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Sena 10U - Arai Tour X4

37K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  jhonesnow  
#1 ·
I'm considering buying a Sena 10U bluetooth headset that is supposedly Arai helmet specific fitting.

Has anyone got any experience of this Sena Unit?
I have a couple of questions:

1. The Sena info states that the 10U fits " Arai full face helmets" but is no more specific than that.
Has anyone successfully fitted one into an Arai Tour X4 and was it an easy install?

2. There are mentions in reviews of the Sena 10U that the volume of the headset is too low.
However, I'm sure I read somewhere that downloading the Sena App to your phone allows a certain amount of 'tailoring' the sound ? Can the general volume be increased via this App?

Thanks in advance Paul.
 
#3 ·
I've had a 10U in a Shoei Neotec 1 from whenever they came out with them. I assume the basic unit is the same, just fitted to the Arai. All the functions work fine, but the volume isn't great. If you don't have a lot of air past your ears, it's OK. I have used the phone function and the other party didn't realize I was on the bike, however. I now have a completely sealed Schuberth C3 Pro that I wish I could transfer the 10U to so I could see how it compares.
 
#8 · (Edited)
PTwin and WTF; Thanks for that, the reason I ask these questions is that Sena don't seem to know whether their Arai specific unit fits an Arai Tour X. See their reply below...

": Many full faces, flip-ups, and modular style helmets are compatible with 10U Arai, However, we haven`t tested this Tour X4 helmet so far and we do not have any record on our system yet.
(04:49:09 PM) Yobonne: The next best option is to visit a local dealer to verify if the helmet is compatible with 10U Arai, please bring the helmet with you so you can try to fit it in to see how it looks, feels, and fits. Check the nearest authorized dealer on your location, by clicking the link below. http://www.sena.com/store-locator/"

When I contacted my incredulous local, dealer he said " No Idea, I'll ask Sena". :surprise:
 
#10 ·
I have it in my tour x4 no problems with fitting and no issues with volume.
It can be finicky connecting to my tomtom 550 and iPhone X to display calls on the tomtom but it’s just a case of what you connect in what order and remembering to have the MyDrive app open. I use mine for work purposes and it’s never let me down, charge seems to last and additional remote control is very handy.
 
#17 ·
Yes I've seen that one thanks. The outer neck roll on that Arai came out very easily.

The construction of the Tour X looks quite different.
The neck roll on my Tour X won't budge. I don't have a problem removing the inner liner.
Also the inner liner padding on the helmet in the video looks much thicker than the Tour X consequently setting the unit further away from the back of your neck.
 
#20 ·
The problem I have with most Sena devices is that they are weather-resistant and not waterproof. Which is kind of ridiculous when you think of how they are to be used. I just reviewed my Cardo Freecom 2+ here:
https://youtu.be/ACF2-Oh5vRE


I initially received a faulty unit, but once they replaced it, its a pretty awesome kit for the price. And though the Sena is slimmer on the side, they just redistribute the rest of the system on the helmet...which ultimately leads to not much of a gain in terms of volume or weight.
 
#21 ·
I might be badly wrong!! but my Tour X4 doesn't seem to be built like all the other Arais ive owned.
On my quantum, rx7 etc etc the neck roll pulled out real easy, just doesn't look like it does on the Tour.
Although as I say I could be wrong...just don't want to wreck anything as has been previously said.
I have an Arai service centre not too far so will take a visit one day for peace of mind.
 
#22 · (Edited)
The neck roll does NOT remove from the Tour X4 (theres no Arai spare part which kinda confirms its none removable). The plastic hoops do Not reach the plastic poppers that hold the headlining in the helmet. The fitting instructions are based on Arai full face helmets which are different to the tour x4. Imho anyone who has fitted the sena in the way the instructions suggest has an intercom thats not fitted right. It’s a joke tbh that even sena say they dont know if their product fits the tour x4. After trying to work out what everyone is talking about (I’ve fitted other sena intercoms to both Arai and Shoei helmets with no issues), I gave up and used thin strips of Velcro to hold the battery pack in the neck roll instead. The plastic hoops are oriented the wrong way to fit the Tour X4 correctly.

On another note with the sena, the speakers are very weak and tinny sounding, so make sure you set the music settings on your phone to “small speakers” which improves the sound a bit, but tbh sena are having a laugh using these speakers in the first place. Unfortunately the originals cant easily be changed to better quality speakers, without cutting the wires and splicing the wires together on the new speakers and you can’t fit speakers over 32 ohms apparently as it will drain the battery much faster.
 
#23 ·
Ive got the Sena 20s which was a breeze to fit to my tour x4.
No dismantling (other than cheek pads of course which is easy).
Maybe this model is different from the one you have, and for helmet speakers they are the best ive had so far (not as good as in the ear of course)
IMO
 
#25 · (Edited)
Ok. The sorry tale in full is as follows..

I had an Autocom Atom headset. Waterproof and no fiddling about with helmet buttons as it had a must-have bar-mounted remote control. The 5 year old Atom eventually died and is now discontinued, so I looked for a replacement.

The Sena 10U (For Arai) seemed to fit the bill. It has a bar-mounted RC4 remote control.
It fits entirely inside the helmet (with the exception of a tiny on/off button) so waterproofing isn't an issue and there should be no wind noise or turbulence from it.

I made enquiries from Sena themselves and several Sena dealers who said either; they didn't know if it fitted a Tour X4 or that they could see no reason why it shouldn't. Alarm bells should have been ringing, but I went ahead and bought one.

Fast forward to today. Sena's generic instructions don't apply to the Tour X4.
The Tour X4 neck roll DOES NOT pull out - unless anyone out there feels lucky enough to risk butchering a ÂŁ570 lid?

The 10U's retaining loops will stretch in under the inner liner's snap in poppers BUT... the unit will then sit way too far forward and press into the back of your neck - not good, especially in the event of an accident.

So it would seem that although the Sena 10U is designed to, and does, fit in 'Arai full-face helmets' it's not designed for a Tour X4.

Anyway, I am where I am and Hovis' idea to tuck the unit under the neck roll secured with velcro strips seems to be a practical and sensible way forward.

Hovis, thanks for the idea and do you have any pics of the Sena in your Tour X4?

Cheers Paul
 
#28 ·
I think if it were me I would either:

Return the Sena unit and replace it with a model that can be fitted to your new helmet, although perhaps not in the way that you originally wanted or

Return the helmet and replace that with a helmet model that will allow the Sena unit to be fitted properly

The Sena website suggests that the SC10 is only suitable for certain models, and I suspect if you do a 'bodge it' type job it will never be a good solution

I recently bought a Schuberth C3 which was designed specifically with Sena to fit the SC10 and the system integrates perfectly and works very well
 
#29 · (Edited)
Ok, it's fitted and to be fair it's not a bad job.
Sena make 3 different variants of the 10U for: Shoei , Arai and Schuberth .

I'm talking here specifically about a 10U for Arai which although designed for Arai full face helmets is NOT specifically designed for the Tour X4 /XD4.

(Miked6631 it's a 10U Arai we're talking about here and not a Schuberth SC10)

The speakers fit in the cheek pads ok as you'd expect.
The main unit fits under the neck roll secured with velcro (thanks Hovis) and it's nice and secure and out of the weather.
The on/off button is very slim and it fits neatly to the side of the helmet.

Nothing had to be modified, cut, ripped or bodged.
The standard plastic retaining loops on the main 10U unit don't fit the Tour X4 so simply unclip them leaving the unit free to be secured under the neck roll with velcro.
The loops can be re-clipped to the unit if it ever needs to be fitted to another Arai helmet.

On balance, I'm quite pleased with the way it's all turned out eventually and although it's not specifically designed for a Tour X4 I wouldn't advise against anyone else getting one should they want to.
 

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#30 · (Edited)
I forgot to add a picture of the Sena's remote control which clips to the left hand grip.
I haven't ridden the bike with it in place yet so can't comment on whether I like the position of it yet.

I'd be interested to know if others with a Sena Remote clip it in the same place or have alternative ideas?

Cheers Paul.
 

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