Choosing the Right Intercom for the Motorcycle
If you need to know everything about motorcycle intercoms and Hands-free Kits here is the definitive guide!
Attachment, microphone type, headset placement, etc. Find out how the Bluetooth kit is installed on your helmet! Certain characteristics will allow you to filter the models most adapted to your case.
Adaptable Kit or Integrated Kit?
There are two categories of communication kits. On the one hand, the adaptable (or generic) kits, which can be mounted on any helmet (or almost any). On the other hand, the integrated kits, developed especially for a specific helmet model, or a helmet brand when supplied by the official house (such as Nolan’s N-Com or Shark’s Sharktooth). The former have the advantage that they can be mounted on several helmets if, for example, you have a jet for summer and a full face for winter. The seconds are generally perfectly integrated into your helmet, in the space provided. Therefore, the integrated communication kits save you from having to attach an unsightly box to your helmet. But this advantage generally translates into a higher price than their adaptable counterparts and is only available for a few helmets.
Your Intercom… What Helmet is It for?
Make sure your bluetooth kit will lift smoothly on your current motorcycle helmet. In principle, the hands-free kits and universal helmet intercoms available on the market are equally well suited for full-face helmets as well as for modular or jet helmets. But as it is not something systematic, check well before that your device can be mounted on your current helmet without getting in the way. The difference is often in the type of microphone, corded for integrals and “headband” (a flexible rod) for jets and modules – sometimes neither is included in the box.
The Fixing Method on Your Helmet
“Will I have to compromise on the gorgeous custom paint on my helmet to fit a Bluetooth kit?” Not necessarily! Although adhesive mounts are the most common due to their simplicity and lower price, there are still kits on the market with fixing clips (which are attached to the helmet shell, under the cheek foam). The other option to avoid damaging the paint with an adhesive is to check if there is an integrated kit, that is specially designed for your helmet.
The tweezers have the advantage of saving the paint on your favorite motorcycle helmet.
Did You Say Wireless?
Wireless means there is no wired connection between the intercom and phone. By “wireless”, we mean without a wired connection between the intercom and the phone. For legal reasons, kits with cables are no longer allowed on the road. Communication systems must offer a voice navigation function.
The Microphone, with a Headband or with a Cable?
It all depends on the helmet in which you are going to install it! For a full face helmet, the most comfortable is an adhesive wired microphone. The headset microphone and its imposing windproof foam could indeed take up too much space between the chin guard and your mouth, and could annoy you. That is why it is reserved for jet and modular helmets. Don’t worry, both types are supplied in many communication kits, but it’s best to make sure before you buy!
The Placement of Headphones
Intercom headsets are getting thinner but with better and better acoustics. That said, any additional thickness in a helmet is noticeable, and a small annoyance quickly turns into torture after a few minutes … Aware of the increase in intercom equipment, helmet manufacturers have begun to provide small compartments at the height of the ears on the inner polystyrene covers. To make sure that your helmet is of this type, the easiest thing is to check that it has these holes. To do this, you will have to separate the foam gums from the cheeks and perhaps remove a small patch of acoustic foam that fill them.
