Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Lol I know.

 

Upgraded the wife's Grom. 2017 Bonneville T100. Got a killer deal from an airmen out of Fort Bragg (I know the name changed) who was about to retire and moving to Florida. Wife is loving it. I enjoy it days she doesn't ride it to work. Fun bike.

We are looking for new comm units for our new helmets. Anyone have any opinions on cardo vs sena? Been reading mixed reviews on both between weather issues, software issues, sound and voice command issues.

 

awesome looking bike!

for me and all my friends we use cardo units. they just work tbh lol atm most of us have the discontinued packtalk bold but one in our little group upgraded recently to a different model and likes it a lot. no true complaints about my cardo minus it just being Bluetooth and tbh Bluetooth sucks lol mainly on the phone for that one not really the device it self.

 

It is definitely a great looking bike. Get compliments anywhere we go.

I've read reviews where the packtalk has issues after being in the rain. Y'all had any of those issues?

 

never had issues with the bold in rain yet tbh? ive got caught in the rain a good amount of times on street and dirt hell even took a spill on my old klx into a puddle and got drenched no issues with my unit. now that could be the new packtalk unit that has that issue and for that one i wouldnt know tbh... all i know is water and electrics dont mix well haha

 

I'm still using one of the oldest Sena units still available the SMH-10. Really simple unit, works great bike to bike up to about 800-900 yards line of sight. If we can still see each other we can sitll use the intercom function and talk. BT to my phone and to my iPod Touch. Audio quality is far from audiophile but for simple background tunes on a long ride works well. Phone calls are simple and any dropped calls have been more a matter of the phone than the com unit. I do long distance rallies so battery life is a big deal for me. This unit will last 10-12 hours from a full charge and these can be used while charging which is a big plus. My units have been used in pouring down rain with no ill effects. I did replace my oldest unit a couple of years back but that unit had survived 6-7 years of regular use and abuse. Can be operated with gloves on.

 

Appreciate the feedback. Read issues on the new packtalk having issues after the rain. Read a lot of issues about the new Sena having the software issues it had with the past few units out there. Our Sena 10's have been great the last 7 years ~ until recent which are from wear and tear. Sometimes one of the headphones will go out, but comes back on eventually. Heard a lot of good things on the cardo units, but read online a lot of mixed reviews; water, sometimes sound, some comm issues. Hard to tell these days on what to spend money on. Especially that much money.

 

Last sena I had was the smh10. Hated it really.

I went back to a uclear but I ride by myself typically.

 

Curious why you hated the Sena smh10?

On the original pair my ex and I used, her unit was defective from new. She was not exactly tech savvy so initially I blew off her complaints as most likely user error. I swapped out the 2 units and used hers for exactly one ride after which I apologized profusely for not taking her complaints as seriously as I should have and contacted Sena for a warranty. No problems after that.

 

no prob. tbh it is hard to find something you truly like the one thing i will say is if a unit is advertising fancy speakers like jbl do keep in mind that the cardo or sena unit will not have enough power to fully power them... so they sound kinda meh.. i have both jbl and the standard speakers in two of my helmets and prefer the standard waaay more!

 

Nice! Triumph Fanboy alert! They're doing a really great job (Triumph). Most of my riding crew are on T100's, so I'm very familiar! Congrats.

I have no comparitive frame of reference, haven't owned any other com units, but earlier this year I caved and bought the Cardo Edge. I loved the magnetic mount (Air-Mount) function. I have nothing bad to say whatsoever, other than I wish I could get more bass out of it. Truly that's not it's main job so It's only a nagging wish.

The main reason I bought it was I was gonna be doing some significant solo touring in unfamiliar areas and wanted the audio prompts for mapping. The trip I took it on was the wettest 4 days of riding I've ever known. The Cardo was in the air the entire time and never gave me any trouble - but I have ZERO experience with the actual 'packtalk' function, so I can't speak to that.

Hoping to get my girl to ride more, so a 2nd unit is likely, and I'll buy the same again without hesitation. I have a pal who bought a pair of Cardo for he and his GF, (he got the Freecom) but she's a pillion only, not on another bike. They really like it and haven't had issues. But I can also guarantee you, they've never seen rain.

Happy riding!

My driveway after a recent ride... 4 T100's and a Goose.

 

It was hard to pair even with a buddy when we paired previously. The sound sucked. The boom mic was annoying. And could barely have phone calls that could be heard.

 

I should mention: phone calls on the Edge - holy crap! Highway speeds on an un baffled 1200cc twin and the other person doesn't know I'm on a bike? I can hear them perfectly - and I'm half deaf on a good day. Really impressive.

 

Disappointing to read.....I know some of their firmware updates actually made functions worse but they usually got those squared area in a reasonable time frame. I use the small button type of wired mike instead of the boom. Less obtrusive and on modular helmets easier to find the sweet spot between good function and minimal wind noise. What I have resorted to is that unless the person I'm going to be riding with has the exact same unit, just use your phone and call each other! Removes the range limit entirely and no wasting time figuring out that they won't pair anyway.

 

It's been years since I've had one so maybe it's just old frustrations too.

Overall I am happy with uclear (which I had before going to the sena too). The newest one works great for me but seeing as I don't ride much street it just stays in the closet on the helmet

 

sweet bike, always liked those ones.

I haven't used a Sena, only Cardo. No complaints. First the Packtalk Slim, now the Packtalk Edge. Have ridden it in rain with no issues, never had a problem with software. Voice command always works the second time, first time is 50/50. Sound is plenty sufficient for me who regularly rides at freeway speeds at least for music. Calls not so much but that's more a fault of the helmet and worn-in neckroll. battery life could be a little better but it's good enough.

Syncs up pretty easily with other Cardo's, range is pretty solid in the canyons/twisties. the system which allows for out of range individuals to drop in/out seamlessly works great.

 

when I bought my most recent helmet I went from a Sena SMH10R (the slim one, not the normal 10) to a cardo packtalk neo and it was a night and day difference in sound quality, the cardo sounded SO much better. App works, but I've used it once or twice to change some settings and haven't touched it again. It sticks out further than I'd like because of the dock/cradle but otherwise no complaints. No issues in rain or snow. I do also appreciate that it's USB-C instead of micro.

 

Still no updates on the insurance claim on the 750. Still always looking at bikes and watching YouTube and reading forums about them. It’s like a crazy rollercoaster.
To me personally I don’t like all the electronic aids that the new bikes come with. Just more things to fail over time. I like analog gauges, I like actual throttle cable control, no wheelie control, no traction control, no abs, no throttle by wire. I think that’s what is so appealing about the FZ1. It’s just a bike. That is why I was attracted to the GSXR 750. That is why I will most likely try and find another one when the time comes.

 

Slightly jealous that you all have friends to ride with. I ride alone and talk to myself a lot. I am generally pretty agreeable with myself, so it works out ok.
In the age of hands free cell phones, nobody ever pays any attention to it either.

 

Same!!