Motorcycle gear continues to improve. One piece of gear which, in my opinion, hasn’t improved much is the motorcycle helmet. Sure, they have improved the aerodynamics and aesthetics but they are still quite loud on the inside. Wind and engine noise are still quite loud whether I wear my Arai or Shoei. Both brands aren’t cheap and I have to wear earplugs to make my rides bearable.
Well the folks at Sena have come out with a helmet that claims to control the noise. First, a bit about Sena. They make some great Bluetooth systems that you can retrofit to your existing helmet. Perfect for listening to music, taking phone calls, and bike-to-bike intercom.
The Sena Smart Helmet has Intelligent Noise-Control which is basically noise cancelling technology. Similar to the Beats Executive Headphones. Riding for hours with noise levels over 100 dB causes hearing damage and fatigue.
The Sena Smart Helmet still allows riders to hear sirens, traffic noise, and engine RPM’s, just at a reduced volume with less of the wind noise. When you hop off your bike you can switch the helmet to Ambient Mode to hear normal conversations without having to remove your helmet. Perfect for quick stops and gas fill-ups.
