Bike-to-bike intercoms

[Suzi Q]

We have a Baehr system - got it from Challenger Motors in Auckland. Quite expensive. Does bike to bike plus pillion to rider. No wind noise at any speed that we have tried. There is a website - http://www.challengermotors.co.nz/Web-Pages/baehr.htm
The speakers and microphone are mounted in the helmet and then there is a PTT button to mount on the handlebars. The pillion to rider is voice activated.

[shafty]

Suzi Q, would you recommend your system? - for example, would you buy it again? Cheers

[Hitcher]

We have a Baehr system - got it from Challenger Motors in Auckland. Quite expensive. Does bike to bike plus pillion to rider. No wind noise at any speed that we have tried. There is a website - http://www.challengermotors.co.nz/Web-Pages/baehr.htm
The speakers and microphone are mounted in the helmet and then there is a PTT button to mount on the handlebars. The pillion to rider is voice activated.

Does it come with radios? If so, what sort and where do they go? There must be wind noise -- wind plus microphone = noise.

[Lou Girardin]

I understand that Baehr is now used by our bike cops. Tested at 200 k's and still clear as a bell. The microphones they use are some whizzbang digital type that aren't affected by wind noise.
That's what you pay the extra for, gear that works.

[emaN]

Autocom
all the way. don't bother doing it cheap.

we've used our system for our USA hog ride (open face - sweet as) and for all touring since; England/Scotland/Ireland/Scandinavia/Europe and it's been incredible!
taken our bash-hats on & off thousands of times no worries.

Ours is now 4yrs old, you can get newer & gruntier versions, but we're still happy with ours.
Clarity is awesome = 240km/h on german autobahns & we could still talk.

As i said, don't bother going cheap.
Check out their site for bike to bike set ups. You can go basic or full on.

[crusa]

Was at cycletreads on saturday and they had 2 helmets fitted with nolans ncom system using blue tooth and/or cables,does the mp3,cellphone bit.I was told they were very good at speed and its a nice package.You buy there helmets(flip up type) which has mic and headphone unit fitted then you buy the bluetooth unit.Might be worth a look if you need or want a new helmet?from memory about $1400 all up for 2 helmets and the ncom system.

[Hitcher]

Check out their site for bike to bike set ups. You can go basic or full on.

And that web address would be?

[emaN]

http://www.autocom.co.uk/

I'm guessing you're too busy out riding to google 'em!
(p/t)

[Hitcher]

http://www.autocom.co.uk/

And we're right back to where we started. A photo of a fucking clear-cut black box with writing on it! I don't know where to buy one, how much it costs, what it does, where to fit it, what else I need to make it go (like radios, for example), what goes in my helmet or will it fit, if I can install it myself, etc. All I know is that these things allegedly work really well and are worth the price. Lovely.

[SPman]

There are at least five other RE5 owners who haven't yet joined up.

There are that many still running?

[emaN]

Hitcher,
I've found the site pretty useful in the past.
Pretty sure there's PDF's with suggestions of set-ups (based on your requirements) and suggested radios too.
Installation-straight forward.Our HJCs took it in their stride.Two speakers per bash-hat, one boom, easy peasy.
Where to put it-tank bag, under seat, backpack... Ours came with necessary cable to hook it up to the battery;but i've never bothered.
Cost-depends on set-up;think they start around 100quid

I've just been checking their site; there's PDFs with loads of info. A Kit200 for just the rider is 154quid. The same kit with pillion materials is 199quid. Add the cost of a radio to this, to enable bike-to-bike.

Hope this helps...a bit

[WRT]

Almost tempted to start a new thread for this as I ramble on a bit explaining my logic, but figured best to keep all the info in one place. Appologies in advance for such a long winded post.

Ok, I've been keeping an eye out for a decent intercom system (primarily rider to pillion, or with the option to go bike to bike) for a while now. I have been using a cheap rider to pillion set from SportsBikesNZ, but it doesnt handle the abuse too well, and you must have your visor closed at anything over 10 kph in order to save your pillion going deaf from the wind noise. While initially it was clear and easy to use, it now cuts in and out (mostly due to damage being done to the cables by us getting off and on the bike) and there is often "noise" induced by the engine.

So while looking around, I've come up with a list for my ideal system for a perfect world. The unit should be:

- able to be used when the visor is up, with clear speech at all speeds (within reason)
- unintrusive to the wearer (not uncomfortable inside the helmet, or cause difficulty with putting on/removing the helmet, or leave lines on your cheek from the wires or mic boom)
- easy to operate whilst wearing all your gear (so preferably VOX rather than PTT)
- ideally either wireless, or with a "breaker" in the line so that if the cables get snagged or tugged it doesnt damage the unit
- capable of running off the bikes system or uses rechargeable batteries
- preferably in stereo and able to take a music input, and possibly cell phone (although, this is not overly important, it just could come in handy on longer trips)

Now my first thought was that there must be some sort of bluetooth unit out there so that you can mount the mic and speakers in your helmet permanently. If there is, I havent found it yet.

Next up I came across throat mics. These look very promising, they are not susceptible to external noise (so should work well on a VOX system), you dont need to have your visor closed, and some of them come with the accoustic ear tube rather than the conventional ear bud. There are some quite stylie ones from a crowd called Cool Talk at around 25 quid each, but they seem to only do the ear bud style (which wouldnt be as comfortable) and in mono only. However, with a VOX radio attached (preferably something like the rechargable Uniden models, so that both rider and pillion have a throat mike attached to a radio they keep in their pocket), this will cover most bases except using them with cell phones and iPods. That I'm not so worried about, as you could still use it with your iPod or (compatible) cell phone on solo runs which is when that feature would be most beneficial. And the other added advantage is that it would work just as well for bike to bike.

I know using walkie talkie style radios to communicate rider to pillion is a bit excessive, but there are some bonuses. For example, you dont need to detach every time you get off or on the bike, and you can maintain communication when off the bike. Say your in the queue to pay for your gas, you can ask your passenger if they would like a drink etc while you're there. Another benefit of this is it can be used bike to bike (for example, the same set you use to talk to the missus while touring can be used to yak to your mate while trail riding), and even be used for talking to your pit crew during track days, snowboarding, kayaking, or any other outdoor pursuits.

Potential pitfalls of this type of system (not having used a throat mike myself) are that they may have a tendancy to move about at speed, however the Cool Talk site reckon they have tested it up to 120mph - which is good enough for most applications I would have thought. Also curious how they will stand up to the vibrations from a 2 stroke MX bike, how comfortable they are to wear, and whether the collar of your jacket would interfere with it. Has anyone used them before and are you able to comment?

While the Cool Talk system does look fairly good (see http://www.cool-talk.co.uk/products.php), I would have liked to see a unit that was just as slim (a lot of the throat mike units are big and clunky, looking like something out of an '80s sci fi movie) and with stereo tubes rather than an ear bud. Partly because if using it with an iPod it will sound better, and also because I'm a bit hard of hearing so having the speech in both ears would be better for me.

I did see something like that a little while ago on ebay, havent been able to find it again however. It was PTT, where I would rather a VOX system, but I'm sure there would be ways around that. There are a lot of manufacturers coming out with the throat mics these days, aimed at a wide variety of applications, from security to hangliding, paint ball to mountain biking. Has anyone seen one that would have ear tubes in stereo, and a slim design? Bear in mind that the less wind resistance the better, not to mention that you dont want to have your collar catching on it all the time.

Another manufacturer that does a range of them is ixradio (http://www.ixradio.com/throat_mic.htm), so there must be someone out there with that elusive combo of throat mic/VOX operated/stereo ear tube. Anyone know someone that does them? And is there any chance that a NZ company is stocking them so I can go in and try them?

Any (sensible) feed back on my logic is appreciated.

[Hitcher]

I don't like the idea of VOX. I don't like the idea of having to say "Boo" at the start of each transmission. And it's also not a good look for those of us who suffer from Tourettes or who like to sing while we ride. Also in the big cities, it's hard to find a frequency that cycle couriers or delivery drivers don't use. They can get a bit tetchy when strangers arrive on "their" channel...

[Lou Girardin]

And we're right back to where we started. A photo of a fucking clear-cut black box with writing on it! I don't know where to buy one, how much it costs, what it does, where to fit it, what else I need to make it go (like radios, for example), what goes in my helmet or will it fit, if I can install it myself, etc. All I know is that these things allegedly work really well and are worth the price. Lovely.

Why not buy locally then you can call Tony at Beahr and get answers straight away, and know they work.
After all, NZ Police can't be wrong.

[WRT]

Hadnt thought about the couriers using the channel, but as I'd be using it away from the city most of the time I cant see it being a problem. As I fortunately dont suffer tourettes, having every word I say beemed to my partner isnt a problem (I just need to think up a quick excuse as to why I said "Damn" just as we drove past the hottie with the perkie boobies in the convertable).

Pinfolds' PTT system is a bit of a handful (literally) -- it has to be wrapped around the LH handgrip. This means the button itself has to sit underneath so it doesn't get crushed by the clutch, meaning you have to use your third or fourth finger to operate it. If there is any clear space on the switch clamp, cut off the velcro tape and stick it in place with velcro dots. It works much better that way (until the contacts in the switch fail, or the connector plugs die, whichever comes first).

Going the vox route seems to me a lot better than trying to recreate your efforts here with the PTT system! Not having a dig, but it does seem like a lot of trouble and to be honest I like the idea of just having free flowing conversation. I dont have any problem with watching what I say over a cuppa coffee, so to my way of thinking its not any different just because my head is inside a helmet.

Edit: Just looking back at your previous post Hitcher - does VOX require you to say a keyword or something to kick it into life? I was under the impression that you just started talking, but I have not used a VOX system yet myself.