madrid - montreaux jazz ::: intercom

attaching the iphone to the handle bar was one part of the dilema.  so how do we get to listen to the instructions? we had to look for an intercom set up which would allow us to comunicate (pasenger-pillon) and listen to the navigation instructions.

for this trip we will be using a cheap intercom which will allow us to conect the iphone to the system through a 1/8" stereo jack which we bought in lidl some time ago. so far it has worked alright. however, the plan is to upgrade this some time in the future. the idea is to get our hands on a set of bluetooth intercoms which will provide several solutions simultaneously.

• connectivity between passenger + pillon + other drivers
• the ability to connect different speaker/mic options

as of today, and after a lot of researching on-line i have found that the sena smh10 is probably the best option. i have also read really good reviews on the cardo g4, but this one does not allow to change the mic/speaker system.



many of you might be wondering, why change the mic/speaker? well... being a harley rider, i am unsure about how the engine and wind noise will affect the performance of the mic, so i thought... why not plug a throat mic instead of the regular mic? im sure this will most probably ensure a clear communication between rider and pillon.

so i found an intercom set which includes a throat mic, but it aint bluetooth. it is manufactured by firefox technologies and seems like a quite affordable option, but then again, it still lacks the bluetooth feature to be perfect.

another very attractive option would be the imc motorcom bts 300ps which has the option to plug in a different selections of headsets/mics, although i have not found much info on them on the web, so ill keep looking for product reviews before making a final decision.

madrid - montreaux jazz ::: iphone motorcycle dock

we continue preparing the trip.

"la canalla" has been in the workshop. bmw marrakesh brown paint, side mount plate holder and new round oil tank in which we plan to fit and relocate the ecm. this way i´ll be able to keep the rear fender to the minimum expression while having the posibility to put on the detachable sissybar for traveling. with this project we are trying to prove that looks can go hand in hand with being practical, and thus having a bike which will turn heads as well as being able to ride it loaded with luggage to far away destinations.

when thinking of riding through france, switzerland and italy, cash comes to mind. tolls are known to be some of the most expensive in europe, and we want to avoid this since the essence of this blog is to guide you through the best and most beautiful roads on a budget and in as little time as possible. we also want to avoid boring expressways and want to enjoy the transition from the coast in the languedoc-roussillon to the swiss alps. for this we decided we will make use of technology. this is quite unusual in our travels since we have always believed in following our instinct and knowing that getting lost has a positive outcome. however, since this time we are traveling further and we have a tight deadline to get to places, we are setting up the tomtom gps on our iphone 4 and we will follow instructions on how to get to valence, bern, milan and saint tropez.

we have read on different iphone holders to atach the phone to the handlebar and finally chose the one made by 4lock. it costed 37€ plus 19€ for shipping charges to madrid. it should still be on the way, so we will review the product once we have it with us.

madrid - montreaux jazz ::: the plan refined

so the day is getting closer

finalising everything and getting the ride ready. "la canalla" is now in surgery: new paint, new oil tank, lower suspension and final version of the rear fender are in the works. on the meantime, we are planning the return of our trip in a different way. we are thinking of visiting more friends. so the itinerary would go as follows.

july 6th: bern - milan
july 7th: milan - saint tropez
july 8th: saint tropez - barcelona
july 10th: barcelona - madrid


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