Rider to Rider Communications
From every review I’ve read, and people I’ve talked to, the best bang for the buck is the Chatterbox FRS-X2 or GMRS-X1.[1] $200 to $400, depending on which model and so on.
Two sportbike riders were using them on a ride I was on the other week, and reported that they were functional up to about 65 MPH, with earplugs, on Honda CBR 600F4i motorcycles. With more wind protection, I’d assume they would be good to higher speeds.
Tip: Get the brand spanking new ones with the Noise Canceling / Reducing microphones. The older microphones, well, suck.
Tip2: Get the handlebar mount PTT switch. VOX is fiddly, hard to set up, and generally not worth the hassle.
Tip3: If you are going to be out for more than 8 hours or so, get the bike power cord. As the battery dies, the range, volume and sound quality also die.
Tip4: Regardless of helmet type, get the open face style with the boom microphone. The best sound quality comes from having the microphone touching your lips. That is difficult in many full face helmets because of the distance to the chinbar.
New England Motorcycle Emporium has had some outstanding reviews for customer servce, and currently has the best price I’ve ever seen on a FRS-X2 unit - $200 with the PTT switch and NR headset.
Specifically:
http://www.motoemporium.com/chatterbox/chatterbox.html
I have never ordered from them, and I have no financial interest in them. I also do not have any kind of MC comm setup - just passing on what I’ve learned asking the same questions.
Notes:
[1] FRS is the 14 channel family radio service, good for about a mile in good conditions. Limited to 500 milliwats (0.5 watt) power. GMRS is similar, sharing 7 of the 14 channels with FRS radios, and having 7 unique channels. It is also higher power, up to 5 watts. Good for 2 to 4 miles line of site.