Dainese Bluetooth Helmet

Dainese Bluetooth Helmet

Care to become a two-wheel phone head?

THE RINGING IN YOUR EARS IS YOUR telephone. Yes, the Dainese Air Stream Course full-face and Ergon Jet Evo 1 open-face helmets operate as hands-free devices for your Bluetooth-equipped mobile phone.

A microphone, earphones and a rechargeable battery are integrated into each DOT-approved lid. An external charger plugs into 110or 240-volt outlets and connects to the battery through a small zipper in the padding at helmet’s base.

A single button with integrated LED at left rear serves all functions, from answering calls to volume adjustment to making the helmet “findable” to your phone.

Sound quality is quite good. Conversations at 80 mph are clearly audible for both parties and the ear speakers are loud enough to be heard even with earplugs.

In addition to telephone work, two of these Bluetooth helmets can be linked for full-duplex, phone-like conversation between rider and passenger. A range of 50 feet, however, is too limited for practical bike-to-bike communication. When the phone rings for the “master” helmet, the other helmet is automatically muted then comes back online when the call is completed.

Tricky device managers also can make MP3 players broadcast songs to the lid, and talkative Bluetooth sat-nav systems send spoken road directions to the headphones.

It’s a brave new world. For many, the silence found inside a conventional helmet is still golden. But if you’ve got to get that

phone call or chat wirelessly with a pas senger, now you can.

DETAILS Dainese USA 1645 Superior Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92627 949/645-9500 www.dainese.com Price...$599 Àlps A Receive phone calls while you ride A Air Stream Course also available in multiple racy graphics/colors A Composite carbon/aramid fiberglass shell is lightweight A Good sound quality ^bowns ▼ Receive phone calls while you ride ▼ Wind-tunnel-designed shell makes for funky-cool shape ▼ Open-face Ergon Jet Evo ($399) offered only in Soft Titanium