Theres brackets on ebay type in Soundstream harley and they pop up.

 

I used i/2 inch block of plywood velcro'ed to the top of the radio and then velcro'ed the amp to the top of the plywood. Used industrial strength velcro, you have to pry it off with a screw driver. Raised it up enough to clear the angle of the fairing brackets. I also put zip ties pulling towards the gauges for a secure platform. I used this method because the Hog Tunes amp I started with used velcro to secure their amp to the top of the radio, works for me.

 

RFG. with AS MANY SPEAKERS YOU CAN RUN. RIDE SAFE!!!

 

@ Mike. Thanks. I too was thinking of using some 1/2" plywood last night and velcro. And Like you I was thinking I need to zip tie or something just for good old piece of mind. I have all of the wires run at this point. And I am now at the scariest point. Cutting my lids on my bags. Shucks its only money right? HAHA.

@ Tim. I agree brother. I am sure there are some subs or 6x9's in my future. I don't get much opportunity to travel overnight a lot. So killing some of the space in my bags isn't too worrisome in my eyes.

 

Don't waste your time trying out a sub........Unless it's a 10 or 12 inch.....the 6 1/2, 7", and 6X9 subs are not better than a GOOD set of 6X9's.

Timmy,...what 10 speakers are you running, and with what amp ??? Wait, I remember,....2 Rockford 4 channels and 8 RF speakers.....any problem with the amps in that heat ??

 

Well here I lay in bed. Laptop propped on lap, and I am completely whipped. As usual, I underestimated the amount of time and effort that would be required to complete this project. But complete it I did. Well pretty much anyways. I have to insulate the speakers, set the gains, and put the front fairing back on. Other than that I finished. I will get some photos up, and a video in a couple days. I took the plunge, and went beyond the point of no return and started cutting the lids on my bags.

The cuts were made with a spiral saw, and actually were not very difficult. They weren't perfectly round, but the speakers fit, and covered up any slop from the cuts that weren't perfectly symmetrical.

@Glacier. I may throw in some 6x9's next, but I wanted to give the 6.5's a shot before I sequestered all the space in both bags. At any rate thanks for all the suggestions, and help. I wouldn't have done it without you and Ultra, and a couple others on here testifying on the whats and hows of what made your systems and installs successful.

I will post again soon.

 

Cool.. I'll be curious as to the lid results. Top mounting some 6.5" speakers in the stock lids would save a bunch of $$ over aftermarket lids/painting. Keep us informed regarding fit/sealing. I think I'd really want marine rated speakers in this type of application. Enjoy !!

 

Congrats !!

 

The lids were not as challenging as I had feared. My wife badgered me about taking it to someone "more qualified" yesterday as I drilled my pilot holes through something that would clearly cost me a thousand bucks if I screwed it up with paint and all. The spiral saw was quick, efficient, precise, and gentle with the remaining material. The templates that came with the JL Audio speakers made it simple as well. I used a dry erase marker to draw my lines and began cutting. I have pictures of the resulting holes on both lids side by side. I would say the cuts themselves may have taken me five minutes a side. I used some adhesive foam padded tape around the bottom of the outside of the speaker to make leveling and sealing it a little easier. And then instead of using the self tapping machine tip type screws that came with the speakers, I used some #8-32 1.5" nuts and bolt combinations, along with standard washers to disperse the pressure of the nut and bolt across a wider area, and lock washers to hold everything in place. Overall I am quite happy with the fit and overall appearance. I would say take a look at the pics and video, which I will try and post this afternoon/evening and decide if you want to try this lid project on your own, and whether you want to go with a 6.5",6" or 6x8. I will set the gains this afternoon, and get the front fairing buttoned back up. And shoot some video and take some more pics and get them posted.

As for your suggestion to use marine speakers. I agree. I had every intention of using infinity reference 612m speakers on front and rear. Well, speakers came in from amazon and the grills are not removable and the speaker actually measures like 7 1/4". Soooooo, I had to do some running around and ended up purchasing 2 sets of the JL Audio C2-650x. I was still thinking of running the reference speakers as I prepared to cut the openings into the saddle bag lids. But the widest the stock saddle bag lids can handle is 6.5" speakers. So it was a moot point once I made that revelation.

In reading a lot of the posts by Glacier Pearl, and UltraNutz, the marine speakers vs the good car audio stuff are all kind of using the same cones and components. I don't plant to ride my bike through buckets of rain coming down, and I suppose if I become an unfortunate storm victim, then my replacement speakers will certainly be of the marine variety if these don't survive.

 

Very nice! Can't wait to see pix of the finished product. Enjoy !!