GL1800Riders Forums banner

Are bluetooth headsets replacing CBs ?

7K views 81 replies 32 participants last post by  DaveFromDenver 
#1 ·
My last touring bike was a 2007 Ultra Classic and I used the CB frequently during group rides. It was a wonderful way to communicate the status of the group, route, road conditions, etc. Are bluetooth headsets making CBs a thing of the past ? I'm currently shopping for a new bike and wondering if the extra expense of a CB is worth it or would the money be better spent on a bluetooth headset?

Thanks
 
#3 ·
I have both, but just purchased a CB for our 2006 GW Trike. I think CB has a much greater distance than a bluetooth. I have both so I can try them out and will be prepared no matter which communications systems we use on group rides.
Bill
 
#6 ·
When the truck drivers quit using CB's, then I will believe that they are becoming obsolete. I have heard people with CB's say, "I have one on my bike and never used it." That doesn't make them becoming obsolete.

There are those that claim cb's are obsolete who don't have them.

It is not a cheap add on, that is for sure.
 
#7 ·
I have both the CB and Bluetooth. I have SENA brand Bluetooth gear. Sena advertises about 900 yards transmission distance. I have tested many times and 200-400 yards is what I am guessing the max distance between bikes. My CB typically will transmit 1/2 mile. Some guys say they can get much longer distances but 1/2 mile is about what I experience.


I use my BT for phone, intercom and bike to my helmet CB. The CB is used for bike to bike communications.


I doubt BT will every replace the CB. The main reason is the trouble with PAIRING the different brands of BT. Its sort of a pain and not as seamless and just turning on the CB.


However, if you have a group that you regularly ride with, and everyone already has their BT paired, then the BT does sound and work just as nice as a CB.
 
#8 ·
Bluetooth is okay, but it starts fading fast in the twisties as soon as there are a couple of trees between units. Also, their distance is very limited. Another thing, with bluetooth is you hear everything.....sneezes.....coughs.......throat clearing.......modular helmet closure.......those unintended comments for others when you forget you are on the air. :) I much prefer CB, but still use both.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Whether you go with a CB or BT would depend on what others you ride with have. No one I ride with have CBs but a few do have BT so I went with BT plus it's wireless to my passenger. The last time I had a CB radio was when Smokey and Bandit was still playing in theatres. I've never missed having one on the bike.

BT range might differ from model to model, brand to brand, but for me it seems about a mile is it's limit. I also went with BT because I can make or receive phone calls and listen to whatever music is on the phone. My wife (passenger) can do the same with hers. As BT is helmet mounted there's no need to move equipment over from your old ride to the new one or buy new equipment if the CB is sold with the old bike.

As for hearing other's coughs, sneezes, etc. it depend on how you have them set up. My wife and I have ours set up so the we need to touch the button on our head unit to transmit then touch it again when we are finished.

To each their own. Buy what's best for your situation.
 
#11 ·
BT vs CB

I can't imagine trying to keep more than 3 or 4 biles connected via bluetooth. It would be an incredible hassle. BT seems to lend itself to pre-planned connections where CB is more ad-hoc. I would agree that they are more complimentary technologies rather than being replacements for each other.
 
#12 ·
On my new vision I bought I could not get a CB because Victory said it was Obsolete. they said to use BT I use my CB all the time on my wing.
If Honda goes the way of Victory it may not be around much longer. By the way my Vision is set up for a CB. But you can not buy them From
Victory any more.
 
G
#13 ·
I have not bought a CB as yet, but I am going to soon.
I don't do group rides very often, so that is not why I want it.
I want it for traffic conditions, detour info, etc.
I just always seem to need other things more when I go to buy one.


Doug
 
#14 ·
#16 ·
Tried and true! The CB radio will not be replaced by modern technology any time soon.
The truckers have used it for years and it is plug and play as it gets! I use it almost every time I ride and it is bullet proof. It is expensive for the GW but a worthy expense IMO. It is one of my mandatory additions to any bike I ride be it a J&M addition or a factory add on it is worth the extra $.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Personally I never seen a need for me for a CB . I was huge into them in the 80's . 1000 watt kicker home base and a moonracker directional antenna on top of a 60' tower . I had a CB on my 1500 but had zero distance . I do not like to group ride and at that time truckers were using the CB less and less. I now have sena 20's for wife and I . I love them . Phone ,fm radio , multi intercom all clear as a bell wothout the hassle of cords . If I group ride now I will use them for communication . But have not yet. I have rode with groups since and still I do. It not need to be in constant communication with them as I have an understanding if I lead or tail prior . But I can plainly see it would be cool if I did that group ride thingy more often .
So bottom line is to your question . Is yes I think it is slowly , but it will be a while yet before it really catches on. Price will be factor to takeover .
 
#21 ·
Thanks for all the responses, you've given me a lot of things to think about. I was always impressed with the performance of the Harley Davidson CB/intercom systems, they served me well on my 01' and 07' Ultras.

Thoughts and Prayers for Dallas, TX.
 
#22 ·
Blue tooth will never be bike to bike in spite of what everyone says about them and range. They just do not carry the reliability and range needed for bike to bike for several bikes. Every time I start asking direct questions about real performance from someone claiming how great Blue tooth is for group communications; the real information starts coming out and suddenly they start taking back their earlier claims. Some of the "how bad it really is" ends up being that in order to keep 5 bikes all connected for the duration of a 300+ mile ride, every stop done for any little thing involves a "bluetooth party" were all devices are re-connect up and that deed can take as long as 15 minutes or more if larger number of riders. Blue tooth is short range wireless device communications. The fact that it has been decided by product markets to be long range functional is ridiculous. For real wireless communications, we should be using FRS if not GMRS. There is SO much more you can do with FRS instead of a CB and there is just no comparison between FRS and Blue tooth. That comparison is about like comparing a CAT back hoe with a 6" garden shovel when needing a 4" water main buried according to local building codes. The reason FRS has not taken off in the market??? Pushing BT as the "do all solution" is keeping FRS out of being marketed at all. FRS almost got a good strong market several years ago at ski resorts, but that ended up being squashed by a sudden rise in cell phones that would still work between two phones on opposite sides at the bottom of the same mountain. CB's are still around because of a very long history where a huge number of people have one, they still work, and many people asking the question "What is FRS?"


FRS - Family Radio Service. It is the "FM" version of the CB's "AM". It carries the same distance as CB with a quarter of the power and a much smaller antenna to boot. It also has the capability to isolate your conversations from others without changing channels. Two radios with sub code 22 will only "break squelch" if the received transmission has sub code 22. So you do not get interrupted by others not in your group if you do not want them. Not using a sub code can still hear sub code 22 transmissions making the term "privacy code" incorrect. I mentioned GMRS..... Same as FRS with more power/distance and more channels and most likely still requires a license (a CB once required one too).

I would gladly change to FRS, but there just is no base to use it with, not to mention there is no manufacturing for FRS providing integration into motorcycling.
 
#23 ·
My Sena 20S BT headset is rated for a range of 1.7 miles. With two 20S units, I find the range to exceed 1.5 miles in the flats. As previously stated, the limitation is keeping multiple headsets connected, requiring a lot of work each time a headset is turned off and back on. Between bike and passenger or between two bikes, BT is a good option.

When I installed my CB radio, I had a lot of difficulty finding any radio traffic for testing. I thought I had a bad unit until I asked a friend with a CB to transmit. I heard him loud and clear, even from miles away. I was told that CB has mostly fallen by the wayside. I don't know what truckers are using these days in lieu of CB.

FRS is inexpensive with Bluetooth-capable FRS/GMRS handheld units running less than $100 (and I see units available for less than $50). They can get their power from a USB port or simply run off the internal battery. You can use a BT headset to connect, or wire the unit to your bike's audio system, which allows you to use a cabled headset. The units easily fit in the glovebox or trunk. If you frequently ride with the same people, a cheap FRS radio becomes a good option. I used to take the family camping. I would ride my bike and the family would ride in the cage. We used FRS handhelds and were able to stay in touch over distances in excess of 5 miles. If you look around, you can find inexpensive BT-capable FRS units. That may be enough to sway people you ride with over to FRS.

Although I dislike group riding, I wanted to be able to connect with anyone I was riding along with. I opted for the BikeMP3 Evolution CB radio with the FRS cable option. I connected a Motorola FRS/GMRS handheld radio (top-of-the-line, less than $100) to the Evolution. I use a Sena SM10 to connect to the bike's audio system. The limitation of the SM10 is that it cannot be used to talk, only listen. Until I replace it with the upcoming Freewire, I connect my Sena 20S headset directly to the Motorola radio. I could have left the CB unit out the way it is currently wired. Downside is that I have to either use VOX (Voice Operated Switch), which transmits every cough, sniffle, mutter and wind noise, or press the Talk switch on the headset each time I want to transmit. Changing channels is manual, but normally you would select a channel before you start your ride. Once I install the Freewire, I will be able to use the bike's PTT (Push To Talk) switch and have full access to the CB radio including the FRS/GMRS radio.

There are a lot of options out there. Some work well and others have problems. The limiting factors are what the people you ride with are using and how much you are willing to spend. If you opt for CB, I recommend BikeMP3's Evolution. It is far less expensive than the OEM radio even if you add the FRS/GMRS option. In fact, the Evolution with an additional FRS/GPRS radio is still far less expensive then the OEM CB radio. Pete provides excellent technical support as many on this forum will attest, and installation is easy. The web site is bikemp3.com.

You should now have enough information from this thread to make the choice that best suits you. Good luck.
 
#24 ·
Seems to me the problem with bluetooth is they only pair to a few riders. I am paired with my wife and my best ride buddy. Any more than that and the CB starts to look good. Wife and I are the only one in our local goldwing group that does not have one. But $600 for the Honda factory unit so the integrated controls work, $120 Antenna, $240 for Sierra Elect module and harness/clamp kit, $30 Pass PPT, is $990 for the setup that works with our Sena SMH10's, and the GL1800 factory system so we can make use if integrated controls, etc. Is it really worth it. Having a hard time with the sticker shock.

Has me wondering about a Sena SR10 with a small portable CB in the trunk, get a factory antenna and figure out PPT setup. But changing channels and all that would be a pain. Integrated controls are nice.
 
#25 ·
I have a Sena SMH5-FM - supposed to be good for 900Meters range - my experience is it's good for that (except in the bush on my dual sport, where it's much, much more limited). My wife has a SMH5 - she rides as a passenger, and we use it all the time to talk back and forth, and when she gets sick of my music, she listens to her iPod. The BT headset can do so much more than a CB, but it's not 'universal' like the CB (although the latest Sena firmware claims it will pair with virtually all other headsets - but you have to 'pair' headsets, unlike a CB where you just select a channel), and the CB range is much longer.

The SMH5 series can only do rider-to-rider communications with one other rider at a time. The 10 series, I believe is 4 (or 5?) and the 20 series is 9 (or 10?). I ride a dual sport and have friends with the Sena as well, so we talk while we're riding, but if there's 3 of us, only 2 of us can chat.

I don't have a CB in my 08 GL1800, but had one in my 97 GL1500 - I did not have the Honda helmet headset, so I was 'receive only'. I did one 'big' ride with that bike (small goldwing meetup in Oregon). I used the CB to listen to the truckers when the highway ground to a halt, to find out a tanker had rolled and was blocking the entire highway. Then, we did a group ride and it was good to hear the other riders and know where we were turning off etc. - it was handy. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd put one on my 1800 and maybe put in a hand mike, just in case I needed to talk.
 
#27 ·
I'm going to rent a BMW in Eastern Europe with two other guys and we were thinking get Sena 20s units to communicate with each other. We will have Zumo's with the daily routes in them, has anyone experienced the Zumo directions disconnecting the paired units from each other?

Any light you can shed would help.

David
 
#28 ·
I have yet to find any new fangled tech that can replace the old fashioned CB.

On a group day ride this past spring with about a dozen bike, 5 of us on Wings had CB's, and about 5 or 6 guys on various cruisers had Bluetooth. We probably lost a total of about an hour's riding time overall because after every stop, we had to wait while the nerds had to screw around for 10 minutes getting their BTsetup. One guy was silent for the day because he never could get his to connect to them.

FRS? Before I bought my Wing, a friend of mine and I invested in a pair of Nady FRS motorcyle coms. The noise was horrendous, even side by side, and we would lose signal completely about 100 ft apart. Years later, I had some portable Uniden FRS units that I used for various purposes. We took them on a trip once when we had two cars traveling. The range on those was a little better at about 200 yards, but it still was pretty bad.

FRS and GMRS have the additional problem in that they are only allowed for portable communications, which is why you don't see mobile units powered by a vehicle with a roof top antenna. There is a variation that is mobile, but it requires a license, and they are rare.

I'm keeping my CB.
 
#30 ·
I'm asking if the Sena 20s system unpairs when used with 3-units intercom (3 separate bike riders) when the Zumo gives a driving direction over the system.

David
 
#32 ·
It depends. LIMITED experience here and I might have been doing something else wrong so take this with a grain of salt, but here's what I found in a little testing:

If you're using 3 Sena intercoms and their magic Sena-peculiar intercom pairing, plus the Zumo connected to one via headset profile, then, no, the zumo stays paired and you're cooking with gas.

However, if you have roped in one of those intercoms using the universal pairing then that sucks up a BT slot. Depending on how you pile on with the Zumo and such, you may face more of an A or B rather than A+B situation.
 
#31 ·
The funny thing about either one is that, when no one else in the group you're riding with uses them, they don't work. So Captain Obvious suggests that what your group uses matters most. If you have a normal group.

As for major demographic trends, I can't say. I will vouch for Sena BT being slick but a bit finicky and short range, CB very universal and relatively idiot proof, except for a truly talented idiot.
 
#36 · (Edited)
That is a really good point that cannot be underestimated. CB has not survived all these years because it is a superior technology. It survives because it has a huge installed base, which, unlike other fads and gadgets, is extremely important in two way communications.

Live 2 way com with multiple people over distance is well beyond what Bluetooth was ever designed to do. Despite some limited success, there really are no official protocols in place that address the specific needs of motorcycle communications. Motorcycle headset protocols are a patchwork of adapted technologies. Bluetooth is already hit and miss even when used within its design parameters. It really exposes its limitations when adapted to motorcycle headsets.

IMO, for CB to be replaced, a reliable, no hassle system will have to be developed from scratch to address our unique needs. Bluetooth in it current state is not the answer. The key to the longevity of CB lies in its simplicity, and today's engineers don't know who to invent anything simple.

Bluetooth satisfies those who love messing with fringe technology, but it won't appeal to the masses, and acceptance by the masses is a the most important step in finally putting CB out to pasture. It can be done, but there is no drive to do it, because there isn't any widespread demand for it.

Then there is the constant annoyance of having to recharge helmets every day, and having to constantly manage your battery usage. When the batteries die, you don't just lose bike to bike. You lose driver to passenger com too.
 
#34 ·
We happily are using Bt for bike-to-bike comunication.

Ours are Scala's and we have modular helmets. Paired to each other and each to their own phone. farmgal listens to music from her phone via Bt. I have a usb for music and play it thru the bike speakers. We use a voice activated connection.


Our son and girlfriend also do bike-to-bike. Sena's and full-face helmets. They also (sometimes) share music over the headsets, and have them set up so the channel is 'open' all the time.


We haven't tried to connect the Sena's to the Scala's .... I wonder if it would work?
 
#35 ·
This gives me hope! Thanks for sharing...

David
 
#39 ·
Solar charged was my first thought when I bought my S20's
. Solar helmet would be genuis .
 
#38 ·
Bluetooth works for us, however I have no use to be able to communicate with large numbers of people at one time, I only ride in small groups. Our Nolan B4+ Bluetooth system allows us a to use our helmets intercoms, talk bike to bike up to 800 meters, answer phone call privately or put it on conference call with my wife, receive turn by turn directions from my GPS, listen to MP3 players from multiple sources, and to integrate FRS two way radios if more range is needed. I never seen the need to install a CB but my needs may be different than others, and a CB may be what's needed.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top