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With the two current aftermarket options available for improving the stereos sound being extremely expensive, I will installing my own version this weekend. Rockford is super simple and plug/play but not loud enough and the Modified Kenwood alternative is too pricey for the amount of wattage they provide and you still have to do several things. The Modified part about the Kenwood XM160-2 is that it has a remote turn on wire which most amps already do. They use the factory amps speaker leads to plug into the Kenwoods hi-input instead of using rca cables. The Kenwood still requires power being routed and the remote turn on connects to a purple/blue remote wire in the Harley stock wire harness inside and under the fairing (this can be done with any amp that has a hi put option and a remote power).
I will be using a stealth 1000w amp that I had in my previous street glide & I will use two sets of 2 pin connectors (currently unavailable from Harley) to tap into the stock amps output and then plug into the speaker leads. I have not decided if I will try to de-pin the harness for the remote power wire or just use a wire tap but Ill decide this weekend.
All said and done this is under $300 since I found a good deal on a set of midrange 6.5s on sale that I wanted to try.
Here are the molex 2 pin connectors if anyone else is interested in doing something similar. Part #33481-0201 & #33471-0206
This is the amp that I will be using again. It performed well and I never had any issues before.
Watch and be prepared to change/ upgrade the stator/rotor and voltage regulator for higher amperage charging output (if you can find one), when you burn the oem ones down with sound amp alone pulling 30 amps, much less going through batteries every year as well from the excess drain, charge cycles as well.
Hence problem is not the size of sound amps, but the amount of extra amperage off the charging system needed, to be able to keep the sound amp feed the amperage its needing, with extra amperage the bike is not using to begin with.
And note, when the charging system burns down from the aftermarket amp, HD is going to void the warrenty, and charge you for the repairs.
And the charging system burn up parts, concept is charging system is not taxed 100% of the time, which allows the parts to cool back down, which is not going to happen when it being taxed 100% of the time with amp in play.
And is kind of funny, since see the same problem with the BMW GS riders, adding way too many extra lights that taxes the hell out of the charging system, that burns the charging system up as well.
On the positive note, on the Harley, only need to pull the primary to get to the stator, while on the BMW R motors, have to pull the motor out of the bike, then trans off the back of the motor, to get to the stator that's within there.
I don't believe that Harley-Davidson can just void the warranty. They can deny the warranty claim.
The amp Im using is 4 channels and I do not plan on bridging it so technically I would be only using 500watts but amp are always over rated and I dont think itll get that close. It was installed in my street glide at a shop, by a Harley mechanic who built the bike and like I previously mentioned. I never had any issues with it before.
Harley offers a 400w Rockford primary amp and a 400w secondary amp for the tour pack and lids so you can have 8 total channels. If they actually produced a combined 800w with the amp maxed out it would be 66amps which would be more than the bike could keep up with, so I feel pretty good about using less than 500watts (if my amp actually produces the advertised wattage). Dont see why Harley would offer a plug and play setup knowing it would lead to mechanical failure just going by the numbers alone .my two cents.
I don't believe that Harley-Davidson can just void the warranty. They can deny the warranty claim.
Originally Posted by GOGOBECK
12 one way/ half dozen the other !
I'm not following. Voiding a warranty is a completely different action compared to denying a claim. If your warranty is void, then nothing will be repaired during the warranty period.
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