Do you ride with a radio or Mp3 player?

[R3d Ryd3r]

I have been considering mounting an Mp3 player /radio on the Feeger. I was just wondering what everyone else has already worked out? IPOD's? the ZUNE? if this is a repeat of a topic that has been hashed to death, I apologize in advance.

R3d

 

[ShawnKing]

I was just wondering what everyone else has already worked out? IPOD's? the ZUNE?

I occasionally use an iPod. No one has actually ever seen a rider using a Zune.

 

[Pizza Boy]

I play MP3's through my nav unit. Has all the features of an iPod or other mp3 player

 

[MojaveFJR]

Tried it once. The wind noise made it so annoying that I pulled over, pulled the iPod and put my earplugs back in. When I get a blue tooth chatterbox I may try it again.

 

[OhioFJR1300]

The trick is to get some good ear buds/custom molded ear plugs. I have a sat radio and an Ipod and now a Zumo 550 with a built in MP3 player, I added an Ampli-Rider amp under the seat that lets me have 3 audio inputs and adds a remote volume control that I put on my handlebars. My molded ear plugs/speakers block the wind noise and make the tunes sound great.

 

[OkieBikerDude]

I have an Ipod for trips over 500 miles and custom molded earbuds. The rest of the time I turn off my hearing aids and use them as molded earplugs. Wind noise can be very tiring.

OBD

 

[Silent]

My iPod works well, but if you have the hard drive version and store it in your glove box while routing the sound thru your Starcom, the hard drive crashes and eventually fails. Don't ask me how I know this to be true :blink:

I currently run XM radio. Only problem is I can't skip songs and it looses reception on occasion. Plus side is the battery never runs dead

 

[El Toro]

I am the sort of rider that would be easily distracted by music or chatter. I bought the N-Com system to go with a Nolan N-102 helmet last winter, but I sold the N-Com stuff this spring when I really decided that I ride to get away, and the ride is the entertainment.

If I'm listening to news, stories, chat, music, or even the phone, its taking away part of my perception of the conditions around my ride... and from a safety point of view, I'm just not comfortable with that.

I do like ear plugs to cut down wind noise. Ear plugs are very important for me as far as high speed riding comfort is concerned.

 

[fjrchik]

yes.

zumo & XM

 

[Scab]

MP3 through the Zumo.

 

[sin_loki]

gen 3 nano with nice fitting ear-buds, works great.... until the battery's dies. I was thinking of doing a RAM mount for the pod with a switched hardwire, so it stays charged during transit.

 

[Auburn]

XM through a Starcom and switch to mp3 if under thte tree canapy for a while. Both work great.

 

[brazos parker]

I was just wondering what everyone else has already worked out? IPOD's? the ZUNE?

I occasionally use an iPod. No one has actually ever seen a rider using a Zune.

I occasionally ride w/ a Zune but usually don't like the distraction.

 

[Fred W]

I almost always ride with tunes through my Starcom1 Advance. I always use 30dB earplugs and can crank up the volume of the Starcom through the helmet speakers enough to hear the music just fine.

I started using my 20GB iPod (hard drive version). It had to be mounted on something soft, like atop a tank bag, or else it would crash. It is difficult to manipulate the music while riding with gloves on due to the touch wheel.

Next I switched to a 1GB iPod shuffle. Very convenient, small, flash drive (no skipping), works with gloves. Cannot be charged on the road so when the battery dies, you go tune-less. Also limited amount of music.

Currently I use my Garmin Streetpilot C550 GPS with 2GB SD cards installed. It allows me to see what's playing and manipulate via the GPS screen even with gloves. Unlike the touch wheel, the GPS operates via touch pressure, not finger proximity. I already owned the C550 for the cage, and it has all the desired features of a Zumo, but is not weather proof. Just yesterday I got stuck in a really gully washer over in Vermont and had to put a zip-lock baggie over the GPS.

I'll be upgrading to a Zumo 550 pretty soon.

 

[Randy]

Garmin has XM, MP3, and books on tape. Only use the XM. Run it through the Starcom.

 

[Aasland]

Since I live in the midwest, the ride itself is usually too boring to be entertainment in itself, so I listen to something nearly every time I ride (plus it takes my mind off the bad roads).

I use custom-molded earplugs and a Zumo through a J&M JMCB2003. My wife uses a Sansa MP3 player through the J&M JMCB2003, but she has helmet speakers and earplugs.

Things I've learned:

Blocking windnoise is crucial.

Easy access to volume control and play / pause is also very important.

Waterproofness is always a plus.

Ability to change tracks is also nice.

Wires suck .. but haven't found a good alternative yet.

MP3 players can be hard to mount in the open.

And when I get to the good roads, or in cities, I shut the distractions off. Then I don't need them!

 

[Panman]

I have a four Gig Nano that I carry in my shrit pocket. the battery is good for a day. I took a five day trip and brought the car charger and pluged it into the charging port in the glove box put the iPod in the tank bag let it charge and still can listen to music. I have speakers in my helmet and have a little volume control attached to the side of my helmet.

 

[Bounce]

I have been considering mounting an Mp3 player /radio on the Feeger. I was just wondering what everyone else has already worked out? IPOD's? the ZUNE? if this is a repeat of a topic that has been hashed to death, I apologize in advance. - R3d

I rode with an MP3 play of one kind of another since first getting my FJR. I still, occasionally use it but since getting my Sirius receiver back about 3 years ago, it's been my "go to" for such. while my mp3 collection is extensive (only 50% repeat during the 11 day IBR) it is finite. the deep cuts and wide selection available through Sirius allow me more variation and selection.

IMO iPods are way overpriced for what they offer. There are a ton of MP3 players out there that do well. I've used the Archos forever (it seems) and it's ability to load open-source user interfaces is tres sweet.

I mix my music, V1, and GPS audio through a MixIt and, if using the CB or intercom feed that output into the input of my Clarion CB/Intercom system.

To avoid having to crank up the volume to hearing-destroying levels, I use ear monitors.

 

[BikerGeek99]

+1 Sirius.

I have a Sirius Stiletto 2. I currently just put it in the cell phone pouch in my tank bag and have a wire running from there to my StarCom under the seat.

The Stiletto lets me either listen to satellite radio (OK for shorter rides, but it kills the battery) or MP3s / playlists.

I'm going to be getting a car kit for it which will allow me to mount it more permanently and run power to it. I'll probably put it in a RAM waterproof case thingy.