For years, the idea of a motorcycle intercom seemed to be for the rider and his pillion to discuss the next rest stop on their big cruiser bike with a couple of plug in wired headsets. With the advent of Bluetooth technology, the concept of rider to rider communication has spread throughout the motorcycle universe. If you’re still wildly waving your arms at your buddy when it is time for a pit stop, it is time for a leap into current technology.

Dual sport and adventure riders on individual bikes will reap huge benefits from being able to communicate with their buddies. It is not just about where and when to stop for a burger and gas, but once off the pavement, sending warnings about rocks and ruts or being alerted when the guy in the back goes down makes a huge difference in the riding dynamics and sharing the fun.

Although there are a number of decent intercoms out there, the newest top of the food chain is the SENA 20S. It comes with a whole host of features, but the ones that puts it at the top of the list is its connectivity with the SENA Prism action camera and the ability to talk with non-SENA intercoms.

We’ve all see some of the motorcycle action videos that have flooded the internet; perhaps you’ve even posted some of your own. It is part of our sport to be able to relive the moments and laugh at our get-offs. GoPro has dominated the action camera market since its introduction.

Using the Prism in single photo mode, this 5MB shot shows great detail even directly into the sun.

Although a great product, it currently lacks the ability to provide voice-over on the go. The Prism camera, combined with the 20S, provides this feature with flawless HD video and real time voice-over video; and it can all be controlled with a simple tap of your headset.

The heart of the system is the 20S Bluetooth communicator. Available in either single or dual unit packaging. Its electronics platform is built around the new Bluetooth 4.0 format which yields longer battery life and better connectivity. There is now the ability to pair up to 8 headsets in a communications group.

A major advance for SENA is the ability, with the 20S, to pair to non-SENA devices. In the past, this meant that if you had a SENA and your buddy had a different brand, you couldn’t talk to each other. The SENA software creates a work-around this lack of compatibility with Bluetooth black magic by seeing the other intercom unit as a cell phone.

The 20S also functions with a cell phone, allowing you to answer calls by a simple touch to the jog wheel on the side of the helmet; if you have music on your phone, that can also be connected. If you have an MP3 player, or wired iPod, there is a port for the included cable on the device. If you like FM radio while you’re riding, there is a receiver built in as well that can be preset to 10 stations.

In this photo we see the the 16:9 aspect ratio of the PRISM offers a wide viewing angle.

Unpacking the box, you’ll first be asked to plug in to the ‘net and update the latest firmware. Once that is done, you’ll probably notice that the box does not include a simple 120 volt transformer for the somewhat ubiquitous 5 volt 1 amp battery charging duty. Use the one from your iPhone or your computer USB port; or buy a couple from the nearby convenience store.

The next step is helmet installation. The box includes various bits for different helmets and even a stick-on plate if your helmet doesn’t permit the clamp on mount. Once set up, the next step will be to pair the unit to other intercoms that you’ll be talking with.

There are three input devices on the unit; two buttons and a jog wheel. One button is uniquely assigned to allow ambient noise, such as when you’re at a gas station and don’t want to remove your helmet. The second button and the jog wheel are used in various combinations for talking, pairing, answering your cell phone, playing music, and turning on and off the recording function of the camera; as well as setting the camera functions.

In our experience, unless you change things constantly, you’ll need to keep the instructions handy as the variety of combinations and alternate control functions are substantial, but easily absorbed. We quickly learned that if we pressed the jog wheel (about a second) it would try to find another intercom, but if we quickly “tapped” the wheel, as per the instructions, it would complete our expected task of turning the camera on and off. The device is smart enough to know that when your phone rings, that same tap will answer the phone so you can make your call through the intercom.

The included handlebar bracket and housing makes mounting the PRISM a breeze. For best results use the helmet mount to avoid engine vibration.

The Prism is similarly loaded with features. In addition to stunning high resolution 1080p video, the camera can shoot stills in different aspect ratios and resolutions; shoot burst sequences; and best of all, be operated with that intelligent jog wheel while recording real-time voice-overs.

We found that the best recordings where when the camera was mounted to our helmet and the internal microphone was shut off; otherwise there was too much vibration and camera movement to produce a smooth video and the voice over was competing with the sound of the engine.

The Prism includes plenty of other mounting options. Another unique feature of the Prism is its ability to record in two field of view modes; either 90 degrees or 137 degrees. The battery is rated for 2 hours of recording, but we found it to be somewhat less during our use. The storage is on Micro SD cards that will allow up to 8 hours on a single card in low res mode or 4 ¾ hours using a 32GB card in 1080p Hi-Def.

The 20S is priced at $299 while the Dual pack is $549. While intercoms can be had for less than half of this cost, the features and quality of this model make it a worthwhile investment in your smiles per dollar. When combined with the Prism action camera, at $249, the combination just simply leaves the competition in the dust! SENA.com

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