Long story and I might need some advise, ideas and inspiration.

I have a Road King Classic FLHRCI 2006. I thought about handlebar or crash bar speakers already somewhen, but never really into it. I love the flexibility of a road king. For touring I put my detachable tour pak and windshield and ready to go. For cruising around town I like the clean look of my beach bars with all cables inside, without tour pak and windshield, just solo seat - a totally different bike. I might consider a street glide and did meanwhile nearly buy already, but for now and a while it is as it is..

I have this bike long time now, but getting tired more and more of te leather saddlebags, every time I use them. For loading them, you really always missing a third hand. The leather tour pak also does not really offer so much space, so I was already quite a while considering to convert it all to hard bags. If I imagine, how much I spent within just the last half year, I should really have rather considered to get a street glide After putting Willie G skulls all around that bike, wherever they fit and parts available, I now changed my mind a bit and have tons of Arlen Ness deep edge cut parts waiting in my garage for me to have a week off to get it all on, as well as project daymaker led head and passing lamps, led turning light and countless more. Last things I bought before long winter holiday, were 4"stretched hard saddlebags and extended fender filler/fascia to get a cleaner look at the backside (the ugly road king turning lights have been anyway replaced by bullet style street glide lights with license plate underneath).

When I purchased the saddlebags, I decided, to take the version without speaker lids. I could not imagine (at least at that time, but time is changing...), ever to install speakers to my lids. I also bought bought black air wing saddlebag rails, coz I wanted to have the black air wing tour park rail on my future tour pak as well (bought that black air wing tour pak rail also already last month).

Now I was looking quite a while for a king size tour pak and finally bought a used one locally, one week ago. I was considering Mutazu aftermarket or similar, but I assume, thats cheap chines crap and took rather a used one removed from a 2012 ultra. That tour pak has a chrome air wing rail on top already, so I can still any time later decide, to go chrome or black. The tour pak has also speaker pods, but empty - I did not take the also separate offered stock speakers.

The tour pak without speaker pods does not look complete. So if there are speaker pods, they got to work, and thats where the real story now starts. I was reading and investigating a lot, before I bought it already. I like the Idea of an amp underneath the tour pak mounting bracket, but that stock unit seems to work better with a non removable tour pak. I found some interesting amps with FM, USB and bluetooth (I think shark). That seemed to be too good matching for me, coz I could just use one 4-pin deutsch connector for +12V, ground, running- and brake light and power that little amp too when the tour pak is mounted and use my iPhone with bluetooth to stream so music. Finally it did not convince me - looking too cheap.

So I took an offer next day and bought a fosgate PBR300x4. First I was considering, to mount that amp anywhere inside the tour pak (may be mount a metal base plate with the lower back pad screws and mount the amp there with 1/2" distance for better ventilation to avoid overheating..). I was considering to add a bluetooth module too, but reading in the forum here next day found much better ideas. I found a very inspiring thread here: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...twing-etc.html

I like the idea of installing the PBR300x underneath my seat - did not expect, it will fit there. So I can run the tour pak speaker cables with an additional 4 pin deutsch connector separate from power and light. Due to that thread I am also back to the idea of adding vented lower fairings with speaker pods and wanna buy now for sure. First I thought, it will look too bulky on my bike, but when I see the pictures in that thread, I think different now. I had somewhen the idea, to get speakers onto my handlebars, but don't wanna see any cables there - so no way to go. Speakers on the crash bar might be the way, but I can't imagine, to get some tunes out of 3-4" speakers there to be still heard at higher speed. I found some crash bar speakers using 2x 4" speakers on each side, but $500 is not a bargain and vented lowers don't really look that bad - so decision is done and I will get them now. To get some real sound on highway speed, I might need a fairing, but later..

What speakers should I take now for my fosgate PBR300x4 for vented lowers and tour pak? I bought yesterday here in the forum marketplace a pair of fosgate TMS65 and considering to put them into the lowers, I still got to buy. I was considering T165 before, but they might better stand the rain and I could not resist the offer. But for $300, I would have not considered to buy. My tour pak speaker pods have just 5" holes, but may be, I can manage to get them in there too with adapter rings. Anyone ideas about that? I got to have them in hands first, to see, it might anyhow fit or not. Recommendations about what speakers to put where are welcome.

I am still not sure, how to get music to my amp and how to control. I am using my iPhone on a ram mount on handlebars, but without cables there and just ad a power bank or juice pack to have gps for a day trip. I was considering Kicker quite a while ago, but not convinced. Does anyone of you guys use MB Quart? I found MB QUART N1-RFBT Wireless Bluetooth Preamp Controller for instance here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MB-QUART-N1-...1Y5J7l&vxp=mtr. I like the idea, to install a little control unit directly on my handlebars, allowing me to adjust volume and a little more, without the need to run a cable there. I could may be manage to hide that preamp underneath the side cover and connect directly to the amp underneath my seat. There are many other fish in the bowl, but usually the control unit is wired. An option might also be, to install a wired control unit on the dash, to get the cable routed unseen. Any ideas about that? Opinions?

Finally I might somewhen later consider to add a detachable fairing too. I found some, but few with ipad mount. I really love the idea. Actually using iPhone to navigate and hopefully soon for music - an iPad with bigger screen in right position would be perfect for me and add so many options. I found something here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/INNER-FAIRIN...tV1ldd&vxp=mtr Smith full-size iPad or better with just an iPad mini: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HARLEY-BATWI...VYpSGP&vxp=mtr

Anyone here using such fairings on a RK and any experience? I know, the iPad is not perfect for navigation and reflections are an issue, but I love the idea. There would be space to put another amp like Arc, Soundstream, Cerwin Vega. The las fairings are available with either 2x 6"x9" or 4x5". What is better? I tend to prefer 6x9 and get some Hertz or Infinity Kappa. When I want to rouse just around in town, I can remove all and can still hear some music from the lowers and iPhone.

I wonder, who really made it to read all the way down to here and will appreciate any comments, ideas and further inspirations. I think, a harley is never a project done, but keeps always in a kind of evolutionary stage.

 

Magic Mike

I have a 2004 Road King Classic; I also decided to go with some tunes for the bike. Now I have pretty much did what you are doing and replaced the leather bags with hard bags and then picked up a King size HD Tour Pak. I then added speaker pods to that. I then purchased a Reckless Fairing and did my own stereo.

Now everything is quick release so I can pretty much make this bike look anyway I want it to. So it all depends if I am riding solo or with the wife, if we are out for the day or going to be all weekend. I have three different seats, backrests to match each seat and the stock RK windshield and the full Fairing.

I went with the Reckless Fairing and added my own stereo with 6x9s. I had to redo the Reckless mounts and modify them because I did not like how the fairing sat on the bike and that was easy. I also went with a full marine grade stereo system because I didn’t want to deal with water issues because I wash my bike all the time and ride in the rain.

For the HU I went with a Sony CDX-H910UI, it does not have Bluetooth but I don’t need that because it has USB and all my tunes are on a stick. I went with the Infinity 6912m in the fairing and Infinity 612m in the Tour Pak. I am running a PBR300x4 amp to drive it all. Now this was just a budget build and I was not looking for a competition bike just something with decent tunes and I am really happy with what I have.

I am sure there will be lots of guys in here to steer you in the right direction and there is a lot better stuff out there then there was when I built my system. Best of luck with your build.

Bruce

 

Thanks for your feedback Bruce,

I am just back from extended easter holiday in Florida and was hoping to get some further inspirations. May be, I was simply writing too much - too booring to read...

Actually I just bought lower vented fairings with 6,5" speakerpods to be installed permanent... The Fosgate TMS65, first ment to be installed in the tour pak, will go into the lowers, since they are really marine grade speakers. For the tourpak I meanwhile bought some focals instead. They both will be powered by the small fosgate PBR300X4 to be installed underneath the seat.

To stream some tunes to the amp, I am actually considering to try to install a bluetooth preamp underneath the sidecover with controls on dash or better a wireless controller to handlebars. I am actually considering the MB Quart N1RFBT. Did anyone install this yet and happy with it?

I could also imagine, to install something similar with a wired controller mounted on dash. Then I had the option to splice the controller cable and hook it up backwards with a deutsch connector parallel to the controlls in the tour pak speaker pods. Still not sure, how to do, but will see...

Once installed, I will see - either I like it and keep it or I really need it and might want more. If so, I am sure, the next step will be a fairing, coz I assume, thats the best and most important and efficient place to install speakers and hear the music while riding. Here I am still very interested in a fairing with an iPad mini instead of a normal HU. I am happy with navigating by iPhone mounted on handlebars and dont mind a few sunlight reflections. I could imagine, that the big screen off an iPad will offer so much more opportunities, then just use it to stream music or show maps.

Anyone here ever installed a fairing with an iPad?