Choosing a Motorcycle Intercom
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A motorcycle intercom lets you chat to your riding mates, stream music or a podcast, hear turn-by-turn GPS, and take a phone call when you choose to, all without taking a hand off the bars. The hard part is not what they do, it is choosing between models. Broadly, you pay for two things: range and features. Get those two right for the way you ride and the rest falls into place.
We have been selling Bluetooth intercoms for over ten years and gone through plenty of manufacturers along the way. Today we stock two ranges we are happy to put our name to: Sena and Midland. Between them they cover everything from a simple rider-to-pillion unit to a full mesh system for a large group ride, and both brands also have options that suit bicycle and non helmet-wearing users.
I have used an intercom while riding for about ten years. Out with a mate it is great to have comms for a chat as well as the "where are we headed?" conversations, and safety goes up when the lead rider can warn the follower about changing road conditions. With my daughter on the back we actually talk, and on my own I can listen to music or a podcast and still answer the phone (when I choose to). Once you have paired the intercom to your phone, GPS or the other unit, it reconnects automatically every time everything is switched on and in range.
Bluetooth or mesh: the first decision
This is the big fork in the road. A plain Bluetooth intercom links a fixed set of riders in a chain, and the connection is only as strong as its weakest link. A mesh intercom builds a self-healing network where the signal hops from unit to unit, so riders can drift in and out of the group without dropping everyone else. For a pair or a pillion, Bluetooth is plenty. For a changeable group, mesh is worth the money.
We have written a separate plain-English explainer on this, so if you want the full picture before you choose, read What Is This Mesh Thing? first, then come back here.
How range actually works
Quoted ranges are best-case, open-terrain figures. Bluetooth is essentially line of sight, so a 1.6km unit only gets close to 1.6km when the other rider is in view. The signal attenuates with moisture (so it drops in the rain) and terrain gets in the way too. A longer-range unit will still beat a shorter-range one in the same conditions because the signal is stronger.
Two things worth remembering: you can mix and match models, but on Bluetooth the range is limited to the shorter of the two units (a 1.6km intercom paired to a 400m unit gives you 400m). And a mesh system does the opposite of dropping out as the group spreads, the signal bounces rider to rider, so the effective range grows as the group strings out along the road.
Conference or one-to-one?
A conference-style intercom lets everyone talk at once, like a normal conversation. A one-to-one intercom means you can only speak to a single other unit at a time. Mesh intercoms are conference by default. If you only ever ride two-up or with one mate, one-to-one is fine and cheaper. For a group, you want conference or mesh.
Features worth paying for
Beyond range, the features that separate models are the number of riders you can connect, built-in FM radio, and cameras. It is easy to pay for features you will never use, so be honest about the riding you actually do.
- Number of users: a rider-to-pillion unit needs to connect to one other. A club ride needs conference or mesh with a high rider count.
- FM radio: handy if you like local stations without touching your phone. Some units use app-based web radio instead, which needs mobile data.
- Camera: a camera model records your ride. I use one, and I can take video or stills with sound from the mic, so I can add commentary. Quality is surprisingly good, though heavy video use drains the battery, easily topped up on the go with a power bank.
Firmware updates and settings are handled through each brand's smartphone app, and on camera models that is where you edit and sort clips before saving or sharing.
The Sena and Midland range at a glance
Here are the current models we stock, grouped by connection type. Ranges and rider counts are the manufacturer's open-terrain figures.
| Model | Connection | Range | Users (intercom) | Notable extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sena, Bluetooth | ||||
| Sena SMH5 | Bluetooth | Up to 400 m | 2 riders | Entry level, music sharing |
| Sena 5S | Bluetooth | Up to 700 m | 2 riders | HD speakers, LCD screen |
| Sena SF2 | Bluetooth | Up to 800 m | 2 (rider + passenger) | Audio Overlay, app group over mobile |
| Sena 10R | Bluetooth | Up to 900 m | 4 riders | Low profile, audio multitasking |
| Sena 10S | Bluetooth | Up to 1.6 km | 4 riders | Audio multitasking |
| Sena 20S EVO | Bluetooth | Up to 2.0 km | 8 riders | Long-range group leader |
| Sena 10C EVO | Bluetooth | Up to 1.6 km | 4 riders | 4K camera, Smart Audio Mix |
| Sena, mesh | ||||
| Sena Expand Mesh | Mesh + Bluetooth | Up to 400 m (further with 6+) | 24 group, open mesh unlimited | Open headset for non-helmet use |
| Sena 50R | Mesh + Bluetooth | Up to 2 km (to 8 km with 6+) | 4 Bluetooth / 24 group / open unlimited | FM radio, Harman Kardon, low profile |
| Sena 50S | Mesh + Bluetooth | Up to 2 km (to 8 km with 6+) | 4 Bluetooth / 24 group / open unlimited | FM radio, Harman Kardon |
| Sena 60S | Mesh + Bluetooth + WAVE | Up to 2 km (WAVE over mobile) | 4 Bluetooth / 24 group / open + WAVE unlimited | FM radio, 2nd-gen Harman Kardon, flashlight, IPX7 |
| Midland, Bluetooth | ||||
| Midland BT Mini | Bluetooth | Up to 500 m | 3 riders | Compact, app web radio, IPX6 |
| Midland BTR1 | Bluetooth | Up to 800 m | 4 riders (conference) | Music share, cross-brand, app web radio |
| Midland BTR1 Advanced X | Bluetooth | Up to 1.2 km | 4 riders (conference) | FM radio, RCF HiFi audio |
| Midland, mesh | ||||
| Midland R1 Mesh | Mesh + Bluetooth | Up to 2 km mesh / 500 m Bluetooth | 6 talking + 99 listeners (mesh) / 3 (Bluetooth) | RCF audio, cross-brand mesh and Bluetooth |
Single units and twin packs are listed on each product page, and most models are available either way. If you want to browse the lot, the full Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms collection has everything in one place.
So which should you buy?
- Rider and pillion only: the Sena SF2 or Midland BT Mini do the job simply and affordably.
- Two mates, occasional rides: a mid-range Bluetooth unit like the Sena 10S or Midland BTR1 gives you the range and a bit of headroom.
- Small group that rides together often: step up to mesh with the Sena 50S or Midland R1 Mesh.
- Big or changeable group rides: the Sena 60S adds WAVE cellular comms on top of mesh for effectively unlimited range and numbers.
- Want to record your rides: the Sena 10C EVO is the one with a proper 4K camera built in.
Remember the mixing rule: if two riders run different models, everything still works, but on Bluetooth you are capped at the shorter unit's range, and to share a mesh network both units need to be mesh (or bridged with an adapter).
Still not sure? Ask us
Tell us how you ride and we will point you at the right model. A few questions to get you started:
- Do you ride solo, two-up, or in a group?
- Same bike (rider and pillion) or different bikes?
- If it is a group, will everyone run the same model?
- Any must-have extras, camera or FM radio?
Answer those and the choice usually narrows to one or two units. Get in touch and we will sort you out.