I am a new Harley Davidson owner and need some help with replacement or upgrading the AM/FM/CB/ Tape Deck for a 1987 FLHTC.

I inherited the motorcycle from my dad and spent a lot of time with him and the bike growing up. I don’t want to it trade for a new motorcycle, it’s a family thing, you know?

I have looked through this forum for a few hours now and have spent a lot of time online looking for an option, but haven’t found anything helpful. Contacted a motorcycle stereo vendor and was told they start with 1988 only.

Here are my ideas?

Change out the inner Fairing or complete Fairing to a newer model --- Can this even be done?

Cut the inner Fairing to fit a newer stereo --- will probably lose handle bar controls

Install a J&M 2003 and connect Sirius Radio kit, but how do I run it to external speakers? can I even do that?

Find the original manufacture and contact them --- who would have built the stereo for the 87?

Were the fairings for previous years the same? I know they obviously changed on the 88 model, but if anyone has changed an older than 87 model maybe I could do what they did.

Any suggestions or help would be great.

 

I won't be too helpfull, but I own a 1986 FLHTC with the slider volume controls. First off my original radio works just fine for 23 years of age... go figure... did something right in the mid-eighties. Damn, the whole bike is still running just fine.

I would love to upgrade to USB/mp3 also. But as you found out and as I've looked at the service manual wiring diagrams, you'll lose volume controls because in 1988+ radio went to a 3 wire stepped (up/down) volume control instead of a 2 wire slider pot. A PAC tech told me to upgrade my left controls to 1988+ and then their set-up should work.

But like I said... radio works just fine. I really don't want too mess with it yet until it fails. Once that happens... new radio should fit with a filler plate. then I'll hack into the all or most the wiring, ect and maybe upgrade the volume slide too 1988+ style. That should be a fun project!!!!

Good luck, Post some info if you do an up-grade I would like to know if you had issues or not.

Opp

 

I have a thread that you will see that I banged around all winter till I finally muddled thru. IT WORKS!!!! Here is a post of me working on putting newer radio in mine: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/evo-c...eed-ideas.html I did have to upgrade to a '88 and up volume switch (I found a complete chrome set off a '95 and did both sides, wound up being a lot of head scratching!!) You will have to run one more wire in the poly coating, I was able to feed it down the '95 tubes OK. If you want more of a plug in application you will have to hunt up a 8 pin plug for the Biketronics to plug into. My Photobucket ID is http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww295/IDIDNTDOIT87/

I have some pictures of the install there. I like the autoadjusting volume feature of the biketronics unit. Get one for an '88. Replace the left lower switch housing and volume switch, cut your inner fairing for a Sony, modify YOUR existing plate like I show in the pics to hold the plastic trim under the radio and it should go pretty smooth. The extra wire for volume I just brought straight to the radio plug and bypassed the handlebar plug with it.

 

can you post a pict of the radio on it, factory that is, cause hawg-wired makes an adapter that allows you to put the newer hk radio on the older bikes, and I happen to have a new hk factory radio, 08'... just took it off the roadglide in my sig...

anyhow, there are many options for upgrading audio...

 

I believe that the newer radios are wider than will fit in the '86 and '87 fairings. There is a guage on either side of the radio in these years that makes it a tight fit for even a 'din' sized radio. I was able to fit a new one into the stock cover with a tiny bit of trimming. Biketronics kit to put this size radio in the newer bikes include spacers to fill them out.