03-188 Black Sena Bluetooth Helmet System,1 Pack

First off, the first unit I received had the wire to the battery pack broken, so it didn't work at all. I got an exchange from Amazon, and the new unit is functional.1st build quality: It has a half dozen very fine wires that need to be routed through your helmet lining. they are a messy tangle and none have disconnect plugs. So kind of a pain, and extremely fragile until you get it in the helmet. I have had several previous Bluetooth helmet headsets and never seen such a fragile, tangled mess of a system. The unit is supposedly waterproof and includes a "nearly impossible to open with human fingers" rubber flap over the microUSB port. I literally had to use an exacto knife to open the flap to charge it. In a world where phones are fully submersible without stupid little rubber flaps it is a relic of the past to have something so difficult to plug a charging cable into.2nd Usability: Clearly this thing is designed as an intercom system first, a way of answering phone calls second, a way to listen to music third, and somewhere so far down the list that they forgot to include it is a way to control a modern smartphone. With 90% of phones made having a built in digital voice assistant, that many modern Bluetooth devices call up with the single press of a button, it is unforgivable that I can't actually trigger the Google Assistant with this thing. I have had headsets from several years ago that I could push a button and say "Play some music" or "Navigate Home" or "Send a text to bob saying I'll be there in a bit". But not with the LinkIn Ridepal III. Nope with this thing the main button just tries to set up intercom pairing (which would be useful if you primarily ride in groups with other riders with compatible systems) but solo riding, and you are gonna be frustrated that the button use considers everything else a secondary feature with longer button presses and button combos to make it all work.I honestly don't know if I can even utilize this thing at all with my riding style. Probably gonna send it back, even though it really does fit the helmet nicely.

Upon receiving the headset I started the process to install it. The instructions included do not contain any information on how to install it into your helmet, but that is only because it can be used on many different helmets. If you google "ls2 valiant install linkin ride pal 3" and replace the helmet name with your helmet it will come up with a video made by LS2 (who Sena made the ride pal 3 for) with the valiant helmet install. It is very straight forward, it took less than 30 minutes to install and probably would of taken less if I had not of replayed parts of the videos a few times to rewatch them before proceeding with the install.Now onto the system itself, it has great sound and is easy to hook to your phone. Like most electronics it does have a little bit of a charge but you should still charge it. To charge you just hook up the supplied usb cord to the controls (which even have a little dust cover and a slot in the chinstrap holder to allow you to charge it while it is in the helmet.) The sound is great, I had my phone on the lowest setting which is normally not enough for headphones and it was loud enough to hear it over outside sounds. Once on the road however I did have to turn the volume up a little bit. It does not affect the fit of the helmet much, but it does take a little bit of time getting used to the boom microphone being there.I have not yet gotten a chance to test the intercom system as no one nearby has a compatible intercom system installed on their helmet and I have not yet gotten a chance to try out a phone call. Once I can further test out the system I will update the review.Ease of install: 4/5Sound Quality: 4/5Satisfaction: 5/5

Like other users have said, this product was designed to be an intercom first with every other feature being an afterthought. The installation is a huge pain and requires you to pull all the padding out of your helmet. If you have a full-face helmet good luck getting the wires to stay put while you put the padding back in. As far as the sound quality, it sounds like you are listening to music through the earpiece of your cellphone. There is zero depth to the sound. It's tinny and shrill. For nearly $200, I would have expected better sound quality. Lastly, the menu system is a mess. It involves holding the center button while the helmet reads off what option you are currently selecting. You have to let go of the button when it reads off the option you want, but if you're not quick enough you have to go through the whole menu again.

For a Bluetooth comm system, it's okay. For $200 though, you'd expect more features like at least Bluetooth 4 and better support so you're definitely paying a premium for the OEM fit. However, it's based off the Sena 10 which is also BT 3.0 so expect the same performance.Installation was okay. I installed in a LS2 Valiant so the installation video was specific to my helmet which made it easier. Watch it a couple of times to get an idea of what you're getting into before attempting. Changes I would make (YMMV based on your helmet model) :- fully charge and test prior to installing. It'll save you some headache if you get a bum unit.- leave the back part of the skull cap liner in. The wires and antenna will go in the space between the styrofoam and shell and the skull cap will keep the wires from going in where the neck roll wire goes- install the sleeves that go on the straps after you install the headsetAnyway, it works and calls are adequate. I haven't tried the intercom pairing so cannot speak to the audio quality but callers are able to make out what I'm saying at 40 mph with a 3/4 helmet so that's good. Any higher and there's just too much wind noise.I did try updating the firmware using the LS2 Device Manager but I could never get it to connect. It works so I guess it's not really necessary.Online support is minimal but the instructions are straight forward (as long as you read the manual).