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[05Train]

I've been playing around with the idea of making my Tour Pak detachable, and I know I have to do something about the amplifier if I want to keep the stereo.  I don't want to lose saddlebag space, so in-fairing looks like it.

I've looked at the BT4180, and I've read good things about it.  What I haven't seen is anyone using it to drive the TP speakers.  Will that work, and will I maintain full control via the hand controls?

I'm looking at the BT7P1 speakers for the front, but I'm concerned about weight.  A lot of the roads I ride are really rough, and I don't want to risk messing up the inner fairing.  Are there better options, or am I worrying about nothing?

Lastly, I don't see anything from Biketronics for the rear speaker pods.  I don't want to lose the hand controls back there, so the replacement pods aren't an option.  Will the 6.5" speakers work back there?

[CowboyBagger]

I've got the BT4180 driving HAT 6.5 fronts with tweeters and HAT 6x9 saddlebag lid speakers.  When I checked on adding speaker pods to my tour pak, I believe the largest speakers that would fit the stock ultra pods are 5.25.  I'm still thinking about it.  It's hard to get a lot of volume from lids going down the road.

Cowboy

[05Train]

Are you happy with the sound from the fronts?  How was the install on the amp? 

[CowboyBagger]

The amp sits right on top of the Sony head unit that I also installed.  Even room for the crossovers on top the amp.  I'm thinking about getting another amp (if I add pod speakers) and moving the crossovers.  Front speakers sound great and lid speakers sound great stopped but you lose a lot at hwy speed.  The pods actually direct the speakers in a better direction to hear at speed than the lid speakers. 

Cowboy

[Glenncarp]

I've been playing around with the idea of making my Tour Pak detachable, and I know I have to do something about the amplifier if I want to keep the stereo.  I don't want to lose saddlebag space, so in-fairing looks like it.

I've looked at the BT4180, and I've read good things about it.  What I haven't seen is anyone using it to drive the TP speakers.  Will that work, and will I maintain full control via the hand controls?

I'm looking at the BT7P1 speakers for the front, but I'm concerned about weight.  A lot of the roads I ride are really rough, and I don't want to risk messing up the inner fairing.  Are there better options, or am I worrying about nothing?

Lastly, I don't see anything from Biketronics for the rear speaker pods.  I don't want to lose the hand controls back there, so the replacement pods aren't an option.  Will the 6.5" speakers work back there?

I am waiting for my Amp to come into my stereo guru's shop. I am having them install a J&L Amp to drive the front HAT 6.5" and the stock amp to drive the rear 6.5's. The rear can be fitted for the 6/5's with an adapter plate or cutting the hole larger in the tour pack pod. The first tech suggested removing stock Amp and adding the J&L to drive all 4 speakers, but the older tech put the kabash on the idea as he said the stock amp runs all the goodies like handle bar contrails, etc. from signals from the head unit. So, they are going to split the channels from the stock amp to signal the Focal amp. I am going to lose the balance, but who the heck EVER uses balance in a car much less a bike? They are also going to leave the HAT's as a unit even though you can split them into a component speaker, and use the old amp to keep driving the old tweeters up front. I have asked around and the consensus is that high ranges are harder to hear than base and adding two tweeters in one speaker grill will not affect the HAT's sound.

Speaker ought to rock as I have yet to find a single bad review about the HAT imagine series.

[05Train]

F-n Harley......You seriously lose the hand controls if you remove the amp?


Sent from my iPad, probably while I'm pooping.

[tpb857]

I am waiting for my Amp to come into my stereo guru's shop. I am having them install a J&L Amp to drive the front HAT 6.5" and the stock amp to drive the rear 6.5's. The rear can be fitted for the 6/5's with an adapter plate or cutting the hole larger in the tour pack pod. The first tech suggested removing stock Amp and adding the J&L to drive all 4 speakers, but the older tech put the kabash on the idea as he said the stock amp runs all the goodies like handle bar contrails, etc. from signals from the head unit. So, they are going to split the channels from the stock amp to signal the Focal amp. I am going to lose the balance, but who the heck EVER uses balance in a car much less a bike? They are also going to leave the HAT's as a unit even though you can split them into a component speaker, and use the old amp to keep driving the old tweeters up front. I have asked around and the consensus is that high ranges are harder to hear than base and adding two tweeters in one speaker grill will not affect the HAT's sound.

Speaker ought to rock as I have yet to find a single bad review about the HAT imagine series.

I don't know how your bike is set up, but my 12 CVO SG, stock, had front and rear HD amps.  I changed all of the speakers, got rid of both stock amps (they were junk), got a Biketronics amp running all 6 speakers and kept the HK head unit.  I didn't lose any handlebar functions and everything still worked (XM, IPod, etc).  You should check out a wiring diagram for the sound system on your bike to see what is wired to the amps.

[2timen]

Thats true. I changed out my amp and speakers on my skunk. Still have the handle bar control. I'm planning on changing out the head unit soon and biketonics make a plug and play wire harness to keep the handle bar controls working with new head unit.

[1abastarsmda]

I've been playing around with the idea of making my Tour Pak detachable, and I know I have to do something about the amplifier if I want to keep the stereo.  I don't want to lose saddlebag space, so in-fairing looks like it.

I've looked at the BT4180, and I've read good things about it.  What I haven't seen is anyone using it to drive the TP speakers.  Will that work, and will I maintain full control via the hand controls?

I'm looking at the BT7P1 speakers for the front, but I'm concerned about weight.  A lot of the roads I ride are really rough, and I don't want to risk messing up the inner fairing.  Are there better options, or am I worrying about nothing?

Lastly, I don't see anything from Biketronics for the rear speaker pods.  I don't want to lose the hand controls back there, so the replacement pods aren't an option.  Will the 6.5" speakers work back there?

I know you can put the 6.5" speakers in the stock rear pods with these adaptors http://www.sidecarcycles.com/store/products/category/v-twin-audio-for-harley/#filter-term=427&order=0-  They also have some sort of rear speaker interface that I haven't quite figured out exactly what it does yet http://www.sidecarcycles.com/store/products/v-twin-audio-ultra-plug-rear-amplifier-interface/  I'm planning on giving them a call to figure out if this interface would be useful.  My initial plan was to just run speaker wires from the Biketronics amp direct to the rear speakers and just leave the stock speakers wires there unplugged.  I planned on leaving the controls on the side of the speaker pods connected.  It looks like those controls should still work then.  Note:  this is still in theory, as I haven't tried it yet.  I have the front 6.5 Titan II speakers running through the Biketronics amp and not much to say but "wow".  If anybody figures out how that interface helps, please post.

[05Train]

I guess I'll call Biketronics when I get a chance.  I would think it would be relatively simple to remove the factory amp and use an aftermarket one, but Lord knows Harley loves complicating things.

[1abastarsmda]

I guess I'll call Biketronics when I get a chance.  I would think it would be relatively simple to remove the factory amp and use an aftermarket one, but Lord knows Harley loves complicating things.

Biketronics makes rear pods with 7.1" speakers (they are on backorder right now...about 2 weeks wait time).  You can run the 7.1" front and rear then.  If you go that route, the only things you will lose are the controls that are on the side of each speaker pod, unless you can cut holes and reinstall them in their pods (but you may need to keep the stock amp for those side controls...not sure there).  The hand controls operate via the head unit, not the amp.  The only other thing you may lose is a fader control, depending on how you go about wiring everything.  It sounds like you are planning on detaching your tourpak, which means you'll need to setup some kind of quick disconnect for the rear speakers when you intend to remove the tourpak.

[lilcoot]

Hey, 05Train.  I just saw this thread, and I did just what you're talking about.  I have a FLHTCUSE8, and made the TourPak detachable, installed the BT4180, BT7.1 speakers in the fairing, 7.1 pods on the TourPak, and a Sony head unit.

The reviews are mixed.  The fairing speakers are a huge improvement over stock.  I can hear mid-range and upper frequencies pretty clearly at 75 mph, but bass notes are still inaudible.  Maybe that's the best we can expect while riding on the open road, but even parked, the bass is not that great.  I've cranked up the EQs on the iPod and the head unit, and the bass is just not right.  The speakers are in phase (I've checked), and Brian at Biketronics couldn't help.  I wouldn't be concerned about weight too much.  The 7.1s are virtually the same weight as the 6.5 HATs.  Any good speaker will weigh more than HD's junk speakers.

As for the rear pod speakers, I don't know what to tell you.  They work better than stock pod speakers and definitely work way better than speakers in the bag lids, but again, they are hard to hear while riding.  Plus, the bass isn't audible.  I never ride with a passenger, so space isn't an issue, but the BT pods are bigger than the stock pods, so if you have a BSR who isn't really, really skinny, she won't be comfortable getting her behind crushed for more than a few minutes.  The bigger speaker pods also make the TourPak harder to put on, but not a big deal.  Finally, the connectors for the rear pods that Biketronics provide are incredibly cheap units.  I'd be embarrassed to sell such garbage.

I'll try to look for pictures I took during the install.  Good luck, let me know if you need more info.

[lilcoot]

Here's the difference in the speaker sizes

[lilcoot]

This is the speaker adapter in the fairing.  Installation was easy.

[lilcoot]

The next two pics show the differences in size of the speaker pods from the front and side.