I currently have two Scala Rider G4 and one G9X bluetooth headsets. (I have two helmets I alternate and a pillion occasionally) The G4's are OK, but getting on a bit. The G9X has become temperamental so I guess I need some new units. What I need from the headset is rider to pillion, maybe to others but that's not crucial, headset to Iphone X and headset to Tomtom Rider. I really would rather not throw half a grand at this - is anything recommended at slightly more sensible money pls?
I’ve got a Cardo packtalk bold and the mrs has a Cardo freecom, we connect together via Bluetooth, connected to phones but don’t have a satnav so can’t comment on that. Mine works with seri so can control phone etc, voice control works well, also the bold has Mesh connection which works really well if your in a group of riders (mrs one doesn’t have this but it’s just the two of us when we are out generally so didn’t need it. You can get the pack talk bold in duo packs for around £350 as they’ve updated it now and so it’s the outgoing model but think it might do for what you need?
Interphone tour here also. Used on 3 European trips with the lads. Good Bluetooth range with other riders and connects easily to other inter phones but haven’t manage to connect to other brands. Connects to nav, phone (very quiet) and bike but have found it tricky to get the nav audio working with intercom at the same time, although I’m fairly confident that’s user error!!!
Another note for Packtalk bold. About 6 of us have them and connectivity is great. You can you voice commands to control the Packtalk unit, or Siri to control any phone and music functions. Hands down the best money we spent on a long time .
Another vote for Cardo (Packtalk slim) for me. Best unit I ever owned and great after sales support. I've had Interphone, Midland in the past but they were nowhere near the ease of use of the Cardo.
I had the packtalk slim, ok if you’ve only one helmet you use, but if you’ve a few then the bold/edge is a better suit as you can buy extra speaker/microphone units and interchange the control unit between each lid. Also my slim packed up after the first time it got wet despite it supposed to be waterproof? Amazon we’re great though, refunded me straight away.
Sena 50S for me. It's my third upgrade from a 10EVO I first bought years ago. They've never let me down and are a brilliant intercom unit.
Slightly off Piste, But i use a Ruroc Helmet with built in comms and it works with their Rain App, allowing other manufacturers comms systems to join. My pillion has a Cardo and it connects perfectly
If you were just looking for rider to pillion then these are quite cheap, no compatibility or pairing issues either
And sadly, it is not waterproof. Our brand new 50S died permenantly after riding in the biblical rain last Thursday. Andy
I've found that all the stick it on the side ones cause excess noise due to airflow. I now always use an integrated unit.
Yes that is there one Achilles heel compared to others but I bought some of these (and some rubber bands) to pop over them if I was ever caught out in the rain. It does mean you have to stow the mesh aerial but hey ho. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keeping-Re...elasticated+food+covers&qid=1663144304&sr=8-9
I have just come back down from a tour of Scotland, my Cardo behaved, but actually went flat on the return journey, so I have ordered some Interphone Tour units. Should be here next week with the delays caused on Monday. Thanks for the help guys
Just replaced my Interphone Urban headsets after 5 years. The speaker/mic connection on one failed (my fault) and the battery on the other one didn't last more than 4 hours. I had no complaints as the sound quality was good and they worked very well for my usage (listening to music and intercom to pillion). I never tried the intercom features to other riders. Purchased a pair of Interphone Avant intercoms at a very good discount from Sports Bike Shop for only about £30 more than I paid for the Urban intercoms over 5 years ago. They are a direct replacement, fitting the Urban mounts and the speakers/mic cable plugs straight in. So I've now got a couple of spare mount kits for when I replace my helmet next year. The operation via the buttons is similar, so no muscle memory retraining required. There are a few new features regarding blending audio sources. I've not tried them on the bike as yet but if they are at least as good as the Urban intercoms I'll be happy.
