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Sena Freewire

13K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  sonny 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok guy I bit the bullet and bought the Sena freewire..Easy straight forward install after removing the Fairing,But If you don't have the 7 pin communication port, "AKA like the Ultra"...you have to purchase the harness from Harley....Almost $300 for both...Yikes, "I know !!!"..After removal of the fairing the harness connector is directly in front (behind the Boom Audio)..I opted to coil the 2 foot harness and put it under the radio...Plug in the supplied Sena adapter into the 7 pin connector...By removing the left Speaker enclosure you can run the Sena adapter harness around the back side..I drilled a hole in the back of the left faring compartment and ran the harness into the storage compartment..This is were I installed the Sena Freewire unit,with the double sided tape and supplied bracket. I got lazy at this point and ran the power cord to the 12 volt outlet next too the storage compartment...The cord easily routed between the front and rear half of the fairing..and reaching into the rear of the left storage compartment plugging into the Sena Freewire unit...Like I said I was running out of time... I'm eventually going to hard wire the 12 volt adapter into the back side of the 12 volt power port..what stopped me at this point was the lack of proper tools (All the needed tools were at work in my tool box)...I had disassembled the Plug end of the the power adapter and found it has a small board probably to drop down the voltage from 12 volts to what ever is required....Ok this is getting kinda long....after reassembly of the fairing..I paired the Freewire to a LG headset...I was able to pair it easily..After setting the output to Headset in the Menu screen of the Boom I was able too hear the Audio from the source,But I could not use the voice prompts and while making a call my voice could not be heard...I have a Sena 20s I will test sometime this weekend...I will update my findings in the next few day...
Mike
 
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#4 ·
If you have a Special like I do You have to buy the 7 pin Harness from Harley...(Music and communication kit..69200865) $69.95...If you have a Ultra or anything else with the 7 pin installed you will most likely buy another harness...Because the termination point of the plug is at the Console this makes the ideal location unrealistic for installation of the Freewire.
 
#8 ·
So this weekend I finally had enough time too play around with the Freewire and Sena 20s...As stated in my previous post I was able to pair the Freewire to my LG headset..But found the voice commands did not work...Charged the Sena 20s and pairing was a breeze..I found all the functions working..Voice commands to Navagation is the one thing I was concerned with..As we all know the handle bar controls Suck trying to input a address..I also paired my IPhone to the Boom Infotainment system and plugged in my Ipod touch to the USB port..Im able to toggle between the two both working as designed...When you make a call Make sure you bring up your phone first or the voice prompts will not work...In conclusion I found the Freewire works as designed..And I have no buyers remorse..

One other question was asked about needing another Freewire for a second Sena 20s..My original answer was you need two,But thinking about it later I think two 20s headsets can be used to share one source..Something else I need to try..


Mike
 
#10 ·
Thank you for taking the time for the write up. I was pissed by the lack of wireless capabilities, when I got my bike back in 14. But now after 2 yrs, I find myself doing the inputs by the handlebar controls and the screen shows who is calling. I think I can live without a wireless setup now.........LOL.
Besides I have a Sena SMH 10 headset and I would have to upgrade headsets, buy a Freewire, buy a 7 pin connection cable......funny how your priorities change :)
 
#11 ·
Thank you for taking the time for the write up. I was pissed by the lack of wireless capabilities, when I got my bike back in 14. But now after 2 yrs, I find myself doing the inputs by the handlebar controls and the screen shows who is calling. I think I can live without a wireless setup now.........LOL.

Besides I have a Sena SMH 10 headset and I would have to upgrade headsets, buy a Freewire, buy a 7 pin connection cable......funny how your priorities change :)


Yup, SENA 20 or 10s



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#14 ·
Ok so I subscribe to Law Abiding Biker,Ryan just did a review on the new Sena Freewire..In my opinion he didn't do it justice..Ryan gave it 4.5 stars out of 5..the reason given,no direct voice command through the Freewire to the boom...Something I was able to do and he had issues picking up incoming call..His install was awful,he had it hanging off his bars with wires running all over the place..It must be a Street Glider mentality...lol
Mike
 
#15 ·
Let me tell you something about Ryan from LAB....great guy, he means well but he is very misinformed and he puts out a lot of bad information. I wish he would do a little more fact checking on public boards and get some insight from other folks before putting information out there. It seems that they do not participate in any other forums and they are making judgement based on the information pooled in their click. I watched a few of the pay videos and there is absolutely nothing in them that I didn't already know from public forums or product manuals. He put out a podcast 2 weeks ago about the M8 and warranty and he was putting out information that was very old and not factual. He was stating that you cannot touch the exhaust at all, not even the slipons. Even worse he said that there was still zero addons or upgrades available that are EPA and HD compliant. No mention at all about the Screaming Eagle Cannons, Street Tuner, or High flow intakes, or the Stage 1-3 kits which have been available since launch. I listen to all his podcasts, I even bought Bugslide, which isnt all that, like they claim. I get enjoyment from it and it helps pass the time at the gym or on long drives. I DO NOT take any of his advice. His gear reviews are usually good, he is a proponent of helmets and riding gear which I am also, and his rain gear reviews are useful as well as his other gear reviews. I usually go to Revzilla but man, those guys need to road test stuff, every review in their little set is a cookie cutter.
 
#16 ·
I just watched his video yesterday. I learned a little from it, but am not sure about purchasing the freewire. I do not have the 20s yet. I also did not like the way the wires went from the 7-pin to the freewire. Here is a question, I have a 2016 Road Glide Ultra. So, what I understand, the freewire lets the rider communicate directly through the infotainment center, which is what we all want, not being tethered to our bikes. Sounds like he had difficulty with calls. He also had problems with direct voice commands to the boom. So, if one goes with the freewire to onnect to the boom, does the passenger also need their own freewire to hear everything the rider hears through the boom. I know you can pair both Senna 20's, but now what happens when the rider is paired through a freewire.
 
#18 ·
I have been watching and waiting for an excuse to buy the Freewire. So far there is no reason for me to get it. According to his video, he stated that now you can hear your infotainment through your Sena, woopie!

I can already hear everything on my phone through my Sena, I can already answer and place calls with my Sena, I can already talk to my passenger over Sena why would I want to channel through my Infotainment system and LOSE functionality? Sure touchscreen and hand controls are nice, but if the solution is buggy and doesnt address my real needs, is it worth the price, hassle and frustration?

IMHO, this device needs to do the following things before I purchase it:

1. Make and receive phone calls reliably through the Infotainment and Sena. Call comes in, I can see it on HD screen and choose ANSWER and have it go right to my Sena and mute the music.
2. Allow me to use Siri or HD voice commands to control my HD Infotainment unit.
3. Allow another Sena headset to pair to it and hear the audio while allowing headset to headset communication.
4. Include the required cable to connect to the HD radio. The cost of the solution is not reasonable. We already own two very expensive Sena headsets, now you want us to buy two Freewires and a HD 7 pin cable to just to use the things?

Right now I can hear the GPS prompts even if I am listening to something over my headset, so I really dont care for that so much. What I need is the ability to place and answer calls and this unit fails.

I will continue to use my Sena stand alone and my HD Boom stand alone. My phone almost always can handle being connected to both if I use the BT for the Sena and the USB to the bike. I am considering getting an iPod to use only on the bike and use my phone only with my Sena.
 
#19 ·
Apparently today he sent out a new mass email to retract all the negative's he found with the Freewire......Thus is the quote "The Sena Freewire, paired with a compatible Sena Bluetooth Headset, can do everything a wired headset can do! 100% Full Harley Boom!™ Box Infotainment System Integration!!

All of you that have the Ultra..The only thing I can suggest is pull off your Fairing and see if you can separate the Riders 7way from the passengers..I know the Harley add on Harness,the one I purchased from Harley only has 4 wires in a 10 pin harness connector...So I suspect the rear 7way is wired in the other none used pins...That way you can hide all the wires in the faring As my write up states..So it does not end up looking like Ryans Street Glide
Mike
 
#20 ·
So using this can I listen to the infotainment radio and media as well? I'm not talking about Pandora or anything else through my phone, I'm talking about the infotainment system. I have no need or desire to make or take calls when I'm riding, I've rode for 35 years without that capability and see no need for it now. I prefer listening through a headset though, but not a fan of cords.
 
#22 ·
Sena Freewire Power Problem

Hello all! New to forum but love the great information. I installed the Freewire on my '15 RG Special and have enjoyed it thus far but ran into a problem today. The Freewire unit will not power off. Switched power rocker to off and unit stays on. Tried reset button and factory reset procedure and nothing. Blue LED stays on and unit appears to be unresponsive. Posted problem to Sena site but wondered if any of you have experienced this problem. Thanks in advance.
 
#24 ·
QUOTE=CDragon;3780074]Hello all! New to forum but love the great information. I installed the Freewire on my '15 RG Special and have enjoyed it thus far but ran into a problem today. The Freewire unit will not power off. Switched power rocker to off and unit stays on. Tried reset button and factory reset procedure and nothing. Blue LED stays on and unit appears to be unresponsive. Posted problem to Sena site but wondered if any of you have experienced this problem. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

Sorry to hear about your issue,Mine is still working as it did the day I installed it..So hopefully its a isolated issue
Mike
 
#25 ·
Communication fix

Unpair the Sena 20 from the phone
Pair the freewire to the Sena 20
pair the phone to the boom radio
Should work fine - there was a conflict between all the bluetooth links
Also
Make sure you have latest software upgrades installed for:
HD boom radio
Freewire
Sena 20
Phone
 
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