Thinking about saddle bag speakers for my road glide. Worried about them leaking into the bags. How many people have them, and do they leak?

 

Depends on what type of speaker setup you get. Every lid is different. But you can take steps to help ensure that there won't be any leaking. I installed marine grade speakers so I knew they were waterproof. Then when installed used a neoprene tape to cover the exposed surface (mine mounted from the underside of the lids). So now if I ever get caught in the rain it's never a worry. A buddy of mine did a bead of silicone on the underside of his speakers and that did the trick as well. The biggest fault I find is with the actually speaker lid hardware. It's injection molded plastic. So any adapters or anything like that tend to have gaps/warps that will leak. So make sure you pay attention to the brand and how it's assembled. Also pay attention to whether or not you are required to use their (manufacturers) speakers. That means odds are good any other speaker won't fit exactly.
Shouldn't have to say it, but pay attention to the OHM of your current system. Make sure you match the speakers up accordingly.

 

tl;dr - Added them for a few years, then sold them. Not worth it.

A few years ago, I added the HD saddlebag speaker lids to my 2010 CVO. For reference, I also had an aftermarket head unit and a quality amplifier.

I put in Biketronics 6x9 speakers and adapters. Even with adding silicone, and the HD gaskets that come in the factory speaker lids, I would still get a small amount of water from washing the bike. I could live with it.

Last year, when I got back from Sturgis, I took the lids off, sold them and the speakers, and put my stock lids on.

What I didn't like was that even with bigger speakers, a strong head unit and amp, I couldn't hear it much on the highway. I could tell they were there, the sound was more of a pocket that I sat in opposed to a wall of sound from a front stage only.

But - the biggest thing I hated? The lost space in my bags, not to mention the weight. They really do eat up more space than you'd imagine.

I also have a good friend and riding buddy that put them on at the same time I did. He also took his off and sold them at the same time I did.

We opted for lower fairings with speakers instead. The sound is more audible at 80mph (our speed limits are 75), and the side benefit is that the lowers really offer a clean air pocket for the rider/passenger to sit in. The ride is even more comfortable now, I still have 4 speakers, and best of all, I have all my storage space back.

 

Had a friend of mine that did the same thing redbeard719. Probably should have mentioned that earlier. Bag speakers are really only good for about 55mph. I'm running 6x9's in mine plus a 1000w amp and an aftermarket headunit. Don't lose any bag space because they are up in the lids. But they are weight you may not want for the bags depending upon what you put in them. But I also have a really good fairing setup for anything over 55. OP if you are looking for sounds at high speeds, definitely go with the upper/lower fairings setup. Also be mindful and research speakers really well. The smaller they are, the less base/midrange quality you are going to get. So a quality speaker will help compensate that. I opted for the 6x9's because I like a little deeper base when it comes to music. Don't do much highway riding, so the best option was for the bags. If you have a tour pack, there is even an option for putting in speakers in the top of that. But your passenger may not be happy with it lol Showed the wife and she said absolutely no chance in hell lol

 

. I have a 4ch Soundstream amp with Hertz speakers all around and I can hear it clear as bell at 70mph and it sounds more like you're in the middle of the sound as opposed to it all coming at you from the front. I could never go back to a 2 ch setup. The "lost bag space" is about the depth of the lids which may, for some people, be a concern but for me it isn't. I can still fill the bags with my crap and roll on down the highway just a rockin'. On a side note, I always use my usb input for my tunes and it is night and day difference sound quality over the radio, BT or Sirius. Luv my tunes!

 

I have the Hogtunes lids and have had no problems with leaks using marine grade speakers. I have a good dedicated amp feeding the speakers on the rear channel of the fader so I have no problems hearing them.

 

Dguy since adding the same amp PN4 Soundstream mine is about the same. At higher speeds there isn't much of a problem hearing all 4 speakers. OP if you want a setup like that, then you absolutely must have a good amp.

 

If you can't hear your lid speakers at speed you don't have a good setup. Ive lost the remote wire for the amp for the rear speakers during a trip. I could absolutely tell I lost them. On trips, me and the wife put our stuff in the bags that you hook a vacuum up and get the air out. 1. No worry about gear getting wet 2. Amazing how much more space you have using those bags