Droid on a motorcycle

[billynair]

I ride my motorcycle as often as I can (im still nervous in the rain but have ridden over an hour in sleet, but I try to avoid it) and I listen to Pandora and use Google Navigation to find where I need to go. Usually I just stuff it in my jacket, but I also have a gas tank bag that has a map slot that I stick my phone in and it allows the touch screen to work, good for following the maps and such. For Pandora, I got an iFrogz earphone with micophone and use "Headset Button Controller" to control the Pandora. It lets me pause, skip and adjust the volume.

Anyone else have any good tips for riding with your Droid?!?

 

[Vulcan1600]

Billy, I use a BT device when riding, works well, but my wife just got me a full face shield helmet for Father's Day. It's very tight in there and not sure I'll be able to slide the helmet on w/o the ear pieces from falling out. I wish there was a good speaker system that could be mounted on the handlebar and be able to play music w/o using headset. I'm sure there's no way to amplify the sound easily or economically.

Also I have a tank bag but stopped using it because it was scratching my gas tank. Maybe you have some ideas about that too.

 

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

It's been my experience that the best method for listening to music is headphones. Speakers are simply loud music on top of normal road noise. At highway speeds, that is LOUD. My opinion is that the best headphones for riding are the etymotics ER6i. You can get them for a decent price on amazon. They block out the majority of road noise (including wind drone, which has actually been shown to be highly fatiguing), without blocking out important things like horns, sirens, engine changes, etc. They let you listen to your music at roughly 1/4 max volume, preserving your hearing, and your alertness. They also have removable, interchangeable tips, for various sized ears. I have small ears, and they fit completely inside them, without pulling out when putting on a helmet. (If you twist the helmet slightly to the side as you pull it on/off, it makes the process much easier) There's a filter that you can remove and replace, I generally only do once a year or so, unless I damage one. They include one spare pair with purchase. No affiliation, just enthusiastic about a good product haha.

 

[AngryHatter]

When I am riding, leave me a message as the phone is in my bag.

 

[dark juggalo]

I took a pair of Bose head phones(smaller) and removed the bar thats connects them and then took the liner out of my fullface and mounted them in the panels so that the speakers are perminately in my helmet and i dont have jack around with trying to get ready while my friends are riding away and i can stiil hear whats going on around me.
to make it all one unit though I just attached a cheap mp3 player to my helmet w/velcro.

 

[elPrez]

I have a bluetooth speakerphone that also transmits to FM so I leave the phone in my pocket, speakerphone in a windshield bag and tune the radio to the selected frequency for Pandora or mp3s. Tried the gps function but it kept jumping from horizontal to vertical from the vibration. I prefer landscape view and I think if you turn off the auto screen it only gives you portrait view.

 

[Rasper912]

I just recently bought a motorcycle and am totally looking forward to riding while listening to music.

Thoughts on a bluetooth capable helmet?? The best one I've found is just over $300. Ouch!

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[phelbore]

I second the ER-6I. These headphones fit inside the ear and don't protrude at all, the helmet doesn't touch them at all. I spent a year trying various headphones under my helmet until I found these!

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[Vulcan1600]

I just recently bought a motorcycle and am totally looking forward to riding while listening to music.

Thoughts on a bluetooth capable helmet?? The best one I've found is just over $300. Ouch!

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

I don't know what your level of riding experience is, but if you are a beginner or novice, I wouldn't be in any hurry to start listening to music while riding yet. Get comfortable with your ride and riding in general.

To the others who have also posted concerning their BT preferences, thanks for sharing. Darkjuggalo I'd like to see some pictures of your modified helmet.

 

[radon222]

My wife and I use Sena SMH10 headsets for both music and communication (we ride separate bikes). You have the choice of using helmet mounted speakers, or purchasing an optional mount the allows the use of any earbud with a 3.5mm jack.

We use the helmet speakers and have been very happy the sound quality.

Sena SMH-10 Bluetooth Headset Version 2.0 - RevZilla


Oh and Rasper -- +1 on Vulcan's comments.

 

[billynair]

Also I have a tank bag but stopped using it because it was scratching my gas tank. Maybe you have some ideas about that too.

I use a magnetic tank-bag, I never had a problem with it scratching. it is a little big for my tank, and so it is either covering my speedometer or squishing my <stuff>, but it is worth the hassle.

I use a BT device when riding, works well, but my wife just got me a full face shield helmet for Father's Day. It's very tight in there and not sure I'll be able to slide the helmet on w/o the ear pieces from falling out

I tore the earpiece off mine when I was testing to see if it would fit... There is a 2 person expandable headset I was thinking of getting, but it is $350, so I will wait a white for that one, but they said it will play iPods, I didn't ask about Droids, this was before I started using my phone as a music player.

 

[kevsgroove]

I have speakers mounted in the earwells of my full face helmet, as I wear earplugs when I ride. I hook up an hood or small radio to the headphones and enjoy my tunes. The earplugs effectively cut the road noise while allowing you to hear sirens, horns, etc, and of course, your music.

For gps, I use the bar mounted Garmin Zumo. I keep the verbal directions off and simply glance at it every so often, similar to glancing at the speedometer.

Will check out the Etymonics though.

 

[billynair]

My opinion is that the best headphones for riding are the etymotics ER6i.

I like having the mic in the line, it allows you to control the music with your teeth (bite once to pause/play, twice to skip songs, etc.) and those ER6i phones look nice, but the one with a mic (Etymotic - hf3 Headphones) is BANK!! I have a mic extension but that requires hands, and then you dont have the mic (not that anyone can ever understand me when I am riding anyway...)

 

[Rasper912]

Oh I completely and totally agree. But I have been ridding motorcycles for many years and am very comfortable with the whole process.

Thank you for sharing. Great advice for beginners. So beginners listen up! Safety first.

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[billynair]

Thoughts on a bluetooth capable helmet?? The best one I've found is just over $300. Ouch!

The one I was looking at was around $350, it is really nice, I liked that it had everything already in the helmet, mic and earphones fit with out you even knowing they were there! The controls and everything were easily accessible yet out of the way, BUT my issue with combo ANYTHING is that if one breaks EVERYTHING is wasted (tv/dvd, radio/beer keg). Buying them separately is more of a hassle but in the long run I think it is worth it.

I just recently bought a motorcycle and am totally looking forward to riding while listening to music.

I haven't been riding street bikes (Honda Shadow here) for a long time, but I ride trials (rock climbing dirt bikes) and I was a pro BMX rider where my specialty was street (zipping through San Fran rush hour traffic hitting curb jumps, sliding rails, wall-riding buses at stops, towing off bumpers up Van Ness) but I still held off about a year on my MC before I started listening to music or anything other than concentrating on the road and more importantly other drivers! They say the most dangerous time on a MC is the first 6 months, so I would tell anyone to wait until at least 6 months before doing anything other than getting used to being in traffic. My friend just started riding a few months ago and slid his bike on a freeway on-ramp, luckily it was only $1350 worth of damage rather than getting sucked under a semi, but I am convinced it wasnt totally his inexperience, he was distracted and it could have been avoided if he knew when to hold off until he could address the issue.