10/25/2013 SENA SH-10 Motorcycle Intercom Review

Let me start by saying I've spent my entire riding career listening to the hum of the engine and the wind.  It's an awesome thing - right up until you start riding long distance.  At that point, you need to get the sound level way down and find something to entertain you if you have nothing but Interstate blacktop in front of you.  We can talk about GPS and XM Satellite radio later.  The subject of this blog is the Sena SH-10 Intercom.  My road test was the first time I've talked to another rider and the second headset I've owned.  My other is a Shuberth.  Hands down, the Sena beats the Shuberth.  It's an outstanding headset and I highly recommend it.

Still reading?  Fine, I'll go into detail.

Out of the box, it is very easy to install on your helmet.  You have a choice of very sticky tape (how I did it) or pinching the outside shell of the helmet with the provided bracket.  Because my helmet is too thick at the bottom, I had to do the former.  Once installed, I plugged in the unit to get a charge and configured it to link with my iPhone - this was just as straightforward as it could be.

Our road test was a 1200 mile trip to Utah and back.   The trip was over 3 days.  Day 1 was an 8 hour day, day 2 - 14 hours and day 3, 7 hours.   We talked nearly continuously over the intercom for all but about 1 hour of the trip. Many times, we were split apart by about a quarter mile.  We continued to talk like we were sitting next to each other.  Only in the canyons when we lost visual contact with one another and were split by over a quarter mile did the signal drop out.  The sound quality is outstanding.  There was a very minor white noise type sound that was wind noise.  It is so faint, I was glad it was there because without it, I'd have no idea that someone else was on the other end of the intercom.  When a strong crosswind comes in, the wind noise increases; but, this is more due to the lack of wind protection than anything.  The intercom takes care of most of that and the sound quality is fantastic.  I did make a phone call, and as expected, the sound quality was excellent.

There is an issue with Bluetooth and the K1600GT.  I have not tried to link the headset to the bike yet.  That's a test for another day; but, as far as basic bluetooth, phone and intercom, the Sena is awesome.