Do you have to use the speakers made for bikes or could you use a marine speaker? Seems bike specific speakers cost WAY more than they should....

 

IMHO you're going to get 100 different opinions on this topic, but the bottom line is that there really is no right answer regarding speakers for motorcycle. There are some very good motorcycle specific speakers such as hawg wired, hog tunes, J & M's, Biketronics etc etc. The list is huge....

That being said I really believe that any good quality speaker, be it marine or not works just as well as motocycle specific speakers. Most better quality speakers have polyglass cones, or other materials that can come in contact with water and be fine. If you look closely at the speaker mesh you'll notice that it's quite "tight knit" and unless you're holding a high pressure hose directly on the speakers for an extended time period any speaker will do well.

The biggest problem with asking opinions regarding speakers, mufflers, seats etc., is that these items are all dependant on several variables.

The best thing for you to do is the next time you see a bunch of bikes at a rally, or parts meet ask a couple of questions. I've found that most folks with upgraded speakers (or any other parts for that matter) are usually more than happy to share their opinion and this way you get to experience the speakers on a bike rather than on a showroom speaker board.

Also keep in mind that unless you plan on doing alot of listening to your speakers while the motorcycle is parked, even the best, most expensive sytems have their limitations, when travelling at speeds above 30 mph, especially if you factor in all the other noises ( wind, vehicle etc. )

Good luck and whatever you decide let it be your decision and not someone else opinion....