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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 48
East Tennessee | I am disappointed in the radio system of the Vision and the lack of an onboard communication system. I hate to have to blast the radio while riding to hear the music. Having owned a Goldwing in the past, I really liked their setup. Everything came through the helmet headsets. I know the CB/Comm system can be bought and installed but wow, have you priced this unit ?? All this being said, this is what I want..Can anyone advise me ?
1) Want the ability to talk to my passenger while riding through some type of communication system
2) Would like to listen to the bike's radio through a headset if at all possible
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Cruiser
Posts: 142
elgin mn | I had my dealer install cb/comm system in2010 took about a month to get it figgered out wife cannot hear me half the time. but I can here her the best part is listning to the radio in my helmet. Havent even used it this year,money would have been better spent on cams. |
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Tourer
Posts: 337
san antonio, tx | I just bought the Cardo Scala G4 setup. It's on the charger now and I won't get a chance to actually test it for another week or so. So.....I can't give you any real opinion on it yet.
I did a lot of research on what's available, and I kept coming back to the G4. It's wireless, that can prove to be either good or bad, but if it works as claimed, it should be better than having cords and wires flapping about.
With it, you have a wireless full duplex intercom with your passenger, as well as blue tooth connectivity to your GPS, Cellphone, and MP3 Player (in stereo if your MP3 supports it). It also has a built in FM tuner. You can also plug in your MP3 player with an included 1/8" plug for stereo sound. You and your passenger use and control your own individual phone and MP3 Player.
It also works as a full duplex bike to bike intercom so that you can talk with your passenger and someone else on another bike (assuming they have a compatable Scala headset.
It's also upgradeable over the internet. You download a program on to your computer, plug it in with the included USB cord, and set user parameters as well as software updates.
If it works as well as it's supposed to, and if all the reviews on it are accurate, I think I'm really going to like it.
I got it for $330.00. Not dirt cheap, but not as expensive as the CB/Intercom option either. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | What I use - works well - up to 90mph ....
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-intercoms/sena-smh10-interco...
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Cruiser
Posts: 154
Danbury, Connecticut | I also like the Sena unit but I did have problems with blowing speakers out so I got the earbud mounting base. It is a bit of the PITA to get the earbuds to hang just right but they block out so much road noise. Communications with passenger, GPS, MP3 player are all crystal clear and in stereo bluetooth. It also does bluetooth phone, but to me, yacking on the phone defeats the whole purpose of the ride. The rechargable pods have never runout of charge during the course 10 hour day, but the batteries aren't replaceable. I don't know what the life expectancy is-mine are just a year old. If you get the speaker version, get them mounted(stuffed) close to your ears so you don't need to crank the volume and risk blowing a speaker. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 162
Northern NJ | We use a Scala system and we're very happy with it. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 623
| +1 on the sena SMH 10 love mine |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1117
Northeast Ohio | I looked at this two years ago when I made the expensive decision to go with the Vic CB / Intercom. I had bought a Scala Team set for comms purposes and quickly realized that I would be limited to Bluetooth only connectivity for music. This means I would have had to use the Garmin StreetPilot 2820 on the bike (this is not the 2720 Vic option that does NOT have Bluetooth) and blasting the radio would interfere with the comms piece as the radio would be picked up by the helmet mics. Also, I like using the control block on the handlebars for changing songs and / or modes.
I was able to source my parts on ebay from dealers. This saved me a hundred bucks or so. You will need (bare minimum), the CB / Intercom unit and the harness. These are two separate parts. The cable is roughly $75 and the CB was $499 for me. If you want the CB antenna, you can get one at J&M for $20. Now you have a CB too, for communicating with others on speedtraps, etc.
Reading a lot of negative posts on the Victory headsets, I opted for the J&M elite headsets for a little more money.
This whole setup set me back about $1000 (WOW - I didn't realize it was this much as I bought is over a few months as I was waiting on deals).
I have been 100% satisfied with this setup and recommend it. The only recommendation is to make sure your dealer flashes ALL the radio components to the latest version or you will have annoyances.
The ideal situation would be for Victory to make Bluetooth standard on these bikes. I really dislike having cords. A simple Bluetooth integration module sure would make this better and more cost effective for all.
Short answer, and I haven't seen anyone mention it above, bluetooth works great for comms, but not for music (from a control perspective). |
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Tourer
Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton | Not to knock Victory, but I remember in the beggining, bikes were fine until they
had the harness installed for the CB/Intercom. Not everyone's, but a few posters
here. Those, like myself, that didn't install a harness are okay. In other words, If
it ain't factory installed, and included in the original factory warranty, don't do it.
Kawaski has followed suit, and their new Voyager doesn't come equipped with the
intercom system either. I hear the little bird noises of cheap, cheap, cheap.......
So, the Goldwing is the clear winner here, expect for those dang 5 PIN cords. If it isn't
a cord I can buy at Wal-mart, then you (Honda) are making it a closed architecture to
make more money. BS. Give me basic 3.5mm+ stereo jacks I can buy everywhere.
Let me make my own headset system for that matter.
Herb
Edited by g1nomad 2011-07-14 1:09 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | We've got the factory CB/Intercom system and it works well. It has features that are superior to the Goldwing's, such as autonomous control of the various system volumes for both rider and passenger and VOX operation of the intercom. The Goldwing intercom was constantly live and picked up wind noise all the time. The Vision's VOX operation lets you squelch all that out when you're not talking to each other. The Goldwing's passenger volume was a slave to whatever the rider chose. On the Vision, she has separate control from mine for all the volume functions. Each function ( stereo, CB, intercom) has a separate volume control for both rider and passenger. I often turn the stereo volume all the way down while my wife listens to the stereo on her headsets. Two separate headset amplifiers on the Vision.
The music sounds much better when both the headsets and fairing speakers are operating. On the Vision, you can have speakers only, headsets only, or both at the same time. On the Goldwing, it was either/or, but not both at the same time. I think the Vision's system is better than the Goldwing's, although the radio reception was better on the Goldwing. I think the external antenna on the Goldwing is the reason for that. The Vision's is hidden. Some owners have put amplified or external antennas on their Visions.
When you add the cost of the CB and headsets to the Goldwing, the price is comparable to the Vision's setup. The Goldwing does come with the intercom standard of course (constant wind noise standard too), but the rest is optional. I guess if you don't use the CB it's a moot point. We use ours a lot. Very handy. Wouldn't be without it.
The factory Victory headsets are junk. Use the J&M Elites. If you already have J&M headsets from your Goldwing, just get the Vision specific lower cord for them and they'll plug right in and work fine.
Ronnie |
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Tourer
Posts: 423
northwest florida | sena SMH 10 this is what my wife and I use. very clear and easy to use. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 79
Austin, Texas | Cardo (not the G4) works ok for intercom but is a bit finicky as far as getting voice activation to kick in. Often have to whistle or shout to initiate the conversation, then you hear the VOX click in. This is with the mike positioned essentially on the lips, just as we do in aviation headsets. MP3 plugs into one helmet or the other and isn't heard in both helmets. Great battery life and fairly simple unit. We use only for conversation and don't even bother with the music side of it. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 79
Austin, Texas | And one other thing on Cardo. In hot weather, the mike booms don't hold position and drift downward, needing constant adjustment. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 173
Prescott Valley, AZ | I've used the Cardo Q-2 Teamset for over a year and my only "complaint" is it sometimes is harder than it should be to get the VOX to activate. The wife unit uses the MP3 on her system but I just plug in my MP3 to the bike's system and crank up the tunes. She also transfers our home phone to her bluetooth phone so SHE can get phone calls, I'll be damned if I'm gonna answer a phone call when riding, ain't nothing more important than paying attention to what I'm doing when riding. The built in radio works okay but then I'm in a small town with few strong station close by. I'll NEVER go back to a wired system. |
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Need advice on passenger communications
