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What Communication devices do you use between rider/pillion & other riders in your group?

B

Bartender

Member
What do most of you use for communication with co rider and or other bikes in your riding group? Sena, Cardo, or CB? I have been using a CB since the beginning of time but am finally running out of material to set it up. I currently ride a Can Am Sea to Sky and have installed a J&M CB on it with various results. Now it is giving up the ship and will no longer transmit. Looking at Sena (new 60s is intriguing) and Cardo Edge and getting confused with all the claims of excellence and complaints by others. What works for the majority of Spyder riders?

Bartender
 
The first question you should ask yourself is what systems the people in your riding group use.

I'm a single rider, so I chose a system based on what would work with my Spyder. I went with a SENA 3S Plus Boom Microphone Kit installed in my HJC modular helmet. It's Bluetooth paired to my Apple iPhone and to my Spyder, and works well with the Apple Carplay navigation.
 
I agree with using what your usual group uses. BUT!
The Cardo Edge is clearly a better unit than the Senas. I have both but have shelved the Senas (10, 20, &50) because the Senas ARE NOT WATERPROOF and WIND NOISE IS NOT SQUELCHED. The Cardo Edge IS both waterproof and the noise cancelation actually works.

The Sena's MESH is easier to re-connect and has an Open Mesh that Cardo doesn't have. It's amusing to be riding with your Sena group in Open Mesh and occasionally have other groups chime in as we get near.

Battery life on the Cardo goes all day, Sena requires re-charge at lunch for full day.

If you have a newer Sena, you can bridge to Cardo via BT and tie the systems together (as long as the BT pair stay fairly close).
 
Last edited:
RayBJ said:
I have both but have shelved the Senas (10, 20, &50) because the Senas ARE NOT WATERPROOF and WIND NOISE IS NOT SQUELCHED.
Click to expand...
Since my SENA 3S Plus installs entirely inside the helmet I don't have to worry about it being waterproof, and turning up the volume overrides any wind noise from outside my helmet.
 
I have the SENA system and I've found multi-communication too distracting. The only communication I let in is my passenger (wife), and incoming cellphone calls, which I tell those, "Call you back later. Bye." If it's a serious or emergency call, I'll find a safe place to pull off the road and make a return call.
 
The group I normally ride with mostly use Cardo mesh, so that's what I bought for my wife and me. It will work when I'm with the group, and it will work when it's just my wife and me.

A few in the motorcycle club have Sena and getting them meshed in has always been a failing exercise. To address this, we've recently been experimenting with Discord. One of our members set up a server for us with a text chat channel and two audio channels for using during rides. As long as your phone has an Internet connection and can pair with your headset (regardless of headset brand or phone brand), you can join in the conversation. The only drawback is that sometimes we ride in places where cell service is spotty, and then our communications go offline until we get back into civilization.
 
Never ride with a passenger so can't help you there.

Have been touring annually with a friend since 2007 and we've always had Sena units, currently SRL-Mesh which mount inside our Shoei helmets (but never had a problem with externally mounted units with regards to water - and I've ridden in plenty of rain since I commuted to work on my bike for a number of years). We've found the mesh works better than BT, with two downsides. One, mesh seems to be use more power so we always charge the units during our lunch breaks in order to make it through the day. Two, we occasionally get joined by others in the area who are on the same mesh channel. There are ways to deal with that. We just haven't bothered yet.

The group I tour with once or twice a year uses CBs so I also run a Midland 75-822 through a Sena SR10 for BT to the helmet. Not as good as J&M but a lot less expensive (and available) and it is wireless to the helmet.

Obviously, I stick with Sena. Kind of forced to do that now to take advantage of the built in capabilities with the Shoei helmets. But I'm fine with that. No complaints with Sena. And have never been convinced that Cardo is truly superior such that I would be tempted to change.
 
Cardo HD Spirit. Chat with lady friend behind me, listen to Music for Garmin Zuno XT or Pixel 8 Pro.. Can get turn by turn directions from GPS or Phone. Most likely would not want to share our chat with other vehicles.
 
racoon said:
Since my SENA 3S Plus installs entirely inside the helmet I don't have to worry about it being waterproof, and turning up the volume overrides any wind noise from outside my helmet.
Click to expand...
The wind squelch I was referring to was the VOX mic muting. Once triggered when using intercom, if there's any 'wind' noise, the VOX frequently stays open-mic and everyone gets to hear you breath. The Cardo VOX works correctly and mutes when voice is done.
 
I use a Sena 20s with the improved speakers in my unit in both of our helmets. They work well and I like that they can be meshed to other riders if I want to, though in reality that seldom happens. The higher numbers of the Sena do mesh better but this is good enough for the amount I use it for bike to bike coms. For helmet to helmet it is great.
 
Been a faithful Sena user, but just recently picked up a Cardo Freecomm 4 to use in a new helmet. Still waiting on the helmet. Whatever comm you get, be sure to get a device with voice command (Sena) or Natural voice (Cardo). Other than syncing other devises, your unit will then be hands free...
 
My friends and I all use Sena 50S now.. mesh units and have found them to be a great upgrade from our older Sena units. The mesh makes it so easy for the group to connect and stretches our ability to conference further. Even the older Sena units we used for many years are still working well after battery changes (SMH 10). My wife's helmet has the smh10, so because it is non mesh can only pair with bluetooth, up to 4 others.
 
Hubby and I use Sena 10C EVO's because we can record audio/video...I use the 10C audio for my YT videos. We have had up to 4 users pair with us. No issues whatsoever with weather/rain.
 
We use a cheap Chinese set in our M2R Navigator helmets. We speak to each other clearly and make and receive phone calls. The RTL does its own thing without talking to us. When we want to use GPS we clip a phone to the handlebars and use that. Old habits.
 
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