Rock and Rolling Made Simple

I have tried just about everything to get some tunes into my helmet for those long road trips. The problem is formidable.

Even with the best of helmets, wind nose is difficult to overcome. If you have your music turned up load enough to hear it, it is way too loud and still distorted.
Most systems are complicated, wire intensive and expensive.
You have to have a way to control your output without wrecking out.

This is what I have come up with and it works. It works great! I use an iPod for storing my music for several reasons:

There are gobs of accessories available for it.
It can hold thousands of songs (and even TV shows, video and slide shows of my own making).
It can be controlled remotely.
Everybody (who is anybody) has one.

Follow these instructions and you won't be disappointed.

1. Get an iPod

I use a 30GB model with all the whistles and bells but if you just want music, opt for a less expensive model. Note: In order to control the device remotely, you need a full sized iPod or an iPod Mini. I'mm not sure if they make a remote for the iPod Nano or the smaller ones. It's not that big anyway, slips right into your riding jacket pocket.

It should look like this:

2. Get some Accessories

While you are there, pick up an "Air Click" from Griffin Technology (about $28 US). This is what is going to allow you to mute, adjust volume, and select songs remotely from your handlebars. I got all my stuff from Target.

3. Get Custom Earbuds

Ok, now here is the part that is going to take some research. To make the whole thing work the way you want it, you are going to need some of these and they have to be custom made. "Oh, I don't need that!" you say. "It did come with earbuds." Well yes, it did, but you will make yourself crazy trying to keep the dang things in your ear while you are putting your helmet on. Even it you do manage to get them in there, they will either slip out, causing you to have to stop to go through the whole mess again, or they stick out just enough for the helmet to push on them making you ears hurt kike heck after a while.

Trust me, take the effort to have these made and they will be one of your prized possessions. Additionally, they block out more road and wind noise than anything else I have tried.

I got mine at Arizona Bike Week. There was a tent there where they made a custom mold of your ears, sent it off and a week (to ten days ) later they arrived. They were not cheap but it's one of the best tings I have bought for the bike. Check around at Pilot shops, hearing aid places and maybe even motorcycle shops to see if anybody knows where you can have some fitted.

4. Mount the Air Click

Mount the Air Click controller somewhere convenient on your handle bars. I messed up and put mine on the throttle side. Would be better on the clutch side. Of course I could always move it, just a matter of a couple of zip ties, but I'm lazy.

5. Finish up...

Attach the other part of the Air Click to your iPod, put it in your jacket pocket, put your earphones on and you're ready to rock! The amazing thing about all of this is that it works! Good old Apple. The Air Click thing works flawlessly and the instructions say you will probably never need to replace the batteries. When you get to a place where you need to pay attention to what you are doing, just hit the pause button and now you can hear what's going on around you. Too loud, just toggle the volume button. Don't like the next song, skip it! Cool!

If you're going to be gone for several days, might take one of these. It's a cigarette lighter powered recharger for the iPod. You can also get 110v wall-plug models.

Remember: To quote Arlo Guthrie:

"When your going down a mountain road at 150 miles an hour playing a guitar,
you have to be very careful!