Extended motorcycle warranties, also known as motorcycle service contracts, can save you money and ensure that your motorcycle is taken care of in the event of any problems. There are many different types of extended motorcycle warranties, as well as different places you can purchase them.
Often, you can purchase an extended motorcycle warranty from the dealership where you bought your motorcycle. However, if this is not an option, there are many other places where you can purchase these types of warranties, including brick and mortar companies and online.
When it comes to these types of warranties, you do not want to automatically go with the cheapest plan available. If you do, you could find yourself with a broken down car that you can't get fixed under the warranty. It's crucial to thoroughly research any extended motorcycle warranty that you are considering to make sure you understand exactly what is covered. It's also a good idea to shop around -- different companies offer different plans and rates.
Extended motorcycle warranties are not insurance plans, and should not be thought of as such. An extended motorcycle warranty extends the protection you receive with the initial warranty that comes with your motorcycle. The reason for an extended motorcycle warranty is simple -- repairs can be quite costly, especially on new motorcycles. This type of warranty protects you in the event of mechanical problems with your car.
It's prudent to purchase your extended warranty as soon as you can. The longer you wait to purchase one, the more you'll end up paying. If you can, purchase the extended warranty at the same time as your motorcycle. If you wait too long, you'll end up dealing with more expensive warranty providers and plans.
Make sure when purchasing an extended warranty that it covers your motorcycle in the events of both wear and tear and mechanical breakdown. It's important to understand exactly what you will receive with your warranty before purchasing. There can be a lot of confusing fine print when it comes to these plans, so choose a provider that you feel comfortable with. A good warranty provider will make sure you're aware of all the details of your plan, no matter how large or small.
When it comes to how much you'll pay for an extended motorcycle warranty, it will depend not only on the plan you choose and the company that offers it, but the type of motorcycle you have. For example, the extended warranty on a motorcycle that is known for safety and reliability will be less than the warranty on a high-powered sports car.
There are not only warranty plans for brand new cars, but used ones as well. However, it's likely that you'll need to deal with a third party provider with a used car rather than the dealership where you purchased it.
Before purchasing any kind of motorcycle warranty, check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure that the company you're dealing with has a satisfactory rating.
Everyone knows that the Cardo was the leader of the pack with the Scala Rider G4 and how great an intercom it has been. However, the biggest complaint that I have heard on the forums and discussions is that the FM tuner is just plain horrible. The G4 antenna is only used to extend the range of the intercom function and has no benefit to the FM tuner. So today I spent some time playing with and comparing the Scala Rider G9 FM radio with the Scala Rider G4 FM function.
This wireless intercom review will help you make an intelligent choice on choosing a wireless intercom system. There are a limited number of wireless intercoms on the market so choosing one is not as difficult as choosing some other type of consumer product. There are really only three wireless intercom systems that are available.
Without a motorcycle intercom, motorcycle riding is a solitary experience. When you're riding alone it's a good way to clear your head or get your thoughts together. But if you've got a passenger, or you're riding with another biker, inevitably you'll want to talk to them. Motorcycle intercom systems that mount in your helmet let you do that.
Everyone knows that the Cardo was the leader of the pack with the Scala Rider G4 and how great an intercom it has been. However, the biggest complaint that I have heard on the forums and discussions is that the FM tuner is just plain horrible. The G4 antenna is only used to extend the range of the intercom function and has no benefit to the FM tuner. So today I spent some time playing with and comparing the Scala Rider G9 FM radio with the Scala Rider G4 FM function.
The Cardo G4 antenna is only used to extend the range of the intercom function and has no benefit to the FM tuner (confirmed by Cardo Systems). Many of us were hoping that Cardo would use the antenna of the G9 to help pick up more stations on the FM band. It does NOT appear that they did this (not yet confirmed by Cardo but simply based on testing in one location). However, they seemed to have made the unit a little more sensitive so that it would not skip so many stations. Using the Scala Rider G4 FM tuner we scanned multiple times around the "dial" and could listen to only 5 stations clearly. Using the Scala Rider G9 in the same location the seek function stopped 10 times before coming back to the original station. However, two of the "stations" that it stopped at were complete static. In contrast a car radio (with a big antenna) picked up 18 stations without a problem.
The Scala Rider G9 FM tuner can be turned on and off with voice control. Simply push the button, wait for the 2nd beep and then say "radio on" or "radio off" and you will get a voice confirmation. At standstill it works perfectly, in a full face helmet at highway speeds it works quite well. We did not test the FM functionality during our half helmet test but given the clarity of the microphone on the recorded phone call using a half helmet I would expect that the voice functions would work well even with the half helmet.
There is also some seek / scan functionality that will allow you to set it to scan and play 20 seconds of each station then scan some more until you stop it. This is nice because it doesn't require you to reach up and hold the button for 2 seconds on every station but we wish the seek / scan functions could be controlled with voice commands. It is something we have suggested to them and hope that they will introduce it in a firmware update sometime soon.
The problem is that there are so many to choose from in such a wide price range. It's hard to decide which one to choose. And given that motorcycle intercoms have to work in an extremely difficult environment, choosing the right one can make the difference between enjoying your new purchase or hating it. This motorcycle intercom review will hopefully make your decision easier.
Let's start with a broad overview of the types of motorcycle intercoms available.
Acoustic Motorcycle Intercom
The most basic form of motorcycle intercom is the acoustic intercom. By acoustic I mean that it doesn't use electronics at all. It just uses hollow tubes that your voice travels through. They're like the old ships where the captain yells down a tube to the engine room to tell them to "give it more steam."
These systems have rubber-tipped tubes that insert in your ear the same way an earplug would. There is also a mouthpiece tube for you to talk into and all the tubes connect into a junction box.
One of the positives is that there are no batteries or electronics to mess with. That makes them very dependable. However, there is no amplification which means there is no way to adjust the volume or filter out wind noise. So at higher speeds, it will be more difficult to hear. Another problem is that some people find the "earplugs" uncomfortable in their ears for long periods.
Obviously these acoustic intercoms only work for rider-to-passenger and not bike-to-bike.
Wired Motorcycle Intercom
The next step up is wired intercoms. These systems have wires that run from the rider and passenger into a central control box that houses the electronics and battery.
Just like the acoustic intercom, with a wired system you don't have to worry about any external interference like you do with wireless technologies, unless you add a radio handheld communicator for bike-to-bike talking to your system. Some wired units let you plug in an FRS/GMRS radio, which is described in the wireless technology section below. The radio requires voice activation for it to work.
One of the issues some people have is that the wiring can be a little bit of a pain. Every time you and a passenger get on and off the bike you have to remember to unplug the units. Depending on how you have it set up, this could be two or three plugs.
Wireless Intercom Technology
There are four types of radio technologies used in the U.S. for motorcycle intercoms. They are GMRS, FRS, FM, and Bluetooth. There are also wired intercoms that enable you to plug into a handheld Citizens Band (CB) radio that has voice activation.
Frequency Modulation (FM) radio is similar to the FM radio you listen to, but for motorcycle intercoms a narrower frequency is used. Like FM radio, these systems can produce clear sound, as long as the distance between them isn't too great. FM radio works best when there are no obstructions such as hills between the transmitter and receiver. If long range is the most important feature, then GMRS intercoms will provide better performance.
The Family Radio Service (FRS) and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) are the modern equivalents to the old walkie talkies you may have had when you were a kid. FRS radios typically have a maximum range of two miles with few obstructions in between, while GRMS radios communicate up to several miles. Like FM, these are public frequencies so other people can hear your conversations and vice versa. In some heavily populated areas these FRS/GRMS radios are heavily used, while out on the open road you should have fairly private conversations.
One nice thing with the FRS and GMRS radios is that you can go to your local discount store and purchase a cheap handheld radio that will communicate with these units. If someone were following you in a car, or they had a wired motorcycle intercom system that lets them plug in an FRS/GMRS handheld radio, they can communicate with you. The downside of this was just mentioned in that there are millions of these radios out there so in heavily populated areas you'll pick up lots of other transmissions. Also GMRS radios require an FCC license for legal use.
Bluetooth is the latest technology to hit motorcycle intercoms. Not only can these systems communicate totally wirelessly from rider to passenger, they can be used to communicate from bike to bike. Although with these systems the range is not in miles, it is in hundreds of feet. Since you are likely riding close to your buddies, this is not usually a problem. Although, range can be as much as 800 to 1600 feet.
The Bluetooth range limitation actually works as an advantage since it limits the amount of outside interference you'll get. Also, since you must program two units to work together, you won't pick up conversations from other people with Bluetooth devices...and they won't be able to hear you. You won't have to worry about your conversations listened to by anyone else.
If you want Bluetooth wireless communication there is one thing to watch for. Some units that say they are Bluetooth use FRS or GMRS to communicate bike-to-bike and the Bluetooth is just used to communicate with a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or other device.
Bluetooth intercoms also usually have some other features you won't find on other types of intercoms such as:
Integrate with Bluetooth enabled cell phones and automatically answer calls totally hands free.
Enjoy your favorite stereo music from your A2DP enabled cell phone or MP3 player
Listen to the audio navigation message from your Bluetooth enabled GPS.
Some Bluetooth intercoms only have one ear speaker while others have two.
Motorcycle Helmet Intercom Features
Here are features to look for as you are shopping for an intercom to use with your motorcycle helmet:
If you may be riding in the rain, get a system that says it's waterproof and not just water resistant. Some riders will put a water resistant system in a plastic baggie and that works for them.
You can get systems that have a headset speaker for one ear or both ears. Installation and moving the intercom to another helmet is easier for systems with only one ear, but some people want to hear sound in both ears.
Most systems have voice activation of some kind to keep the headset quiet when no talking is occurring. This voice activation often has the ability to be disabled and a push-to-talk switch used instead.
Many intercoms have noise reduction capabilities with digital signal processing to help reduce the noise they pick up from the microphone. The faster you drive, or the windier it is, the more important this feature is.
If you want music, look for a system that has a built-in FM stereo radio tuner or an auxiliary stereo input for a Walkman, MP3, iPod, or satellite radio unit. You can also use this input to receive driving directions from a voice prompted GPS unit.
Some systems mount on your helmet, while others have capability to mount on your belt clip or bike. If the system is big and bulky, you may want the ability to mount it on your bike.
You can integrate some intercoms with cell phones so you can talk while you ride. They require special cables or you can get motorcycle intercoms that have Bluetooth capability so they connect to your Bluetooth-enabled phone wirelessly.
Once you find the right motorcycle intercom for you, it will really make your ride with other people much more enjoyable. You'll wonder how you got along without it. You typically get what you pay for when you buy motorcycle intercoms, but even a bad motorcycle intercom is better than none at all.
Powerline Carrier Intercom
One wireless intercom is not truly wireless. It transmits and receives over the power lines of your house. Westinghouse makes one of these. Radio Shack also has one too but they call it an FM (frequency modulation) intercom (I believe Westinghouse private labels the Radio Shack intercom so it's the same product). It transmits and receives on FM frequencies, but it does so over the power lines.
These power-line carrier intercoms can work well but they frustrate more than half of the people who use them. One of the problems with these systems is with the way your house is wired. There's 220 volts coming in to your house, and that 220 is divided into two phases of 110 volts each; half your house will be wired on one phase and half on the other. The problem is that the FM signal does not usually jump across the phases, or if it does, it doesn't do it very well. So the intercoms may work fine in half your house and not at all, or poorly, in the other half.
The other problem with these power-line carrier intercoms is that you may have equipment plugged in that causes interference with the FM signal. Microwaves may be one of the worst offenders. These devices may make the intercom unusable. While these intercoms are cheap and you may try them to see if they work in your house, they are not recommended for commercial environments. There are just two many devices in an office or industrial environment that render them useless.
900 Mega Hertz Wireless Intercom
The other system on the market is the WireFree 900MHz Wireless Intercom System. As the name says, it transmits wirelessly in the 900MHz frequency range. This is the only true wireless system on the market. It is not the only one that transmits wirelessly through the airwaves, but it is the only one that is battery powered. So not only does it not communicate through your house or business wiring, it is not even plugged in unless you choose to purchase the optional power adapter.
The WireFree system is unique in that it has multiple low-cost components that no other wireless intercom system has. It has portable intercom units that sit on the surface of a desk, table, or countertop. There are two styles of this unit with one being called the WireFree Extreme Range system. It transmits and receives the same distance as the non-extreme range unit. Both have a maximum range of 1000 feet, but you are more likely to get in the 300 foot range depending on environment. Both units have the same feature set.
The WireFree system has a water-resistant outdoor doorbell intercom that can be used at your front door to talk to people there. The nice thing about this unit is once the people at your door press the button, they can talk hands free.
There is also a water-resistant outdoor intercom that can be used in any outdoor installation. This intercom requires button presses for every transmission. You can hang it on the wall or also put rubber feet on this unit and use it inside if you want. The nice part is that it only has one large button which makes it easy to use.
The WireFree system also has a flush mount intercom that can make your installation more custom looking. It requires cutting a hole in your wall, but it is battery powered too so no wiring is required. The battery life in all the WireFree units is 1 to 2 years so they don't require a lot of battery changing.
The WireFree system has a Monitor and VOX feature that not all wireless intercoms have. Monitor is like a baby monitor mode. The difference is that it does not continuously monitor. Its microphone only turns on when it detects sound that's loud enough to turn on the microphone. There are three different sensitivity settings to trigger the microphone, but even at its most sensitive setting, it won't work well for faint voices more than a couple of feet from the microphone. The downside of using the Monitor mode for some applications is that it sounds a tone on the receiving side every time the microphone is activated. If you were using this to monitor children, this would get irritating pretty fast.
If you put a WireFree unit in VOX mode, whenever someone from another unit calls the unit in VOX mode, they can respond hands free without pressing the Talk button. One problem that is shared with two-way radios that have VOX is that there is a slight delay in transmission while the VOX circuitry turns on the transmit microphone. Experienced radio operators know how to overcome this by repeating the first word or two, but for the average person, this delay is a little frustrating.
One unique feature of the WireFree system is its ability to do private conversations. Units have to be "taught" to talk with each other. Once this is done, even if your neighbors have the same unit, they can't listen or talk to yours. Also when you broadcast a page to all units, the WireFree system will set up a private conversation between the broadcaster and the person responding so all other units won't hear the conversation.
MURS Wireless Intercom
Yet another wireless intercom system is not so much of a system from one manufacturer as it is a compilation of wireless intercoms and two-way radios. This "system" is based on compatible products in the MURS radio frequency. MURS stands for Multi-Use Radio Service and is a two-way radio service consisting of five frequencies in the VHF (Very High Frequency) spectrum. Unlike most frequencies in the VHF range, MURS does not require an FCC license to operate.
Even though there are only 5 channels, each channel can choose between one of 38 "quiet codes" or sub-channels to keep you from hearing conversations of other users on that channel. You will only hear conversations from radios set to the same channel and quiet code as your radio. In most areas the MURS frequencies are very lightly used so you won't find a lot of competition for the airwaves.
The biggest benefit of MURS is the range it offers. Some manufacturers claim a range of four miles. Of course this range is a line of sight with no obstructions between intercoms. Range can even be increased with these intercoms by adding an external high-gain antenna on top of your house, business, or even car if you use a unit there.
What's nice about MURS is that you can get handheld two-way radios, commercial-duty base station and outdoor intercoms/callboxes, and even motion detectors that transmit a verbal alert message to other MURS devices. For business, industrial, or commercial applications a MURS system excels since it can overcome a lot of interference and obstacles these applications present.
If you need a wireless PA (public address) system, there is a wireless PA device that works with all the MURS radios. For retail business that services customers directly, there is even a wireless MURS device that enables customers to press a button and call for assistance via a transmitted recorded message.
Since any manufacturer can create a MURS wireless device, choosing a MURS system keeps you from being locked in to whatever products a particular manufacturer chooses to offer.
Whichever wireless intercom system you choose, they give you convenience and security that you can install quickly with no hassle.
The Cardo G4 antenna is only used to extend the range of the intercom function and has no benefit to the FM tuner (confirmed by Cardo Systems). Many of us were hoping that Cardo would use the antenna of the G9 to help pick up more stations on the FM band. It does NOT appear that they did this (not yet confirmed by Cardo but simply based on testing in one location). However, they seemed to have made the unit a little more sensitive so that it would not skip so many stations. Using the Scala Rider G4 FM tuner we scanned multiple times around the "dial" and could listen to only 5 stations clearly. Using the Scala Rider G9 in the same location the seek function stopped 10 times before coming back to the original station. However, two of the "stations" that it stopped at were complete static. In contrast a car radio (with a big antenna) picked up 18 stations without a problem.
The Scala Rider G9 FM tuner can be turned on and off with voice control. Simply push the button, wait for the 2nd beep and then say "radio on" or "radio off" and you will get a voice confirmation. At standstill it works perfectly, in a full face helmet at highway speeds it works quite well. We did not test the FM functionality during our half helmet test but given the clarity of the microphone on the recorded phone call using a half helmet I would expect that the voice functions would work well even with the half helmet.
There is also some seek / scan functionality that will allow you to set it to scan and play 20 seconds of each station then scan some more until you stop it. This is nice because it doesn't require you to reach up and hold the button for 2 seconds on every station but we wish the seek / scan functions could be controlled with voice commands. It is something we have suggested to them and hope that they will introduce it in a firmware update sometime soon.
A number of factors come into play for a rider when considering a new helmet purchase. One factor all riders must consider, and the number one reason to wear a helmet in the first place, remains safety.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2003, when comparing mile for mile, motorcycle riders faced a 32 percent greater likelihood of dying in a wreck compared to drivers in a car. In fact, the simple practice of wearing a helmet can dramatically reduce the number of road fatalities for cycle riders. The NHTSA estimates that between 1984 and 2004, nearly 11,000 motorcyclists would be alive today if they were wearing a helmet while riding.
Snell and Department of Transportation (DOT) ranking remain an industry standard by which customers can judge the safety "effectiveness" of a helmet. But what do the DOT and Snell standards mean for the average rider?
For starters, these ratings were created to offer objective criteria for certifying helmet safety. As a result, instead of relying on what a manufacturer or dealer might tell a buyer, now the buyer can identify real criteria in judging the measure of protection offered by a particular helmet.
But what testing procedures are employed in determining that criteria? Let's begin with the DOT rating.
DOT Rating
The DOT performs a straight forward impact test. Using a simulated head placed inside a helmet, testers drop the helmet from a height of ten feet. The head cannot receive more than 400 G-force units on impact. A G-force unit measures the force of gravity exerted against an object in motion.
Now here's the kicker with DOT rated helmets--manufacturers don't need to test their helmets in order to claim a DOT rating! A helmet manufacturer simply needs to feel that a helmet is meeting the DOT specifications to brand it as "DOT rated." The DOT might occasionally pull helmets to perform testing, but the majority of helmets sold as DOT certified do not undergo any level of testing.
Snell Rating
The Snell certification stands in rigorous contrast to DOT specifications. Helmet manufacturers voluntarily submit their products to the Snell evaluation service and pay for the testing procedures. These procedures are extensive and include seven test types, from impact to shell penetration tests to flame resistance testing. The type and degree of testing is dependent on the type of helmet and its application.
Snell cites the following areas as critical in helmet safety:
Impact management: how well the helmet protects against collisions with large objects; Helmet positional stability: whether the helmet will be in place, on the head, when it's needed; Retention system strength: whether the chin straps are sufficiently strong enough to hold the helmet throughout a head impact; and Extent of protection: the area of the head protected by the helmet.
Snell Memorial Foundation, Inc. ( 2005). 2005 Standard for Protective Headgear, 4.
In short, Snell offers the highest certification standards regarding helmet safety. But a buyer will pay a higher price for Snell certified helmets, as the added costs of production and testing add to the overall value of the helmet.
Safety Matters
A number of points exist in the mind of a buyer when considering a helmet purchase. Style, color, fit, and comfort are extremely important factors when purchasing a helmet. Price is also a consideration for many buyers. However, safety should be paramount when purchasing a helmet. If you scrimp too much on price, you might get a nice looking helmet that unfortunately doesn't hold up in those critical moments. So take the time, do your homework, and find a helmet that will keep you alive and allow you to keep riding for years to come.
DOT and Snell Motorcycle Helmets: Understanding DOT and Snell RatingsThis wireless intercom review will help you make an intelligent choice on choosing a wireless intercom system. There are a limited number of wireless intercoms on the market so choosing one is not as difficult as choosing some other type of consumer product. There are really only three wireless intercom systems that are available.
Powerline Carrier Intercom
One wireless intercom is not truly wireless. It transmits and receives over the power lines of your house. Westinghouse makes one of these. Radio Shack also has one too but they call it an FM (frequency modulation) intercom (I believe Westinghouse private labels the Radio Shack intercom so it's the same product). It transmits and receives on FM frequencies, but it does so over the power lines.
These power-line carrier intercoms can work well but they frustrate more than half of the people who use them. One of the problems with these systems is with the way your house is wired. There's 220 volts coming in to your house, and that 220 is divided into two phases of 110 volts each; half your house will be wired on one phase and half on the other. The problem is that the FM signal does not usually jump across the phases, or if it does, it doesn't do it very well. So the intercoms may work fine in half your house and not at all, or poorly, in the other half.
The other problem with these power-line carrier intercoms is that you may have equipment plugged in that causes interference with the FM signal. Microwaves may be one of the worst offenders. These devices may make the intercom unusable. While these intercoms are cheap and you may try them to see if they work in your house, they are not recommended for commercial environments. There are just two many devices in an office or industrial environment that render them useless.
900 Mega Hertz Wireless Intercom
The other system on the market is the WireFree 900MHz Wireless Intercom System. As the name says, it transmits wirelessly in the 900MHz frequency range. This is the only true wireless system on the market. It is not the only one that transmits wirelessly through the airwaves, but it is the only one that is battery powered. So not only does it not communicate through your house or business wiring, it is not even plugged in unless you choose to purchase the optional power adapter.
The WireFree system is unique in that it has multiple low-cost components that no other wireless intercom system has. It has portable intercom units that sit on the surface of a desk, table, or countertop. There are two styles of this unit with one being called the WireFree Extreme Range system. It transmits and receives the same distance as the non-extreme range unit. Both have a maximum range of 1000 feet, but you are more likely to get in the 300 foot range depending on environment. Both units have the same feature set.
The WireFree system has a water-resistant outdoor doorbell intercom that can be used at your front door to talk to people there. The nice thing about this unit is once the people at your door press the button, they can talk hands free.
There is also a water-resistant outdoor intercom that can be used in any outdoor installation. This intercom requires button presses for every transmission. You can hang it on the wall or also put rubber feet on this unit and use it inside if you want. The nice part is that it only has one large button which makes it easy to use.
The WireFree system also has a flush mount intercom that can make your installation more custom looking. It requires cutting a hole in your wall, but it is battery powered too so no wiring is required. The battery life in all the WireFree units is 1 to 2 years so they don't require a lot of battery changing.
The WireFree system has a Monitor and VOX feature that not all wireless intercoms have. Monitor is like a baby monitor mode. The difference is that it does not continuously monitor. Its microphone only turns on when it detects sound that's loud enough to turn on the microphone. There are three different sensitivity settings to trigger the microphone, but even at its most sensitive setting, it won't work well for faint voices more than a couple of feet from the microphone. The downside of using the Monitor mode for some applications is that it sounds a tone on the receiving side every time the microphone is activated. If you were using this to monitor children, this would get irritating pretty fast.
If you put a WireFree unit in VOX mode, whenever someone from another unit calls the unit in VOX mode, they can respond hands free without pressing the Talk button. One problem that is shared with two-way radios that have VOX is that there is a slight delay in transmission while the VOX circuitry turns on the transmit microphone. Experienced radio operators know how to overcome this by repeating the first word or two, but for the average person, this delay is a little frustrating.
One unique feature of the WireFree system is its ability to do private conversations. Units have to be "taught" to talk with each other. Once this is done, even if your neighbors have the same unit, they can't listen or talk to yours. Also when you broadcast a page to all units, the WireFree system will set up a private conversation between the broadcaster and the person responding so all other units won't hear the conversation.
MURS Wireless Intercom
Yet another wireless intercom system is not so much of a system from one manufacturer as it is a compilation of wireless intercoms and two-way radios. This "system" is based on compatible products in the MURS radio frequency. MURS stands for Multi-Use Radio Service and is a two-way radio service consisting of five frequencies in the VHF (Very High Frequency) spectrum. Unlike most frequencies in the VHF range, MURS does not require an FCC license to operate.
Even though there are only 5 channels, each channel can choose between one of 38 "quiet codes" or sub-channels to keep you from hearing conversations of other users on that channel. You will only hear conversations from radios set to the same channel and quiet code as your radio. In most areas the MURS frequencies are very lightly used so you won't find a lot of competition for the airwaves.
The biggest benefit of MURS is the range it offers. Some manufacturers claim a range of four miles. Of course this range is a line of sight with no obstructions between intercoms. Range can even be increased with these intercoms by adding an external high-gain antenna on top of your house, business, or even car if you use a unit there.
What's nice about MURS is that you can get handheld two-way radios, commercial-duty base station and outdoor intercoms/callboxes, and even motion detectors that transmit a verbal alert message to other MURS devices. For business, industrial, or commercial applications a MURS system excels since it can overcome a lot of interference and obstacles these applications present.
If you need a wireless PA (public address) system, there is a wireless PA device that works with all the MURS radios. For retail business that services customers directly, there is even a wireless MURS device that enables customers to press a button and call for assistance via a transmitted recorded message.
Since any manufacturer can create a MURS wireless device, choosing a MURS system keeps you from being locked in to whatever products a particular manufacturer chooses to offer.
Whichever wireless intercom system you choose, they give you convenience and security that you can install quickly with no hassle.
Wireless Intercom ReviewMotorcycle sound systems have come a long way in the past couple of years. We all like to hear the wind and rumble of our bikes, but if we are riding for a few hours it's nice to hear some tunes to help the miles roll by.
In the past the choices for motorcycle sound systems have been somewhat limited. Bulky am/fm radios with less-than-spectacular speakers often provided more grief and inconsistent reception than they were worth.
Well, that has changed for the better with the modern electronic revolution. With the advent of i-pods, satellite radio, and MP-3 players, the music of our choice is more available than ever.
The current offerings of sound systems vary widely but most offer better performance than even the top of the line models of just a few years ago.
There are several things to consider when looking at motorcycle sound systems. The ability to plug in your MP-3, satellite radio, and i-pod provides a lot more flexibility in your sound system.
Typically, if you are going on a road trip outside of your usual haunts your standard am/fm radio will be losing channels and you'll need to search for more.
If your sound system incorporates the new technologies you'll be able to listen to your favorite tunes for miles and miles without monkeying around with channel surfing.
Another advancement is the sound delivery system. Gone are the old speakers that strained to deliver clear, crisp sound at 60 mph. New external speakers are driven by small yet powerful amps that deliver clear crisp sound at any speed.
Another excellent advance is the in-helmet audio. The current offerings provide an excellent sound with no external speakers to clog up space on your bike.
Whatever system you choose, just keep in mind that technology will be constantly advancing so if you can get a system that is flexible it will allow you to upgrade as new technologies become available.
Motorcycle Sound Systems: What Is The Right System For You?Without a motorcycle intercom, motorcycle riding is a solitary experience. When you're riding alone it's a good way to clear your head or get your thoughts together. But if you've got a passenger, or you're riding with another biker, inevitably you'll want to talk to them. Motorcycle intercom systems that mount in your helmet let you do that.
The problem is that there are so many to choose from in such a wide price range. It's hard to decide which one to choose. And given that motorcycle intercoms have to work in an extremely difficult environment, choosing the right one can make the difference between enjoying your new purchase or hating it. This motorcycle intercom review will hopefully make your decision easier.
Let's start with a broad overview of the types of motorcycle intercoms available.
Acoustic Motorcycle Intercom
The most basic form of motorcycle intercom is the acoustic intercom. By acoustic I mean that it doesn't use electronics at all. It just uses hollow tubes that your voice travels through. They're like the old ships where the captain yells down a tube to the engine room to tell them to "give it more steam."
These systems have rubber-tipped tubes that insert in your ear the same way an earplug would. There is also a mouthpiece tube for you to talk into and all the tubes connect into a junction box.
One of the positives is that there are no batteries or electronics to mess with. That makes them very dependable. However, there is no amplification which means there is no way to adjust the volume or filter out wind noise. So at higher speeds, it will be more difficult to hear. Another problem is that some people find the "earplugs" uncomfortable in their ears for long periods.
Obviously these acoustic intercoms only work for rider-to-passenger and not bike-to-bike.
Wired Motorcycle Intercom
The next step up is wired intercoms. These systems have wires that run from the rider and passenger into a central control box that houses the electronics and battery.
Just like the acoustic intercom, with a wired system you don't have to worry about any external interference like you do with wireless technologies, unless you add a radio handheld communicator for bike-to-bike talking to your system. Some wired units let you plug in an FRS/GMRS radio, which is described in the wireless technology section below. The radio requires voice activation for it to work.
One of the issues some people have is that the wiring can be a little bit of a pain. Every time you and a passenger get on and off the bike you have to remember to unplug the units. Depending on how you have it set up, this could be two or three plugs.
Wireless Intercom Technology
There are four types of radio technologies used in the U.S. for motorcycle intercoms. They are GMRS, FRS, FM, and Bluetooth. There are also wired intercoms that enable you to plug into a handheld Citizens Band (CB) radio that has voice activation.
Frequency Modulation (FM) radio is similar to the FM radio you listen to, but for motorcycle intercoms a narrower frequency is used. Like FM radio, these systems can produce clear sound, as long as the distance between them isn't too great. FM radio works best when there are no obstructions such as hills between the transmitter and receiver. If long range is the most important feature, then GMRS intercoms will provide better performance.
The Family Radio Service (FRS) and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) are the modern equivalents to the old walkie talkies you may have had when you were a kid. FRS radios typically have a maximum range of two miles with few obstructions in between, while GRMS radios communicate up to several miles. Like FM, these are public frequencies so other people can hear your conversations and vice versa. In some heavily populated areas these FRS/GRMS radios are heavily used, while out on the open road you should have fairly private conversations.
One nice thing with the FRS and GMRS radios is that you can go to your local discount store and purchase a cheap handheld radio that will communicate with these units. If someone were following you in a car, or they had a wired motorcycle intercom system that lets them plug in an FRS/GMRS handheld radio, they can communicate with you. The downside of this was just mentioned in that there are millions of these radios out there so in heavily populated areas you'll pick up lots of other transmissions. Also GMRS radios require an FCC license for legal use.
Bluetooth is the latest technology to hit motorcycle intercoms. Not only can these systems communicate totally wirelessly from rider to passenger, they can be used to communicate from bike to bike. Although with these systems the range is not in miles, it is in hundreds of feet. Since you are likely riding close to your buddies, this is not usually a problem. Although, range can be as much as 800 to 1600 feet.
The Bluetooth range limitation actually works as an advantage since it limits the amount of outside interference you'll get. Also, since you must program two units to work together, you won't pick up conversations from other people with Bluetooth devices...and they won't be able to hear you. You won't have to worry about your conversations listened to by anyone else.
If you want Bluetooth wireless communication there is one thing to watch for. Some units that say they are Bluetooth use FRS or GMRS to communicate bike-to-bike and the Bluetooth is just used to communicate with a Bluetooth enabled cell phone or other device.
Bluetooth intercoms also usually have some other features you won't find on other types of intercoms such as:
Integrate with Bluetooth enabled cell phones and automatically answer calls totally hands free.
Enjoy your favorite stereo music from your A2DP enabled cell phone or MP3 player
Listen to the audio navigation message from your Bluetooth enabled GPS.
Some Bluetooth intercoms only have one ear speaker while others have two.
Motorcycle Helmet Intercom Features
Here are features to look for as you are shopping for an intercom to use with your motorcycle helmet:
If you may be riding in the rain, get a system that says it's waterproof and not just water resistant. Some riders will put a water resistant system in a plastic baggie and that works for them.
You can get systems that have a headset speaker for one ear or both ears. Installation and moving the intercom to another helmet is easier for systems with only one ear, but some people want to hear sound in both ears.
Most systems have voice activation of some kind to keep the headset quiet when no talking is occurring. This voice activation often has the ability to be disabled and a push-to-talk switch used instead.
Many intercoms have noise reduction capabilities with digital signal processing to help reduce the noise they pick up from the microphone. The faster you drive, or the windier it is, the more important this feature is.
If you want music, look for a system that has a built-in FM stereo radio tuner or an auxiliary stereo input for a Walkman, MP3, iPod, or satellite radio unit. You can also use this input to receive driving directions from a voice prompted GPS unit.
Some systems mount on your helmet, while others have capability to mount on your belt clip or bike. If the system is big and bulky, you may want the ability to mount it on your bike.
You can integrate some intercoms with cell phones so you can talk while you ride. They require special cables or you can get motorcycle intercoms that have Bluetooth capability so they connect to your Bluetooth-enabled phone wirelessly.
Once you find the right motorcycle intercom for you, it will really make your ride with other people much more enjoyable. You'll wonder how you got along without it. You typically get what you pay for when you buy motorcycle intercoms, but even a bad motorcycle intercom is better than none at all.
Motorcycle Intercoms - How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Intercom For You
