Talk to me........about intercoms

[Demannu]

Decided to bite the bullet and get an intercom.
Don't need it for pillion use, just a bit of music and calimoto ( as some of those junctions suddenly appear)
Anyone found a surprisingly good el cheapo or an expensive one to steer clear of!
Bike to bike for @ 1km would be nice too!

[KungFooBob]

I think my Scala Rider G4's are on their last legs (they've had a lot of use over the last 10 years), so i'll be following this with interest.

[Trinity765]

If you don't want an intercom get a decent pair of bluetooth helmet headphones. The sound quality is much better and you won't have a control unit stuck on the outside of your lid.

[Trinity765]

Like these

[The Spin Doctor]

Bear in mind that if you have an ECE-22.06 helmet (the latest standard) you aren't allowed to attach an aftermarket comms system to the helmet - it has to be approved itself.

Regulation No. 22 states that every certified helmet needs a sticker sewn into or onto the chin strap.

This will state the Regulation mark ECE 22.06, the letter ‘E’ followed by a number for the country that the helmet was approved and the production serial number; also, the letter applicable to the type of helmet will be visible.

This information should also be applied via a sticker on the back of the helmet.

[Demannu]

Bear in mind that if you have an ECE-22.06 helmet (the latest standard)

you dont know me very well, do you
i have a K3 AGV and a Caberg Duke

[Supermofo]

I've got a scala rider Q solo which was one of the cheapest going. Don't think they make it anymore though. Mine is purely for sat nav and that works well. I reckon it'd sound pretty crap for music though

[Alan PBTD]

Tried most of the cheap ones and gave u after a while. Bite the bullet and get a Cardo Packtalk Bold. Take a bit setting up - both in your lid and software updates but work fine on full face and open face lids.

[Beancounter]

I think for just sat nav and listening to music, @Trinity765 has a better solution.

I've been using Cardo Freecom2+ for the last couple of years, both for rider/rider and rider/pillion. They're okay, better than the cheap Amazon stuff but quite an investment. I don't have the best hearing but music is clearly audible at 70mph. Though not a consideration for you @Demannu, placement of the microphone is key to being able to hear the other person, we find just below your bottom lip is best. Chin vent needs to be closed otherwise it picks up a lot of static. Also, the corded microphone doesn't last long, we've gone through four of them.

For reference, our set up is Shoei GT Air and Arai Debut and Rapide helmets. The bikes are R12RT (screen low), MT-09 and GSX-S125 (though on my R1150GS it was inaudible above 60mph).

[The Spin Doctor]

Also, the corded microphone doesn't last long, we've gone through four of them.

That's why I use the boom mic sold for open face lids... much more robust.

[Beancounter]

Also, the corded microphone doesn't last long, we've gone through four of them.

That's why I use the boom mic sold for open face lids... much more robust.

Yeah, the booms are a lot more reliable but more of a pain to position. Can't have everything I guess.

[Andrey]

For anyone thinking of buying a bluetooth intercom set here's my experience of the EJEAS V6 PRO that I've been using for the past couple of months.

I bought a pair from Amazon based primarily on the large number of positive user reviews. The pair cost $98, so they lie somewhere between the cheap unknown brand sets and the more expensive Cardo and Senna sets. The Ejeas's come with both boom and loose wire mics., so no extra cost here if you need either option.

Fitting one to my AGV-K3 was fairly straight forward using the supplied screw-together clamp that grips the helmet shell. As supplied, the clamp did not feel super secure, so I cut a piece of foam rubber to match the contour of the helmet and act as a spacer inside the clamp. This mod made the fitment rock solid.

Same approach was used for my wife's modular MTS helmet, although in this case the boom mic was used. One problem with the MTS is that the tinted visor controls sit at the bottom left side of the helmet, so I had to mount the intercom on the right side instead. I had some concerns that this might cause a problem with water getting into the electronics as the USB-C connector used for the mic and headset now faces forwards, but so far it has been used through some serious rain with no issues.

Battery life is good - running them for a couple of long-ride days doesn't even register a battery drop. Audio quality is good, with wind noise all but removed when talking to a listener on a phone call or on a connected intercom. Headset volume also goes very high - painfully high if not using earplugs, but this is needed if I'm using the silicone wax earplugs that block a lot of sound. I can't really report on range as I don't use the intercoms for communication in a group of riders, only for rider to pillion, phone calls and GPS directions.

[westers151]

Bear in mind that if you have an ECE-22.06 helmet (the latest standard) you aren't allowed to attach an aftermarket comms system to the helmet - it has to be approved itself.

Regulation No. 22 states that every certified helmet needs a sticker sewn into or onto the chin strap.

This will state the Regulation mark ECE 22.06, the letter ‘E’ followed by a number for the country that the helmet was approved and the production serial number; also, the letter applicable to the type of helmet will be visible.

This information should also be applied via a sticker on the back of the helmet.

Who's going to stop you doing this once you've bought the helmet?

[Demannu]

For the record, bought an interphone f5mc with boom mic to go in my scorpion flip front. All good up to 80.....ish.

[gremlin]

For the record, this thread spurred me on to get in contact with Moto Legends re my Sena SRL2 which has an annoying fault of not turning on when charged up. Sorts itself out after an hour or so, but bloody irritating given that it wasn't cheap.

They've asked that I return it for investigation, which means for the next couple of weeks I'll have to sing to myself, which even I find painful to listen to.

[Rockburner]

I think my Scala Rider G4's are on their last legs (they've had a lot of use over the last 10 years), so i'll be following this with interest.

Funnily enough - they're probably going to be better than the current crop... certainly in terms of ease of use.

[The Spin Doctor]

Who's going to stop you doing this once you've bought the helmet?

Presumably the same police who occasionally arrive at bike meets and race tracks with a tape measure and issue fines for too-small number plates and dark visors.

Up to individuals how much attention they pay to the rules, but at least you can't say "I didn't know..."

For example, I don't have a CE label in my gloves which means they are technically illegal in France, nor do I have the little bit of reflective material on the helmet which is mandatory in the country. I know I'm breaking the rules, I doubt there's much chance of being pulled but if I am... something not to draw attention to

[Rockburner]

Who's going to stop you doing this once you've bought the helmet?

Presumably the same police who occasionally arrive at bike meets and race tracks with a tape measure and issue fines for too-small number plates and dark visors.

Up to individuals how much attention they pay to the rules, but at least you can't say "I didn't know..."

For example, I don't have a CE label in my gloves which means they are technically illegal in France, nor do I have the little bit of reflective material on the helmet which is mandatory [for helmets sold] in the country. I know I'm breaking the rules, I doubt there's much chance of being pulled but if I am... something not to draw attention to

As I understand it.

[westers151]

Who's going to stop you doing this once you've bought the helmet?

Presumably the same police who occasionally arrive at bike meets and race tracks with a tape measure and issue fines for too-small number plates and dark visors.

Up to individuals how much attention they pay to the rules, but at least you can't say "I didn't know..."

For example, I don't have a CE label in my gloves which means they are technically illegal in France, nor do I have the little bit of reflective material on the helmet which is mandatory in the country. I know I'm breaking the rules, I doubt there's much chance of being pulled but if I am... something not to draw attention to

Can you post a link to it being illegal to put something on the outside of one of these helmets. I've googled it, but I can't find any mention of it, including on the www.gov.uk site.

Thanks

[MrLongbeard]

Who's going to stop you doing this once you've bought the helmet?

Presumably the same police who occasionally arrive at bike meets and race tracks with a tape measure and issue fines for too-small number plates and dark visors.

Up to individuals how much attention they pay to the rules, but at least you can't say "I didn't know..."

For example, I don't have a CE label in my gloves which means they are technically illegal in France, nor do I have the little bit of reflective material on the helmet which is mandatory in the country. I know I'm breaking the rules, I doubt there's much chance of being pulled but if I am... something not to draw attention to

Can you post a link to it being illegal to put something on the outside of one of these helmets. I've googled it, but I can't find any mention of it, including on the www.gov.uk site.

Thanks

It ain't that straight forward.

Nanny government degree;
https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-helmet-law

All helmets worn on UK roads must meet one of the following:

British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI Kitemark
UNECE Regulation 22.05
a European Economic Area member standard offering at least the same safety and protection as BS 6658:1985, and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI Kitemark

Wait a bit and that 22.05 will be updated to include 22.06

So you then go and have a read of 22.06;
https://unece.org/DAM/trans/doc/2019/wp ... 19-25e.pdf (ok so it's the proposal I CBA to look for the final)

No helmet shall be modified from its original specification as
manufactured. Accessories must be fitted in accordance with the helmet
manufacturer’s instructions. Only accessories approved by the Authority
shall be used. In case of any other modification or addition of nonapproved accessories (helmet cameras, visors, communication devices,
etc.) the helmet homologation becomes invalid.

So slap on a non approved comm and your helmet is no longer considered to be homologated, therefore does not comply with 22.06, therefore you are not riding with a legal helmet.

Of course that coppers should have better things to be doing I doubt anyone will ever get a ticket unless they really are trying to piss the constable off.