You have that experience when the engine is roaring, the road is before you, and your music playlist finds precisely the same mood that you never knew you might need. That’s rider audio magic. It is not merely the background noise, it is the heartbeat of all the rider audio, the fuel that is invisible and that matches your heartbeat.

Riding does not require good sound as a luxury anymore, it is an experience. Fancy tearing up some mountain turn and have your favorite track on, goosebumps. However, riders are satisfied with the small speakers or ear buds which break off just as the bass hits. It’s almost criminal. The appropriate audio system will make even a regular ride into a movie scene, each throttle input striking on-note.

Now, let’s talk gear. Audio in the motorcycles is no longer the clumsy speakers on the handle bars. The current systems are smooth, intelligent and resistant to weather conditions to the extent of withstanding a desert storm. The new in-helmet installations have a lot of punch– snappy mids, clean highs, rich low tones. Others even cut road noise to have your favorite riff cut like butter in the wind.

And, of course, sound clarity is important. You do not want a solo on the guitar drowning in the noise of the highway or the raving of exhausts. An excellent system maintains your music clean even at 80 miles per hour. It is that combination of strength and accuracy, that is the sweet spot all riders pursue.

But it is not all about volume or brand boasting when it comes to the rider audio. It’s personal. A Sunday cruiser can be interested in soft acoustics, whereas a sportbike obsessive requires the high-speed dose of adrenaline. It is as simple as picking the appropriate helmet, you do not pick what is the in thing, but what fits you.

Then there’s the tech side. Bluetooth has made the transitioning between the songs, calls, and GPS alerts so smooth that you hardly even feel it. No wires. No static. Just flow. And voice controls mean that you can change playlists during your ride without removing your hands off bars. That’s freedom right there.

Have you ever went out with another rider and traded playlists? The fact that you can play the same song in both of the helmets and scream out This one a banger! through the intercom is somehow bonding. It is music, but it is also communication, connection and laughter in a pack.

No matter which states you are going through, or what job you are going to the city on, rider audio sets the mood. There are those who take measurement of distance in miles; there are those who ride in songs. The right track has the potential to transform a ten minutes ride into an epic journey- and that is all.