I posted this in other rider focused forums but not much info gained there. Plus...there tends to be more "uh hum" "experienced" users here. Looking for more knowledge. Anyone use one? Any recommendations? This would be bike to bike street riding. Not 2 up riding. Thanks all knowing....
My friends and I have been having good luck with Cardo PackTalk Bolds. Once you get someone running the mesh correctly, if you get out of range the rejoin is seamless. Good near all day battery life, so far after 2.5 years. Clear speakers that can go plenty loud, and I run earplugs. Decent mikes that, in a full face helmet, can be setup to only get your voice and very little, if any, background. We originally got them for the CO-BDR trip a couple years ago, and we've continued using them after for street riding, and ADV riding. I only use it for rider to rider comms, and maybe GPS instructions. I do not listen to music, or take calls.
I have a Sena 10S & my wife has a 20S. Works great for us. I ride solo most of the time, so I just use it to play tunes. But it works and sounds good to me.
I had a Sena SM5FM in my Neotec and then got the Sena built in system for my Neotec2. The built in is excellent because you hardly know it's there.
I'm running the same setup as stk0308. I got gifted one as a wedding gift. Makes it really nice to signal road hazards, stops, directions, and sometimes for GPS directions. Other than that we don't talk to each other and I don't, nor will I ever, ride to music.
Hell no. One of my favorite parts of street riding is to get away from all the “noise” of life. That includes hours lost in my head not talking to or being talked to. Me and my riding buddies can swap tales of the day over beer and wings later at the bar.
This. I've thought about getting one for music but headphones are working fine but I ride so I don't have to talk to anyone.
Getting a set of Senas for when my wife joins me has been AWESOME. Massive improvement in ride enjoyment for both of us. Solo, having Google Maps saying directions to me is nice as well.
Cardo Pack talk. Love mine. Wife has one and all our friends have them. We do alot of long trips with friends and its a blast talking while we ride. Also helps identifying cops, gravel, deer etc before the next person comes around the corner. I can also listen to music while talking to everyone.
Another vote for the Cardo Packtalk Bold - 2 seasons now and me and a buddy use them often - it's saved us from MANY issues - brilliant for giving a heads up to a following rider and for chatting during some of the lesser fun parts of our rides.
I put a long post in this thread, which has a lot of additional information about intercoms. https://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/sena-is-really-a-mess.379109/page-2 In short, I've used them for a long time (back to pre-wireless days) and like them a lot for two-up rides. I don't use them when riding alone, but can see the use case some people have for that. Just took mine (and a spare) on my big Japan bike trip, and they worked great, but the batteries are starting to lose that last hour or so of life, so another complete re-buy is probably in the cards. Their biggest flaw in my opinion, but makes lots of money for the manufacturers.
You guys act like we are just gabbing away endlessly. I get it you don't want someone talking your ear off while you're trying to enjoy your ride. But there isn't a single person I know who has tried one that hasn't kept it. And we're talking guys in their 40s and 50s. So not just youngsters. Our talking is informational only.
Have a packtalk slim, connected intercom with 3 other guys with various Sena and Cardo units, no problem. Helped us a lot with a wild traffic incident on 285 in Colorado - I got a bit of warning when a drunk a-hole in a t-rex almost ran me over. Once I got a new Samsung phone with Bixby, though, functionality went to shit. Bixby and Cardo don't get along well, and I don't feel like popping for a newer phone (S22 and later allegedly can be made to work) just to make my headset work. My bikes lack real fairings, so the audio is never great enough to make me want to jam tunes, which I don't like to do really anyway. The voices in my head amuse me enough. Even with what I thought was a lot of wind noise, people I called couldn't tell I was on my bike unless I was accelerating and the engine noise broke through. They are pretty amazing little systems.
Sena 20s, evo's. been using for close to 10 years, dirt, sleds, sport bikes. it is not like you are jibber jabbering away, the whole ride. it is nice to warn people about hazards, and help them when passing other autos. no more turning around, looking... or looking in mirrors that are useless, to figure out where your partner is. just ask... is everything ok. Ski
I imagine a beautiful, twisty back road when, suddenly, ... "Comin' up on some loose gra... OH! SQUIRREL!"
Allman Brothers: Blue Skies = 65mph Obsidian Sky: Bury the Hatchet = 100mph easy.... MotleyCrue: KickStart my Heart=120'ish Talking about the upcoming turn, or the one missed...worth the price. PackTalk Bold w/JBL
I’ve found the Sena’s to be more common if you care about that. Most brands can be connected to each other one way or another, but it’s easier if they are the same manufacturer. The Sena 50s is a known turd. I’ve has a 20s and 30s and they both worked perfectly. Ignore the grumpy old man stuff about alone time. You can easily turn it on and off. I’ve never ridden with a group that wants to chit chat. It’s more like… hey we missed a turn, I need gas, etc. I do like music or a podcast if it’s a boring stretch. For me, the communicator has enhanced my riding experience.