Big Shepp

I'm a bit of a music addict, and one of the first things I ever did in my truck was install an awesome sound system, so I figured one of the first things I'd do with my 'Hawk was get some sort of sound system.

I tried the whole ear-buds hooked to an iPod, but every time I put my helmet on it would mess with the ear-buds and make the whole experience uncomfortable. Then I had to pull the ear-buds out before removing my helmet or suffer the painful dragging of the 'buds across my ears and head.

And so began my search for a better source of high fidelity in a motorcycle experience. I researched Bluetooth ear-buds/earphones as well as wireless ones. I looked at microphone/headset systems that are integrated with the helmet, and my findings led me to one simple conclusion. Essentially, Bluetooth can be unreliable and the sound quality isn't great. The same goes for the Bluetooth integrated helmets, and those helmets are pretty cheap, and I'm not the kind of person to skimp on protection because of cost.

So the only option really left is a wired system with speakers rather than ear-buds. This systems allows you get high quality music with comfort while the helmet is off, as well as making it easy to get the helmet off.The particular set of speakers I went with are considerably louder than what most people would want, but I'm deaf anyways. Still, for $83 after tax and shipping, it's hard to complain about this system.

Here's the link to the headphones kit.
TORKXPRO - Tork XPro Helmet Speakers

And here are some pictures of the install.







Questions? Comments? Always love to hear ya'lls feedback.

Old Yeller

my advice....and you won't listen to it any more than my boys did....is to stay away from using them in your helmet. I've found (from use of a Scala Q2 for bike-bike com) that you have to turn them way up to hear over usual helmet noise. Helmet noise in itself is bad for your ears without adding more noise to the situation. I now wear ear plugs all the time when I ride. The alternative....which I suffer from now...is tinitus. it's an incredibly annoying affliction with no magic pill to fix it. Oh how I wish I could go back and take better care of my ears.

Not meaning to offend...just friendly old-guy advice.

Big Shepp

I used to work in the car audio field, and my truck has hit over 130dB before, so it's safe to say I'm already going deaf. These ICON helmets are pretty quiet up to about 80mph, to the point where I don't hear wind noise over my exhaust until about 60mph.

Generally speaking, hearing damage isn't incurred until about 120dB, though lower levels can stress your ears if it's for an extended period. I doubt I'm getting anywhere close to over 100dB with these speakers full blast. The key is that they sit close to your ear, so they help block out noise like ear-buds without actually being in your ear canal.

Obviously wearing earplugs is the safest route for your ears, but if you're like me and music is necessary for life, than you might look into this system.

Old Yeller

yep...you sound just like my boys. write back when you hit 50.

Where are you going to route the wires up to the helmet? keeping the main unit in your pocket? seems like having the connection closer to the front would make it easier to blug/unplug.

Big Shepp

I plan on pulling the wire up through the rear of my jacket and clipping them on to the collar area. That way the wires are out of the way, but still easy to connect. Plus I'll need a minimum of extra length if the wire is in the rear.

And lol about the comment when I'm 50. as much as I've torn up my body with football, I doubt I'll still be riding sportbikes by then. And if I am, I hope I can afford a ducati by then. Or build my own bike from the ground up.

geekonamotorcycle

I have gone through several solutions for this

1> I used ear buds and had the same problems as you
2> I used an in helmet speaker system and it was ok but not great
3> I used a chatterbox XBI2, but its bulky and drains the phone battery fast
4> I found a good set of ear buds that fit properly and did not hurt me.

They have the best sound of all the solutions and double as ear plugs while riding. the set that I have has a button on it and I used an app to change what presses on the button do, so one click pauses and plays, holding it skips forward, tapping it twice rewinds. I also get to use my phones built in Navi this way. I runt eh wire from my jacket pocket and loop it around teh tab that holds my jacket shut at the top. Works like a charm.

lazn

Yep, I had a good set of isolating ear buds that fit INTO the ear and blocked external noise (like earplugs) then you can listen with the volume low. (I lost them though, need to find another set)

CrankenFine

This is one source, but by no means the only source, of custom molded earpieces which improve fit, comfort, fidelity and noise protection.

Apple iPhone and iPod Custom Earpieces from AverySound.com

Big Shepp

I feel like these are top of the line, but still overpriced. I would think something as simple as an ear mold shouldnt be that hard to do.

Ive done hundreds of mouthpiece molds because my parents are dentists. I can't think of why ear molds would be any more difficult than bite molds.

Old Yeller

Geez...what a light weight! giving up sport bikes at 50? I actually just started riding them a few years ago. Been riding for years, but never found a use for them until I discovered track riding. As for sports, been there and done that. For me it was baseball and softball. My back is torn up now, but they'll get me off my bikes when they pry my cold lifeless body from them! :-D I keep trying to explain that to my boys, but they don't quite understand. They probably will when they get old.

Big Shepp

I must say I'm impressed you took up sportbikes at such an age. I say I doubt I'll be on bikes because of my height (6'4"), various severe sports injuries (ankle tear, elbow hyperextention, knee strains) that limit my range of motion and comfort level of being in a compact position for any amount of time, and my entire family suffers from joint pain. Yet another reason for a custom bike.

Old Yeller

you need a giant size bike. LOL I'm 6 foot, but you wouldn't have fit on my 600 Triumph. it was kinda cramped for me.

7moore7

This is exactly what I do... when the music is off it's much quieter than standard helmet noise- so the quality of music is better too. I don't usually have a problem putting the helmet on, but on the off chance that I do, I found that I can adjust the earbuds very easily through the visor (rather than underneath through the neck).

I think these are the ones that I use:
Walmart.com: Sony EX Series Headphones, Black: iPods & MP3 Players

finepooch

i bought $10 old style walkman speakers, gutted them down to the bare speaker, taped 'em in the ear pocket(hockey tape of course), and velcroed my mp3 player to the side of my helmet. it's one contained unit with the helmet. take helmet off, it comes off. controld are right there and easily accessible with my left hand.

then i bought my first v-twin. i still use the mp3 from time to time but the v-twin music is appreciated.

Big Shepp

I want to do something like the dodge tomahawk or the tron bike, just for the badassery.

But as for some sort of functional bike that fits my size, there isn't much out there for someone my size.

7moore7

As earbuds are illegal in a lot of areas around here, this is just begging for a chat with the 5-O

finepooch

the po-po would bother you with such mundane issues, er non issues? wow, go after some real crooks!

what about car stereos? bike to bike communicators? do they also enforce hands at 10 and 2 on steering wheels?

7moore7

To be honest, I've never been stopped, never heard of someone being stopped in Arizona (I have heard California stories though) and don't know even how strict it is here. And the law is pretty specific... one bud in is OK, two is not... so hands free devices are still good.

Hell, I've been pulled over for my tail light not working at night (I accidentally went silent ninja in the city) and the cop could care less that I wasn't even wearing eye protection, which is also illegal and much more dangerous. So my guess is that they're not strict on it. It's just not something that I personally would want to advertise. Being on a loud, criminally fast motorcycle is enough, adding that is just one more jealous inducing element to the equation.

I can just imagine the police thinking, "Damn, that ******* gets to ride a maneuverable, torqey, smooth, sweet piece of engineering AND listen to Rammstein while he's doing it?! That's too much. I'm getting him."

finepooch

ah, gotcha. a close friend of mine is an rcmp. he has told me that cops are aware that if they give silly tickets like that often they will eventually ticket the wrong person.

smokinjoe73

Being a club manager I too love music. Earlier when I wanted the most perfect sound possibe I just got a good quality set of headphones and built them into the helmet.

The bass was outlandish since I built them in with the foam acoustic padding to isolate my ears acousticly. In addition I removed the amp from a good set of sony amplified speakers, mounted it in the tail & powered it off the bike.

I would plug the stereo wire into a plug at the top triple (routed to the amp) and mounted a walkman on the tank with magnets. Unbelieveable sound and even if you wore earplugs it sounded amazing.

Now I just use a chatterbox since I can talk to my wife and listen to music at the same time. Still decent sound if you install the speakers correctly.

Oh yeah, and tinitus is not just going deaf, it gives you this nasty echo/ reverb sound when you try to sleep in silence. Pretty annoying.

BTW I am 45 and still compete in 6 classes of roadracing on 3 bikes & just rode the hawk on a 8hr each way trip straight through so keep working out and you can easily be riding at 50.

Thumper

Why not just listen to that Big v-twin purring under you. Music is for non-motorcycle time in my world. If i have to have music to ride then i am giving motorcycle riding up.

No disrespect to you and your desire to bring your sound system into your helmet. Bet of luck.,,,

7moore7

I commute on 20 miles of freeway both ways (and no, there are no "alternate" fun routes, I've tried lol). It's not really a ride as much as much as transport... music makes it more interesting day-to-day, and like I said before, the buds are actually nicer on the ears. Before I discovered them, I was wearing plugs b/c the drone wasn't a beautiful purr at all, it was just annoying.

Thumper- I'm totally with ya when I'm not running the bike in the rat race, I go sans music and enjoy the exhaust note and scenery.

D VTR RIDER

I'm with you Old Yeller. I too have tinnitus in both ears and can't hear worth **** and now wear hearing aids. The price of those things could buy you a nice VTR and still have spare change for parts.
The db's required to listen to music on a sport bike is extremely high and will lead to issues later. When I was young I liked loud music and I doubt if I would have listened to anyone's suggestion. Take Old Yeller and my suggestion, wear ear plugs instead and all the time.

uchi

those are neat but i think the faster you get going the harder theyre gonna be to hear. my phone actually came with some really nice ear buds. samsung galaxy s. theyre soft and fit my ears well and sit really flush with my head. even with the music off they drown out alot of road noise and while riding i can still hear things around me and the music is nice and clear. tried them at about 150 last night and no problem with sound. ive tried other ear buds that felt like rocks in my ears and became uncomfortable quickly. these ive used for hours at a time with no issues

VTRumble

I was looking for something a couple of months ago for the trip to Laconia.
I went here: Welcome to Electric-Avenues.com - The AmpliRider and got the PA2V2, it worked great but now I wish I went with the amplirider (from the same place). They are very well made, and the cust. srvice is top notch. I was looking at the Tork speakers too but took apart a cheap set of headphones instead and put the ear piece in my helmet. THEY SUCKED!!! Mainly I believe because that is not how they were meant to be used, and didn't fit well into the ear recess in my helmet. After about a half hour of using them my ears felt like they were on fire. No matter how I tried to move them they rubbed my head. That's enough I'm ordering some Torks soon...

finepooch

you guys and your ears issues have me rethinking this whole hearing and riding situation.