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Handlebar Speakers

sicks

sicks

Yo yo yo
Joined
May 20, 2011
Location
LA
Moto(s)
Vroom vroooooom
Name
Sergio
At the risk of starting a 'stop playing your music for the world to hear' thread, a recent trek up and down the coast reminded me that I want to try getting handlebar speakers for my Harley.

I would prefer this over in-ear headphones. Longer trips I do ride two up and have seen generally good things on a system like the Kuryakyn setup: http://www.amazon.com/Kuryakyn-834-...pebp=1440809026726&perid=1HF6T8MCZJNVPXANR8G7

Anyone have real world experience? Pros/cons etc? Is there a 'best' option for this kind of set up? ~$300 sounds okay to spend if it produces good sound.
 
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$300 doesn't typically buy you 1 good monitor for your house. But that's interpretive.

I'd go for a pair of Sena 20s and you'd have the ability to talk with your passenger as well. You can both pair music to your devices or share from one device.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-20s-bluetooth-headset-dual-pack

I can't imagine external speakers work well except for about town, at low speeds and they're certainly annoying to everyone else.
 
I've ridden serious miles on full dress cruiser-tourers with serious stereos in 'em, like H-D's Ultra Limited and Indian's Roadmaster. I also have a 20S.

I can't imagine those speakers would be much good at speed. Even with the excellent fairing on the Roadmaster, the music was just ok at freeway speeds, and I wouldn't use 'em at lower speeds in town or even in the hills. It's just kind of a dick move, in my opinion.

Depending on the bike, an intercom like a 20S is a pretty good solution. On my R1200R (no real windscreen) it struggles a little at high speeds, because there's significant wind noise. On bikes with a decent windshield, it's decent.
 
Yea - wouldnt get much use for cruising local roads. More for hwy or fwy.

My issue with in-helmet stuff - My ears start hurting a lot after a couple hours with or without headphones/foam plugs (hurting from discomfort, not sound). I've tried different helmets, I think it's just my ears.
 
The Sena can be hooked up, very easily, to be used with earplugs.

Maybe try a Schuberth helmet, i've heard they're the quietest on the road.
 
My ears don't hurt from sound or noise.. they hurt from the physical pressing of the helmet on my head. Hurts more with earplugs or headphones. I've tried a few different helmets - have had the problem across the board.
 
RightCoastBias said:
$300 doesn't typically buy you 1 good monitor for your house. But that's interpretive.

I'd go for a pair of Sena 20s and you'd have the ability to talk with your passenger as well. You can both pair music to your devices or share from one device.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-20s-bluetooth-headset-dual-pack

I can't imagine external speakers work well except for about town, at low speeds and they're certainly annoying to everyone else.
Click to expand...

This is my reply as well.
 
sicks said:
My ears don't hurt from sound or noise.. they hurt from the physical pressing of the helmet on my head. Hurts more with earplugs or headphones. I've tried a few different helmets - have had the problem across the board.
Click to expand...

Ahh, gotcha. Sorry, couldn't make sense of what you were saying.

Anyway, some helmets have speaker pockets. That'll allow the addition of speakers to not cause the helmet to be any more snug around the ears.
 
custom molded ear plugs with buds. you hear nothing but music.

maybe you need a brain bucket that fits
 
RightCoastBias said:
Ahh, gotcha. Sorry, couldn't make sense of what you were saying.

Anyway, some helmets have speaker pockets. That'll allow the addition of speakers to not cause the helmet to be any more snug around the ears.
Click to expand...

You can always modify the pockets to accomodate different sized speakers, too.
Use a soldering tool to melt the plastic stuff out in the shape you need.
 
fast4d said:
custom molded ear plugs with buds. you hear nothing but music.

maybe you need a brain bucket that fits
Click to expand...

I feel like i've owned the gamut of helmets - Arais, Shoeis, Suomys, HJCs - of course tried on more. Corsair V is my main now and has by far been the most comfortable, but still gets ears painful after a few hours.
 
My buddy plays "Bad To The Bone" over and over on his Harley Trike. Probably going to do the same on his Arlen Ness Victory that he just bought, if they ever get it done.
 
I have a ultra, it comes with a sound system. Sounds good around town but once you get to freeway speeds unless you know the words to the song the wind noise takes over.

I always wear form fited ear plugs and a full face helmet.
When listening to the radio I plug in.

For comfort I compressed the foam a small amount where the speakers are located in the helmet. I removed the liner exposing the white styrofoam and used the ball of my thumb and pressed on the foam, by moving my thumb back and forth it made a very small depression just enough to fit the speakers. My speakers are stuck to the styrofoam with the helmet liner over them. The speakers cause no pressure on my ears what so ever.

The most important thing to do is make sure the speakers are located exactly over your ear channel. Before any modification I set in the garage with the bike and place the speakers in the helmet, try it on with the radio and listen. Then I move the speakers a little left /right / up /down till I get them where there are clearest. Once they are where I like them I took a felt pen marked a outline of the speakers and then compressed the foam a little, test fit them, pressed a little more, test fit untill there were flush inside the helmet. Put back in the liner and I can't tell they are there.

I know compressing the foam makes that part of the helmet less safe, but I don't think DOT or Snell actually struck the helmet over the ear hole so they must not think that is the most important part of the helmet.
 
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corndog67 said:
My buddy plays "Bad To The Bone" over and over on his Harley Trike. Probably going to do the same on his Arlen Ness Victory that he just bought, if they ever get it done.
Click to expand...

Better than Hells Bells.....
 
RightCoastBias said:
$300 doesn't typically buy you 1 good monitor for your house. But that's interpretive.

I'd go for a pair of Sena 20s and you'd have the ability to talk with your passenger as well. You can both pair music to your devices or share from one device.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-20s-bluetooth-headset-dual-pack

I can't imagine external speakers work well except for about town, at low speeds and they're certainly annoying to everyone else.
Click to expand...

This.

External speakers (and really, any kind of speaker/earbuds/helmet speakers/etc.) are kinda pointless on a motorcycle if you have any respect for decent sound quality. With wind noise in the background, even with the best helmet setups, the whole mess entering your ears is trash. Ride without music and then listen to music in an environment that does it justice.
 
So you're gonna hook up external speakers that you need to play ultra-loud because you're wearing ear protection, or wear no ear protection and guarantee hearing issues in a few years, while bugging other people around you?

Fantastic!
 
HappyHighwayman said:
So you're gonna hook up external speakers that you need to play ultra-loud because you're wearing ear protection, or wear no ear protection and guarantee hearing issues in a few years, while bugging other people around you?

Fantastic!
Click to expand...

I believe they call that spreading the karmic joy. :rofl
 
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