There’s nothing like a long, leisurely scenic motorcycle ride. Blue skies, warm air, engine rumbling between your knees and smooth, serpentine pavement unfolding before you. What can make a great ride even better is a good soundtrack, tailored to your mood. Perhaps classic rock for a touch of fist-pumping nostalgia, or ’70s soul to lift your spirits.
Whatever tunes you choose, they’ll sound better with in-helmet speakers. Installing a Bluetooth helmet headset isn’t particularly hard, but it can be fiddly. And then you usually end up with a small box clipped to the outside of your helmet, which can be unsightly and vulnerable (I’ve seen more than one unsecured communicator fall off a helmet at speed and bounce into oblivion).
Sena, the Korean maker of Bluetooth communicators and action cameras, now offers “smart” helmets with communicators integrated right in. Speakers are pre-installed and the control buttons are built into the side of the helmet, giving it a clean, cohesive look.
Sena’s Momentum helmet has the same features as its 20S communicator, which offers intercom connections with up to seven other riders and includes Advanced Noise Control technology (reduces background noise during intercom conversations), built-in FM radio, voice commands, hands-free phone calls, audio multitasking and more. (You can read our review of the 20S here; for a full list of features, see Sena’s website.)
Pairing devices to the Momentum is straightforward, audio quality is good and connecting to the Momentum with Sena’s smartphone app makes it easy to adjust settings, set speed dial and FM station favorites and create intercom groups.
The Momentum has a composite fiberglass shell with crown and chin intake vents and a rear exhaust vent, a multi-density EPS liner, a scratch- and UV-resistant quick-release face shield that’s Pinlock ready (insert sold separately) and a removable, washable comfort interior.
At 3 pounds, 11 ounces for a size medium, weight is average, and the helmet is acceptably quiet and reasonably comfortable, on par with other mid-priced helmets. The neck roll is tight, which helps keep wind noise down but creates challenges when donning and doffing the lid.
All Sena Momentum helmets are available in glossy white or matte black in sizes XS-XXL. The Momentum retails for $449. The Momentum Lite helmet, which can connect with up to three riders, retails for $399. And the Momentum INC helmet, which adds Intelligent Noise Control noise-cancelling technology, retails for $549.
The Momentum Pro, which adds Sena’s QHD camera integrated into the top of the INC-equipped helmet, should be available soon. We’d love to see more colors/graphics and a modular helmet option.Â
For more information, see your dealer or visit sena.com.
I’ve been wired for sound for years. The first setup was an Autocomm system. It worked great, in spite of the cables. No worrying about batteries running down, and I could link the phone to the Garmin Zumo GPS for directions and tunes. It would have been nice to have bike-to-bike, but being able to talk to my kids when they were riding pillion was great.
Next up was a Sena SMH10. Great for bike-to-bike, and no wires dangling around, getting in the way. Unfortunately, the battery wouldn’t make it through a long day’s ride without plugging it in. It was a bit of a pain on long multi-day trips, especially when camping overnight.
The kids grew up, and I haven’t done any long, camping trips for a while, and I picked up a Sedici Strada Parlare late last year. It’s great to have the radio built into the helmet, and has the same Sena quality that I’ve come to know and love. I suspect that the Momentum is one step above mine, and would highly recommend considering either of the helmets.