Bike to Bike Comms - Scala G9 vs Sena SMH10 vs ?

[TheDonUK]

Hi all,

Going to be doing a bit of riding in europe in mid March, something like Spain to Turkey and back home with a mate, we have been talking about getting bike to bike comms for some time now as it would be great around town and for longer trips like this one.

The Scala riders seem pretty well rated (G4's mind), was looking for opinions of anyone that has either a G4 or the newer G9 about how good it is specifically for the bike to bike comms.

Reviews online are sketchy, some saying the company is pretty unhelpful if the unit goes tits up, i do get that impression from their website.. seems like some rate the sena SMH10 better.

Any thoughts? not looking for any wired in systems really.

Will be installed on a shoei multitec and possibly a neotec flip fronts
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[Marmaduke]

Not sure about the Scala but the Sena can be added to a radio for huge range.

Awesome sound, and they finally added shared audio, so you can both listen to the same sounds and sat nav instructions.

Options for ear buds or speakers

I use mine every day for about an hour (music or comms) and only charge it once a fortnight.
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Current: '03 Tuono RSV1000, '05 Van Van, '91 Zephyr 550
Previous: Multistrada 620,Bandit 600,Kawsaki ER-5, BMW K-75

[barrkel]

GF and I have Scala Rider Q2 multiset we bought a few years back; flat speakers that are vecroed into the helmet, with boom mikes. GF's helmet is a Neotec, mine a C3.

We use the glue-on mounts, except they're not glued onto helmets; they're attached to 3M dual lock velcro tape, with matching dual lock on the helmets. That way, we don't need new mounts for each helmet, and we also don't have issues with the clamp mount interfering with the helmet trim.

We only used the headsets for actual communication on rides a couple of times though. The speakers aren't quite loud enough to overcome earplugs, and without earplugs there's some distortion from wind noise. Voice activation is also problematic, as the system ends up clipping the start of all your transmissions.

Transmission range was good enough however. It was handy, at times, for awkward overtakes; if you're further up the road and can see it's clear around a bend, you can let the person behind know it's safe to overtake. But you have to adapt your communication style to it. Also, it turns out that if the ride is interesting, you don't really want to talk about it, you just want to shut up and ride.

In the end, we mostly use the headsets for music, paired with our respective phones. I've paired it with my GPS a couple of times, but GPS voice instructions are usually fairly redundant. I use mine on my commute every morning and evening. Music helps kill the monotony of motorway rides in particular. But the fidelity is not good enough for e.g. an audio book. Like Marmaduke, I charge it once a fortnight, with an average of an hour's play every day.

If I were seriously looking for a system that kept us both in contact all the time, I'd be looking a lot harder at push to talk systems wired into the handlebars, or always connected systems (which I expect would necessarily be wired, due to the power requirements). I'd also be looking at custom molded earplugs with built-in speakers.

But, at the same time, that's not what I'm seriously looking for - it turns out, being in permanent contact for hours on end, over thousands of miles, isn't what we were looking for.
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Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[TheDonUK]

Thanks for the replies,

Food for thought certainly.

We had discussed the earplugs issue, as i always wear them on long journeys. Would not really be a problem on little rides around the city / south east but on a long tour would be frustrating to have to keep stopping to pop in plugs for the faster bits.

Also interesting re VOX/PTT issues and chopping the first bit of a sentence off, i wonder if it would be wishful thinking to think with the G9 model they would have improved.

Hrm.. Im slightly less gung-ho about buying a bluetooth headset now... Will ponder some more, Cheers!

Edit:

Wondering if something like this headset with a pair of cheap PMR radios would be better and cheaper...

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/helmet-speaker-and-microphone-kit-ds34m

Another Edit:

It seems like Sena will be releasing a new model around Jan called the S20, might wait for that..
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[bamt]

One thought about VOX/PTT - when in a happy mood (i.e. quite often when on two wheels) I'll sing along to the music I'm listening to.

Bearing in mind my vocal prowess and typical choice of top quality music, having VOX transmitting this would quite likely ensure that my riding partner would not be in a happy mood.

I'd rather know precisely when the radio is transmitting and when it isn't; a PTT next to the left thumb is only as awkward to operate as the indicators.

[pinkyfloyd]

We use Midland radios when instructing. They are among the best of the bunch we find. They are quite expensive, I was lucky I got mine half price but I still paid £50 for 2 and I had to buy 4.
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[Walloper]

Scala seem to be the popular choice.
It's a Scala in the Schuberth hat I use. Bluetooth comms for phone, sat-nav, iPod and intercom.
More than one rider connection too.

It's an SRCS system. It has a very basic FM radio function too. But this is limited by the very tiny antenna or possibly the metal plate in my head interferes with the signal.

For Phone and Sat-Nav it's great for iPod it's brill. My Jimmy Shand and Danny O'Donnal Greatest Hits comes through to the speaker clear as day.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Walloper]

[Wonko The Sane]

[Walloper]

[BigDan1190]

Of the two, definately go for the Sena.

The scalas are good bits of kit, but they have one fatal flaw. They have this "auto-volume" thing, that turns the volume up and down based upon how much wind noise the mic picks up.

Fucking infuriating because the speakers aren't loud enough anyway once behind your helmet speakers.

And they don't have an earphones option.

Whereas the Senas have an earphone option!!! So you can get something like the Etymotic or the Soundmagic PL30s that go in your ear. Therefore you get ear protection, AND everything is nice and clear.

I wish I didn't shell out so much on the Scalas without looking at the alternatives.

[Marmaduke]

Yep, Sena have the earbud option and you don't need to use VOX.

With the latest update it takes about 1 second to enable comms manually anyway, but battery life is still good even if just leaving it on.

Can hear each other fine at 70 with visors open.

If battery life was a real issue you can charge them while using them.
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Current: '03 Tuono RSV1000, '05 Van Van, '91 Zephyr 550
Previous: Multistrada 620,Bandit 600,Kawsaki ER-5, BMW K-75

[Walloper]

[TheDonUK]

Yeah the threads on ADVrider / Horizons seem to have an overwhelming support for Sena as a product in the SMH-10's and the company as far as aftersales service, whereas Scala seem to come across not so well.

I was leaning towards the Sena if we do go down the bluetooth route then i saw that this new S20 should be coming out in Janurary ish (have emailed sena for confirmation, will see how they respond in the new year). They are now claiming 1.5 mile range in optimal conditions (i realise it will still likely be line of sight) also interestingly universal bluetooth connectivity, so possibly able to connect to other brands such as Scala, which is interesting if it works.

Also re earplugs i wrongly assumed the helmet speakers would be too quiet to be heard through earplugs, but it seems all the reviews on webbikeworld etc tested with earplugs in, so thats a bonus. Clearly earplugs and custom moulded earplugs plugged into whatever system is going to give the best clarity/protection, thats something to look at down the line. for the next few months and for this tour in March it will be with whatever comes in the kit.

I am quite tempted by the midland/radio combo with PTT on the handlebars, my mate however does want all the features like pairing with the phone so i think the bluetooth headset will suit better.

I was looking to buy one system in the next week or so, but being that this new Sena S20 seems to be imminent in Janurary i hope. will prob hold out for that and go with it on the basis of the general community love for that Brand and hope its just a better version of the SMH-10.

Also i have no love for VOX generally, from what i have read about the SMH-10 and the Scala G9's there is a button on both (Jog Dial on Sena and the A or B button on the Scala that you can just press once for manual activation of a intercom line to something you are paired with, which would be no more trouble than a hand signal im guessing...

https://senabluetooth.com/product/intercoms/20s/
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[J biker]

Used the Senna sm5h for my Alps trip this year, rider to pillion not bike to bike so cant comment on range.
Speakers fit fine inside Shoei xr1100. Able to have a conversation with earplugs in place without issue, up to around 75-80mph. Its worth playing around with microphone position to reduce wind noise.
Needed charging every night as one unit always failed part way through the second day.
Slight problem with one unit after heavy rain (as in monsoon type rain in Switzerland!) working again once properly dried out.
It didn't like pairing with the Garmin Zumo.

[barrkel]