Best motorcycle intercoms as chosen by MCN | Keep your group ride connected or yourself entertained

Motorcycle intercoms tend to divide opinion: while some motorcyclists prefer the silence and solitude of riding – in fact, that’s the draw for many – some swing the other way and like to be connected to their smartphones to make and take calls and listen to music, especially if they spend a lot of time grinding motorway miles or full days on touring bikes.

• Are you in America? Find our best Bluetooth headsets USA list

Even if you find all that distracting, you can use them to hear sat nav directions or speak with their pillion or other riders in the group.

Jump to

• What you need to know about intercoms
• The best motorcycle intercoms
• Motorcycle earplugs that work with intercoms
• The rise of the motorcycle intercom
• How do motorcycle intercoms work?
• FAQs

What you need to know about intercoms

Generally comprising a pair of speakers, a microphone, a brain and a battery, these effectively replicate a wireless headset for phones and operate on Bluetooth, so you can also control your phone directly from the intercom. Most also allow for voice control to make operation safer while on the go, and they can also trigger your device’s voice control as well.

Latest: Cardo Packtalk Pro review

Intercoms can either be universal or integrated fit; they are either designed to fit any helmet and generally sit as a control unit outside of the shell, or they can be integrated, designed specifically for one or two helmets and fit inside the lid in custom-made apertures. Which you choose is down to you and how often you change your helmet or how many you use.

Depending on whether you are a solo rider or you like to ride in a large group, you will need to look at how many riders can connect to the system. Another thing to consider is whether the intercom you are considering connects to other manufacturer versions or is it limited to that particular brand. Some units will offer voice activated functionality, while others will be button operation only, it’s up to you which you prefer.

We’ve tried numerous intercoms, and these are what we reckon are the top ones.

Other intercom deals and offers:

• Over 20% off Cardo Spirit Bluetooth Intercom Duo – save £41.95: was £182.95, now £141
• Over 30% off SENA 30K Bluetooth Headset & Intercom Single – save £85.00: was £269.99, now £184.99
• Over 15% off Cardo Packtalk Edge Mesh Intercom Single – save £66.96: was £356.95, now £289.99

The best motorcycle intercoms at a glance:

• Cardo Packtalk Edge Mesh – View on sportsbikeshop.co.uk
• Cardo Freecom 4x – View on sportsbikeshop.co.uk
• Sena 50R – View on sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Best motorcycle intercoms:

Sena intercom remote control

Intercoms we’re yet to test

Motorcycle earplugs that work with intercoms

If you ride with earplugs (as we all should) then it can be tough to hear the sound from intercom speakers. Fortunately, some manufacturers use designs that only filter out the harmful frequencies but let your audio pass through. Here are some we rate:

The rise of the motorcycle intercom

Intercoms have seen a big surge in popularity in recent years as the technology has become easier to use and increasing numbers of new bikes have included connectivity built into their dash. And since many bikers use PCP deals to keep themselves riding the latest bikes, more and more riders can take advantage of the tech.

It’s also become far more commonplace to use wireless headphones, tech that used to be prohibitively expensive but can now be bought for little more than a tenner at the budget end or come as part of your finance agreement on a new smartphone. That means people are generally more willing to embrace wireless connectivity tech and are used to the idea of being connected to their phone at all times.

It’s also easier than ever before to connect multiple headsets together thanks to Mesh systems that often work across brands (Sena and Cardo can now be connected at the push of a button) meaning you can stay in touch with your mates or pillion on the move without faffing around for an hour to make the tech work.

How do motorcycle intercoms work?

Intercoms will generally connect to phones and sat navs via Bluetooth and also to other intercoms. For speaking to pillions, this is fine and generally, for close groups, it’s OK too.

Bluetooth intercoms have a range of 1-1.5 miles quoted usually, depending on the antenna and can handle conversations with multiple riders. Though, for greater numbers or ranges, MESH technology can be useful.

This is an automatic system that seamlessly pairs and remembers groups of rides so that, should one become disconnected from the group, they will automatically reconnect when they come back in range.

If you want advice on how to install a motorcycle intercom, check out our guide.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have the same one as the others I ride with?

Not always, no. As a general rule of thumb Mesh systems will only work with one brand but bluetooth units should work across brands. Mesh units allow users to connect without having to pair each headset, unlike bluetooth which will require pairing with each unit. It is of course easiest and guaranteed to work if you ensure you get the same manufacturer as your friends.

I want to have intercoms with my pillion, what’s the best option?

The best way to get communication with your pillion is to buy a dual pack system, where it comes with two units in the box, this is usually a cheaper option than buying two separate units and will also ensure that they are compatible with one another.

I’m a new rider, should I get an intercom unit?

This is really down to the riders confidence, an intercom could be helpful if you ride with a more experienced companion who could give pointers, however some new riders may find having an intercom with music or someone talking in their ear very distracting.

How MCN tests intercoms

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide you with opinions and evaluations you can trust, alongside news of the most significant developments in motorcycling safety gear. We want you to stay safe, enjoy your riding and hopefully look great while doing so! 

We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions.

That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on. To make it onto this list, intercom systems must have been worn for thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, provide quality sound as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their intercoms for a variety of things, both subjective and objective. Factors assessed include the sound quality, ease of use with gloves on while riding and ease of set up.

However, we also assess their perceived build quality, how well additional features like voice activation work and how simple connecting to others is.

We cover thousands of miles with these intercoms and regularly compare them with one another in the office, so collectively we’ve built the sort of knowledge base you can trust.

If you can’t see a review against an intercom on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These intercoms will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

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What our star ratings mean

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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