Breakdown
UClear never stops trying to improve its products, and the new Motion HDX-V is evidence of that motivation. By addressing everything I wished the Motion Infinity had, the new HDX-V can confidently take dead aim at the best the competition offers. Massive 47mm premium speakers offer killer sound, DynaMesh keeps everyone connected, and Hey Siri/Google means the rider can focus on the road.
Pros
Hey Siri/Google capable
Excellent 47mm premium speakers
USafe Crash Sensor
Dual Beam Microphones
Easiest to mount to half and modular helmets
Great battery life
Cons
All the Motion series products look the same, hard to tell this was the flagship
Over-the-air firmware updates are slow
Cannot charge and use at the same time
Review Summary
- The UClear Motion HDX-V is the flagship Bluetooth Helmet Audio System from UClear
- The 47mm HDX speakers are the largest drivers of any premium Bluetooth Helmet Audio System
- The USafe Crash Sensor is an excellent safety addition and only from UClear
- Having Hey Siri/Google is now a must-have when I ride
Introducing the UClear Motion HDX-V
Who is UClear?
UClear Digital is an American company. It was founded in 2010 and has its headquarters in Chesterfield, Missouri, USA. Well known for being an innovator of Bluetooth Helmet Audio systems, UClear offers unique features such as gesture control, and their U-Safe crash detection.
Motion Family
UClear offers 2 families of helmet communication products. The entry level system is called AMP, and then the higher technology products fall under the Motion Series. The Motion Series family offers the Motion 4 Lite, Motion 6, Motion Infinity, and the latest Motion HDX-V. UClear shipped me a dual kit of the Motion HDX-V, and in prior years had me test the Motion 6 and Motion Infinity systems. The Motion HDX-V is the flagship Bluetooth, Mesh, Voice Activated system, and makes use of brand new, high quality 47mm HDX speakers. This chart breaksdown the features each Motion product offers.
See Also: The Best Bluetooth Intercoms For 2024
UClear Motion HDX-V Installation
The UClear Difference
With around 3.7 billion YouTube videos demonstrating how to install a Bluetooth system in your helmet, I won’t overwhelm you with written steps. Instead, I’ll highlight what sets the UClear Motion system apart. To showcase this, I’ve selected two helmet styles – a Modular and a Half helmet, known for their tricky installation process to achieve a clean setup.
UClear intentionally makes mounts that offer simplicity and portability. Taking a Motion series controller and swapping it to your snowmobile helmet, ski helmet, or even bicycle helmet is quick and painless. Inside the packaging are two styles of permanent mounts, one being very small for tough locations. Plus UClear has a slick clamp style temporary mount, and it holds like a beast.
Half Helmet Install
My preferred Half Helmet is the LS2 Rebellion, and through the years I have seen all types of attempts to add comms. What I personally am not a fan of is seeing a boom microphone dangling in a riders face. UClear solves this issue with a dual beam focused microphone setup.
The second big challenge is the speakers. LS2 has a brilliant slip-on speaker holder for the Rebellion and it does the job and can fit even the huge 47mm HDX series speakers. But, thanks to the HDX-V models using a connector with a 3.5mm mini jack, I can unplug the HDX speakers and use my earbuds. There is no taming of the wind noise when wearing a half helmet, and because I always ride with EarPeace plugs in, switching to my preferred in-ear monitors, allows far better noise isolation and higher audio quality. It is a best-of-both-worlds scenario. Now taking phone calls at highway speeds without a windscreen on my Harley Davidson is simple.
The final hurdle with a half helmet install is the controller mounting. The UClear clamp mount bites onto the leather flaps of the Rebellion helmet and holds just where I want it and holds quite strong. This whole process was never as simple with competitor’s products I have tried.
Modular Helmet Install
For this installation, I chose the larger of the two UClear permanent mounts. My Nexx X.Vilitur Carbon Zero Pro Modular helmet accepts a comm system very easily and offers many flat surfaces to attach the mount with the 3M adhesive back. The 47mm HDX speakers are large, but with just a minor amount of trimming I enlarged the existing mounting area and everything fits perfectly. But those steps are just like any full-face helmet.
Dealing with the microphone and a modular helmet hinge is always a challenge, and most Bluetooth systems solve this again with the use of a boom microphone. Booms get the job done, but in the past, I found I always had to carefully close my face shield while trying to avoid catching the chin curtain on the boom. Then once I locked it down, I would be using my fingers, lips, tongue, whatever I could to get the Boom so it wasn’t tickling my lips.
Once again, the brilliant UClear dual microphone array means I can either mount the microphones above my eyes or the route I chose which is just outside my mouth on the main helmet structure. I tried both ways and in the end, found that the audio quality was just a bit better by my mouth.
This type of technology with dual microphones, just adds so many mounting options. The drawback? I admit, the audio quality of my transmissions is not quite as good as a perfectly placed boom microphone, but the tradeoff is small. I far prefer no boom microphones and all the hassles they can create.
The Features that matter to me
The Motion HDX-V is UClears flagship system and as one expects, it is packed with the latest features. Now every rider has their own wants and needs lists when it comes to choosing a system, and the competition is strong wanting a peak in your wallet. I will highlight the features that I think set this Motion HDX-V system apart.
Sound Quality
Above all, I want a system that offers great sound. UClear stands out with its new 47mm HDX Speakers. It is not just about being able to play loud, but to actually have some semblance of bass while at speeds when you are also fighting helmet noises is a challenge. The new HDX speakers performed very well. Because I ride, like many, with earplugs, it is important to be able to play clearly at higher volumes. The crazy requirements we place on manufacturers, “I need a system loud enough and clear enough, that when I put earplugs in, I can still actually hear things.” UClear has done very well in this area with the Motion series products but the new HDX speakers are a big improvement.
My second comment about sound quality is back to the way the UClear components are designed. I personally would not buy a helmet audio system that does not have a 3.5mm jack to allow the use of earbuds. I far prefer to use custom-molded in-ear monitors with all helmet styles now. Years of using earplugs for riding have shown me that it is mandatory to protect my hearing and reduce fatigue, so they are a permanent part of my riding kit. Being able to remove the plugs and just go with earbuds took a lot of searching to find a set that did not protrude and cause discomfort was a challenge, but with that solved UClear made it so easy for me to choose whatever way I wanted. Yes other companies offer 3.5mm jacks, I just found the UClear method to be brilliantly simple with the cable in the HDX-V packaging.
Safety
UClear offers the USafe Crash Sensor system. In case of a significant impact or crash while the Motion HDX-V is connected to your mobile via the CLEARLink app, USAFE will alert emergency contacts after a 30-second user intervention period. It provides details of your situation, location, and nearby medical facilities.
Additionally, UClear allows users to test this feature through the CLEARLink app, enabling them to familiarize themselves, adjust settings, and experience the functionality without the need for an actual crash.
Setting it up is quick – activate the feature, adjust settings in the sub-menu screens, and input necessary emergency contact details. This minimal time investment ensures you have the tools and safety measures in place.
Hey Siri/Google
Nothing beats having complete hands-free control. The Motion HDX-V offers this feature, making it my top choice among the Motion series products. It consistently performs without any hitches. Whether making calls, inputting directions, or changing music, I can do everything I need on my phone effortlessly, without struggling with touch-sensitive gloves that lose their effectiveness after just a few uses.
DynaMesh
The DynaMesh system is like a smart network for riders. Using what UClear calls, Multi-Hop automatic switching, it connects mesh and non-mesh units together and adjusts automatically as riders change positions. This helps keep everyone connected over long distances without any interruptions.
We tested this with 3 units, albeit our testing method wasn’t exactly scientific. I parked and had 2 friends ride ahead. They made it 800 m before the connection was struggling. Then one rider stayed at that position and the third rider kept going and stopped another 1.0 km out. This had three units talking across 1.8 km or about 1 1/4 miles. We were stationary and the terrain was flat and almost line of site. Overall I was impressed we got that far.
All The Other Features
To be the flagshop unit of course the Motion HDX-V has many other features. For example.
- Motion sensor auto On/Off – this automatically turns the controller on and off saving the battery and my tiny mind from filling with rage when the battery is dead.
- Battery Life: Up to 18 hours on average – I am always amazed the battery never seemed to die on me
- Music sharing, music/intercom overlay with auto fade, call conferencing, and private vs group intercom toggling.
- Universal pairing compatibility
- Universal mounting to any style of helmet
- Advanced ABF noise cancellation- fully user adjustable
- Fully weatherproofed design
- Bluetooth V5, Class 1
- Warranty: 2 yrs for controller; 1 yr for speakers & accessories
ClearLink App
I was using the latest version of the Clearlink app, and it is very quick to connect to the unit. Once I had selected the Motion unit I was using it offered up everything I could want in a very easy-to-navigate format, including the manual, which always sped things up when it came to trying to pair to a non UClear device.
I will state this again, the Clearlink app must be running on your phone with the Motion device paired to it, for the USafe Crash Sensor to properly function.
One key feature of the app and Motion devices is they will do over-the-air firmware updates. It works. I will say I found it slow, and due to my impatient nature, it was far easier to just perform the updates on my laptop. UClear has all the tools on its website in the support section.
Final Verdict on the UClear Motion HDX-V
I came away very impressed with the Motion HDX-V. Starting from the layout and tactile design of the control unit, I never had an issue pressing the button I wanted with gloves on. I could always feel the sections of the controller and this made navigating around it very simple.
The previous Motion products worked fine but the clunky voice commands frustrated me. Now that Hey Siri/Google is available with the HDX-V series I am one very happy rider. It worked perfectly every time with no buttons to press.
Talking to my Fiance, or to other riders, unit to unit with all UClear products was seamless and the connections stayed intact. Connecting to non UClear devices worked much better with the new Motion HDX-V than my prior experiences with the Motion 6, so nicely done improving this UClear.
I make and take quite a few phone calls while riding, and I am very happy with the dual microphone system that UClear uses, plus the 3.5mm jack design has worked well for me in my half helmet. It is the best setup I have been able to have, due to not needing a boom microphone dangling in front of my face like I should be working in a drive-thru.
If you have been stuck thinking there are only 2 premium brands available for Bluetooth Helmet audio, you are missing out. In my opinion, the new 47 mm HDX speakers are the best available, and the dual pack is priced nicely below the competition.
