Whilst not technically a scooter, this product could change your scootering forever!
Cardo make some of the best bluetooth hands free communication gear on the planet, and they have put all that research to good use in coming up with a brilliant system for motorbikes and scooters.
Let me list how the whole thing works, after doing the simple installation, takes all of 3 mins on any helmet
Here is a list of what you can do, and what I do with the Cardo Scala Q2...
1. True hands free answering and dialling of your phone, yes you just have to say "Dial" and the unit then activates the voice dialling function of your phone (provided your phone has one. For me, I use a Nokia N95 8Gb, which does. It allows me to make calls to anyone in my phone book. Not only that, but when the phone starts ringing, you say "answer" and the unit actually answers the call!
2. My phone has bluetooth streaming of music, so it also streams the music wirelessly too!
3. My phone has GPS built, yup, the GPS instructions are also streamed.
4. The Q2 has an FM radio built into it, so if i get sick of my music I can listen to the radio (hell no, i hate radio!)
5. My friends have Q2's as well, the Q2 pairs up my friends and I can talk to them in full duplex conversation, it isn't like a CB radio where only one person can speak at a time. BLOODY BRILLIANT!!! The units are rated as working over 500m apart, yes Five Hundred metres!! This bunkem though, just like my Fly can only do 94km/h.... my Fly does 120km/h!!! We have had the units at over 800m and still working!!!
6. THE UNIT DOES ALL OF THE ABOVE AT THE SAME TIME!!!
It has a hierarchy or priority too, so the lowest priority in order to the highest is
Music
Q2 link up conversation
Phone calls
GPS instructions
So if you listening to music, and someone calls, your music is paused, you answer the phone, and talk... no music in the background, end the call, and the music starts from where it was paused.
Say you are on a Phone call, but your GPS needs to tell you to turn left, it briefly interrupts your conversation and gives it's instructions.
Of say you are chatting to your friend, and a phone call comes in, it mutes your friend, picks up the phone call and lets you talk unhindered on the phone, then when the phone call is over it beeps to let you know that your conversation can continue again with your Q2 buddy!
The music sound quality is pretty average at best, but to be honest at 100km/h on my Fly, pretty nothing is gonna sound good!
Sometimes pairing the devices can be a pain the bum, can take 3 min at the start of your journey, but most everything happens automatically.
In a phone conversation the people on the other end usually don't believe me that I am doing 80km/h on the scooter, in fact someone was having a go at me, saying that I hadn't left yet and wasn't on my way!!! I was, in fact I was doing 80 at the time!!!!! It is a great unit.
The cost is pretty good too, I know a dealer on Ebay (the guy i bought from, brand new units for $160ish shipped to you, with Buy it now) The retail in the shops is MUCH higher, around $240 and up. So i recommend ebaying it, it took less than 5 days to get here from over east, so not bad at all really!
Ebay link if that sale runs out just check his store for me... he always has stock, enough for all my family and friends who want it!
I know this review has had an inordinate amount of exclamation marks, but you have to use these units to know how usefull and scooter life changing they can be, riding in groups is so much easier no, no more guessing where the others have gone if you catch a red that everyone else got through, you have 700+ metres for them to travel where they can tell you where they are next turning or you can tell them to bloody pull over and stop running orange lights in a convoy!
On "Epic Scooter Journey episode 1" The scala system broke up the monotony of the journey and honestly just made a world of difference being able to chat a bit, listen to music, give instructions, laugh, point stuff out to each other, it really makes for an awesome awesome time!
On our ESJ episode 1, we had a Scarabeo 500, Piaggio Fly 125, Kymko 125 (slow!!) So we really needed to be able to communicate with one another as the 500 was a beast and would go ahead a bit, the Fly was in between and the "fat slow kid" at the back Kymko was just trying not get left behind! The Scala Q2's made it so easy and effortless, it was the beginning of many ESJ episodes to come!! The number one glue holding it all together, is the Scala Q2s... (and the scooters!!)
These units are amazing, I cannot recommend them highly enough, 9.5/10 only a 9.5 cause nothing is perfect...
If you love scootering and have a scooter buddy, or two, you need the Cardo Scala Q2.
Oh yeah did I mention how much the "other half" LOVES the Q2?? she goes nuts being able to talk on the scooter now!
PS not sure if i am going to get in trouble for posting the review in this section, but it just seemed the most logical! Feel free to move it mods if I have sinned by putting it here!
My 125 Fly really does Fly... over 120km/h :p