It seems as the more technology advances, the less time we actually have. Now more than ever, getting in touch with somebody is easier than ever. There's rarely a moment for peace and quiet. Even while on a motorcycle. Thanks to the wonder that is Bluetooth technology, now you can give and receive phone calls while on your bike. Yes, while wearing a helmet. Curious at just how well a system like this would work, we decided to try one for ourselves. Chatterbox, the long established name in motorcycle communication systems, hooked us up with the XBi wireless intercom with Bluetooth capability.
The XBi full-face system comes complete with the intercom unit, pre-installed battery, headset with noise-cancelling microphone and headsets, and virtually everything necessary to mount the unit onto your helmet. Old style intercom devices were cumbersome in that to connect to your passenger or to auxiliary devices, a number of wires and connectors were required to sync everything. With the XBi, wires have been reduced to just the ones attached to the speakers. Otherwise, it can connect to two other devices. It should be noted that there are no auxiliary connections at the rear of the unit should wire usage be necessary. Chatterbox's SMART technology also prioritizes between signals, muting music that might be playing if a phone call is received for example.
Mounting the device to a helmet is pretty straight forward, as there are two methods for doing so: the metal clip or double sided tape. Either method secures itself to the lower left portion of the chinbar. Afterwards it's a simple matter fitting the earphones into the helmet's ear pocket and tucking the wires neatly underneath the padding. The XBi's interface consists of buttons for power, mode, intercom, and separate volume controls. Power, mode, and intercom buttons serve multiple functions for pairing devices or switching between them.
We were most interested in how the XBi worked in giving and receiving phone calls. To do this we first had to pair our phone with the unit by pressing the power button for six seconds. This then puts the phone in pair mode. From there, we followed our cell phone's instructions on pairing with another Bluetooth device. Once paired we found our first issue; in order to make a call we first had to dial the number in the phone and make the call manually-obviously impossible while actually riding. What's more, pressing the Power button for one second will dial out (or answer a call), but only to the last number dialed. We were pleasantly surprised at the clarity from the speakers even while wearing earplugs, though it's pretty hard to hear anything with the volume at anything less than maximum. Likewise, the noise-cancelling microphone works well at muting wind noise-even at highway speeds-as recipients on the other end of our calls reported no problems hearing us. As loud as the earphones are, the problem with the XBi-along with every other intercom unit we've tried-is that wind noise at speeds over 50 mph overcomes the maximum volume and its virtually impossible to hear the other party.
Overall, we've always been fans of the multitude of functions from Chatterbox products. Now we're even more thankful that the mess of wires has been eliminated with the Bluetooth capabilities. While good, a subtle change like raising the maximum volume and being able to dial out while riding would go a long way and help justify the $179.95 price tag.
Chatterbox USA
(888) 452-2269
www.chatterboxusa.com