Motorcycle Communicators: What to Look for and How to Buy.
When
you’re riding with a group, or even just a single passenger, it’s
important to be able to communicate easily. Not only does simple
communication make for safer riding, but it makes for easier and more
comfortable riding as well. Long gone are the days of screaming at your
passenger amidst the noise of the highway, and you’ll never have to
worry about your hand signals meaning something different in each of
your five riding groups again—let alone your hand signals going
completely unnoticed around blind curves. Communicators are also great
for passengers, who can let the rider know when they need to make an
adjustment without having to wait for a stop.
Most
motorcycle communicator radios are FRS radios (family radio system). FRS
radios allow for easy communication with any other radio in range that
is tuned to the same frequency channel. In order to use one with a
riding buddy, each of you will need to have one. It will generally cost
over $250, but the investment is well worth it—just ask anyone who has
them.
There are a number of advantages to purchasing an FRS radio and headset, including:
- The ability to verbally communicate via intercom with another
rider up to two miles away—hands free and without using signals - Input jack for cell phones (not recommended for use while riding) or alert/radar detector - Audio input jack (AM/FM, CD, MP3) that mutes music when another rider initiates communication over the intercom - The ability to have a passenger plug into the rider’s headset
- Push to talk options available for noisy environments—the voice
activation may trigger the intercom in very noisy areas, and the push
to talk feature is nice to have in order to avoid this. Although most
headsets will allow you to adjust the sensitivity of the microphone in
order to help with this issue as well.
You want to look
for a headset that has rechargeable batteries; it will make your life a
lot easier! You also want to look for the noise cancelling feature. The
best place for the ear pieces is inside the ear pockets of your
helmet—this also keeps them protected in the rain, though a good radio
will be water-resistant. Headset options are available for both open and
closed faced helmets. Motorcycle communicators are mountable and can be
attached directly to the helmet or motorcycle. If you often ride with a
passenger, many riders choose to mount the communicator to a saddle
bag.
Eagle Leather recommends the Chatterbox FRS-X2 radio
because it has it all. It is Chatterbox’s most technologically advanced
unit. Its features include:
- A large illuminated LCD display with 14 channels and 38 talk groups - VOX/voice activated or PTT/push to talk with a full duplex intercom - Cellular phone input and an audio input with full stereo sound - Rechargeable Ni-MH battery allowing up to 2 miles range - Tough water resistant casing.
Eagle
Leather can help you select your next headset. Just drop in and talk to
any one of our sales associates. We’re here to help!
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
