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Does Sena Freewire Work With Harley Boom Box Voice Commands, CB, Intercom, & Phone Calls?

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This is an update to our original Sena Freewire Tutorial/Review Video (A must see)

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The Sena Freewire, paired with a compatible Sena Bluetooth Headset, can do everything a wired headset can do! 100% Full Harley Boom!™ Box Infotainment System Integration!!

Boom Box/Freewire Voice Commands:

Yes, the Sena Freewire offers 100% full integration with the Harley-Davidson Boom!™ Box Infotainment System & I've tested it extensively for you! You can activate voice commands using the rocker switch on your left Harley control cluster. With the Freewire and your Sena compatible headset, you can give direct voice commands to the Boom Box wirelessly! You can tell the Boom Box to “play” a particular song or album or “tune” to a particular radio station. Or you can say “destination” and give a physical address and the Boom Box will take you there via the integrated GPS system! Yes, the Sena Freewire is the king and offers this functionality with the Boom Box!

You can also use the Harley Boom Box internal intercom system with a passenger if they are also equipped with a Sena compatible headset and a Sena Freewire. You can chat wirelessly now via the intercom! And you can use the CB radio wirelessly with the Freewire too. 

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    Does Sena Freewire Work With Harley Boom Box Voice Commands, CB, Intercom, & Phone Calls?

Sena Freewire Bluetooth Transmitter for Harley-Davidson-Review & Tutorial

Boom Box/Freewire/Phone Calls:

Yes, with your smartphone paired wirelessly with your Boom Box, you can make and accept phone calls going into your Boom Box with your Sena Freewire and Sena compatible headset wirelessly! They sound great! I tested this and it works perfectly. 

Important Note:

Make sure you unpair your smartphone with your Sena Headset as it will cause phone call Bluetooth conflicts. Only pair your Sena headset with the Freewire, so they are not fighting over the incoming call so to speak.

If you want to “cut the umbilical cord” and don't want a wire running from your helmet and attached to your motorcycle any longer, in my opinion, the Sena Freewire is the absolute best functioning option out there. I love the Freewire!

There is a cost associated with the Sena Freewire setup of course.  You can still use a wired headset solution, which provides all the same functionality, just not wirelessly. If you're looking for a wired Harley Headset here is the only one I recommend and it's great quality. 

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Video-Sena Freewire Bluetooth Transmitter for Harley-Davidson-Review & Tutorial

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Sena Freewire for Harley

*****Win one of Three Sena Freewires Here! Biker Giveaway!****Ends 12/19/16

The Sena Freewire, paired with a compatible Sena Bluetooth Headset, can do everything a wired headset can do! 100% Full Harley Boom!™ Box Infotainment System Integration!!

Many of you know by now if you follow my articles, my YouTube Channel, and our weekly Podcast that there is still no wireless Bluetooth headset that pairs “directly” with the Harley-Davidson Boom!™ Box Infotainment System. I said “directly”.  That means that you can't turn on the “pairing” mode on your Bluetooth motorcycle headset and then do the same with the Boom Box and get them to pair. It simply won't work. The current Boom Box head units are the same today as they were in 2014 when they came out on project Rushmore Harley's. They simply weren't designed with a Bluetooth “headset profile”, but only a “handsfree profile” to pair to things like your smartphone. Yes, that is a failure on the part of Harman Kardon, the maker of the Boom Box system for Harley. 

Sena realized the frustration of bikers and worked on a solution to fix the problem. And so……the Sena Freewire was born! It doesn't allow you to pair your wireless headset “directly” to the Boom Box, but instead is a module for getting your Sena brand wireless headset to work & function with the Boom Box. Yes, it is a workaround, but the best that I know of! We liked the Sena Freewire so much that we actually brought it to the Official Law Abiding Biker Store!

Note: The infotainment system on the Honda Gold Wings face the same issue and there is a Freewire version for Goldwing riders too!

Sena Freewire Bluetooth Transmitter for Harley-Davidson-Review & Tutorial

Does Sena Freewire Work With Harley Boom Box Voice Commands, CB, Intercom, & Phone Calls?

Before the Sena Freewire existed, many just used a wired headset and plugged directly into the 7-Pin DIN communications port on their Harley. A wired headset is still a valid option and we sell them right in our store for half helmet, no helmet, full face, 3/4 helmet, and modular helmets. They work great and you get full functionality. Check out our #1 recommended wired headsets for Harley.

For those that want to “cut the cord” and go wireless

In a nutshell, the Sena Freewire gets ride of that pesky wire running from your helmet/head to the communications port. Aaaaah yes, freedom!  Jump on and off your bike without plugging/unplugging!

How it works

sc-a0109The Sena Freewire plugs directly into the 7-Pin DIN port on your Harley and into the Freewire via a micro USB connection. Then you pair your Sena brand headset with the Freewire. The Boom Box transmits all audio going out of the 7-Pin into the Freewire, which then sends it to the your Sena wireless headset via Bluetooth 4.1 technology! And it works great!

Add a Smartphone

Biker Gripper

Biker Gripper

Now you can add your Smarthpone to the mix to stream music via Bluetooth. Make sure your phone is securely mounted to your Harley with one of our Biker Gripper Motorcycle Cell Phone Mounts. They are the sexiest, sleekest, strongest mounts on the market! Just pair your smartphone directly to your Boom Box and play your music! The music now streams to your Boom Box from your phone wirelessly. The music then goes out of the Boom Box and then out the 7-Pin direclty into your Freewire, which then sends it to your Sena headset wirelessly via Bluetooth. 

Note: You'll have to change your settings within the Boom Box to send audio out the 7-Pin port instead of to your speakers. See these procedures and more in our Harley Boom Box Tutorial Videos!

Further, you can get a wireless Sena headset & an additional Freewire for your passenger to plug into the 7-Pin. Now you can use the CB and built Boom Box internal communications system. You can finally talk back and forth with your passenger wirelessly and listen to the same music. 

Boom Box/Freewire/Voice Commands

Yes, the Sena Freewire offers 100% full integration with the Harley-Davidson Boom!™ Box Infotainment System & I've tested it extensively for you! You can activate voice commands using the rocker switch on your left Harley control cluster. With the Freewire and your Sena compatible headset, you can give direct voice commands to the Boom Box wirelessly! You can tell the Boom Box to “play” a particular song or album or “tune” to a particular radio station. Or you can say “destination” and give a physical address and the Boom Box will take you there via the integrated GPS system! Yes, the Sena Freewire is the king and offers this functionality with the Boom Box!

You can also use the Harley Boom Box internal intercom system with a passenger if they are also equipped with a Sena compatible headset and a Sena Freewire. You can chat wirelessly now via the intercom! And you can use the CB radio wirelessly with the Freewire too. 

I absolutely loved using the Freewire and it is a solid built unit, which you can always expect from Sena. I'm able to listen to all my music, the built in Boom Box GPS turn by turn directions, and the radio. I did not have a bike with a passenger communications port to test the on board intercom or CB.

Bom Box/Freewire/Phone Calls

Yes, with your smartphone paired wirelessly with your Boom Box, you can make and accept phone calls going into your Boom Box with your Sena Freewire and Sena compatible headset wirelessly! They sound great! I tested this and it works perfectly. 

Important Note:

Make sure you unpair your smartphone with your Sena Headset as it will cause phone call Bluetooth conflicts. Only pair your Sena headset with the Freewire, so they are not fighting over the incoming call so to speak.

freewire-01_01Aux Input via 3.5mm Jack 

The Freewire also comes with an additional standard 3.5mm Aux input for hooking up your external GPS unit, a non-Bluetooth MP3 player, or a radar detector. That external device can then be sent wirelessly straight to your Sena headset! I found this to be a very nice feature!

Freewire Compatibility

The FreeWire only supports Sena Bluetooth headsets of 10 Series and above such as 20S, 10S, 10C, 10R, and 10U. We sell several models in the Law Abiding Biker Store.

freewire-01_04Battery/Mounting/Charging

The FreeWire comes with two different mounting accessories, a handlebar mounting kit as well as a mounting cradle for on the bike itself, to conveniently secure the device during your ride. The unit is rechargeable and will esily last all day long. For those longer rides multiple day rides you can easily charge your FreeWire while using it with the included cigarette charger or Sena Powerbank.

Can I pair another brand wireless headset with the Freewire?

Anwer: No, it only pairs with a compatible Sena headset such as the 20S, 10S, 10C, 10R, and 10U.

Features

  • Bluetooth 4.1
  • 7 hour talk time
  • 2.5 hour charge time
  • Lithium polymer battery
  • Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)

Additional

Listen to your bike through the 20S and take advantage of even more incredible audio capabilities from Sena

Thanks to the FreeWire, you can wirelessly connect to your Harley Davidson infotainment system while also being able to utilize the various capabilities of the Sena 20S Bluetooth headset. Enjoy a 2 km intercom between up to 8 riders, HD Audio, Voice Command, Group Intercom, Advanced Noise Control, the Sena Smartphone App and so much more.

Whats comes in the Freewire Kit?

  • FreeWire Bluetooth CB and Audio Adapter
  • Handlebar mounting kit
  • Mounting cradle
  • Micro USB to multi-pin DIN cable
  • 3.5mm stereo audio cable
  • Micro USB power & data cable 
  • Cigarette charger

Software Update/Resources

Make certain your Freewire and Sena compatible headset are running the most current version of software. You'll likely have to do this right out of the box. I show you how in the video and it is very easy! 

Link to Sena Software Updates 

Instructions/User's Guide

Quick Start Guide

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LAB-127-Motorcycles & Semi-Trucks-Sharing the Roads | Safety Concerns-Part 1 of 2

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nozone

Make a mental note of all the No-Zones

Podcast-This is part 1 of a two-part podcast series all about motorcycles and big rigs sharing the roads we all travel. There are inherent dangers when riding a motorcycle near or around a semi-truck, but you can minimize them. We have professional truck driver and Patron Member Russell Roberts of Gallatin, Tennessee in the Law Abiding Biker Studio to weigh in on the issue. We also have professional truck driver and Patron Member Steven Stratton of Stockton, California weighing in remotely via Skype. These guys get to see it from both sides, both as truck drivers and as motorcycle riders, so you really have to listen in to this conversation. They tell us exactly what to be careful of and how to properly ride around semi-trucks.

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Semi-truck recap tires can blow out at any time and if that happens and a chunk hits you as a motorcyclist, you'll loose and that can be very serious or fatal. This can be a huge chunk of half of a tire or more! You've all seen the tire carcasses laying in the freeways.  Back off or get past the semi-truck when riding. Plus, if you're hanging out on either side of the truck, you are likely in a large blind spot if the driver decides to move over. These blind spots are called the “No-Zones”.

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Note the large No-Zone on the right side. Be aware when riding

As a highly trained motorcycle rider, I can't tell you how many motorcyclists I see following trucks and cars too closely. The problem with trucks specifically, is that if you're following so close and a semi-truck easily straddles large debris in the road, by the time you see it coming out from the bottom of that truck it's likely too late. If you hit large debris on a motorcycle it can be serious if not fatal.  Why put yourself in that situation? You're not saving any time, but only putting yourself and others in danger. Back off and then pass when it's safe. Time and distance are your friends, especially when riding a motorcycle.

Also, some semi-trucks have very long noses and a there is a large No-Zone directly in front. That is because the driver literally can't see over the nose and down. It is a fair distance out before the driver can actually see what's in front of him/her. A motorcycle will never be seen and it's clear what happens if you're run over by a semi-truck. Yah, you'll be the loser on that one. That is a huge reason to not suddenly move and change lanes right in front of a semi. Not only can't they slow or stop quickly, but they then can't see you when your up there.

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To help you understand the No-Zone better, a good rule of thumb is that if you can't see the driver in the side mirrors then they can't see you. You don't want to be in those blind spots on a motorcycle when a truck driver decides to move left or right. So, throttle up a bit and get past the truck or back off and give distance. Don't get caught in those spots at all costs.

motorcycle-crash-photoThese are just a few of the highlights of our in-depth discussion and you'll really need to listen in to gain
more knowledge and understanding. It's worth your time as a motorcycle rider to get all the information as it could save your life.  At the end of the day, pull your head out and use good common sense. You're not invincible.

Remember to respect professional truck drivers. They have a very difficult job to do with all the crazy drivers out there. They have a big responsibility because if they collide with a car or motorcycle it is usually very bad. They take this very seriously, so help them out and don't be part of the problem. Show a mutual respect out there on the roads and they'll do the same for you. careers depend on a good safe driving record. These drivers are always under extreme scrutiny from the federal, local, and state governments. They are heavily regulated and have a ton of rules to follow.

Truck driver's careers depend on a good safe driving record. These drivers are always under extreme scrutiny from federal, local, and state governments. They are a heavily regulated industry and have a ton of rules to follow and that is ever changing.

Wave when you pass a professional truck driver and know that pretty much everything in our country and all commerce is reliant on trucks moving products to their destination. If trucks stopped doing this even for a day, this country would be in crisis and life as we know it would cease.  Plus, a ton of truck driver's are motorcyle riders too!

Roll on 18 wheelers! My hat goes off to all professional truck drivers out there………….

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LAB-126-Sacred Steel Bikes Discovery Channel Motorcycle Show-Is it Worth Watching?

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Podcast-In this episode we discuss the Discoversacred-steel-discovery-channely series called Sacred Steel Bikes. The show released in late 2016 for a 6 episode run. At the time of this article, Discovery Channel has yet to renew Sacred Steel Bikes for a second season. Nobody is sure if the show will even be renewed.
Sacred Steel Bikes is based out of East LA and is about a group of guys that are part of a motorcycle club called Douche Larouche.  It seems the members have full-time jobs and after work and on weekends they get together to build bikes in a shared shop space. Jason Wilson is the organizer of these custom bike build jobs and is a union sheet metal worker by day. He is trying to take Sacred Steel Bikes to the next level as a business, but can't seem to drum up any buyers.

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The bikes Sacred Steel build are old school custom choppers. They are really cool to look at and much respect goes out to these guys for their talents. However, in a saturated market of custom bike builders, it's going to be hard to find buyers for these niche bikes and Jason is learning that.

sacred-steel-custom-bikeThe bikes they build are  custom “bar hoppers” at best and not built with any comfort, rideability, or reliability considerations. They'd be fun to ride local and to look at while drinking a beer with buddies. They're definitely not for any sort of distance riding. It seems Jason knows this issue and by the October 17th season finale episode, he's attempting to build a custom bike that's more rideable to appeal to a larger biker consumer base.

In early episodes, Jason is purposely poking fun at older Discovery Channel bike build shows such as American Choppers and their endless episodes of always having to make a deadline.  Funny thing is, after several episodes Jason himself is running bike build deadlines and the show tends to focus on that. So, it mimics several other past Discovery Channel motorcycle build shows now. It seems that to sell commercial spots there has to be exciting down to the minute deadlines.

The show is fun to watch, so I say give it a try.  There are many things that will make you laugh and many sacred-steel-no-ball-slappingshenanigans that go on around the shop and very similar to things that go on around here at Law Abiding Biker™ Podcast & Media.

Make sure and listen in as we talk further about the show and a few other topics.

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New Patrons:

  • Chris MacPhee of Scotland
  • Bill Houser
  • Brady Dehn of Henderson, Nevada
  • Preston Sunday of Owasso, Oklahoma
  • Kevin Karley of Rapid City, South Dakota

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Thanks to the following bikers for supporting us via a flat donation:

  • Bill Houser
  • Alejandro Guevara of HIALEAH, FL
  • Arrowhead Photography of Lakeway, TX
  • Richard Gross of JULESBURG, CO
  • Aaron Jarrett of Conifer, Colorado
  • Malcolm Godfrey of Mexborough, South Yorkshire , UK

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Motorcycle Trip to The Brick Saloon in Roslyn, Washington | Biker Destination | Patron Ride Along-VLOG 37

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The brick saloon biker friendly bar roslyn, waVLOG-Some of us from the Law Abiding Biker™ Podcast & Media crew set out for a quick day ride to The Brick Saloon in Roslyn, WA.  If you're a Law Abiding Biker and in the area, this is a must stop and a very biker friendly place. You'll feel very welcomed as a biker. The food is great and the beer is cold…….

The Brick Saloon is Washington State's oldest continuously operating bar, established in 1889. They showcase the original 23’ running water spittoon and a basement jail.

Along for the ride, we had Patron Member Russell Roberts. He is a big supporter of Law Abiding Biker and had come into our area for a few days on business. He spent time riding with us and when we returned he even spit two podcast episodes with us!  We always love to hook up with our beloved Patron Members when we can.

Get signed up as a Patron Member, because you never know where we'll be next. As a Patron Member, you get benefits and access to our private Patron Only Facebook Group.

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