I installed a aftermarket system in my 2007 Ultra about a year ago. I put the Hawg Wired unit in to still use my handlebar controls. I had a Pioneer 5100 Head Unit installed which has give me nothing but trouble so I am looking for a new head unit that will use the Hawg Wired kit that I already have. I want the radio to be able to control my Ipod from the head unit so I can keep my Ipod in the tourpack and not have it mounted on my bars.
I have been told locally that the JVC KD-R900 would be a good choice.
Any other recomendations that I should look at?

 

I installed a Sony CDX-M50IP Marine with Biketronics adapter in mine, it has all the features I wanted, IPOD Direct, wired remotes, wireless remote CD/MP3 player. Worked great up to the first time I ran into a little rain, the faceplate had a couple drops only on it, then quit working! The head unit worked fine with the wireless remote, just none of the buttons on the faceplate work. Sony is replacing it under warranty but it is a dis-continued model, I am waiting to see what they send me. I am very skeptical of Sony "marine" units now, I thought it should hold up to the moisture better.
I have a friend that used the same unit and had the same thing happen excactly.

 

Alpine ida-x305 hu

 

You would think that a Sony "marine" unit WOULD stand up to a couple of drops of water.

 

Yea, I thought that when I bought it. I have since read a lot of reviews where others have had the same problem with it in their boats.
I ordered a splash cover for it when I installed the head unit, received it about 3 days after the rain, it figures!

 

I never had a problem with water with the Pioneer. I washed my bike numerous times at car washes and never had a problem with water. I had a problem with the connection to my Ipod. It would just lose connection going down the road and I would have to disconnect and connect. Never would make proper connection with the Rear USB hookup.

I will take a look at the Alpine unit too.

 

Can you change the display color to match your gauge colors? I have the stock orange/red gauge colors and would like to have a close color match instead of the standard blue head unit color? How good can you see it in the sunlight?
Does it hold up good to washing the bike?

 

I had that unit on a Dragonfly fairing for awhile. It had a 6 foot ipod docking cable so you could easly route it to your Tour Pak etc. Docking cable would lockout the ipod controls themselves which some people didn't like but if your going remote mount ipod wouldn't matter. Had a cool programable red & blue light color. The replacement is CDX-M60UI now.

 

Be sure to ask Hawg-Wired what's compatible with their interface module: they'll know what will work with their module and probably be able to recommend a couple of choices for you.

As for "marine" DIN units, the only thing in them that's different from a non-marine unit is the circuit board gets a coating. The faceplate, contacts, switches are the same on all units.

 

The choice of colors are blue or red illumination. I just put one in my bike and I love it!


Sharknu