CARDO PACKTALK CUSTOM

Nick Ellis / £245 / www.cardosystems.com

I’ve had a chance to try out a few Cardo comms systems over the years.

They’ve always been brilliant,proving themselves more than capable of keeping me connected while

I’m out on the road.

But they’re often pretty pricey. And that’s probably why they’ve come up with a more affordable way for bikers to get their hands on one.

The Packtalk Custom is essentially a subscriptionbased system, which allows you to activate specific features when you need them, rather than paying for them all when you buy the device. For your cash you’ll get a relatively basic Mesh intercom-compatible device (which allows you to link up with as many as 15 riders); Bluetooth to connect to your phone or sat-nav (but not both); an FM radio; some ‘high definition’ speakers; a couple of microphones (depending on your preference); and all the bits you need to fit it to your helmet.

It works well as it is, but the beauty of this device is that it can be upgraded. There’s Silver for £2.99 a month, Gold for £4.99 a month, and Platinum for £6.99 a month. The Gold’s probably the one that I’d opt for, as it allows you to connect to a non-Cardo comms device via Bluetooth, as well as connecting a sat-nav. But you probably would only need it for big two-up trips – and I don’t do that many a year. Two at a push? That means for less than a tenner I’d have two months of the features I actually need, and the rest of the time I’d be perfectly happy with the base version.

It’s a clever idea, and if you want a quality bit of kit from one of the best names in the game, but don’t need all the hi-tech features of a top-end comms system all the time, this could be the one for you.