Hear, Listen, Who Helps You?

[David]

This system is pretty good, too:

 

http://www.airrider.com/store/product.php?id=311

[Jerry_75_Guy]

Spendy, but I understand 'Baehr' is very good also.

[akasjl]

I have an Autocom Active 7, and I love it. It works as advertised.

[randy]

add chatterbox to the list

they all pros and cons. cost/benefit

 

at the top end you have autocom, starcom, Baer, airrider each unit has its proponents and distractors. And shoot sometimes it is the same person

 

at the lower end you have chatterbox and a few others. I actully used a lower cost unit with great successs when I first started. It met all my needs. I think total cost was 175.00. But after a short time, I wanted more and moved up to the bigger units.

 

if all you want is music or to GMRS or CB radio to a passenger, etc, then I think you have many moderate priced options.

 

I you plan on cell phone, music, GMRS, radar dector, GPS, etc, then the big units really pay for themselves in the long run.

 

As with most decisions in life, you have to really know what you THINK you will need. YMMV but once I do that, I then buy the opposit, and it usually ends up being just right.

 

 

Probably just about every device known has been used by someone on this board, and probably been written up. Do a search, make sure it is set to 2 years, and you should get lots of hits.

[kudzu]

My only experience is with Autocom, but that experience has been impressive. I plug a V-1, GPS, satellite radio, and bike-to-bike into it and it functions transparently and flawlessly. Riding buddy uses all that plus intercom when his wife is on board and that works the same.

 

It works fine with a cell phone, too, but my cell phone doesn't ring through the hands free speaker. So, a caller might find themselves listening to me singing along with the the satellite radio, unaware that they are trying to call me. Nobody deserves that!

 

You can certainly find something cheaper, and you might find something better, but you can be sure you won't go wrong with the Autocom.

[Aluminum_Butt]

I just bought a Starcom. I'm using rider/pillion, GPS, and satellite radio. I'm also going to use CB and cell phone, but I'm still working on those.

 

When outfitted with all the cables, the Starcom was just over $400. The Autocom would've been closer to $800. I read reviews and postings all over the web. I found a lot of positive comments on the Starcom, and very few negatives.

 

I haven't tried the Autocom, so I can't do a comparison. But, I can't see what I could possibly get from the Autocom that I don't get from the Starcom. Sound quality is good, VOX works, I like the way the inputs mix, etc.

 

Some complain (and perhaps rightly so) that the Starcom cables/connectors are prone to damage over the long term. The Starcom does not have sidetone (meaning you cannot hear yourself speak). There are valid arguments on both sides as to whether you want sidetone or not.

 

All in all, I'm happy with the Starcom, and think it was the right system for me. Feel free to PM if you'd like to get into any detail.

[Uggles]

Baehr. Seamless integration, no mucking about. Pricey but.

Cheers

[dukestodd]

My Autocom system is the best gadget I have ever added to a bike. Which ever system you decide to purchase make certain that it has wind noise canceling technology built into it. The Autocom system’s noise canceling is good enough that it still works great at 100mph+. Now my wife can clarify that the smack to the back of my helmet doesn’t mean “go faster”.

[Whip]

BAEHR

[Delboy]

Starcom for me it does what it says on the box and they now do a bluetooth gizmo that plugs in for your mobile.

 

Regards Del

[SDMike]

This system is pretty good, too:

 

http://www.airrider.com/store/product.php?id=311

Hey David,

What's the consensus on the quality of the Airrider vs. the rest? Pros? Cons? I'm pretty sure this is the first I've heard of it.

 

I'm in the market for something come springtime (or even as early as mid-winter here in Sandy Eggo!)

 

M

[Rob]

I've had an Airrider system for about 6 years and my wife's has had one for 4 years. Never had any complaints with them. They are not small units but pretty much bullet proof.

 

I put a J&M 2003 unit on my R12RT earlier this year for the CB. I was using their headset and went thru 3 of them. When the last one malfunctioned, I complained to Sierra MC (where I bought the system) and mentioned that my Airrider head set was still working after the 5 years and 3 or 4 helmets. The lady mentioned that I could buy an adapter to connect the Airrider headset to the J&M 2003. Works great!

 

I put the old Airrider in the tankbag of my GSPD and it still works great with the orginal cables.

 

JMHO,

 

Rob Lessen

Arma, KS

'73 XL250

'91 R100GSPD

'96 R11RS

'05 R12RT

[Motorrad4fun]

Thanks for all the feedback so far, the smack in the head bit brought back memories

Thanks

[David]

What's the consensus on the quality of the Airrider vs. the rest? Pros? Cons? I'm pretty sure this is the first I've heard of it.

 

I don't own one, so I'll let others speak up. Autocom sort of got on a role and it's a "favorite," justified or not. But I know three smart buyers who chose the AirRider over the other choices (Tom Roe, Steve Knapp, and Jake), so there must be something there.

[JamesB]

Whatever system you get, let me encourage you to get one where the passenger & rider volumes can be set independently. I bought the "entry level" Autocom. It has worked flawlessly. But the volume that my wife prefers is high enough to make my headset uncomfotably loud. (We've swapped headsets & plugs - so it's not just a hardware bias issue.) Wish I had forked out the extra for a "better" model where they are independtly adjustable.

[SkidMark]

I to have been investigating the comunication issue but was wondering, regardless of which unit I was to buy would I be able to comunicate with all of those with different units?

[Steve-C]

I had issues with Starcom and their headset connectors. I went through 3 cables in 12 months. Customer service was A1 though, and they were happy to replace the cables, no questions asked.

 

Rider/Pillion was the only downside I found. It was just too quiet to be usable. This was a shame as the unit itself worked great for music/GPS/phone.

 

I was at a national bike show (BMF) in May and saw a 'new' player Intaride They were a bit cheaper than Starcom, came with most of the cables and two headsets, so I bought one. They are unique in using police style jack plugs, so little worries about them breaking!

 

It has an autovox system which works well upto legal speeds flip up or down, connections for PMR, phone, music, and GPS, so no fiddling with Y-connectors (Starcom only offers 2 inputs) and has sidetone. It also has noise cancelling mics, but the don't mention it as they figure everyone has that now. They could be another option depending on availability in your area.

 

The only downside I found was that the music quality is a bit more tinny, but it really depends on if you rate durability over sounds quality IMHO.

 

Starcom is a great product, I just found the reliability and rider pillion dissapointing. Mine was used 5/6 times a week with at least 2 hook-up a day. YMMV.

 

Autocom are used by a lot of people, but I found their prices offputting.

 

Steve

[Uggles]

... would I be able to comunicate with all of those with different units?

As long as you are on the same CB / UHF channel.

 

And welcome to the board.

Cheers.