Handguards
One of the most vulnerable parts of you body in a crash are your hands. An unfortunate situation during a crash is the tendency for a riders hand to get pinned under the end of the handlebar, which can destroy the fingers. By installing handguards, you'll provide some much needed protection. Just remember when going down to keep your grip.
Sliders
When you crash-and you will-the parts of your Supermoto that are the most likely to impact the ground are the front fork ends, rear swingarm and axel, the handlebar ends, and your pegs. Protective sliders are available to help protect all these vulnerable contact points.
Axel Sliders
When laying the bike down, Axle sliders protect you swingarm and the ends of your forks from getting scratched. In fact, sliders are required by many racing organizations and tracks to protect their pavement. Of course they protect your bike too. Add sliders to your bike for maximum protection.
Skateboard Wheel Sliders
Back when Supermoto was just catching on, someone figured out he could add some crash protection by affixing skateboard wheels to the ends of his axles. On hollow axles (most of them are) stick a threaded rod through each of your axles and mount the skateboard wheels (4 total) on both sides of each with washers and nuts. Not the best look in the world, or the most durable, but they offer some protection during a crash.
Supermoto Engineering Axle Sliders
Strong and lightweight, These sliders use gold anodized aluminum nuts a stainless steel threaded rods. When the bike hits the pavement they don't get scratched up because they're recessed. They cost more than the aforementioned skateboard sliders, but they look better, work well, and will last longer too.
Supermoto Engineering Peg Sliders
Constructed from the same durable materials as the axel sliders (above), these sliders protect your footpegs, and they assist when turning at extreme angles by providing a terrific sliding surface. Many crashes are caused by gouging pegs into pavement surfaces on bikes without them.
Supermoto Engineering Bar End Slider
Utilizing the same materials again, bar end sliders are available in black or white and are designed to protect your handguards and handlebars, both of which are highly susceptible during crashes.
Radiator Braces
If you own a Supermoto with an engine cooled by liquid, crashes can really damage your radiator. Worse, they are extremely expensive to replace. Stainless steel radiator braces can provide some much needed protection by reinforcing your radiator and preventing it from getting folded up during a crash.
Bobbie J. is a freelance writer for Christini, makers of superior all wheel drive Supermoto motorcycles. Visit the Christini website for more information about Supermoto.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Eye Shadow Shades That Will Look Alluring With Different Colored Motorcycle Jackets
Eyes are undoubtedly the most expressive parts of one's face; they serve to vividly portray one's changing emotions in the most authentic manner. Regardless of whether you're feeling sad, somber, ecstatic or peaceful, your eyes will unmistakably display your innermost thoughts, moods and psychological state. Due to this reason, behavioral analysts pay close attention to eye movements while attempting to decipher the emotional complexities that govern an individual's behavior.
Every year, cosmetic industries invest millions of dollars in manufacturing gorgeous eye shadow shades! Similar to other forms of eye makeup, eye shadow is meant to enhance the beauty of one's eyes thereby making them appear irresistibly attractive. Thus, business women, models, actresses, aspiring female executives, successful female Olympic athletes, homemakers, kindergarten teachers and hip female bikers spend a considerable amount of time in selecting and skillfully applying the eye shadow shade that magnificently complements their personality.
For female bikers who can't quite decide which particular eye shadow colors would accentuate the magnetic appeal of their varied-colored motorcycle jackets, the following elaborate tips would be of immense use to them!
a) Due to its timeless appeal, most female bikers prefer the traditional black colored biker jacket. This type of jacket can be worn both with jeans and leather pants and looks exquisitely feminine and rugged. Dark eyeliner coupled with smoky eye makeup would make the wearer appear Gothic and sensual at the same time thereby contributing to the alluring aura of the black leather jacket.
For those of you who deem it appropriate to wear a black motorcycle jacket at night, gold or bronze-colored eye shadow would add an exotic aura to your eyes thereby highlighting your easygoing and yet adventurous temperament. Moreover, the shimmering golden shade would serve as a brilliant contrast to the soft, glossy black surface of your biker jacket.
b) Pink colored leather jackets are widely popular amongst funky, chic women! Hot pink eye shadow preferably with a shimmering finish will look incredibly girlish with a pink colored jacket.
Moreover, depending on one's skin tone and hair color, pale pink or peachy pink eye shadow beautifully blended on the eyelids will also serve to bring out the floral-like femininity of both the wearer and the pink colored biker jacket.
c) Innovative fashion trends have contributed to the massive popularity of purple motorcycle jackets for women amongst females of all age groups. Royal purple eye shadow or a soft fuchsia shade - named after the reddish or pinkish, purplish colored flowers of the fuchsia plant - will add a wow-factor to the purplish motorcycle jacket thereby making it appear breathtakingly unique and sultry!
If you want additional information regarding fashionable Motorcycle Jackets, or are interested in Motorcycle Jackets for Women then thoroughly read and reflect on this article.
Friday, November 16, 2012
High Performance Exhaust Systems By Termignoni
A common choice in improving the performance of a motorcycle is to change the exhaust system. It is relatively simple to do this as replacing an existing exhaust system is normally a straight swap. The only difficult part is deciding what type of exhaust would be best for you. There are a couple of things that you need to look at when you are thinking about changing your exhaust system. What sort of power increase can you expect? How much weight will you save? Is it going to be worth the money? These are the sort of questions you need to ask yourself before you make the purchase. You could sit for hours trying to find the perfect exhaust but a good place to start would be with Termignoni Exhausts.
If you haven't heard of Termignoni before, they are an Italian producer of high performance race & road legal exhausts. Their exhausts have been used for years in Moto GP & Moto 2 and they have a reputation for producing some of the world's best performance exhaust systems. Using the experience the company has gained from being at the top levels in motorcycle racing they have produced an enormous range of aftermarket exhausts that are available to the general public. What makes these exhausts more impressive is that the entire aftermarket line of Termignoni Exhausts are all designed by the same team of people!
It is true that Termignoni Exhausts are often thought of as being made for Ducati's alone but this is absolutely not the case! The range of aftermarket exhausts is huge and these systems are available for the majority of modern motorcycles. Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson, Buell and many more all have their own selection. Made from a variety of different materials such as Stainless Steel, Alloy, Carbon & Titanium you should be able to find a high performance exhaust that suits your budget. The price is very fair for what you get out of these exhausts. Other than the performance exhausts they also offer great looks.
The only thing to watch out for with Termignoni Exhausts is that they aren't always available straight off the shelf. Specific exhaust systems will need to be made at Termignoni in Predosa so the lead times may be a few weeks rather than a couple of days. If you are in a rush for the exhaust then make sure you check with the supplier before you order.
Take a look at Termignoni Exhausts Here.
If you haven't heard of Termignoni before, they are an Italian producer of high performance race & road legal exhausts. Their exhausts have been used for years in Moto GP & Moto 2 and they have a reputation for producing some of the world's best performance exhaust systems. Using the experience the company has gained from being at the top levels in motorcycle racing they have produced an enormous range of aftermarket exhausts that are available to the general public. What makes these exhausts more impressive is that the entire aftermarket line of Termignoni Exhausts are all designed by the same team of people!
It is true that Termignoni Exhausts are often thought of as being made for Ducati's alone but this is absolutely not the case! The range of aftermarket exhausts is huge and these systems are available for the majority of modern motorcycles. Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson, Buell and many more all have their own selection. Made from a variety of different materials such as Stainless Steel, Alloy, Carbon & Titanium you should be able to find a high performance exhaust that suits your budget. The price is very fair for what you get out of these exhausts. Other than the performance exhausts they also offer great looks.
The only thing to watch out for with Termignoni Exhausts is that they aren't always available straight off the shelf. Specific exhaust systems will need to be made at Termignoni in Predosa so the lead times may be a few weeks rather than a couple of days. If you are in a rush for the exhaust then make sure you check with the supplier before you order.
Take a look at Termignoni Exhausts Here.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
What to Look for When Buying a Men's Motorcycle Jacket
A good men's motorcycle jacket can sometimes be a difficult thing to choose. Things people are looking for may vary. There is style, durability, warmth, weight, comfort and protection to name a few.
Most motorcycle jackets are black. The reason for that is that the sun has more of a warming effect when it hits something black. People mostly think that black motorcycle jackets for men are an important part of the biker look. Motorcycle jackets are also available in other colors, or some now have two toned effect.
Trying to incorporate all of these things into one jacket can be a challenge.
Being sure a leather motorcycle jacket is the right size is important, the sleeves should be long enough to cover your arms when you are reaching for the handlebars. The back of the leather jacket should be long enough to cover your back when you are in the riding position. You may want your biker jacket to have a bit of extra room to fit a sweater under it for those chilly days and evenings.
Also having a removable liner and a jacket with vents will help to keep you cooler in the warmer climates. Pockets are another necessary idea for wallets, identification, cash etc. One thing you should always look for is that the pockets have zippers or snaps to keep them closed when riding. Otherwise your belongings will fly out of your pockets when riding.
Padding is a protective men's motorcycle jacket feature you may want to look for. Some jackets for sport bikes have protection on the elbows. Not unlike your motorcycle helmet your leather jacket should offer you protection if you happen to fall.
One more thing is whether your men's motorcycle jacket is leather, nylon or kevlar, your choice can be based on personal choice as well as what time of year you are wearing it. Nylon is popular for cooler summer nights, or spring or fall days when you need something for a little warmth. The only problem with nylon is that it has very little protective value. Leather has much more protective value and is warmer on those cooler days. Most seasoned riders will have two or more jackets in their closets to reflect the changes in seasons and temperatures. Choosing one with a little reflective material sewn in is a good idea if you are going to be doing much night riding.
Enjoy your shopping at MotorcycleLeatherDown.com
Most motorcycle jackets are black. The reason for that is that the sun has more of a warming effect when it hits something black. People mostly think that black motorcycle jackets for men are an important part of the biker look. Motorcycle jackets are also available in other colors, or some now have two toned effect.
Trying to incorporate all of these things into one jacket can be a challenge.
Being sure a leather motorcycle jacket is the right size is important, the sleeves should be long enough to cover your arms when you are reaching for the handlebars. The back of the leather jacket should be long enough to cover your back when you are in the riding position. You may want your biker jacket to have a bit of extra room to fit a sweater under it for those chilly days and evenings.
Also having a removable liner and a jacket with vents will help to keep you cooler in the warmer climates. Pockets are another necessary idea for wallets, identification, cash etc. One thing you should always look for is that the pockets have zippers or snaps to keep them closed when riding. Otherwise your belongings will fly out of your pockets when riding.
Padding is a protective men's motorcycle jacket feature you may want to look for. Some jackets for sport bikes have protection on the elbows. Not unlike your motorcycle helmet your leather jacket should offer you protection if you happen to fall.
One more thing is whether your men's motorcycle jacket is leather, nylon or kevlar, your choice can be based on personal choice as well as what time of year you are wearing it. Nylon is popular for cooler summer nights, or spring or fall days when you need something for a little warmth. The only problem with nylon is that it has very little protective value. Leather has much more protective value and is warmer on those cooler days. Most seasoned riders will have two or more jackets in their closets to reflect the changes in seasons and temperatures. Choosing one with a little reflective material sewn in is a good idea if you are going to be doing much night riding.
Enjoy your shopping at MotorcycleLeatherDown.com
Best Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Review: Bike To Bike Range Test Report
Goal
To test actual usable range for Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms in both an in-town environment and a rural environment and access their ability to reconnect after being out of range. Test is not designed to determine bike to bike range in all conditions but it should represent the two most common conditions when riding with a Bluetooth motorcycle headset.
Conditions
In-town - Test was performed along Hwy 70 East in New Bern North Carolina. This is a small town commercial environment with stop lights, gas stations and car dealers etc. All intercom models were tested at full battery charge. Weather was clear and 75 degrees.
Rural Environment - Test was performed down a straight dirt road about ½ mile from the closest house and several miles from stop lights or businesses. Test was line of sight as there were no corners for 0.8 miles. There was however a radio station tower about 1 mile away (which we learned after the test) and we were 8 miles from a Marine Corps Air Station (Cherry Point) which no doubt puts off some radar and other signals. Weather was clear and about 72 degrees. All intercom models were tested at full battery charge.
Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Range Test Procedure
In-town Environment Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Range Test - Each test was performed with one non-moving headset in the open at 3-4 feet high beside the straight access road. A 2nd identical headset was installed in a full face helmet and used while slowly riding a motorcycle in communication with the static unit. Distance was called out every 0.1 miles on the odometer and audio was recorded to verify quality and repeatability. There is one stop light about 0.25 miles away from the start point in each direction. After the usable range of the intercom was reached and the connection was lost the motorcycle was ridden back slowly (30 mph) to see at what point the intercoms reconnected. The test was then repeated in the opposite direction and through a different intersection / stop light.
Rural Environment Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Range Test - Each test was performed with 2 non-moving headsets. Initially we tried to get audio recordings of all headsets back to back at a specific distance but having 4 Bluetooth headsets powered up in close proximity compromised the signal of SOME of the units so instead we tested one headset at a time at 0.1 mi, 0.2 mi, 0.4 mi etc. At each distance the communication was tested at stand still with no motor or other noise. We tried to isolate this test to just the range, not noise canceling and other abilities.
Test Samples (Product Models)
HBC200 by UClear (initial release firmware)
Interphone F5 - by Cellular Line
Scala Rider G9 by Cardo (initial release firmware V 1.2)
SMH10 by Sena Bluetooth (V 4.0 firmware)
UClear HBC200
Claimed Intercom Range - "up to 700m / 0.43 miles" with 2 headsets
Notes - Unlike the Sena SMH10 the UClear HBC200 seems to use VOX even when music is not playing. Rather than having a hot microphone it appears to completely silence the speakers except when someone is talking. This is nice in some regards but rather than waiting for 20 seconds of silence before muting it does so almost immediately after the person on the other headset stops talking. This can cause some irritation when the first syllable gets cut off. The annoyance factor definitely goes up as you get further away where it seems like the conversation gets started and stopped very quickly and many syllables get lost. UClear claims their use of Super Group Technology and Multi-Hop feature will allow "up to 10 or more" HBC200 headsets can be linked. Unfortunately we only had 2 headsets available for testing so we could not confirm if this would extend the range or not.
In-town Direction 1 - The communication was clear at 0.1 miles and functioning at 0.2 miles but then went completely silent when passing the intersection with a stop light before 0.3 miles.
In-town Direction 2 - The connection was clearer at 0.2 miles in this direction and even 0.4 miles seemed to be usable. At 0.5 miles the connection was lost. The HBC200 headset units did not automatically reconnect upon the return trip and the intercom conversation had to be re-initiated by pushing the headset button. While the UClear's audio features are top notch this failure to reconnect could be the HBC200's biggest flaw. Uclear confirmed that the conversation does not automatically restart and that this was not user related. We hope their first firmware update will address it.
Rural Environment - we were quite disappointed in the acceptable range found with seemingly no interference around. At 0.2 miles the speech was clear and there was no static but we had issues with the VOX cutting off syllables. At 0.4 miles the intercom was not usable. We are not exactly sure why some of the headsets worked as well or better in town than in the rural environment but the HBC200 did not appear to benefit from being out "in the sticks."
Interphone F5
Claimed Intercom Range - "up to 1300m or 0.8 miles" with 2 headsets extending up to "2400m or 1.49 miles" with 6 headsets spaced perfectly apart.
Notes - The Interphone F5 does a good job of muting the speakers when the other headset's microphones are not in use. However, during speech there is some slight static noise (scratchiness) in the background of the voice. This immediately disappears when the other person stops speaking.
In-town Direction 1 - The Interphone F5 was clear at 0.1 miles and usable at 0.2 miles. It transferred a lot of noise around the stop light and although it was trying to transmit and communicate at 0.4 miles the speech was completely unintelligible. At 0.5miles it notified via voice prompt that intercom was disconnected. Coming back it automatically re-connected the conversation and gave a voice prompt stating "intercom connected" when we were at 0.1 miles apart.
In-town Direction 2 - The F5 intercom conversation was distorted as we went through the intersection at 0.25 miles and a lot of interference which sounded like a synthesizer playing music was heard / recorded. This noise was not heard in the headset on the bike because nobody was talking to them at that time. However, the intercom stayed connected through the intersection and speech was intelligible at 0.4 miles. At 0.5 miles the intercom again disconnected and the connection was re-established when we came back to within 0.1 miles of the other headset.
In-town Direction 1 with a 3rd F5 headset - Interphone claims that having more headsets in the group will extend the range of the group. We set one headset at 0.15 miles and ran the same test as above. The stop light intersection still scrambled the signal and caused a lot of digitized music sound so that it was mostly unusable on the other side of the intersection however we were able to go to 0.6 miles and turn around without encountering the "intercom unavailable" message and the relay effect seemed to help clarity more than hurt it. The urban environment may be a better test for this feature of the Interphone F5 so we will repeat it again in our next test without stoplights and businesses around.
Rural Environment Range Test Interphone F5 - This is where the Interphone REALLY shined. After testing it out in the country there was no question it was the best Bluetooth intercom for long range conversations. Very little static was heard and the speech was completely intelligible at 0.8 miles. At 0.9 miles it notified via speech that the intercom connection was lost. Upon returning we were notified at 0.4 miles that the intercom was connected and speech was immediately clear.
Sena SMH10
Claimed Intercom Range - "up to 900 meters / 0.56 miles"
Notes - While the SMH10 has a VOX feature available when there is a music source we did not use music during this test and instead chose the "open mic" intercom call. Basically once started the mic is always hot. The SMH10 therefore transmits everything and while connected there is a slight hum even when nobody is talking. The slightest engine or wind noise would drown it out but it is an indication that you are connected. As you get further apart the hum tends to turn into digitized musical static.
In-town Direction 1 - The Sena SMH10 was clear at 0.1 miles and turned to a digitized static at 0.2 miles and onward.
In-town Direction 2 - The Sena was clear at 0.1 decent at 0.2 miles but became obscure as we went through the stoplight at 0.3 miles. It stayed connected and was usable at 0.4 miles but at 0.5 miles there was no audio signal transmitted. When returning the SMH10 units were still connected and usable at 0.4 miles apart.
Rural Environment Range Test Sena SMH10 - The conversation was clear at 0.1 miles and mostly usable at 0.2 miles however there was definitely static affecting the conversation. At 0.3 miles there was no signal transferred. Similar to UClear HBC200 the Sena SMH10 worked as well or better in town than in the rural environment.
Cardo Scala Rider G9
Claimed Intercom Range - "Up to 1 mile"
Notes - The Scala Rider G9 does a good job of isolating and removing the unwanted noise / static and distortion from the signal. While the SMH10 tends to let too much through the Scala Rider G9 and UClear HBC200 may isolate too much, allowing only perfect speech through and muting everything else. No doubt some will appreciate this but some compromise of static for extra usable range would be nice. (In-town test was performed without raising the antennae while the rural test was performed with the antennae raised.
In-town Direction 1 - We had great hopes that the Scala G9 would be able to overcome the interference but it was not the case. The Scala Rider G9 was clear at 0.1 miles and completely quiet at 0.2 miles.
In-town Direction 2 - The Scala Rider G9 was clear at 0.1 miles and completely quiet at 0.2 miles.
Rural Environment Range Test Scala Rider G9 - Similar to the in -town condition the Scala Rider G9 was clear at 0.1 miles and then quiet (no voice signal transferred) at 0.2 miles. However, the headset did not notify us that "Rider A unavailable" until we reached 0.9 miles (and rounded the corner out of line of site). Upon return the headset never notified us that we were again connected but at 0.1 miles the mic was active and the conversation again could be heard. So Cardo's claim of breaking the 1 mile beerier is technically true because they were still "connected" but also completely false because they are not usable at 1.0 miles even with line of site and low interference.
Conclusions
In the city environment you are likely to be riding closer together and at slower speeds so the relatively short range shouldn't really hamper the use of these units for communicating bike to bike. In large groups where you could have several vehicles between and possibly get stuck at one light while the other bike continues the interference noise and shorter range will certainly cause some annoyance. The Sena SMH10 and Interphone F5 seemed to have the best usable range and ability to stay connected even when interference prevented them from communicating clearly. They did however, cause / allow the most distorted noise / static to come through while the UClear HBC 200 and Scala G9 prevented that from coming into the headset.
Winner Bluetooth Headset Range Test - Interphone F5 - If bike to bike range is high on your priorities for Bluetooth headset features you should seriously consider the Interphone F5. In the rural environment nothing else comes close and adding more headsets to the group only extends the range. Of course, you could choose one of the others and then connect it to a GMRS radio or buy a ChatterBox X1 Slim to get more range but we doubt you will have any complaints with the F5.
Jonathan Clark is owner of Spoiled Biker, a motorcycle intercom and accessories shop in New Bern North Carolina. Spoiled Biker strives to provide accurate real world test reports to help you decide which products best meet your needs. All of the Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms described in this report are available with free shipping and guaranteed lowest price from Spoiled Biker.
To test actual usable range for Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms in both an in-town environment and a rural environment and access their ability to reconnect after being out of range. Test is not designed to determine bike to bike range in all conditions but it should represent the two most common conditions when riding with a Bluetooth motorcycle headset.
Conditions
In-town - Test was performed along Hwy 70 East in New Bern North Carolina. This is a small town commercial environment with stop lights, gas stations and car dealers etc. All intercom models were tested at full battery charge. Weather was clear and 75 degrees.
Rural Environment - Test was performed down a straight dirt road about ½ mile from the closest house and several miles from stop lights or businesses. Test was line of sight as there were no corners for 0.8 miles. There was however a radio station tower about 1 mile away (which we learned after the test) and we were 8 miles from a Marine Corps Air Station (Cherry Point) which no doubt puts off some radar and other signals. Weather was clear and about 72 degrees. All intercom models were tested at full battery charge.
Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Range Test Procedure
In-town Environment Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Range Test - Each test was performed with one non-moving headset in the open at 3-4 feet high beside the straight access road. A 2nd identical headset was installed in a full face helmet and used while slowly riding a motorcycle in communication with the static unit. Distance was called out every 0.1 miles on the odometer and audio was recorded to verify quality and repeatability. There is one stop light about 0.25 miles away from the start point in each direction. After the usable range of the intercom was reached and the connection was lost the motorcycle was ridden back slowly (30 mph) to see at what point the intercoms reconnected. The test was then repeated in the opposite direction and through a different intersection / stop light.
Rural Environment Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom Range Test - Each test was performed with 2 non-moving headsets. Initially we tried to get audio recordings of all headsets back to back at a specific distance but having 4 Bluetooth headsets powered up in close proximity compromised the signal of SOME of the units so instead we tested one headset at a time at 0.1 mi, 0.2 mi, 0.4 mi etc. At each distance the communication was tested at stand still with no motor or other noise. We tried to isolate this test to just the range, not noise canceling and other abilities.
Test Samples (Product Models)
HBC200 by UClear (initial release firmware)
Interphone F5 - by Cellular Line
Scala Rider G9 by Cardo (initial release firmware V 1.2)
SMH10 by Sena Bluetooth (V 4.0 firmware)
UClear HBC200
Claimed Intercom Range - "up to 700m / 0.43 miles" with 2 headsets
Notes - Unlike the Sena SMH10 the UClear HBC200 seems to use VOX even when music is not playing. Rather than having a hot microphone it appears to completely silence the speakers except when someone is talking. This is nice in some regards but rather than waiting for 20 seconds of silence before muting it does so almost immediately after the person on the other headset stops talking. This can cause some irritation when the first syllable gets cut off. The annoyance factor definitely goes up as you get further away where it seems like the conversation gets started and stopped very quickly and many syllables get lost. UClear claims their use of Super Group Technology and Multi-Hop feature will allow "up to 10 or more" HBC200 headsets can be linked. Unfortunately we only had 2 headsets available for testing so we could not confirm if this would extend the range or not.
In-town Direction 1 - The communication was clear at 0.1 miles and functioning at 0.2 miles but then went completely silent when passing the intersection with a stop light before 0.3 miles.
In-town Direction 2 - The connection was clearer at 0.2 miles in this direction and even 0.4 miles seemed to be usable. At 0.5 miles the connection was lost. The HBC200 headset units did not automatically reconnect upon the return trip and the intercom conversation had to be re-initiated by pushing the headset button. While the UClear's audio features are top notch this failure to reconnect could be the HBC200's biggest flaw. Uclear confirmed that the conversation does not automatically restart and that this was not user related. We hope their first firmware update will address it.
Rural Environment - we were quite disappointed in the acceptable range found with seemingly no interference around. At 0.2 miles the speech was clear and there was no static but we had issues with the VOX cutting off syllables. At 0.4 miles the intercom was not usable. We are not exactly sure why some of the headsets worked as well or better in town than in the rural environment but the HBC200 did not appear to benefit from being out "in the sticks."
Interphone F5
Claimed Intercom Range - "up to 1300m or 0.8 miles" with 2 headsets extending up to "2400m or 1.49 miles" with 6 headsets spaced perfectly apart.
Notes - The Interphone F5 does a good job of muting the speakers when the other headset's microphones are not in use. However, during speech there is some slight static noise (scratchiness) in the background of the voice. This immediately disappears when the other person stops speaking.
In-town Direction 1 - The Interphone F5 was clear at 0.1 miles and usable at 0.2 miles. It transferred a lot of noise around the stop light and although it was trying to transmit and communicate at 0.4 miles the speech was completely unintelligible. At 0.5miles it notified via voice prompt that intercom was disconnected. Coming back it automatically re-connected the conversation and gave a voice prompt stating "intercom connected" when we were at 0.1 miles apart.
In-town Direction 2 - The F5 intercom conversation was distorted as we went through the intersection at 0.25 miles and a lot of interference which sounded like a synthesizer playing music was heard / recorded. This noise was not heard in the headset on the bike because nobody was talking to them at that time. However, the intercom stayed connected through the intersection and speech was intelligible at 0.4 miles. At 0.5 miles the intercom again disconnected and the connection was re-established when we came back to within 0.1 miles of the other headset.
In-town Direction 1 with a 3rd F5 headset - Interphone claims that having more headsets in the group will extend the range of the group. We set one headset at 0.15 miles and ran the same test as above. The stop light intersection still scrambled the signal and caused a lot of digitized music sound so that it was mostly unusable on the other side of the intersection however we were able to go to 0.6 miles and turn around without encountering the "intercom unavailable" message and the relay effect seemed to help clarity more than hurt it. The urban environment may be a better test for this feature of the Interphone F5 so we will repeat it again in our next test without stoplights and businesses around.
Rural Environment Range Test Interphone F5 - This is where the Interphone REALLY shined. After testing it out in the country there was no question it was the best Bluetooth intercom for long range conversations. Very little static was heard and the speech was completely intelligible at 0.8 miles. At 0.9 miles it notified via speech that the intercom connection was lost. Upon returning we were notified at 0.4 miles that the intercom was connected and speech was immediately clear.
Sena SMH10
Claimed Intercom Range - "up to 900 meters / 0.56 miles"
Notes - While the SMH10 has a VOX feature available when there is a music source we did not use music during this test and instead chose the "open mic" intercom call. Basically once started the mic is always hot. The SMH10 therefore transmits everything and while connected there is a slight hum even when nobody is talking. The slightest engine or wind noise would drown it out but it is an indication that you are connected. As you get further apart the hum tends to turn into digitized musical static.
In-town Direction 1 - The Sena SMH10 was clear at 0.1 miles and turned to a digitized static at 0.2 miles and onward.
In-town Direction 2 - The Sena was clear at 0.1 decent at 0.2 miles but became obscure as we went through the stoplight at 0.3 miles. It stayed connected and was usable at 0.4 miles but at 0.5 miles there was no audio signal transmitted. When returning the SMH10 units were still connected and usable at 0.4 miles apart.
Rural Environment Range Test Sena SMH10 - The conversation was clear at 0.1 miles and mostly usable at 0.2 miles however there was definitely static affecting the conversation. At 0.3 miles there was no signal transferred. Similar to UClear HBC200 the Sena SMH10 worked as well or better in town than in the rural environment.
Cardo Scala Rider G9
Claimed Intercom Range - "Up to 1 mile"
Notes - The Scala Rider G9 does a good job of isolating and removing the unwanted noise / static and distortion from the signal. While the SMH10 tends to let too much through the Scala Rider G9 and UClear HBC200 may isolate too much, allowing only perfect speech through and muting everything else. No doubt some will appreciate this but some compromise of static for extra usable range would be nice. (In-town test was performed without raising the antennae while the rural test was performed with the antennae raised.
In-town Direction 1 - We had great hopes that the Scala G9 would be able to overcome the interference but it was not the case. The Scala Rider G9 was clear at 0.1 miles and completely quiet at 0.2 miles.
In-town Direction 2 - The Scala Rider G9 was clear at 0.1 miles and completely quiet at 0.2 miles.
Rural Environment Range Test Scala Rider G9 - Similar to the in -town condition the Scala Rider G9 was clear at 0.1 miles and then quiet (no voice signal transferred) at 0.2 miles. However, the headset did not notify us that "Rider A unavailable" until we reached 0.9 miles (and rounded the corner out of line of site). Upon return the headset never notified us that we were again connected but at 0.1 miles the mic was active and the conversation again could be heard. So Cardo's claim of breaking the 1 mile beerier is technically true because they were still "connected" but also completely false because they are not usable at 1.0 miles even with line of site and low interference.
Conclusions
In the city environment you are likely to be riding closer together and at slower speeds so the relatively short range shouldn't really hamper the use of these units for communicating bike to bike. In large groups where you could have several vehicles between and possibly get stuck at one light while the other bike continues the interference noise and shorter range will certainly cause some annoyance. The Sena SMH10 and Interphone F5 seemed to have the best usable range and ability to stay connected even when interference prevented them from communicating clearly. They did however, cause / allow the most distorted noise / static to come through while the UClear HBC 200 and Scala G9 prevented that from coming into the headset.
Winner Bluetooth Headset Range Test - Interphone F5 - If bike to bike range is high on your priorities for Bluetooth headset features you should seriously consider the Interphone F5. In the rural environment nothing else comes close and adding more headsets to the group only extends the range. Of course, you could choose one of the others and then connect it to a GMRS radio or buy a ChatterBox X1 Slim to get more range but we doubt you will have any complaints with the F5.
Jonathan Clark is owner of Spoiled Biker, a motorcycle intercom and accessories shop in New Bern North Carolina. Spoiled Biker strives to provide accurate real world test reports to help you decide which products best meet your needs. All of the Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms described in this report are available with free shipping and guaranteed lowest price from Spoiled Biker.
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