know.

+1 on the Scala G4. I use it with a friend I ride with and me and my wife use it for 2up riding and have not had any issues. It pairs with my iPhone very easy to, and makes making calls, listening to music effortless.

 

[ULEWZ]

Chatterbox X1 slim. This is the communicator I am interestred in. GMRS for long distance, and bluetooth connectivity to my phone.

 

[Alex]

I was going to suggest the Sena SMH-10 for it's simplicity, but getting the Ipod and GPS to work together is something I don't have experience with. I think the SM10 hub might work for you though.

Correct. The SR10 Hub will connect to multiple devices then pair to your headset. The upcoming SM10 will allow rider and passenger to enjoy the same feeds XM, GPS, iPod, iPhone since it has dual feeds.

I ordered quite a few of these new SM models as I think they will be very popular. I will definitely be using one for my wife and I.

If you don't mind a cord, than the Starcom is a great setup. No charging or pairing to mess with. I left the Starcom on the bike as a backup but after going wireless there is no turning back! Can't tell you how many times I dismounted and was still attached. Felt like a damn moron.

 

[Phil Jones]

Sena SMH10. Amazing product.

 

[Bust-A-Cap]

Chatterbox X1 slim. This is the communicator I am interestred in. GMRS for long distance, and bluetooth connectivity to my phone.

I never had any luck with earlier versions of the Chatterbox; I hope it works out for you. The Autocom worked great from day one. I'm on my second unit now and it's better than ever with bluetooth; I get a real kick out of answering the phone while I'm riding.

 

[DELETE-PLEASE]

J&M will have SOMETHING for you if you want/need to connect about a billion devices at once. And a hardwired system means no searching for a connection when you want to talk to your passenger so it's much more instantaneous.

Myself, I got a SENA SMH10. I love it. I don't mind waiting 2 seconds to talk to the wifey, she syncs her music to hers, I sync my music to mine.

For ipod + GPS, that's tough on the SENA. Easiest option would be using an android phone as an ipod/gps. It all plays through one device. Next would be having a GPS that you load mp3s onto, and syncing that as a "media player". You can STILL then sync your phone as "phone".

My Solution, my wife upgraded her droid phone, and gave me her old droid phone. I bought a 32 gb microSD card to expand the memory. Bought Sygic GPS for it for about 20 bucks. It downloads the maps right on the phone so you don't need data connectivity. Then synced all my itunes stuff to it with "doubletwist" app. So used droid phone, about 50 bucks in GPS app and microSD card, and I have an "android touch" that I mount to the bike to use as a GPS and ipod. I can put audio books on there, podcasts, I can use ANY android app by downloading them through wifi, and I'm happy. And cause I'm NOT using it as a phone, the battery lasts a LONG time (unless I'm using the GPS, but then I just plug it into my powerlet to keep it going)

Alexi

 

[ScottyUSN]

I have a J&M BT solo unit. Pairs with everything I've thrown at it (GPS, Iphone, and now Android).

I'm happy with the quality and sound I built in, flush mount mic and speakers into my SHOEI. Good battery life as well.

 

[FJRScrewball]

Chatterbox X1 slim. This is the communicator I am interestred in. GMRS for long distance, and bluetooth connectivity to my phone.

I just ordered one.

I have the Starcom on the FJR and have a cable for my GMRS radio. I bought the X1 Slim for my brother to use when we ride together. He wanted the ability to pair his phone so if his wife needed to contact him she could. It has been shipped and when it arrives I'll test it out and give you my opinion of it.

Dave

 

[FJRScrewball]

Chatterbox X1 slim. This is the communicator I am interestred in. GMRS for long distance, and bluetooth connectivity to my phone.

I just ordered one.

I have the Starcom on the FJR and have a cable for my GMRS radio. I bought the X1 Slim for my brother to use when we ride together. He wanted the ability to pair his phone so if his wife needed to contact him she could. It has been shipped and when it arrives I'll test it out and give you my opinion of it.

Dave

Update:

The X1 Slim arrived and I found out it will pair up to my Nuvi 765T as an audio device. This means I can go wireless for my GPS instructions and music from the 765T's MP3 player. Will be doing a road test tomorrow to test the range of the GMRS. Chatterbox just came out with a universal headset cord that has a 3.5mm female jack so I can use my earbuds instead of the speakers and its only $12.99. The PP-04 headset kit to do the same thing with the Starcom is $65. This is looking like a good setup for me. I can keep the Starcom on the bike as a backup in case things go screwy with the bluetooth.

Dave

 

[Jim in Phoenix]

I have the J&M CB unit and am pleased with the quality, the sound, and the versatility. My ZUMO with its MP3 player is integrated and does exactly what I want it to do. Depending on the wind, sound can be almost living room good to barely audible, but is mostly very good (I do wear foam ear plugs which improves the performance). CB works because it is the most universal communicator and can alert you to traffic, LEO activity, and access to general information. It also has weather radio which is the most reliable source of information that directly impacts your ride. I am glad I bought this at the same time I bought the bike.

 

[allrider]

I've had several of the older Autocom systems and thought they were pretty good. The fidelity could have been better, not much bass. It looks like the newest Autocom systems have some bells and whistles the older systems could have used.

Anyone have experience with Baehr intercoms?

What I would like to see is one of the magazines do a comparison of J&M, Autocom and Baehr, with all the clip on helmet models. The only recent one I could find so far is this Bluetooth comparo from 2010