I’ve been using the Cardo Communicator for so long that I barely remember riding without it. When the Scala Rider was the hottest new gadget, the idea of talking to another rider while riding seemed like something from a sci-fi movie. Since then I have gone through PackTalk Bold, Black and Edge. Different bikes came and went. Different helmets have come and gone. Cardo paused.
That’s why Cardo’s new Venture helmet caught my attention.
Not because it’s another off-road helmet. There are already enough of these to fill an entire dealership. And not because it comes with built-in mesh communications. Cardo has been refining that technology for years. What makes the venture interesting is that it suggests Cardo is looking at adventure, enduro and motocross riders and asking a simple question: What if those are the people who need unified communications the most?
Photo by: Cardo Systems
The company’s Beyond helmet was aimed squarely at road riders and tourists. This made a lot of sense. Long highway days, group trips, navigation cues, music, and the occasional argument about where to stop for lunch all benefit from a good communicator. But adventure riding presents a completely different challenge. When a touring group gets separated, someone usually ends up at the next gas station. When an off-road group gets separated, someone may be three mountain ranges away, stuck in mud, or seeing a trail that was definitely not on the OnX route.
And I think it’s in situations like these where mesh communications really takes hold.
Off-road riders rarely travel in neat little packs. A rider moves forward. Another stop for photos. Someone else decides that a suspicious-looking mark deserves further investigation. Soon, the group is spread across several miles of land. Traditional Bluetooth intercom systems have always struggled with this type of activity. Mesh systems were practically invented for this.
Photo by: Cardo Systems
As far as Motocross riders are concerned, its benefits are hard to ignore. Racers participating in practice races can communicate with each other as well as with coaches and crew on the sidelines to help them shave a few seconds off their lap times, or make changes to their riding style to improve equipment and setup testing.
The Venture’s integrated Cardo hardware brings the company’s second-generation Dynamic Mesh communications technology directly into the helmet, as well as providing JBL speakers, voice control, waterproof construction, and compatibility with riders using other leading communications brands. On paper, it offers the same capabilities that have made standalone PackTalk units so popular, except now they’re designed as part of the helmet from the start.
Photo by: Cardo Systems
And you could argue that this kind of integrated technology is long overdue. Riders have already adopted GPS navigation, action cameras, smartphone integration and satellite communicators for remote travel. The communication has become a standard tool for many riders. It seems like Cardo is betting that the next step is to make the technology disappear into the helmet itself.
Would every rider want this? Probably not. There will always be those who prefer a traditional helmet and removable communicator…or even no communicator at all. But if there’s one segment where integrated communications matters most, it’s off-road riding. Because it’s not convenient to stay connected when you’re a hundred miles off the pavement. Sometimes it’s the difference between a funny story and a very long hike.
Photo by: Cardo Systems
