Hi There,
I am new here. I have a 2016 SGS. Last year I installed a RF PBR 300x2 and Infinity Kappa 62.11 in the fairing which was never very impressive. I am now looking to do some major changes to the bike and scrap all of that. I am looking for recommendations on a 4 channel amp, Lid Speakers and fairing speakers. Also will I have to flash the system (?) and what about those levelers (?) I am an electrician by trade and understand the ins and outs but I will also need to know the type of wire to use (flexibility and disconnects) to hit the rear speakers whereas there is no wire there now. I am sure someone makes the harnesses.
Any help would be terrific.

 

Smart move to scrap the pbr amp. The first thing you will need is 1 or 2 bt 355 line levelers if you are keeping the stock head unit. If you have fade control on your hu then you will need 2 LL, one for the front and one for the rear. As far as rear lids go, it is hard to beat the Rockford fosgate rear lid kit. It comes with all the wiring and even though the speakers don't look like much, they sound good, can be heard at speed and are waterproof. For a 4 channel amp, it is hard to beat the stinger spx 700/4 as it is loud, easy to install and warm. Speakers are a personal preference and if keeping the fairing pods, then most will require the pods to be modified to fit a good speaker. For coax I like the hertz hcx 165's but there are a lot of different 6.5's out there and listening preference is different for everyone.

Just my thoughts.

 

Thanks, that is a bit to take in. I am going to go with Baddad lids I think so they will be cut out. However I can still go with the speakers you suggest of course. How about the flashing? I have been told it is not needed. If it was needed, is that a DIY or dealer only deal?

 

I have had multiple flashes done on my head unit and can tell you that the best sq from the boom HU is the 0amp/4 channel flash. That will provide you fade control. With that flash, you will need 2 line levelers or a dsp and unless you are going pro audio or more than 4 channels, the line levelers will provide you the SQ you are looking as tuning a dsp takes some learning. The reason I suggested the RF lid kit is you don't need to have any painting done on your lids and all the wiring comes with it including quick connects for the bags. The template that comes with that kit makes it very easy to cut your lids and no worries about fit and finish with aftermarket lids.

For flashing that is a dealer item needed and if you have them flash it for the 0 amp/ 4 channel, tell them that you are going to add a boom tour pack because they wont flash it if they know you are using aftermarket equipment. If you don't want fade control, then you don't need any flashing done and only need the front line leveler.

 

Hi there,
I am not much of an audio expert so I will need to hit the google machine to understand all you wrote Actually those lid kits look pissah, but I am selling off my custom factory paint set and putting on all different stuff, so painting the lids is not an issue. Is the flash a DYI download or do I need special software? I will only be 4 channels in the end

 

Ok let try to explain. The Harley boom head unit has a drastic eq curve to help it sound better while running down the road. When aftermarket amp and speakers are installed, the head unit eq curve is so drastic it can cause an overload on the amp especially on low frequencies and can cause so much distortion it can blow amps or speakers. Harmon Kardon designed this to help the stock head unit provide a better sound whil riding at speed. The line leveler is designed to do as the name states, level out that signal so aftermarket amps/ speakers don't blow. I believe this was Harleys attempt to ensure that no aftermarket equipment would be installed on the boom system. Even if you add a Harley amp, the dealer needs to flash that head unit so it doesn't blow the Harley amps. You can not flash the head unit yourself as the program is needed to do so and that tool is $1500 or so. Your dealership has that program so they can flash your head unit when THEY add an amp or more speakers. Again, if you don't need a fade from front to rear from your head unit, then you don't need and flash from the dealer. Hope that makes since.

 

 

 

 

I will throw out something I learned when I started tinkering with this stuff.

You need to ask yourself do you want to listen to the rears balanced out with the front speakers yourself or do you just want rear speakers so your passenger can hear the music? If YOU want to listen to the rear speakers so that you are sitting in the middle of the sound then you really need the fade control to work. When you get the levels set so it sounds good sitting still you will not be able to hear the rears at all going down the road. You will need the ability to lower the output to the front speakers so that when you turn the volume up the rears are louder than the fronts to give you that center of the audio stage experience so to speak. I find sometimes that different input sources may require moving the fader a notch to bring the sound back into balance.

Hope that helps you decide.