Experience and input needed

pepper

pepper

Street Tracker
Part of my winter project to do list this year is installing a bike to bike communication system on both of our bikes so I'm starting to do my homework now. I've never used them or installed them and the fact is I'm pretty ignorant of the whole thing. Any suggestions with pros and cons will be greatly appreciated.

We'd like:
Ease of use, intuitive and simple is better.
Good range
Great warranty/customer service
Ability to tune in weather/ traffic condition stations and listen to music

Thanks in advance for anything you can share
 
S

strokerlmt

Moderator
Pepper...........
No offense but what of the nicest things about riding is not talking or listening.
I like my ear plugs......
I like the hand signals we use....we always know what's up......
That is just me...
Good luck.....don't know anything about systems.
 
cafecruzin

cafecruzin

Two Stroke
i was only thinking about this a couple of days ago.i like not having to listen or talk while riding.i think one of the biggest problems on the road is that people in cars think it is an extension of their living room. if they are not listen to radio or a passenger ,phone, eating drinking chatting,putting on makeup,ipod, changing CD or some bloody thing else.
when I'm riding that's what I'm doing, riding!!
ok rant over and each to their own:)
 
pepper

pepper

Street Tracker
Having ridden since the early 70's I agree, I too enjoy the solitude of my own thoughts while riding. But I don't think adding a communication capability removes that.

The last few times riding with my wife through the mountains it would have been nice to have had it, especially when she decides to slow down and enjoy the scenery more and I'm miles ahead playing in the twisties. We worry about each other, so you see the ability to talk back and forth as needed would actually make for a more enjoyable ride for both of us. We're definately not talking non-stop blah, blah, blah.

The music and weather/road condition capability will be great, especially when riding across great expanses of open desert or through big cities with massive traffic and congestion (Phoenix sucks!) as we sometimes do.

When we were younger it was no helmets, party hard and go as fast as the bikes could go all day long, throw a serape down on the side of the road for the night and then get up and do it all over again. That's no longer the case for us. That doesn't mean we're ready to be put out to pasture, it's just that our needs and wants have changed over the years. It happens. No biggie.
 
S

sgt brad

Scooter
pepper,

i don't think there is any intercom out there other than maybe autocom that has more than 1/2 mile range. if you choose the autocom or jb you'll have everything you want, but it'll be well over 1k when it's all said and done.

i researched this same topic about a 8 months ago and chose the scala rider q2 multiset for my wife and i. my buddy bought the scala rider to pair up with us. this system worked like a champ for more than 12 hours on a charge during my recent 3600 mile trip to montana. it has great duplex communication as well as the ability to bluetooth pair with cell phones and gps receivers. it has a built in radio and if you buy the multiset it also has an mp3 jack for ipods, etc.

the only downside i find with the whole system is the sound quality with music. i am going to try splicing a set of earbuds into a spare scala headset i have and see how it works. otherwise this system has worked flawlessly through rain and snow since i bought it.

it's limited to about 1/4 mile range in anything other than flat conditions so that is certainly something to consider, but you'll have to spend a great deal of money on a system to get greater range from what i've read.

i hope this helps. if you go a different route please post results as i'd be interested to see how it works for you and your wife.

brad
 
TC_Dick

TC_Dick

TT Racer
my friend and I had midland cb's that we used. the whole setup ran under $100, and worked great.

2x this:

http://www.amazon.com/Midland-AVPH2...7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1255635787&sr=8-7

and one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/MIDLAND-LXT46...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1255635922&sr=1-12

The bar mount switch was easy to use, I put mine on the clutch side hand grip, out of the way of the lever, of course.. Put the radio in the tank bag and you're good to go.

The only drawback is that you've got wires running into and out of your helmet, but I got used to them pretty quickly.
 
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pepper

pepper

Street Tracker
whyme said:
Wait until your wife wants you to start wearing it around the house!
Click to expand...

Whyme, is there a story you're wanting to share about what happens in your house? :lol3: Too funny!

Dorie and I have been together almost 30 years, our kids are raised and gone and we have grandchildren. She's a good ol gal and has always let me do my thing. Hell, she's the one who usually suggests that we buy more bikes and she never even minded all the shenanigans that used to happen in the bike shop but that's a whole nother thread itself.

TC & Sgt Brad, thanks for the feedback on what you've used. We'll be looking hard at those for sure.
 
W

whyme

TT Racer
nah...I'm just playing the wife gag. I got a good one too. I do what I want. She's pretty old fashioned with the marital roles. She even tells all my friends that I wear the pants in the family, Her Dad worked that into his daughters when they were little. I need to thank him next time I see him.

The only thing that did change is her attitude towards strip clubs since we had daughters...I always hear "that could be or daughter up there!"
 
Last edited:
niftee

niftee

Scooter
sgt brad said:
pepper,

i don't think there is any intercom out there other than maybe autocom that has more than 1/2 mile range. if you choose the autocom or jb you'll have everything you want, but it'll be well over 1k when it's all said and done.

i researched this same topic about a 8 months ago and chose the scala rider q2 multiset for my wife and i. my buddy bought the scala rider to pair up with us. this system worked like a champ for more than 12 hours on a charge during my recent 3600 mile trip to montana. it has great duplex communication as well as the ability to bluetooth pair with cell phones and gps receivers. it has a built in radio and if you buy the multiset it also has an mp3 jack for ipods, etc.

the only downside i find with the whole system is the sound quality with music. i am going to try splicing a set of earbuds into a spare scala headset i have and see how it works. otherwise this system has worked flawlessly through rain and snow since i bought it.

it's limited to about 1/4 mile range in anything other than flat conditions so that is certainly something to consider, but you'll have to spend a great deal of money on a system to get greater range from what i've read.

i hope this helps. if you go a different route please post results as i'd be interested to see how it works for you and your wife.

brad
Click to expand...

+1 on the Scala

My wife and I use this set up and I'm pretty impressed with the voice sound quality. My poor old ears don't hear as well as they used to, but I had no probs with the Scala re wind noise etc.
 
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