Hi all - i have a 2015 ultra limited with two blown tour pak speakers. I wanted to upgrade and have read several threads. I initially want to just replace the tour pak speakers but after reading this forum realizing that I will probably need an amp.

Hopefully someone can help a novice audiophile. I have built a few guitar amplifiers but never cracked into a harley batwing. My budget is around $500. So here are my questions:

1. Are there any reasonable kits that would be plug and play in my price range?
2. Do you need to splice into the main harness to power these units?
3. Is there a tried and true amp speaker combination that would be easily installed by a non technitian(me)?

4. Can this be done in stages.

any suggestions are welcome! Thanks.
Keith

 

So I'll answer your 4th question 1st. Stages? Not a good idea. No benefit in taking off the fairing and changing speakers only. While the fairing is off you need to do the whole install. With a budget of $500 bucks on a 15 Ultra limited you're looking at 4 speakers, an amp and a BT355 Line leveler. The line leveler alone is $80 bucks. That leaves you $420 for an amp and 4 speakers. Two sets of 62.11i Kappas from Sonic. $220 Bucks. That leaves you $200 bucks for an amp and misc. stuff like spacers for the rear pods. The Soundstream PN4.1000D is on Amazon for $128 bucks.

$70 bucks left over for misc. That's about as good as it gets for $500 bucks bro.

This set up is tried and true.
No need to splice into the harness
Any reasonable plug and play kits in that price range would suck.

If it were me I'd save up another $500.

 

Damn good advice right there.

 

Thanks for the advice! I will order the parts. Do I need any special wiring harnesses with this set up? Also - does this install require me to remove the gas tank as well to run wires?

 

Yes any amp install will require you to remove the tank. But not so fast on ordering parts. Those parts G mentioned are tried and true budget equipment BUT --- in a SG fairing those speaker will tear if you mount them outside the pods. Which means you have to mount them inside with some modifications. Also that amp does not fit right on the amp tray, it requires that you modify (cut) the tray for it to fit. You have a nice bike man, try to stretch it out a few extra bucks....it will be less of a headache for you and better equipment.

 

Hi all - thanks G and Bagger on the advice. I appreciate it! I went to HD today to see the boom system and was not impressed. Ok - i will hold off on parts and read some more of the forum. If i upped my budget a few hundred dollars to say $800. Is that the range to get a decent set up? I only want to do this once.

I will try to read up on the principles of amplifiers and line levelers. I built several guitar amps and a few muscle cars, but radio systems is a whole different knowledge base for me as I have never installed or spec'ed one out.

Thanks again for the reply's. It good to know there is a community will to share their hard earned information.

 

I'd take the $800 and put it all into the fairing.
Then buy some average speakers for the tour pak. You're not really going to get much out of that area unless you're in a parking lot. I didn't on my '16 Ultra until I added in a small amp inside the tour pak.

 

Sure wish I would have know about the Kappa's tearing when mounted outside the pods. I did those speakers almost two years ago outside the pods and I don't remember anyone here saying that was a bad idea. I'm in the process of upgrading the audio system on my 15 Limited and am removing the pods for the BT brackets and replacing the speakers with Hertz Mille's. When I pulled the Kappa's out of the pods yesterday, I notice they were torn like you said. That explains why they starting sounding so shitty!

 

So if I upgraded the amp to a RF PBR300x2 this would power 4 speakers?. Would I lose balance or fade contol with this set up? Would people recommend the Kappa's, MM651's or the Alpine SPR 's?

Now I'm leaning towards the cvb54 and Kappa 's.

 

The CVB54 with the kappa's is a great set up for your bike. But that's my opinion. There are others here that will tell you the Alpines are the best speakers ever created! LOL