Shark Wireless Communicator Review (SHK4RIDER - $70 each)

A few weeks back I went on an overnight riding trip with a good friend of mine that I haven't seen in a long time. We would be on our bikes covering alot of miles in a short period of time so there wouldn't be much face-time to catch up on the past so a couple of days before the trip I decided to buy a set of wireless communicators so that we could chat during the ride. I figured having a set would also come in handy when my brother is in town since I have an extra bike and we often ride together. I started pricing the devices on various online sources and found most of the name brand units to be in the $150-200 range per unit. My decision to purchase a set of communicators was a bit impulsive and a more of a novelty for this specific trip so I wasn't ready to spend close to $400 for something I didn't think I would use but once or twice a year. Then I checked on Amazon and found a unit made by a company called Shark. The set I purchased was called the SHK4RIDER communicator and they cost only $70 each. The unit is bluetooth compatible so that it can also be used with most smart phones to listen to music or talk on your cell phone. The unit also includes a remote control that mounts to your handles that allow you to adjust volume and talk with the other devices with a push of the thumb. There were only a few mixed reviews but I decided for $140 for the pair (free shipping with Amazon prime membership) I couldn't go wrong especially with Amazon's super easy return process. The units arrived within 2 days. Here is my overall impression.

Here is everything included in the box. Installation and pairing was very easy and straightforward (2 beers / 20 minutes)



The flat round speakers mount inside the helmet using included Velcro and then you select 1 of the 2 included microphones to use (1 flexible boom mic and 1 Velcro mounted cable mic.) After everything has been mounted all the wiring can be tucked under the helmet padding or jammed just under the helmet shell. The unit attaches to the helmet via a plastic clip that is wedged just under the helmet shell. I did not feel comfortable at all using the clip alone so I use also used some double sided tape to attach the clip to the inner helmet shell to be safe. Once this clip is secure you can attach the communicator. On back of the communicator is a small raised plastic square that is meant to slide into the groove on the clip. Once inserted you are supposed to slide the unit forward and down along narrow part of the channel to secure it from moving but this is very sketchy design and a valid concern. At high speeds the unit started sliding up the channel on it's own and would have eventually flown off had I not tethered it. A few zip ties and this minor problem was solved.




The unit itself is much smaller than I expected and charges in a couple hours via USB cable. I'm not sure why but the charging tip they use is like a normal dc power adapter plug while every other electric device nowadays uses a micro/mini USB charging port. I can live with it but it's just a pain in the ass to have to carry another cable in addition to my existing micro USB cable for my phone. Here is the unit next to my trusty Zippo lighter.




The unit paired easily with my Nokia N8 , Blackberry Bold, and wife's iPhone. Once connected I was able to easily stream music wirelessly to the helmet. If you receive a phone call the music pauses and then picks up again once the call ends. When using the intercom the speakers are adequate but when used for playing music they are just ok and somewhat tinny sounding at high volumes with little to no bass. Once you get to speeds above 65mph they are pretty much useless no matter what you are doing due to the wind-noise. The problem was compounded for me since I wear a modular helmet that is by nature much noisier than traditional full faced helmets.




Since I normally wear earbud type headphones I decided to clip off and remove the existing speakers and soldered a regular 3.5mm jack to the stripped wires so I could plug in my own headphones. Now I can use my $100+ set of premium Shure headphones with no more wind issues!!!! I chose to use the flexible boom microphone since the front of my helmet flips up. It also allows you to position the mic right in front of your mouth so you don't have to talk as loud. It was easily mounted it to the inside of the helmet using the included Velcro.




The included wireless remote control is brilliant!!!! A tap of the thumb and you can answer your phone, control volume, pause or stop your music, or start the rider-to-rider intercom system. No fumbling around for buttons or need to remove your hands from the handlebars.



Overall I am very pleased with my purchase for the price! The Bluetooth music connection to my phone dropped a couple times and required a quick reset but the intercom system worked flawlessly and we used it all day without any issue. Range was about 1/4 to 1/2 mile and the battery still had juice in it when I went to charge it after close to 7 hours of constant intercom and music use. Being able to communicate while riding is awesome. It came in very handy when passing cars or getting separated in traffic. I bought this set to use primarily for rider to rider communication but I definitely see myself using it more now since it is so convenient to wirelessly listen to music, answer calls from my wife, or adjust the volume with the remote.

If you are on the fence about buying a communicator unit I think this is a good choice for someone who doesn't want to spend alot of money!! We'll see how long it lasts!!!





Rollin

 

Nice write up thanks for sharing