Sport-Touring.Net

Hello guys!

I'm looking for a helmet that is Bluetooth integrated for music and phone calls. I have been trying to search for some information on the internet and I found a BILT full face and it is around $200. It is the only model I found that in where I live that had the Bluetooth system. Some of my friends suggested buying a Bluetooth ready helmet (https://helmetszone.com/best-bluetooth-motorcycle-helmet.html) and install my own unit. I tried looking at Unclear for that. I understand that we should not go cheap on a helmet, but is there any way I can do to not just break the bank. I have been looking for the question for like a month now, hope this time can find out the best solution. Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!!

Unless you just plan to use the helmet for local riding on non-interstate roads, forget it.

I’ve gone long and hard to find Bluetooth ready helmets.  They really don’t exist.  They either have sub par Bluetooth performance or poor speaker/sound quality when dealing with wind noise and sound reproduction.

I’ve had several Bluetooth dongles, but I went with the HJC i90 helmet with can come with Bluetooth installed (separate kit) or you can install your own.  I have a Sena (which, in spite of price, has marginal speakers at best), and the speakers and wires are easily installed in the i90.  Sena is mounted to the helmet.

For a local ride, I can pop in my Earpeace (or you can go with Eargasm...these are earplugs with interchangeable innards so you set how much dB protection you are getting) and use the speakers or I’ll use my wired earbuds on longer rides that plug into the audio out port on the Sena.  The earbuds double as hearing protection and give much better sound quality.

There are cheaper options to the Sena, but not all have audio out options for wired earbuds.  If the speakers are hard wired to the harness, you’ll likely always have to deal with lousy speakers (you’d think top-of-the-line systems would package the best speakers possible).  As novel as the Bilt helmet is in concept, I hear nothing better than mediocre reviews on its performance.

I think you need to first decide exactly WHY you want this type of setup, and then 2ndly decide just how much you are willing to pay for it, 3rdly decide where and when you most need it.....Highway or backroad riding?  

Sena makes helmets that have the Sena unit built into them. But as zero said, the speaker quality is somewhat suspect. They recently introduced a flip up design helmet for 199.00, and they have had regular full face helmets available for 400.00+ for some time now. I know people that have tested the full face units and they said the sound quality was just OK.

I’ve got a regular Sena 20 on my helmet and it works fine MOST of the time.  Making sure the speakers were positioned as close to my ears as possible really helped the sound quality, but it’s still hard to hear at highway speeds.  I know of people that use plugin earbuds and they say they have great quality and can hear very clearly, but I hate having anything in my ears, so I don’t use them. There are lots of threads out on forums about people changing the speakers on Sena units and upgrades available. Some seem to work better than others, and there is a wide range of costs involved.

It seems to be a rule that the cheaper you go, the lesser the quality, so if you want the best quality of sound be prepared to spend the money it’s going to take.  Sound quality can be improved by cutting air flow, which is OK in the winter but not so OK the rest of the year.

I'm happy with my Nolan setup. I have the 104 model, (modular), with the B5 Com system. They are designed for each other. Easy to operate. great for phone calls. Music, on the other hand, is just ok. At speed, (over 60), music isn't too clear because of wind noise. The phone is great at any speed. The other person can't even tell that your riding. I've even had the helmet open @ 80MPH and they can't tell that your riding.

For what it’s worth, I know of no helmet system (no earbuds) that performs well at highway speeds...not without a mad expensive helmet that effectively blocks ALL wind noise.

They now make custom molded in-ear monitors with BT. The guts of things are in 2 small "bumps" on the cord between the 2 ear pieces. One holds the battery and the USB port to recharge it. The other bump is the control for on/off, volume, and pairing. Run the cord behind your neck, put on the helmet, and enjoy.

Helmet headsets have to be cranked up to max to get past ear plugs (a requirement for ALL helmets if you want to protect your hearing). Ear monitors kill all sounds equally so traffic is easier to hear and you can turn town your audio to just off the "mute" setting (and still ehar it better than the other way).