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We'd know - we've reviewed 150+ inntercoms since 2000!
Our picks are based on intercoms that offer the best blend of safety/performance, function/features, and price.
Last updated October 2023 by Zach Poole.
Entry-Level
Priced under $200.
Advanced
Priced $200+.
About Our Motorcycle Intercom Recommendations
What separates our recommendations from others? Well, for starters, we've hands-on reviewed more than 150 intercom units. Founded in 2000, our team at wBW has collectively tested more than 2,500 helmets, jackets, boots, gloves, intercoms, accessories, and more. We do not fluff reviews. A riders safety is heavily dictated by how they ride and what they wear while doing so. Our goal is to help riders make informed decisions about the gear they invest in to protect themselves.
wBW is funded by our audience. Our recommendations and reviews may contain affiliate links that earn us a small comission if you make a purchase after clicking them. This is the primary way we fund our website and pay our review team (and comes at no additional cost to you). We disclose our relationship with brands or manufacturers for transparency. For more information about our extensive review process, see our review policies.
Best Entry-Level Motorcycle Intercoms
Priced under $200.
UClear AMP Go 2 Bluetooth
Price: $140
Where to Buy: RevZilla | Amazon
Why?
If you’re looking for a basic comms unit you really can’t go wrong with the UClear AMP Go 2 models. Succeeding the long-lasting and well-loved Go models, the Go 2’s are still aimed at the budget crowd while packing in almost twice as much tech as their predecessors.
Now using Bluetooth 5.0, the Go 2 also features a full-duplex intercom ability, which allows for you to talk naturally with a pillion or another rider, with an effective range of about 2,500 feet before a word or two might not make it through. The limiting factor for the unit is, however, that it can only connect with one other communication unit at a time—so it’s best for people who ride two-up, or if you go riding with just one other person a lot.
More About the Go 2
In terms of Bluetooth capabilities, however, it has multipoint connectivity that allows you to link things like smartphones and GPS units. Battery life is also extremely good, with up to 12 hours of active talk time and several days of standby time. You also get a set of high-definition Boost 2.0 speakers to put in your helmet, a button mic to stick to the inner chin bar area, and a mounting plate that the Go 2 locks onto, which goes on the outer edge of your helmet.
In sum, it’s a great comms unit that can easily be used for talking with another rider or pillion, and is also useful for music, voice commands, and making and taking calls—without requiring you to empty your wallet.
Our Review
The UClear AMP GO2 is an updated version of and replacement for the AMP GO system wBW reviewed in September 2019 and while expected before the end of 2019 it didn’t arrive until early 2020. On the outside, there are no differences; but on the inside, much has changed: faster processing, Bluetooth v5.0, intercom range, and speaker boosts and from the Motion Series feature list some great audio and helmet environment tweaks available by interfacing with the CLEARLink App. The AMP GO2 is a worthy replacement for the AMP GO - easy to install, easy to use, with clear intercom communications and outstanding audio. It is one of the best entry level value-priced systems available.
Read our full UClear AMP Go 2 review.
Cardo Spirit HD
Price:Up to $150
Where to Buy: RevZilla
Why?
Cardo prides itself on being “the original manufacturer” of Bluetooth comms units for riders. While the debate over who actually was the first manufacturer is something you can find plenty of passionate arguments about online, the fact of the matter is that Cardo is one of the biggest names in comms units, and for good reason - they have a history of producing high-quality products at reasonable prices.
The Spirit & Spirit HD represents Cardo’s entry-level comms system - fairly light on features but still that high quality, durability, and reliability you need when wearing a Bluetooth communicator. For the purposes of this list, we’ve highlighted the premium “HD” model, which features things like nicer speakers & longer battery life, but if those things arent deal breakers, the standard Spirit system can be picked up for about $100.
More Freecom 2+ Details
As previously mentioned, the Spirit is pretty light on the features side of things, although the sub $200 price tag does bring some decent bang for your buck. For instance, the Spirit features two dedicated Bluetooth channels for connection with a phone and/or GPS devices.
The device is also equipped with Automatic Volume Control which can automatically adjust your sound based on the outside ambient noise, and features Bluetooth 5.2. It’s waterproof, and offers fast charging (2 hours of battery life out of a 20 minute charge), via USB-C connection.
The HD model has upgraded features such as 40mm HD speakers, a 13-hour battery life (over the standard model's 10-hour), and a Built-in FM radio.
SENA 5S Bluetooth System
Price:$160
Where to Buy: RevZilla | Amazon
Why?
SENA is well known for being a company that loves to experiment. While Cardo is its biggest competitor (and both companies outsell UClear), it’s SENA that will go so far as to make a full helmet with a camera and comms unit built-in or make comms units that are paired with helmet cameras. Through all that research and development, however, the customer benefits.
The 5S Bluetooth system is a perfect example of how that trickle-down of technology has made one of the best entry-level units you can get for your helmet. Bluetooth 5.0 with full multi-device connectivity (what SENA brands as “selective pairing”) allows for GPS unit and smartphone connectivity, but what really impresses is that the unit can also “pair and remember” with up to three other SENA or other manufacturer OEM units using SENA Intercom Pairing, or SIP.
More 5S Details
The limitation is that, like the other entry-level units, SIP can only handle a two-way intercom—so it’s best used with a pillion or another rider you head out on the road with a lot.
The other big feature of the 5S is that it has an LCD screen built-in, allowing for you to quickly check pairing status, battery life, and the like before slipping your helmet on. It will also allow you to change multiple settings without having to put the helmet on and listen for voice prompts to get the right option.
The 5S comes with a pair of high-definition speakers in the kit. However, it gives you both a button mic and boom mic option, so you can put this unit on open face and modular helmets as well as full-face ones.
Our Review
The new Sena 5S BT Helmet Communication System is physically based on the original SMH5 system, but outside and inside, it’s a whole new approach…and a positive one. Featuring BT v5.0 for enhanced performance, including great battery life, it has new HD speakers and App EQ settings for a BIG audio boost, along with a small LCD for visual interaction when the helmet/system is not being worn. The updated Sena Utility App includes Sena Intercom Pairing (SIP) and allows user access to virtually every setting available from Sena’s feature rich firmware. The Sena 5S is small, easy to install, easy to use and easy to afford, although it is more expensive than the original SMH5 series system. But the 5S is better in every way and a very sound investment.
Read our full SENA 5S review.
Best Advanced Motorcycle Incercoms
Priced $200+
UClear Motion 6
Price: Up to $310
Where to Buy: RevZilla | Amazon
Why?
The UClear Motion Infinity comms unit is the latest and greatest system to come from UClear, featuring the culmination of years of design and engineering from previous iterations of the Motion line. With Bluetooth 5.0, mesh network connectivity and an onboard accelerometer, the Motion Infinity device delivers stellar communication options for any rider. Group size is no longer an issue as the DynaMESH Intercom supports any number of riders in a group.
The Motion part of the name comes from the fact that the unit can be controlled either using your fingers—or, when gloved, by waving your hand across the sensor area between the UClear logo and the status LED.
More Motion 6 Details
The key features of the Motion Infinity include the USAFE crash sensor & alert system, a reported 18-hour battery life, and advanced noise cancellation.
As the name suggests, the Infinity can mesh with an Infinite number of other systems and features a range of up to ¾ of a mile. PULSE PRO 2.0 ultra-premium speakers are standard equipment, and the system makes use of a boomless mic setup.
On the firmware side, the system can make use of both Apple’s Siri assistant and Google Voice. Wireless updates to the system are conducted via the CLEARlink app
Our Review
We had a chance to give the Motion Infinity comms system a try a little while back and ran it through it’s paces, along with the system’s little brother, the Motion 6. See our full review here.
SENA 50R
Price:$360
Where to Buy: RevZilla | Amazon | J&P Cycles
Why?
When we said the SENA 5S had trickle-down tech from higher-end comms units, the 50 series is what we were referencing. The SENA 50R is one of three units available (the other two being the jog-dial controlled 50S and the camera-and-comms combination 50C, which has a built-in 4K camera to record your ride with).
What makes the 50R the one to choose is that it is much sleeker than the 50S and uses a mount that keeps it much tighter to the helmet, reducing wind noise as much as possible. Using a combination of SENA’s Mesh 2.0 tech and Bluetooth 5.0, this little unit has an astounding ability to pair with up to 24 (!!!) other units over 9 separate channel groupings, although voice comms can only be maintained between 6 riders at a time.
More 50R Details
This allows for larger groups to ride together, and with a quick button hold for a few seconds, you can switch from a casual channel to the lead/trail rider channel if they need to be updated on something. As well as having this incredible large-group capability, the 50R can also share audio across a channel, meaning you can broadcast music to your group if you so want, or you and a pillion rider can combine on one channel to talk to others.
All the other standard functionality you would expect from a premium comms unit is also included, including multiplexing multi-device Bluetooth connectivity, full smartphone integration with voice commands (OK Google and Siri), an FM tuner, speed dial, and call accept/reject with button and/or voice command. The kit comes with Harmon Kardon helmet speakers for premium audio, and you have a button mic and boom mic as well that the kit will work with in pretty much any helmet.
Battery life is between 8 (full mesh) to 13 (Bluetooth) hours, with the unit being supercharging enabled, so you can use a 5 Amp charging plug to get a full battery from dead in just 60 minutes. The 50R also has active noise canceling, digital SBC codec for inter-unit comms, and has a functional range of 3,500 feet within line of sight (1,500 feet with a moderate amount of things in the way).
Our Review
The new Sena 50 Series comprises the sleek low-profile small footprint 3-button 50R and the larger base mounted Jog Dial equipped 50S edition. Both are nicely finished with glass-look black inserts and burnished finish housings and both represent Sena’s commitment to keep pushing the boundaries – new styling, loaded with features and arguably the best Mesh and Bluetooth intercom performance going. The small close to helmet fitted 50R and the larger 50S using the multi-functional auxiliary-input base provide a lot of options regarding helmet fitment. Mesh 2.0 communications are outstanding and Bluetooth performance is up a notch or two as well; best of all, the Mesh 2.0 capabilities are now available for 30K, Momentum EVO, and +Mesh users once new firmware releases are installed. And it all comes together inside the helmet with Sena’s superb new HD speakers. Need something new and exciting to perk up the riding season, the 50R and 50S will do it.
See our full SENA 50R review.
Cardo Packtalk Edge
Price:Up to $399
Where to Buy: RevZilla
Why?
The much-loved Cardo PACKTALK Bold JBL was widely considered by most riders, reviewers, and technology enthusiasts to be the single best motorcycle helmet comms device on the market. It would take a major innovation to take away its crown.
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Cardo’s PackTalk Edge - the new king of motorcycle comms devices. Boasting several new features including Air Mount and Over-the-air software updates, and updated functionality such as 2nd generation Dynamic Mesh Communication and Bluetooth 5.2, it is fair to say that the Edge has once again raised the bar for motorcycle intercom systems. Did we mention the waterproofing, natural voice operation, automatic volume control, up to 13 hours talk time with 10 day stand-by? Again, Cardo proves they have no equal in motorcycle comms.
Our Review
Read our full Cardo Packtalk Edge review.
Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Bluetooth Intercoms
What is a Bluetooth intercom?
In the most basic sense, a motorcycle Bluetooth intercom consists of speakers, some type of microphone, and a transmitter/receiver unit, and is used to communicate with other riders as if you were standing side by side, even if you’re half a mile apart on the road with clear line of sight. Many of these intercoms can also connect to a local network of intercoms known as a “Mesh,” that allows for large groups to be able to communicate. Most intercoms can connect to at least 3 other units.
How does a Bluetooth intercom work on a motorcycle helmet?
Most helmets, as you will notice, have cutouts in the EPS for speakers to be installed. Those are there to hold the speakers that these intercoms use, and some helmets even have little cutouts in the chin bar for a button microphone to be installed. The intercom itself is either attached to the lower outer shell of the helmet with a clamp or strong adhesive mounting plate. Some helmets have specific units that work with them, such as Scorpion and their EXO-COM system, that have built in mounting points, often a cover you remove at the rear of the helmet in the EPS to install the intercom unit into.
Can Bluetooth intercoms be used for rider-to-pillion communications?
Of course! In fact, Cardo makes a specific low-cost intercom specifically for this precise use case, the FreeCom 2X. The use of two Bluetooth intercoms on a single bike eliminates the old style of communication with wires and needing to plug into the bike itself via an audio communication port. This makes the riding less cluttered, and allows for you and your pillion to talk as if you were in a car sitting side by side.
How long do these Bluetooth intercoms last on a single charge?
Most Bluetooth intercoms will be able to handle 10 hours power on time, with some of the more premium units able to last up to 18 hours. Charging is usually via a microUSB or USB-C cable, and takes about as long as charging your phone does. Many also pride themselves on having excellent standby time powered off as long as 1 to 1.5 weeks.
What is this “Mesh” intercom network that many of the recommendations above talk about?
In the most basic sense, a Mesh network is a series of intercoms that in a way play leapfrog. The signal from the rider speaking is broadcast to the closest intercoms, then those intercoms leapfrog the signal and broadcast it to the next intercom in range. That propagates until there are no intercoms left to leapfrog to. This allows for a signal to travel well beyond line of sight and the maximum range of a single unit, in case a group is spread out across a couple of miles of road and each unit can only reach half a mile.
Can different brands of intercom talk with each other?
Yes. The trick about it is that you need to know how to put your Bluetooth intercom into “Universal” mode, which uses a common frequency to connect units. Usually, universal mode disables mesh networking, so you will be limited to line of sight, which is usually considered a maximum of ¾ of a mile or less. As well, universal mode often limits connections to your unit plus three others.
Can I use my Bluetooth intercom to listen to music if I’m not riding in a group?
Of course! Many of the most popular intercom brands such as Cardo, SENA, and UCLear allow for smartphone connectivity, where you can stream music from services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other services. Some of the more premium units also allow for you to use voice commands with Google or iOS, so you can keep your eyes up and on the road if you need to skip to the next track.
What other features do Bluetooth intercoms provide?
Apart from inter-rider communications and music streaming, most Bluetooth intercoms can act as hands-free calling, relay voice commands to your phone, and some can even tune in to FM radio. Some units also have cameras built in to record your ride or take pictures with voice commands, much like a dash cam in a car, except on your helmet.
Why Invest in a Bluetooth Motorcycle Intercom for Your Next Ride?
While riding alone is how many of us find our zen—our motorcycle meditation, as it were—there is something to be said about riding with others. Maybe it’s the shared passion for the hobby, or that special something that those who are stuck with four wheels just don’t understand about why we do what we do. And while hand signals work in groups for conveying essential info, riding together is exponentially better if you can talk to one another.
This is where Bluetooth communication devices come into the scene. Before the start of the 2010s, the best that most groups had for communication (besides hand signals) were very expensive radio units—but over the past 10 to 15 years, technology has accelerated to the point where you can now talk with each other easily, even with significant distances between riders. Modern Bluetooth units almost all connect universally to a smartphone too, meaning that even on solo rides, you can make or receive phone calls, listen to music, or change GPS navigation destinations with your voice.
At WBW, “Best” Actually Means Something
Remember when you could open up a review of something, and when the publication—magazine, car show, whatever—said “best” they stood behind it?Yea, we remember, and we’re bringing it back.
Here’s how we do things:
We disclose our affiliate relationships—We make money via advertising and affiliate relationships on our website. It’s how we pay our team and invest in things like sendingJimtoItaly. AndJapan. AndFrance… wait… why do we always send Jim places?
We obsessively hands-on test—We wear and ride with gear before reviewing it, and we update reviews down the line if our opinions change. We look at real-world situations because that’s the world we live in.
We’re objective—Good gear is good gear, regardless of who made it.
We’re value-focused—Why pay $500 if something for $250 is just as good? Our review scores and recommendations reflectbest value. Brand only goes so far—the gear has to stand on its own.
