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why no wireless

Rick

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Joined
Apr 2, 2003
Messages
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Location
Henderson, Texas
Anyone else holding their breath on a vendor developing a wireless headset? With the onslaught of the wireless technology in computers, phones and home theater systems, I would think that helmet headsets would be a natural. I'd love to not have to work thru a tangle of cords while refueling.
Maybe a mass emailing to J&M and other vendors would let them know that we want this. What do you think?

Rick Hardy
2002 ST1100
2001 KLR
 
:tab And I want a heads up display as well with a wireless connection to the bike! I want bike to bike with both open and private channels. And I want all of this stuff to be transportable from one helmet to the next with a minimum of hassle. Oh, and I want an airconditioner for the helmet as well :-P

Adios,
 
sry if I offended your sensibilities but I just offered a reasonable idea and asked for reasonable commets. I know that not everyone rides with music or rider/pillion/bike2bike communications but some do.
Ride safe all.
 
You did not offend me at all!! I am totally serious!! I have fantasized about this often! You'd have to try real hard to actually offend me ;-)

Adios,
 
It's probably more of an issue with demand for a product like this. No vendor want to invest the development costs to build a product specifically for motorcycle use. As the technology continues to develop in the non-motorcycle related market, you will see it move to the our market. I'd bet we see something in less than two years.

If not, Scott we are setting shop up on your garage and we're going to develop something.

Pete

P.S.
A heads-up display gives a whole new meaning to "Look where you want to go"
 
:tab By the way Rick, I totally agree about the hassles. We used to use our bike-to-bike communicators for every single ride. About the only time we use them now is for extended tours.

:tab Anyone remember the Suzuki B-King? One of the features touted was an integrated HUD system for the helmet with various displays about bike status, GPS, cell phone etc,... So like Pete, I think there is demand and within a few years we might be seeing more of it in the realistic price ranges. I have resisted getting the Autocom setup because I don't like having everything wired to the bike.

:tab Lest you think I was pulling your leg about the air conditioning, there are already technologies out there used in computer cooling that might be adaptable to helmets because of their small size and low power requirements.

:tab The real issue is going to be the weight of the helmet. If we start cramming all kind of electronics in it, then we have to be willing to tolerate a little more weight. Personally, I am not wild about the idea of having all that stuff purpose built into the helmet. No doubt such helmets will be very expensive. I don't want to have to pay to replace all the electronics when they are still perfectly good but the helmet has either been crashed or just gotten old enough to need replacing. Hence my desire to see it be something that can go from helmet to helmet, even if only within the same brand.

:tab Think about the new night driving systems that the new Caddies and other fancy schmancy cars have now. Wouldn't it be cool to see something similar worked into the bikes?!

Adios,
 
Sry that I misread you Scott. I have a wireless 802.11b network in the house that is fantastic. The hub is about the size of a vcr tape (sure that could be smaller) and the separate computers use a transceiver that is the size of a cigarette pack. I think the technology is ready if the market can drive the vendors. The helmet manufacturers could even hop on board if they would build a recess in the helmets for the transceivers.
I would want a standard like in the computer field so that a rider could swap bikes and not worry that cables/headsets are incompatible. Might be a pipe dream right now but if only one bike manufacturer was interested...maybe.
:clap
 
I'm all for the idea, and I agree that it's just a matter of time before it comes to fruition. I love the idea of bike-to-bike wireless, and private channels would make it just about perfect.

I personally can't drive my car without music, but the concentration is in so much more demand on a bike I don't know if I'll be able to do it.
 
Doesn't the millitary already have technology like this for the soldiers? It shouldn't be long until a private contractor can provide a product to the public. I'm just guessing
 
I've been thinking about this one for a few hours today. While I totally agree with you on the point of making things easier and taking advantage of modern technology. I for one hate having to untangle three or four power cords when I get off the bike.

But! Do we really want it easier for us to connect our cell phones and MP3 players to our helmets? Look back 10 years ago when you had to carry a cell phone in a small brief case. You might see one in a cage every other state. Look at what PROGRESS has brought us today. I'm not totally sure we need that on a motorcycle. I can see it now. Joe Squid going down 635 in Dallas moving along at a nice pace (On one wheel). All the while he's on the wireless headset with his girl and sending pics with his camera phone.

I will agree on the bike to bike radios. Kim and I went the route of Collette Communications because they were easy and self contained. They have cell phone input, but I don't use it.

Sorry hijack this thread and turn it into a commentary.

Pete
 
Howdy,

:tab Hehe, that's okay Pete. It is a good point. Riding a bike demands much more from the operator than driving a car! Personally, I don't much care for music, but I know lots of riders that love it. I'd be more interested in the communications aspect and the HUD for navigation, speed, etc,...

:tab One of my friends has the big BMW K1200LT touring rig. His GPS feeds into his intercom system and talks to him. He has a radio, cell phone, and intercom system. It's pretty cool, "Turn right in 500 feet!" Love it.

Adios,
 
The obvious technology to use is Blue Tooth.

Its getting into phones, cars, headsets, etc. Just need the rechargeable power, etc.

Scott
 
Yup, I was just thinking about BlueTooth as well.

One transceiver for your Autocom (for example), one in the helmet.... voila! :chug:
 
Yes Bluetooth...but then again, I have a chatterbox and it works ok. I use it to listen to the xm sat radio on the bike.
 
:tab For the technoignorant among us, what the heck is Bluetooth?
 
:tab Hmm... interesting. I wonder how secure this is? I picture someone walking around with a device "sniffing" for networks to tap into. Think of how people used to walk around with the early portable phones in the street until they got a dial tone on someone's unit and then made calls. I may have missed it in the stuff I was reading, but surely with all the hacking, viruses, and whatnot nowdays, there has to be some kind of security. Also they would need to bump the range up considerably for bike-to-bike communications. I want a min of about 1-1/2 to 2 miles of range.

Adios,
 
I would think that, with Bluetooth, one would just have an adapter to an onbike commo system, and a little headset, with some chips and a (rechargeable?) battery.

The electronics would stay on the bike, but no cords to the headset....
 
I guess I finally see some of the confusion that this thread was causing. I never meant to say that the bike to bike had to be the same standard as the wireless (802.11g or bluetooth). If the helmet was wireless to the bike then the bike to bike could be over frs or cb. That way the existing bike radios could be used, the lower headset cords could be adapted to a transceiver. I contact J&M and received a letter pretty much saying that they thought the battery for the helmet was too much of a hurdle. They said it would have to be too large. Maybe, maybe not. Battery technology has come along way. J&M probably is making enough money with cords and the systems they have now to be too interested in developing another.
 
Howdy,

I understood what you meant in the original thread Rick. I just can't seem to contain myself to your original question :-P It's a big'ol can of worms! I agree, just having the helmet to bike part being cordless would indeed be nice. I guess for me, since I don't use music or anything else, all I really care about is the bike-to-bike aspect. Currently the Colletts that we have work very well. The speakers are wired into my helmet. The unit with mic clips to the side of the helmet. The battery fits in a pocket and lasts about 500 miles/16 hours, whichever comes first, and recharges overnight. It is convenient because we can swap bikes, walk around, do whatever and not have to be attached to the bikes. For bike-to-bike and all the other stuff, I would not be put off by just having a single chord from the helmet to something near the steering head or dash, or more preferrably down towards the seat/gas tank interface.

:tab Here is a blurb about the B-King. It was supposed to have some neat bike-to-helmet features.

B King

:tab I think the battery thing is a lame excuse. It would be easy to put a thin large area battery in the helmet without compromising impact protection of the helmet. There might however be an issue about incorporating some of the electronics if they are very large. You really don't want to be replacing foam with hard bits of plastic. If you put it on the outside of the shell as a little hump, it will act as a force concentrator if the hump is the point of impact. Nonetheless, I am sure it could be worked out.

Adios,
 
If 802.11 is thought of as an Ethernet replacement, think of Bluetooth as a USB replacement. Cheaper, shorter range and lower power requirements. Far better suited to

Bluetooth handles security by needing to "link" various devices. Before a ride you and your buddies would "link". This would keep you from talking through the Toyota Prius that drives by...the Prius has a Bluetooth link that allows your phone to play through the car stereo.

There are already Bluetooth headsets that link with various headphones, I'd guess that is about 90% of the functionality needed for bike to bike. As much as I disdain ABS, LBS, TCS and all that crap, I'd go for Bluetooth bike to bike in a minute. Better yet, a Bluetooth headset that connected to a FRS radio would rock! That would give you better than line-of-sight reception. That'll probably happen...

Daryl

P.S. Buck000000, I'll be dropping the SV off at AF1 tomorrow, any chance you were going to go by?
 
The scenario is that you have a single Bluetooth transceiver in the helmet. From it, you can talk on your cell phone, two-way radio, monitor your radar detector, etc. Bluetooth is totally secure but has about a 10 meter range at best.

A lithium-ion polymer battery in the helmet is a piece of cake.

It's just a matter of time.

There are already cars coming out that detect when your bluetooth phone is in the car and take care of the hands free stuff automatically.
 
uberhawk said:
P.S. Buck000000, I'll be dropping the SV off at AF1 tomorrow, any chance you were going to go by?

Argh, just saw this.

Actually, I was going to go down there to get an oil filter, but decided to save some time and get one from Mototek.

Sorry I missed ya.

Oh, and nice explanation of the Bluetooth stuff...
 
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