- Affordable alternative: Midland aims to offer premium Mesh communication without the premium price.
- Universal compatibility: Designed to connect with Midland, Cardo, Sena and other Bluetooth intercoms.
- Real-world BRM test: We’ll use it in New Zealand and on the launch of the new Norton Atlas in Iceland, testing everything from rider chat to music, GPS and phone calls.
We’ve fitted Midland’s R1 Mesh to our Leatt 8.5 Adventure helmet to find out whether this Italian intercom can match the class leaders—without the premium price tag.
When it comes to motorcycle intercoms, the names Cardo and Sena dominate most conversations. They’re the brands you’ll most commonly see attached to helmets on organised rides and touring holidays, but they’re also products that command a premium price.
Midland thinks there’s room for something different.
The Italian company has been producing motorcycle communication systems for almost 20 years, yet it’s still relatively under the radar in New Zealand compared with its better-known rivals. Distributed locally by Whites Powersports, the Midland range aims to offer many of the same features riders now expect—including Mesh communication, Bluetooth connectivity and universal compatibility—while undercutting many of the market leaders.
That’s exactly why we’ve decided to put the Midland R1 Mesh through a proper BRM long-term test.
More than just rider-to-rider chat
Modern intercoms have evolved well beyond simply letting you talk to your riding mates.
Most riders now expect to stream music, receive GPS directions, answer phone calls, control voice assistants and connect seamlessly with a motorcycle’s TFT dashboard—all while still being able to communicate with other riders.
The Midland R1 Mesh promises to do all of that.
Using both Mesh and Bluetooth processors, it offers Mesh communication for up to six active riders (with up to 99 additional listeners) and also supports Bluetooth connections for one-to-one conversations. Battery life is claimed at up to 15 hours in Mesh mode or 23 hours using Bluetooth, while dual-phone connectivity means you can pair multiple devices at once.
The compatibility question
If there’s one issue that has frustrated riders over the years, it’s compatibility.
One rider has Cardo. Another has Sena. Someone else turns up with an Interphone.
Traditionally, that has meant complicated pairing procedures—or no communication at all.
Midland’s biggest selling point could be its Universal Connectivity system.
The company says its communication protocol allows the R1 Mesh to communicate with Cardo, Sena and Interphone systems, while still supporting TFT displays, GPS units and action cameras.
That’s a bold claim, and one we’ll be putting to the test.
Audio developed with RCF
Sound quality is another area where Midland has invested heavily.
The R1 Mesh uses 40mm speakers developed in partnership with renowned Italian audio company RCF, with Midland claiming stronger bass response, improved speech clarity and better performance in noisy riding conditions. The speakers also comply with the latest ECE 22.06 helmet standard.
Of course, brochure claims are one thing. Real-world riding is another.
Can you still clearly hear your GPS at motorway speeds? Does music sound good enough that you’ll actually use it? And can your riding partner understand you when you’re both wearing adventure helmets in crosswinds?
Those are the questions we’ll answer.
Our long-term test
Rather than simply fitting the R1 Mesh and riding around the block, we’re planning to use it exactly as most BRM readers would.
It will be installed in my Leatt adventure helmet before heading to Iceland for the international launch of the new Norton Atlas adventure bike—a trip that should provide everything from motorway cruising to mountain roads and unpredictable weather. It’s sure to be a good test for the waterproof capability of the unit as the forecast isn’t looking flash.
Back home, we’ll also pair it with other intercoms fitted to Kerry’s helmet to evaluate rider-to-rider communication across a variety of bikes and riding conditions.
Along the way, we’ll be testing:
- Rider-to-rider communication quality
- Music streaming
- GPS instructions
- Phone calls while riding
- Ease of installation
- Battery life
- Compatibility with other brands
- Day-to-day usability
By the end of the test, we should have a much clearer idea whether the Midland R1 Mesh really is the value alternative to Cardo and Sena that many riders have been waiting for. Reading the spec sheet of this new unit, it certainly looks like this might be a seriously good alternative for those looking for a more affordable yet still capable intercom unit.
Fitting
I’ve fitted more intercoms than I can remember over the years, and the Midland R1 was as simple as most modern units to fit. Having removable cheek pads in the Leatt 8.0 makes the job infinitely easier, as there’s loads of room to play with. It’s also got channels and cut-outs for the speakers and the wiring to slot into, and it was great to see that the Midland has spacers included for this very reason. Slotting the speakers into the cut-outs meant, after a quick try, that I found they sat a long way from my ears. So, popping in the spacers and then sticking the speakers on top should fix that problem and improve the sound.
A neat factor is that there’s a slot-in mount as well as a sticky mount, and the unit also clips off of the mount simply by pushing a tab underneath. That makes it easy to pull the unit off and have it charging on, say, your desk, rather than having to bring the whole helmet to the plug.
As with everything, there’s an app, and this should make pairing easy when I come to connect with other units. Connecting to the Bluetooth on my phone was done in seconds, and a quick try with some music demonstrated the quality of the RCF speakers – they sounded really grunty with loads of bass.
A slight surprise was that there are four cables coming out of the unit. I was expecting one for the mic and two for the speakers, but the extra is an aerial. I snuck this under the rear padding of the Leatt where it should work to boost the signal of the Mesh 2.0 system rather than relying on the small aerial on the top of the unit. Makes sense and isn’t something I’ve seen before on intercom units.
The job of fitting and connecting the intercom only took around 10 minutes, with the biggest chunk of time spent trying to get the tabs to relocate at the back of the cheek pads in the helmet. The quick release system of the cheek pads means they slide down so a first responder can get them out if you’ve had a crash and have possible neck injuries. That means all three tabs need to slot upwards at the same time to get the pads in place, which is a little tricky, but I got there in the end.
The unit looks nice and sleek on the side of the helmet, with the buttons looking like they’ll be easy enough to use with a glove on. The only caveat could be the volume buttons, which are smaller and located on the top of the unit. Being winter, and therefore running chunkier gloves, these could be a little tricky.
Check back in a short while where I’ll have an update on the rest of the functions with the Midland R1 Mesh intercom. And if you’d like to check one out, either head to your local dealer or visit Bits4Bikes.
Quick Facts
| Product | Midland R1 Mesh |
|---|---|
| Type | Mesh & Bluetooth motorcycle intercom |
| Distributed by | Whites Powersports |
| Mesh communication | Up to 6 active riders (99+ listeners) |
| Claimed range | Up to 2.2km (Mesh Dynamic Repeat) |
| Battery life | 15hrs Mesh / 23hrs Bluetooth |
| Connectivity | Mesh, Bluetooth, GPS, TFT, smartphones |
| Compatibility | Midland plus Cardo, Sena & Interphone Bluetooth systems |
| Speakers | 40mm RCF |
| We’ll be testing | Music, calls, GPS, rider communication, battery life and cross-brand compatibility |
| Price | $379.99 |
| Check It | www.Bits4Bikes.co.nz |
What’s in the Box
- 1 R1 MESH device
- 1 audio system with two 40mm High Definition Sound by RCF stereo speakers
- 2 shims
- 1 wired and 1 rigid anti-turbulence boom microphone
- 1 magnetic fixing system to the helmet: with bi-adhesive tape and clamp
- 1 USB Type-C cable
Technical Specifications:
- VOX: Yes
- Stereo Audio: Yes
- Web Radio with App: Yes
- FM Radio: No
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Waterproof Rating: IPX6
- Talk to All: Yes
- Battery Life: 23 hours in Bluetooth mode; 15 hours in MESH mode
- Voice Announcements: Yes
- Dimensions (H × W × D): 7 × 85 × 25 mm
- Intercom Distance: MESH Dynamic Repeat up to 2 km; Bluetooth intercom up to 500 m
- Helmet Compatibility: Universal
- Intercom Conference: Up to 6 people communicating and 99 listeners
- One-to-One Intercom: Bluetooth intercom for up to 3 people
- Programmable via PC: Yes
- Bluetooth Connection: Yes
- Dual Mobile Connections: Yes
- GPS in Background: Yes
- Automatic Gain Control: Yes
