Intercom headsets

[86venturejay]

Ok, so my intercom headsets have gone off to electronics heaven. I've looked at replacing them and the cost involved (dang the dealer is proud of these things) and have found them on places like ebay for not too bad a price but I'm starting to wonder if something like the Scala Rider blue tooth units would be a better way to go. I like the idea of having all original equipment but also hate to pay to get all new headsets and have another issue with with the audio system that puts me back to a non-functioning intercom. Seems like the Scala Rider may be the way to go but I've never used one and I'm still not sure about moving away from original equip as my 86 1st gen is beautiful and has otherwise all working equipment.

 

Any thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

 

Thanks!

 

Jay

[friesman]

Ive got the Scala G2 units and like them a lot. Mine wont stream music via bluetooth but there is a coiled wired that I use to hookup the mp3 player. Around town I listen to the built in FM radio and I have an fm transmitter hooked to my GPs so I can pick it up thru the Scala wirelessly. I find them to work very well as an intercomm and very little wind noise.

The newer Scalar Q4 let you stream music from your mp3 player with Bluetooth so youve got no cable and your distance is larger.

 

Brian

[cabreco]

Jay,

I had the same thought about getting the original headsets since my parts bike had everything elsa I needed in it.

After thinking about it, I am now going for a bluetooth unit. My reasoning is although I can't get the bike stereo through it, I will be able to answer my cell, & hear the directions from my Garmin GPS as well as communicating with the wife. The additional benefit of Bluetooth units (aside from no wires) is that when riding in groups you can pair other riders headsets as well.

 

Now I just have the find the right units for my helmets

[djh3]

The J&M headsets are not bad priced if you get them off e-bay. I think I had $160 about in a pair for my gen2. I was looking at the Scala when I was thinking about going with a Kawasaki Voyager because the OEM headsets were rediculasly priced. That was before I knew you could go aftermarket. When I was looking into them you can get a "blue tooth dongle" and connect it to your bike radio I think and then it will play over the scala headsets. One of the few downsides to the scalas I have heard is they say you can connect to friends in a group, but the headsets are limited as to how many devices they can recognize at one time. So say you have your phone, GPS and bike radio connected you can probably only connect one more maybe 2 headsets in to yours.

[86venturejay]

Thanks for the input thus far... Sounds like ill be going with the Bluetooth headsets. I was really wanting to stay with original equipment but i think the benefit of the Bluetooth headsets might outweigh the want to stay original.

 

Thanks again and if anyone has any other brands of the Bluetooth sets they like, let me know.

 

Thanks again!!

[Rick Haywood]

I have J&M headsets and have for 4 years and they are trouble free so far. I can run my Sirius through the system on the bike plus if I need to run a GPS which I very seldom do I can run it through the system on the bike and hear it. The disadvantage with the scala is everyone has to have it you are riding with to communicate.

[BuckShot]

Thanks for the input thus far... Sounds like ill be going with the Bluetooth headsets. I was really wanting to stay with original equipment but i think the benefit of the Bluetooth headsets might outweigh the want to stay original.

 

Thanks again and if anyone has any other brands of the Bluetooth sets they like, let me know.

 

Thanks again!!

 

 

If I remember right....J and M made the headsets for Yamaha.

[DragonRider]

I have 2 sets of 5 pin headsets one of which I would be willing to sell. One set installs through the helmet and the other has the boom mic attached to one of the speakers and is mounted inside the helmet. $50.00 for either set. I will ship by USPS Priority mail.

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[DarkLeftArm]

Scala rider Team Set Pro here.

Love 'em.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I have the scala Q4 set for wife and I. We have MKII standard so intercom is new to us... it is fantastic. Cell comes through great music and best is my brother has one as well so we can talk when we are out riding as well

[radian]

I've been reading around and trying to determine which way to go.

 

When I bought my 2008 RSV, the intercom suggested by the Yamaha shop in Wichita Falls, TX, was a chatterbox.

 

We both use flip visor, 3/4 helmets by HJC. I normally ride with the visor up, because of the windshield, but she normally rides with her's down.

 

I've found that I hate it. The sound coming through my speakers is 'tinny' and I keep having to ask my wife, "what?"

 

I'm trying to determine if and what system I should change to. Bluetooth and what brand or model, and wired, and what brand.

 

I see advantages and disadvantages of both, even without my knowing the specifics. The flexability of not being 'tied' to the bike of Bluetooth, but loosing any use of the CB. (In 4 years, I've only used the CB once though... but if ever I want it...)

But wondering if the quality of the sound is that much better with a wired set...???

 

Any experiences and thoughts would be appreciated.

[barend]

I have 2 sets of 5 pin headsets one of which I would be willing to sell. One set installs through the helmet and the other has the boom mic attached to one of the speakers and is mounted inside the helmet. $50.00 for either set. I will ship by USPS Priority mail.

[ATTACH]64896[/ATTACH][ATTACH]64897[/ATTACH]

 

I'll take it! (if it would work on a Honda) would be installing in a Scorpion full face helmet, since I've never had one, which would you recommend? Paypal?

[Reshired]

I got a Scala rider Q2 Multiset pro yesterday at the Harley dealer. They said riders with built in audio systems are going to these. Were going on a ride today to test it out. I got up early this morning to pair my Iphone and get acquainted with it. Looks good so far. I also got the optional half helmet kit for it. I noticed that with that kit, the speakers are plug in, so you can replace them with any ear buds if you want. Il have to see how the sound quality is with the ones that come with it first then try earbuds to see if there is an improvement. The Half helmet kit also comes with a side pad that fits well on my helmet that is padded and gives an earphone feel to it.

[djh3]

Radian: I have the J&M wired type headsets. Lower end ones I would assume as the pair were about $160 off e-bay. I have the same deal, I have a hard time hearing her sometimes. I have tried a few things, mic position, adjusting the intercom volume speaking up. If I turn up the volume to much then when the GPS/MP3 player is playing it gets tinny sounding also. I had a hard time figuring this out as I had made a solo ride a couple weeks before and it was A OK. I dont know if there is an "upgrade" type speaker to use on the wired headsets or not. I'm looking at going to a "mic mute" to cut hers out until she want to talk being the factory system is "on" all the time.

I got a ton of miles around your area as I stationed in Altus for 20 yr. Lots of miles in the Red River area.

 

Reshired: As of now I have the J&M headsets in Bell Mag series 3/4 helmets. I have a scorpion EXO100 1/2 I thought about putting a kit in one day. But the kits I see you have to put the weather curtian/ear covers back on to hold the speakers. I was wondering the same thing, could a fellow make a connection to a pair of earbuds instead of the big speakers. I can come up with a way to mount the mic I think.

 

Scala seems to be the manufacture of choice from posts I have read on the wireless comm.

[Reshired]

Radian: I have the J&M wired type headsets. Lower end ones I would assume as the pair were about $160 off e-bay. I have the same deal, I have a hard time hearing her sometimes. I have tried a few things, mic position, adjusting the intercom volume speaking up. If I turn up the volume to much then when the GPS/MP3 player is playing it gets tinny sounding also. I had a hard time figuring this out as I had made a solo ride a couple weeks before and it was A OK. I dont know if there is an "upgrade" type speaker to use on the wired headsets or not. I'm looking at going to a "mic mute" to cut hers out until she want to talk being the factory system is "on" all the time.

I got a ton of miles around your area as I stationed in Altus for 20 yr. Lots of miles in the Red River area.

 

Reshired: As of now I have the J&M headsets in Bell Mag series 3/4 helmets. I have a scorpion EXO100 1/2 I thought about putting a kit in one day. But the kits I see you have to put the weather curtian/ear covers back on to hold the speakers. I was wondering the same thing, could a fellow make a connection to a pair of earbuds instead of the big speakers. I can come up with a way to mount the mic I think.

 

Scala seems to be the manufacture of choice from posts I have read on the wireless comm.

The box comes with hard wired speakers that unless you are good with a soldering iron are hard to change. I saw a UTube that has instructions on doing just that.

The half helmet accessory kit is the one that has the plug in speakers. It has a larger foam Mike ball and various odds and ends like a velcro pad to get the speaker right on your ear. Some of the reviews I saw on UTube suggested to putting layers of velcro to get the speaker closer to the ear. With the kit I got, I can plug in any earbuds I wish like the ones from Sony. It looked very well made but I have yet to road test it. Ill post later today to let you know. I ride an RSTD with Nasty Boys and My Wife Just Got an Harley Heritage with loud Vance&Hines Pipes. Im a little hard of hearing with tinitus so if it works for us, It will work for anyone.

[radian]

Reshired: I'm looking forward to hearing from your road tests. I think that djh3 and I are in the same boat with the intercom thing...

 

djh3: I'd like to hear more of what you come up with as well. I was exiled to Wichita Falls (we spell it with a B...) for 4 years. So I was around there too. But we knew that even if we never got back to Longview (North East Texas), Longview would always still be 'home'.