The motorcycle communicator has not only added to enjoyment of riding, but also started a new era of how we use the motorcycle part of communication tool; seeing that motorcycle manufacturers are now equipping their bikes with communication suites and corresponding control buttons.

For example, the communications or media suites of certain bikes connect to the user’s smartphone to stream music, make outgoing and receive incoming phone calls, and even provide turn-by-turn navigation via their instrument cluster (LCD or TFT screen). Who knows if they will add a karaoke function in the future (joking). Certain units like that on the BMW R 1250 RT can connect to two Bluetooth communicators at one go.

In case you have not guessed, we need a communicator to reap these benefits. Of course, there are much more to gain using a Bluetooth communicator.

1. Navigation

• Navigation without voice prompts is possible but it is often better and safer with because we can reduce the time to take our eyes off the road to view the screen or phone.

2. Staying awake and alert

• Listening to the engine noise and wind noise on a long ride for kilometres after kilometres will soon become tiring and boring. This is when fatigue starts creeping in.
• So why not stream music via Bluetooth? Some Cardo communicators have built-in radios, too.
• On top of that, many Cardo communicators employ excellent JBL speakers along with noise cancelling features.

3. Never miss a call

• You are expecting an important call but need to ride anyway.
• Just connect your phone to your Cardo communicator and answer the call when it arrives.
• You can then pull over and converse without the hassle of taking off the gloves and helmet, and putting them back on again afterwards.

4. Group dynamics

• There are many factors that need utmost attention in a group ride. Communication, directions, safety, coordination, and many more.
• Having the marshals or riders connected via Cardo’s Dynamic Mesh Communication (DMC) allows for easy communication and coordination amongst each other. For example, if the riders ahead made it through traffic lights while the rest behind need to stop, the riders behind can inform the riders ahead, “Hey, wait up. We have stopped at the traffic lights.”
• The DMC function makes group riding and communication so much easier because unlike Bluetooth, the network does not disconnect should one rider fall out of range.
• Also, it reconnects riders who come back into range automatically without needing to repair their Bluetooth connections.

 5. Group safety

• More importantly, riders can alert each other about hazards ahead in real time. A rider can call out, “Watch out for fallen trees on the left side of the road” to alert the group.
• Hand signals work great for the first few riders behind the leader, but the signal is usually not passed on to the back of the group.
• And how can the riders behind warn the riders ahead of an express bus speeding up from behind? Or to inform of a fallen rider?
• So, voice alerts via Cardo DMC are the best as they are immediate.

6. The lost sheep

• Being able to communicate while riding becomes especially necessary if one became detached from a convoy.
• Without a communicator, the lost rider needs to stop to call his friends ahead but they cannot receive the call because they are still riding (without communicators).
• Vice versa, the lost rider cannot pick up the call from his concerned friends while he is riding.
• This may seem trivial but we ourselves have been in situations such as this prior to using Cardo.

7. Rider-passenger communications

• Having the rider and passenger yelling or screaming over the wind while riding becomes tiring quickly.
• And the message is often lost er… in the wind.
• It is so much easier with a Cardo communicator because voice is crystal clear due to the sophisticated noise cancelling algorithm.
• It REALLY avoids the awkwardness of partners/friends yelling/not talking to each other when they arrive at their destination (been there, done that).