The communication game just got a wake up call with Cardo Systems dropping the mic on rider-to-rider intercom stsyems that are not only for those tar babies, but also suitable for the off-road fraternity too.

Motorcycle intercom systems are not a new thing. They have been around for nearly 20 years and have evolved over time to what you can now get your dirty little gloves on today. The OG of the comms game is Cardo (formally called Scala), and have been producing intercom systems for road riders since 2004. Yeah sure, you could use the systems on dirt bike aplications, but with all the cool things that come with dirt bikes, eg….dirt, it’s not until right now that their had been a unit tough enough to take the rigours of off-road riding. The Packtalk Bold covers all those bases.

We’ve had our Cardo intercom for couple weeks now and have gotten out on the trail a hand full of times. For someone who has never ridden with in-helmet comms systems it was quite the novelty and something I really enjoyed from the outset. Having the motivation of Taylor Swift in the ears as your roost through the bush is something that you have to experience to really appreciate. I’ts going to be a tough gig when they want these back.

The team at Motogear.co.nz wanted me to come up and have the system fitted to the helmet and to go over all the features of the unit. Due to time constraints with real work (yep I have a proper job) I got the team to send the system down so I could see how easy it was too install.

Opening up the box you are hit with come sweet packaging and two units right away. The materials, instruction notes and installation process papers that come with the device look overwhelming at first and appear to open up to the size of your couch. But after putting on the glasses and finding your bearings you quickly realise that the instructions are dead simple and very easy to follow.

Installation

You have two options when mounting the Cardo to your helmet. You can choose the clip that slides in between your helmet lining and the outside of your shell, kind of like an alligator clip. The Cardo base clips to this and allows you to attach to different helmets if you desire. The other option is the more permanent option where you use a go-pro like mount that comes in the box which your cardo base clips too. Both systems I’m sure have their pros and cons.

The helmet I picked to use (Airoh Aviator) wouldn’t allow the clip to be used. The design of the helmet shell and rim meant I had to use the stick-on option. That is something to consider if you are dead set on using the clip. I was more than happy to use the stick on as to me it looks like a better and ‘less change of it falling off’ option.

Getting all the gear in the helmet was as easy as you would imagine. It took about 30 minutes to get everything where I wanted it and squared away. Find the right spot for the speakers and mic and have it feeling comfortable like it wasn’t even there. I can confidently say that I could cut that down to under 10 minutes now I know the procedure.

Connecting to the unit using to your phone is stupid easy – especially after you download the Cardo Connect App. This pairs any unit you have close by and allows you to do anything you want to the Packtalk Bold units without having to remember what buttons to push which is great. Perfect when there is just two of you and you set up in seconds and ride off into the trees.

One thing I recommend to remember is that both units need to be either on the Bluetooth Setting or the DMC setting. Took me a while to realise why they were not talking to each other when I had fiddled with some settings. We will go more into the DMC (Dynamic Mesh Connection) more in the full review.

On The Trail

I’ve been hit up by a few guys that say they go riding to get away from it all. For some piece and quiet and why would you have all that crap buzzing in your ears. I can totally see their point and it will be pretty evident that intercom systems will not be for everyone with dodges trees, but for me personally I really enjoyed it.

Besides the obvious ability to chat to your mates when you ride, laugh at them crashing, warn them of a hole you nearly missed or let them know your stopping to get a selfie and you will catch them up, the aspect of being able to match your scenery with cinematic music (or Taylor Swift) is a really cool option to have.

I started off by putting on a podcast and listening to that for the first 5 minutes of the ride. I quickly realised that this simply just doesn’t work. The sound from the engine when on the throttle is just too loud and overpowers the podcast. You only hear snippets and miss a lot of the content, especially when powering up long hills and blowing out berms like a boss. Unlike road bike helmets that are made for safety and quiet, dirt bike helmets are make purely for safety. I think on the list of design ideas and parameters, making a dirt bike helmet super quiet is not high on the list. Plus, too much muffling of sound would surely effect air flow too. So unless you’re following the kids round (and the kids are learners) flag the podcasts.

Music however – game changer. I rode about 2 hours around the Burt’s Farm Trail Ride by myself with my favourite Spotify playlist cranking and it didn’t miss a beat. I was able to skip songs, repeat, volume up/down and pause them when I wanted to have a chat with someone on the side of the track who had broke down. The buttons have raised marking on them so you can easily get to the button you need, and the roller for volume is a great idea and makes that super-easy to use.

My first impression of the Cardo Systems Packtalk Bold system is a solid two thumbs up. I have some friend time lined up in the coming weeks as well as some coaching that will, at least I believe it will, provide a huge benefit to getting real-time information to the learner, while also being able to demonstrate and explain at the same time. So stay tuned for all that too!

More info on the Cardo Systems Packtalk Bold intercom can be found here. Distributed By Darbi Accessories.

Ask for Cardo Systems from your local dealer and trash-talk the shit outta your mates.