Helmets

[heavilin]

What is the best set up for talking with the passenger in the back?
What type of helmet is the best? open face, closed, 3/4?
is blue tooth the way to go?
Can you talk with out the devices?

thanks

DH

this is all on a trike.

 

[Gorilla]

Hi look at the J & M Electronics web site. They have alot to choose from. Which is better is a lot of personal preference. My wife and I have 1/2 helmets, but that is what we like. Talking is a lot easier especially at highway speeds. You also can have your CB and Radio play into the headsets. Some even due their GPS and Cell phone. Research is required. Ted

 

[ben721364]

Hi look at the J & M Electronics web site. They have alot to choose from. Which is better is a lot of personal preference. My wife and I have 1/2 helmets, but that is what we like. Talking is a lot easier especially at highway speeds. You also can have your CB and Radio play into the headsets. Some even due their GPS and Cell phone. Research is required. Ted

"Research is required." That's good advice, Ted. A conversation with the good folks at J & M is certainly in order. Tell them what you want to accomplish and what you already have in the way of communications gear. One size doesn't fit all.

 

[Ozarkryder]

I have tried J&M and IMC (IMC is very nicely priced, very good for entry level, and they have a set for 1/2 or no helmet use that doesn't attach to the helmet) Settled on Air rider. To us they sounded better for both music and voice than even the top of the line J&M or IMC. YMMV of course. After we got the Air Riders I got to use a pair of Edsets. If I had to do it over again or have to replace the current intercoms, Edsets would be my choice.
I wear a 1/2 halmet on the Harley (no inetercom) in the summer, a full face with the movable chinbar in the winter. On the trike we have 3/4 open face or "jet" style lids with the intercoms.
Bluetooth is a neat idea, no wires in the way - but the batteries don't last long enough for a multi day trip. We have enough electrical stuff on the trike without charging up another set of batteries. As we camp on the road there isn't usually the juice to recharge the bluetooth.

Serria has IMC and J&M on thier site: Sierra-MC Electronics

Air Rider has many interesting things: Motorcycle Products, Wireless Bluetooth, Headsets, Nolan, HGC, Helmets, Seats, CB Radio

Edsets: EdSets High Fidelity Motorcycle Headsets

J&M motorcycle audio: Welcome to J&M Corporation

These seem to be the big 4 in intercoms. There is also Nady, Chatterbox and others.

 

[The Wolf]

Oh such a minefield
I was reading somewhere that there is a helmet coming out to suit all the needs of a Goldwinger. Can't remember where I read it but it could have been Wingworld.

 

[Ozarkryder]

Oh such a minefield
I was reading somewhere that there is a helmet coming out to suit all the needs of a Goldwinger. Can't remember where I read it but it could have been Wingworld.

What, it has a heads-up display of all the coffee houses and ice cream parlors within 100 miles? :innocent:

Excuse me, I'll be duckin' and runnin' now.

 

[ben721364]

What, it has a heads-up display of all the coffee houses and ice cream parlors within 100 miles? :innocent:

Excuse me, I'll be duckin' and runnin' now.

Yup. You are sure to be bombarded by little vest pins and cones of soft ice cream!

 

[John Luciano]

You can program your GPS to beep withing 1,500 feet of a DQ, every time you pass one it says You have arrived . Harley guys you can program in Dunkin dougnuts ." Duck John Duck " Where is the duck? Ouch that hurt.

 

[Trikerjim]

The best advice I can give is to visit as many shops as you can and actually try them on and WEAR it for a little while in the shop before deciding. Different make helmets are more suited to different shape heads / faces..ect
Diane ad I wear Nolan N-42 with AirRider headsets. It's normally not a real cheap investment, so make sure you like it...

 

[ben721364]

The best advice I can give is to visit as many shops as you can and actually try them on and WEAR it for a little while in the shop before deciding. Different make helmets are more suited to different shape heads / faces..ect
Diane ad I wear Nolan N-42 with AirRider headsets. It's normally not a real cheap investment, so make sure you like it...

Good advice. Bear in mind that the lining will 'relax' a bit during the first 1000 miles or so so you want a relatively snug fit when the helmet is new.

 

[moonstar]

OK....I will confess....I am a Harley owner lurking on the Honda forum! Seriously though...we are trying to decide which headsets to buy as well. We have an Ultra and the headsets would plug into the bike. We are still deciding if we want to go that route or go with something that can be used on any bike/trike. I looked at the Edsets and they seemed to only work with the Honda bike. Is this really so or just happened the website I found it on was promoting Hondas. (Can't remember which website it was now.)

Any more input as to what you have and why you like it or why you would do something different the next time is appreciated!

moonstar

 

[ben721364]

OK....I will confess....I am a Harley owner lurking on the Honda forum! Seriously though...we are trying to decide which headsets to buy as well. We have an Ultra and the headsets would plug into the bike. We are still deciding if we want to go that route or go with something that can be used on any bike/trike. I looked at the Edsets and they seemed to only work with the Honda bike. Is this really so or just happened the website I found it on was promoting Hondas. (Can't remember which website it was now.)

Any more input as to what you have and why you like it or why you would do something different the next time is appreciated!

moonstar

Don't worry about what you ride. There is no perfect motorcycle yet all of them currently on the market are good. I am currently on a Honda but my heart is with BMW. I have received good performance as well as service from J & M on all things related to motorcycle audio.

 

[Gorilla]

If you check out J & M. Their setup uses an intermittent connection cable that can be changed out for which bike you are plugging their helmets into. They have these cables for all the standard applications. (Harley, Honda, BMW, Their own system) So you buy the helmet and the cable for your ride. If you are going to ride on something different then all you need is the different cable. Ted

 

[wingtriker]

Why would anybody want more torment in their life to have their wife yaping in their ear when they are on a ride.???? Forget the about the headset and enjoy the silence!!!!!! Dennis.

 

[hitime]

Why would anybody want more torment in their life to have their wife yaping in their ear when they are on a ride.???? Forget the about the headset and enjoy the silence!!!!!! Dennis.

Your wife doesn't get on this forum, does she Dennis? :no:

 

[Gorilla]

Dennis, My wife is my riding buddy. We can go for many miles and say nothing, but it's nice to share that unusual observation with someone. She is like me we enjoy the ride and speak when we need to. Neither one of us listen to the radio just the noise of the ride.

 

[Saltywheels]

Thank you all. This is all very informative. Yup. I am a 'new' 1800 GW Triker
(2003). Other mount is a Yamaha FJR-1300. Many miles on this sport-tourer...one up. Once again, after a few years hiatus, WE will be riding together, wifey & me! And we do like to listen to our XM & yak. Love it. Now I just have to figure out how to make this happen as I am a total stranger to the GW 1800. Could happily tear down my FJR 1300, but this puppy...Boy it's got a lotta stuff on it!! So, I guess I'll ask you folks & take Ozarkryder's tip & visit all the sites he linked. See ya'all around.

 

[Calman]

Re: Helmets and Radio Comms

Might want to check out the Riderlink ST-1 from MotoComm (www.motocomm.com). Able to hook MP3, cellphone, GPS/Radar, and CB to the same unit that provides FM radio and rider-to-pax comms. I hook the unit to my belt. For $189.00 I think it's a great bargain and the support from the company is just great (took only 2 days to get two cables I screwed up and the price was dirt cheap). :yes:

Oh, did I mention that it comes with the cables needed to interface CB, GPS/Radar, cellphone, MP3 player? Has handy storage box too.

 

[The Wolf]

I have just bought the new Nolan 103 with the headsets installed. I have tested them and they are far the best I have had on and comfy. The sound quality was fantastic. Yes there is a little road noise but nothing to write home about. I paid around $950 for two matching helmets. This may be expensive for you Usa guys but to us they were cheaper than over in the Uk. Also I didn't get clobbered by customs when bringing them in

 

[Saltywheels]

I currently use an Arai Vector full face. The Yamaha FJR-1300 I also ride has been set up with an AutoCom Active-Plus, that takes of the GPS, Radar detector, music, intercom & bike-bike FRS. The clarity is amazing even at high speed on this sport-tourer. I plan to sell the bike nxt summer, so might just let the AutoCom go. Have been eyeing the StarCom since it is so compact & well written up. However, being a newbe, my dumb question is: Can the OEM audio system on a 2003 GW do all this my itself, or does one still have to purchase an after market audio system to plug in radar detectors, etc??