Agonizing Over Sound

Speakers and motorcycles are not a combination that has traditionally mixed well. Unlike a car, there are no enclosures for the sound to bounce and really, it seems like a silly idea. Once in awhile I hear fully loaded tour bikes, such as a Honda Goldwing, blasting the radio, but it seems like a rare occurrence. Even then I wonder how the rider is able to hear the sound once the bike takes off. For quiet bikes, it seems like it would be less than an issue, but Harley's aren't known for their quiet tones. 

I would have never considered an audio system if it wasn't for my uncle. None of dad's bikes ever had a sound system and neither did my old Suzuki. It seemed weird; why would I need or want a sound system? Like most accessories I didn't know I needed it until I thought about it.\

No room for a stereo here!

Obviously no one really NEEDS a sound system on their motorcycle, but I can appreciate the desire. Sometimes the sound of the motor becomes a lonely howl on long rides. It would be nice to have some music to listen to. 

I was surprised to see how popular stereos have become since I was last riding regularly. There are tons of aftermarket companies making systems, along with numerous, very cheap, direct from China speakers that look awful. Just beginning to browse and research different systems became an overwhelming nightmare. 

Essentially, Harley only puts sound systems on bikes equipped with a fairing from the factory. These large plastic pieces that adorn the Road Glide and Street Glide bikes are known for their excellent sound quality even at highway speeds. I really don't care for the look of the fairing, especially the shark nose style. It makes the bike look dated and crowds up the design of the front end. Of course, that is merely my opinion, many love the look of these fairings. I understand why, they allow for far more gadgets and options when it comes to bikes.

The "batwing" fairing adds great sound but additional front end weight. 

Since I didn't want to add a fairing to the bike my options started to become limited. As I continue I will try and explain my research and reasoning that compelled me to purchase the system I went with.

The great stereo hunt!

The first thing you must consider is if you will be running a windshield or not. If you intend to run a shield then congratulations, there are some solid options available. If there won't be a shield your options become slimmer. 

If you run a shield there are two options that stick out. One is to acquire a custom made enclosure from this random guy on EBay named "Ron's Radio Systems". This enclosure mounts to the windshield and can be purchased with or without speakers and a stereo inside, allowing you to customize the options you prefer. Wiring this setup is pretty straightforward as you can attach it to the battery and have it power on with the ignition. 

Difficult to see, but the system my uncle picked. 

This is the set up my uncle went for. As for Pros, it definitely has the most power I heard and the least distortion at high speeds. You also have the options to customize the stereo and speakers and add charging ports and other goodies. Since the enclosure is already made, it's a simple matter of adjusting it to your liking. Nothing too complicated for even the most inexperienced to handle. 

The downside to this setup? The controls for the stereo are not easy reachable where it mounts on the windshield. The way it mounts requires you to remove your hand from the bars and eyes from the road to look and manipulate the stereo. Not a huge problem but not the most safe option. Further, this setup is bulky. Really bulky. It weighs a fair amount and takes up a large amount of space on the windshield. Ultimately, the size turned me off to this particular setup. Also the cost can be quite prohibitive. At $600 for the complete setup, I passed. Oh, as an added bonus the system itself is quite stealable. 

You should also consider if you want a radio or simply a speaker to plug a device into. If you want a radio than it will cost more and come with the added pain of running and mounting an antenna. I don't need one so this wasn't even a concern. I was worried about loudness and sound. 

The next best option I found was the official Harley Davidson BOOM! Audio System. Finding solid information on this particular item is somewhat difficult. At $400 price point, not many had taken the expensive dive to discover how this system sounded. 

What you see is what's in the box.

What was attractive about this setup in particular was the set of hand controls that mounted on the right hand side of the bike near the throttle grip. This panel provides power as well as volume up and down functions. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the clean install it provides. The amplifier gets buried on the front of the frame and the speaker mounts cleanly to the stock windshield. 

I agonized over this choice for well over two weeks. I finally found a YouTube video clearly showing what the speakers are capable of and at what speeds they lose fidelity. It was clear that at most speeds up until 70 MPH they were loud and clear. I had my answer! I decided to take the dive and purchase the official BOOM! Setup. 

I walked out of the dealership on Saturday about $400 poorer but carrying the answer to all those stressful nights researching. I have always been somewhat of a home theatre enthusiast and the last thing I wanted was to have poor quality sound. I suppose that is why I spent countless hours searching YouTube and the internet in general.

Installation

This part of the process was made infinitely easier by some advice I received from my sister's fiancee. Road Kings have an accessory port located under the seat and capped with a rubber plug. This port turns on with the ignition and accessory switch and turns off when not in use. It is also guarded by a 15 amp fuse that is already part of the system. 

This four pin plug is usually reserved to power a car charger or other similar accessory. Therefore, it was no surprise that I had to purchase a charging port I didn't want or need in order to get this adapter plug. Thanks Harley! Well, I can't complain too much since it made the wiring job painless. Normally, one would have to endure the pain of splicing wires off the main harness, but since the accessory port is switched with ignition, we were able to forego all of that. 

$30 for the plug and the adapter when all you really want is the adapter! Well worth the headache if you want a quick install.

The system comes in 2 pieces; the first contains the amp, control panel and harness and the second is the speakers themselves. Placing the amp on the frame was simple. I removed the two plugs in the frame, held the amp in place and tightened the provided hardware. I then ran the wires up along the fork tube and nested them in the nacelle for a bit while I ran the controls. In order to mount them properly you must remove the housing that holds the throttle in place. You must then use the provided screws and spacers to place the controls on the handlebar itself. Nothing too complex here, just make sure you don't pinch wires. 

The system almost completed mounted. Notice the control placement on the right. 

At this point the connectors have to take a trip to the rear of the bike. For this exciting adventure we actually found a point under the tank, but in the frame that we could run an old coat hanger through. We straightened the hanger and then ran it under the tank, attached the harness as tight as possible using electrical tape and then slowly pulled the wiring through to the back. Simple and effective!

The wiring harness has a red wire for power, a black wire for ground and a orange and white wire that is supposed to pick up an active relay on the bike so that the amp shuts down with the power. Since this has a seperate amp it is very important that you DO NOT wire this to the battery directly as it will DRAIN your battery. Either search the main harness for the jumper or buy the adapter like I did.

We ran both the colored wires together into a wiring clip and plugged it into the pigtail for hot. We did the same for the neutral and then tested our experiment. Voila! It worked! Not only did it work, it sounded excellent. 

The speaker tightened into place using the provided hardware and reusing the acorn nuts.

Upon further testing it was clear that the sound quality and loudness of the system depended heavily on the source. Some of my higher quality MP3s could be brought to full volume with no problem. Others struggled to maintain clarity at half volume. It really just depends on what you feed into it.

I am by no means done. I intend to record a video showing the range of sound and what the install looks like as well. I also have more testing and perhaps some modifications to make as well. I am very happy with this purchase but it still remains untested on the road. Consider this post a work in progress as I adapt, learn and experiment with this system. In the meantime, I will field any questions you might have about speaker systems. With so many options, it can quickly overwhelm!

An overhead view of the installed components.