I have a 2004 Heritage Softtail Classic and I'm getting ready to install two speakers and an amp. Can anyone who has installed these on their bike give me some help on where to mount the amp and the best way to run the wires where it will look neat? The speakers will mount on the handle bars down toward the bottom, but I'm not too sure where to mount the amp. If anyone has some small speakers and amp installed on their bike I would like to see some photos if possible. I don't think the amp has an on/off switch so I need to know how's the best way to attach the power wire from the amp? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

I have a 2004 Road king and I have had a Handle bar speaker system for a few years now. I do not know how your frame is but on mine I have a hole and a small compartment in the frame just in front of the battery under the seat. I placed my amp there. You probably don’t have that. I ran my wires up under the tank into my front head light Bucket and the speaker wires came out by the risers and to my speakers.

Now one thing you should buy is one of these.

http://www.mhinstruments.com/products/crankcase.htm
They are a little pricey but make life a whole lot easier. It will control the power to your system as well as the volume. I used a MP3 for my system. So not much to it

1 MP3 player
1 amp
1 Crankcase switch
1 set of speakers

I did all my connections in my headlight bucket, all hidden and out of the way. I kept my MP3 player in my windshield bag and ran a the wire and through where the speaker wires were coming out.




Bruce

 

Thanks for the reply and your setup is very nice and very clean looking. I have a dumb question but when you say the wires come out by the risers what are the risers? I'm trying to understand the purpose of the crankcase switch, are you mainly using it where you can power on/off the amp? Where did you say you were getting the power to the amp from, did you connect the red power wire from the amp to a hot wire inside the light bucket? So your amp is underneath your seat? Were you able to run all your wires without having to cut any and then reconnect them? I really do like how you have everything placed and it looks great on your bike. I had 3" speakers but I thought they looked too large for my bike so I sent them back and ordered some 2.25" speakers that should arrive next week. The one I got said that it's Bluetooth and has a charger for the phone or whatever I use. Hopefully I'll just take my time and figure it all out. I think the way you did everything will work the best. Thanks again.

 

Risers are where your handle bars are bolted to. On mine, my risers have a chrome cover over them. It’s right under where my Tach is mounted.
I have a main power wire coming off my battery to the Crankcase switch. From the Crankcase switch a power wire comes out and down to my amp that will turn my amp off and on. Now the wire that comes off your MP3 player or whatever you are using plugs into the Crankcase switch and then down to your amp. Now you just turn the volume up on your player and then you use the Crankcase switch to control your Volume.


You really need a Volume control switch because when you are riding you need to be able to turn your volume up and down with ease and you just cannot do that with a MP3 or I-Phone or any other small player. When you’re riding you need the volume up but when you come to a stop you need to turn it down at some points so the Crankcase switch makes life a lot easier.

Bruce

 

I believe the setup I'm getting has some kind of volume control on it, so I might call the place where I bought it and ask them if it might interfere with the Crackcase Switch volume control. It's like you said a little pricey, but I'm seriously thinking about getting one. So with yours you have to always remember to turn the Crackcase Switch off every time you turn your bike off or the amp will stay on. I haven't had a chance to look at my headlight to see where all the extra wires will go in but did you have a problem getting all the wires to fit in the hole? You probably had to remove the windshield and maybe the seat but did you have to remove anything else to run all your wiring and did you have to cut any wires and then reconnect them in order to route your wires in certain places?
Thanks again Bruce,
Donnie

 

You should give me a link to what you bought and I can have a look at it and see what your getting. It may already come with a remote volume control that would go on your bars. if that's the case you would not have to buy the crankcase switch.


Now that you mentioned it, no I don't have to remember to turn my off any more, I ended up rewiring it to a switched power source but for the life of me I don't remember which one I used. I changed it so that I would not have to remember to turn it off.

Don't forget I am working with a Road King so my headlight bucket is totally different from yours. I have a ton of room in mine but I have not really looked at a Heritage one to see what your working with.

I had my seat off and lifted the back of my tank as well as the windshield and the headlight out. I was able to use a coat hanger to feed the wires up through the stock wiring harness. You just have to be careful doing that so you do not damage any of the wires.

Bruce

 

Bruce,

The website is www.hifisoundconnection.com and the part number is pyl13-plmca62bt

Let me know what you think...

Donnie

 

Well Donnie that's a good little starter system to go with to see if you like having a stereo on your bike. I have not heard or seen that one before so couldn't tell you how it is. It's not a big investment so if it is not the greatest sound you can always upgrade to a better system later.

I do see it pretty much has everything including a volume and power control so I wouldn't worry about getting the Crankcase switch. Just install that one the way it is and see how you like it.

Bruce

 

Bruce,

What is the wattage of the amp on your bike and are the speakers 3"? If my speakers don't put out enough sound I'll probably get some larger ones. I asked a friend of mine who has a sound system on his bike where he got his power source and he said he hooked into a wire inside his headlight bucket. I'll probably install it this weekend on my bike. I'll let you know how it turned out.

Donnie

 

Bruce, What brand, watts, and speaker size is your unit? Do you remember where you bought it where I can look at the unit you have? I have 14 days to return the one I'm getting if I'm not satisfied.