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CVO Technical => Electronic Toys and Gadgets => Topic started by: Puzzled on March 19, 2007, 02:06:10 PM
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I've been looking at the GPS and MP3 set ups from HD as I would like to get rid of the CD changer in my tour pack for a little extra room. The HD stuff in their catalog is not compatible with my SERG. Figures. I also didn't like the fact it is all an add on to the bars. It looks very cluttered or what it really is, nerdish! About two weeks ago I started searching the Internet for something better. I didn't have any luck. I than visited the old Road Glide Yahoo groups I use to hang out at (still do occasionally) and searched the archives because if it can be done, someone there has done it. I came up with a few options. The one I chose was a company called Bike Tronics. They make what they call a Retro Radio kit. What this kit is is a kit to install an aftermarket radio in the Harley Davidson chassis and retain the use of the hand controls. After a few e-mails with Mike he had me pointed in the right direction. They sell their units which are compatible with Sony and Pioneer. Half heartedly I told Mike I would like a unit that played MP3's and it would be nice if it had a GPS system in it. His response was the Pioneer AVIC N2. This unit is MP3 Capable and plays all the latest formats of CD's, has a navigation GPS built in, is a DVD player as well as a good old AM/FM radio. I wasn't shocked by the price as a DVD for an auto is up there. If you take the cost of an HD radio and add in the MP3 player and GPS system your really close to the cost of this unit with the added benefit of the DVD player and the cool flip up screen. Bike Tronics has several other cool conversion pieces on their web site also.
Back to the Internet I went in search of a decent price on this model radio. Nextag gave me a few dozen choices and I ordered from 6thAve Electronics. My radio was here in two days. I ordered the Retro Kit from Bike Tronics and it was here within a week.
Now the install.
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Here is a shot of some of the parts. The unit itself which consists of the head unit and a remote unit, the rear mounted camera and new speakers.
Oh I forgot to mention all the things that can be added to this radio. The list is as long as my posts! I opted for the rear facing camera which acts like a rear view mirror but better.
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The mini camera which I'll mount in the rear of the bike.
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The wiring. I really don't enjoy wiring! :(
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Out with the old and in with the......
It is a shame to take this out as I just had it replaced last year. Good old E-bay here I come.
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The speaker install
The speakers in this bike are 5 1/2". The opening is not a perfect circle.
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Since it's not a perfect circle the speaker when mounted is pressing against the part of the speaker cone that needs to move. Hmm maybe this is why they always sound so flat when installed but great when you hold them in your hand.
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I tried several variations of spacing the speakers out and off the mounting surface. The problem with this is it left a gap and the sound was horrible. I tried some rope gasket from what would be used for a wood stove. It sealed the opening but I had no way to keep the speaker and rope in place. I could have glued it but I didn't want to put any chemicals on the speaker or the bike.
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Some oversided nuts was the next train of thought. They kept the speakers out just enough to clear with out a gap. They just looked cheesy and I wasn't going to leave them in there.
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My next thought was to try the factory grills. They wouldn't fit unless I cut the centers. Oh well here I go cutting. I guess the speakers are mine now! This proved to work the best. The speakers are now spaced properly and there are no gaps or rattles. The fairing wouldn't go back on so some trimming was in order to get everything to work. For some reason I didn't take a picture of the finished product. I will the next time I'm in there. :2vrolijk_21:
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The Biketronics Retro Kit. Pretty basic stuff but worth the money. It did everything it said it was suppose to. The directions were good. They were written for a Sony so a few things were off but overall very comprehensive.
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The new filler panel installed. You don't realize how big the HD radio is untill you have to fill the area where it was.
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The kit comes with a wrap to go over the radio to help keep moisture out. It's a condom if you will!
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Not a very brite picture. What I'm attempting to show is that after following the directions the radio won't slide through the chassis. I had to remove the frame from the fairing in order to get the radio in with the face plate on. It only took a few minutes to loosen it up and move it out of the way.
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I soldiered , heat shrunk and taped all the connections. With a little luck they will all hold.
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It is alive! Here's a shot of the split screen with the rear camera on and the GPS. The camera has a great range. Considerably wider than the mirrors.
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A close fit. I originally thought I would have liked to have had more clearance but than vibration may take over on the screen. I'll see what happens over time. If it rattles against the fairing I'd consider some sort of rubber bumper or foam along the fairing lip.
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Look at the wiring mess. I eventually cleaned this all up and tucked, taped and wire tied everything nice and neat.
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Installed! Now I have to read the gazillion page manual to try and figure out how to use it all.
Both the Retro kit and the radio were all inclusive. There was no running out for this or that. One thing that will have to be addressed is the parking brake wire. Pioneer more than likely never thought their radio would end up in a bike so there are no directions for this part. It's trial and error. I found the wire needs to be interrupted! Yep. When hooked to ground it would work but if the radio was reset it wouldn't work unless you disconnected it and reinstalled it. Got me. This wire is in place so you don't play the DVD or GPS while driving. The DVD I understand but not the GPS.
This radio has a ton of options that can be hooked to it. I'm going to look into how to hook some of them up.
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Check out the gauge screen
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Another
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I'm still reading through the gazillion page manual on how to use this thing. After installing both disc's I realized that I have two West Coast disc's and no East Coast. I emailed Pioneer and they replied with a message to call them. I called Pioneer and they asked me to fax them a copy of my receipt. I did just that. About an hour later I received a call confirming that they were sending me a new set of disc's. Great service.
I spent some time in the saddle yesterday. Besides the great day of riding this gave me some time to goof with the radio. I have some likes and dislikes.
The display is impossible to see on the face of the unit when the sun is behind you. (screen closed). To fight this I simply opened the screen.
Again when the sun is behind you the screen has horrible glare. The text is easy to see and the navigation is more visible than the the DVD.
The rest of the stuff is not the fault of the radio but rather my lack of knowledge of the use of it. For example at first I was disappointed about the volume as when it was cranked all the way up it was....weak. I want a cranking system! I read the book and followed it and turned the volume up. My bad.
The rear camera is great. When you first turn on the bike it goes to full screen view. I can see two lanes of traffic less than six feet off of my tail light. Glare on the camera is just like a regular camera. You get a line from top to bottom. This is not a problem with the tour pack on as the tour pack acts as a hood. If I get ambitious one day I'll move the camera under something to shield it. I'm learning. Again this is only if the sun is behind you.
I originally was concerned about the screen vibrating against the fairing. Again back to the manual. There was an adjustment for this and that was all it took. No chance of vibration now.
Overall I like this system. It'll take me awhile to use all it's capabilities but I'll get it. I spent my morning observing these little things than spent the afternoon without the sun enjoying a movie and some tunes. :2vrolijk_21:
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I posted an update on the navigation system in March in a Daytona thread. At that time I used the map feature as an overview of where I was while on a ride back from Orlando. I was able to see the surrounding roads and where I possibly wanted to go. Poke and hope if you will.
I used the navigation system again Friday when I went to Maryland. This was the first time I punched in an address and used the system for what it was designed for. On my trip down I couldn't hear the voice command as I had the volume down. I could tell it was saying something as it would interrupt the music. I also had the map scale at 1 mile and this wasn't detailed enough in the city.
On the return trip home I turned up the voice command volume. Much better, very helpful. It was a little tough to hear at highway speeds (80-85) with my visor closed. I also set the map scale to .5 miles and that was spot on for city travel. I moved it to 5 miles when I hit the highway. (next is helmet speakers)
This is my first time using a navigation system and it's pretty cool. I'm usually the guy you can drop off in East Gibippie and I'd find my way home. Maybe this comes from my parents leaving me behind on vacation, often!
I didn't know if the screen would be a distraction or not while riding. It wasn't. It is like most things, you get use to it. The voice command helps keep your eyes on the road. The number of cars that point at the screen is something to see. What?, you never seen a bike with a flip up screen on it?!
As of now the only down side I see is the units storage capacity. Once you load your route/map you can remove the disc and insert a MP3. But if you wander off course you will need to re-insert the maps disc. That stinks. Supposedly the new AVIC Z1 has taken care off this with a 30gb hard drive. That would be nice. Better yet, what would be nice is if someone could upgrade the hard drive in this one or add an external drive to it. I'm not quite ready to plunk down another 2k for a one year newer radio.
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Equipment update.
Since I first installed the unit I changed the speakers yet again. This time to a pair of Hog Tunes. I've seen the name thrown around the various Bagger sites I hang out on so I thought I'd try them. First impression is the price, a bit expensive for 5 1/2" speakers (more on that later). Next was the customer service, top notch. I emailed the company at something like 11:30 pm and received a response within a half hour. They shipped equally as quick.
The install was straight forward. They fit better than the Pioneers did in my RG. The sound is tough to explain. In comparison to stock speakers they kick ass. In comparison to the Pioneers they sound slightly better at full volume but not as good at low/mid volume. In all fairness I set the radio and speakers up at full volume as that is where they will be playing. So because of this they lack some bass. This may change with the addition of helmet speakers.
I did notice that at about 3/4 volume and 75 mph they sound very good. I think they are louder than any other speakers I've had in the bike. I've had 2 sets of Kenwood KRC's, a set of Sony Explodes, the Pioneers and a set I can't remember what they are.
Now to the price. I think they are something like $129.00 on their website. I got 10% for being a Road Glide Forum member. I was flipping through the Drag Specialties on line catalog and they show them at $99 retail. Well I get a few pennies off of Drag so I payed about $20 more going direct. But they came directly to my door for that and I dealt with the man in charge.
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That looks really slick. Is it waterproof?
Chief
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That looks really slick. Is it waterproof?
Chief
Sort of. Let me explain. As I posted there is a film that goes over the radio. This does a pretty good job of keeping the majority of the water out. I made a cover for the real bad weather. See it here. http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=6593.msg94384#msg94384 (http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=6593.msg94384#msg94384)I've ridden in about five continous hours of rain before the cover and saw some condensation on the corners of the face plate screen. It dried out in about two days. This was the reason for me building the cover. I also use it when I wash the bike.
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Cool. Very cool.