Motorcycle audio buying guide

Which motorcycles are audio system-friendly?

We'd of course like to say all motorcycles are ready for audio upgrades. But, motorcycles come in different styles. Dirt, dual-purpose, and racing bikes are generally made for specific purposes and are designed to stay light — not super friendly for lots of audio options.

To set proper expectations, this article concentrates on gear for touring and cruiser motorcycles such as Harley-Davidson bikes. That’s because the majority of vendors we work with make gear that works with these two types of bike and most of the fit information we've obtained is about Harley-Davidson models.

Audio installation locations on a motorcycle

• Green: This front section of the motorcycle, which includes the handlebars, instrument cluster, and optional fairing, is usually a good spot for stereos and speakers
• White: This location under the seat is generally where manufacturers install the battery. You'll be wiring your new gear to this location in most cases
• Red: These are the saddlebags, an option on many models. It's a great location for speakers and to tuck away amplifiers or even a subwoofer
• Blue: In some cases there are motocycle-specific enclosures that can house speakers for this rear passenger location
• Yellow: This cargo enclosure, often known as a Tour-pak, can house amps and digital signal processors (DSP) for your system

If you have a motorcycle that's not a touring or cruiser model, that doesn't mean we don't have options to offer. Let’s check out some of audio gear that’ll work with nearly any motorcycle.

Universal gear for better sound quality

Motorcycles present some obvious challenges for adding or upgrading your sound. Their open-air design is a big one, so you'll want to make sure you pick some gear that adds some oomph so you can hear your music as the wind rushes by. Other factors are component size and durability, and many manufacturers address these in their designs.

If you have a smartphone, then you have music. And one of the simplest upgrades is to add a pair of powered Bluetooth® speakers to work with your phone. They often include handlebar mounting, and "powered" means there's an amplifier included to drive the speakers. You just need to connect power and ground to your motorcycle's battery (usually mounted under the seat), tuck away the separate amp module, pair your phone, and you're ready to stream your tunes from apps like Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, and Qobuz.

Installation tip: Most of these powered systems offer audio signal-sensing that automatically turns the system on and off, since there's no remote turn-on wire as there is in a car or truck. But because you're wiring this system directly to the motorcycle battery, you can also consider installing an actual switch on your bike to ensure that the system completely shuts down when the bike is off, so it doesn't drain your battery — a major downer while out for a casual ride.

Installing a receiver, speakers, and amplifiers

Receivers that can withstand the ride

If you don't mind doing a little creative DIY work, you can consider adding more gear to your bike. Many motorcycles offer some room in the fairing (the area around the instrument cluster, front fork, and handlebars), so it's possible to create a bracket or kit to install a durable motorcycle receiver. These provide choices for audio source and a display to see what's going on with your music. And like the powered Bluetooth speakers, a receiver will be directly connected to your bike's battery.

These receivers are designed to withstand the environment, using conformal coated circuit boards and water-resistant seals. Additionally, their displays are made to be seen even on extremely sunny days. They can also offer the same features that standard car stereos offer, such as Bluetooth for streaming music and linking to your helmet's headset, USB inputs for digital music and phone charging, an AM/FM tuner, and an option for satellite radio. Some touchscreen models even offer Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ for serious smartphone integration.

If you’re building your system with more audio components, preamp outputs let you connect external amplifiers to power your speakers or a subwoofer. The number of outputs can vary, but you should have at least one set. Output voltage typically ranges from 2 to 5 volts. The higher that voltage rating, the cleaner the signal sent to your amp. If you know you will be adding a subwoofer (yup, some motorcyclists do add subs), look for a model with a dedicated subwoofer output — this will allow you to adjust the subwoofer volume independently, rather than using the bass control.

Kenwood offers some outstanding speakers for the Harley they rode in for our in-house training.

Speakers that are tough and loud

No matter the conditions, speakers made specifically for motorcycles can take a beating since they literally have to. These speakers use materials and construction that withstand moisture, temperature changes, wind, and overall exposure. But speaker manufacturers also concentrated on making them sound great while projecting enough output to overcome the noise involved with your ride.

Crutchfield Mobile A/V Editor, Matt, helps install speakers in the fairing.

The motorcycle's fairing is the most common place to install speakers, although you'll need to create your own brackets or enclosures to mount them (with the exception of the Harley-Davidson direct-fit options we offer).

Tough amps that deliver lots of power

If you're thinking about new speakers and a receiver for your motorcycle, it makes sense to consider an amplifier while you're doing the installation. An amp will provide stronger power that stereos simply can't supply, which will definitely help make your speakers sing louder while on the open road.

This Cicada amp may be small (shown with golf ball for scale), but it delivers big power for your motorcycle's speakers.

And as you're probably picking up now from the receiver and speaker info, these amps are made to be durable, offer a smaller footprint for simpler mounting, and will need to dissipate less heat in case the installation location turns out to be more enclosed than intended. As mentioned before, the power and ground wires will be directly connected to the bike's battery. So, many of them use audio signal-sensing to turn on and off, or you can install a manual switch to preserve your battery's power.

As you can see, some of our customers and vendors take their motorcycle audio seriously. Four Rockford Fosgate amps are installed in a Tour-pak cargo shell for some big-time sound.

And if you're thinking about adding a subwoofer to your motorcycle, you'll definitely need an amp. Stereo power just won't cut it. Installation spots for amps can be just about anywhere you find space on your bike. Common places are in the fairing above the stereo or in a saddlebag. And with just about any amplifier (not just motorcycles), you'll have to run wire from the amp to the battery and stereo locations. Be careful to secure and hide your cables, so moving parts won't cut them and hot components won't burn them.

Gear for Harley-Davidson motorcycles

We have gear designed for Hogs! Why is our online concentration on motorcycle audio gear mostly for Harley-Davidson? As we mentioned earlier in this article, many of our vendors offer gear that works specifically with various Harley models, and most of our motorcycle fit information deals with various Harley models (not all, but many).

Several of our manufacturers, like Cicada, MTX, Rockford Fosgate, Kicker, and MB Quart, offer complete audio systems for Harley-Davidson bikes — from simple stereo replacements to full systems including a radio, speakers, amps, and subwoofers. In many cases, the included wiring is configured for the compatible Harley model, making installation more seamless.

You can also often find very detailed instructional videos on our site or on YouTube. A great example is this video from Rockford Fosgate for this Stage 2 audio system:

The first step is to check if we have fit information on your motorcycle. It's easy using our vehicle selector tool. Enter your specific Harley information, and we'll display the gear that will fit.

A little about H-D bikes

Our research info covers many Harley models as far back as 1998. So depending on your model, you'll find receivers and speakers that will directly fit in places like the front fairing. There are two types of fairings in the Harley-Davidson world:

Harley-Davidson motorcycles often include a Sharknose fairing (left) or a Batwing fairing (right).

Sharknose: This is a large original fairing that's fixed to the frame of the bike and does not move when the handlebars are turned. These often allow for a receiver to be higher up on the fairing, above the instruments, for better visibility and more consistent sound direction since any speakers installed here won't be changing positions as you maneuver through turns. These appear on Road Glide models.

Batwing: This OEM fairing is fixed to the front fork and handlebars, so it turns as the handlebars do. Aftermarket receivers will generally fit lower in the fairing below the instruments and closer to the rider, making it more manageable for operating controls — good for touchscreen models. These appear on Street Glide models.

Speakers and subwoofers can also be installed in the saddlebags and "tour-pak" rear storage enclosures that are optional on many motorcycles. Many compact amplifiers can fit within the fairings, along with the receivers, by using bike-specific brackets. Just remember, you'll need to determine where you're going to run wire for all your gear. In many cases, that wiring could be exposed to environmental conditions, so you can consider marine-grade installation gear we carry.

If you're adding an amplifier to the factory stereo on a Harley that was made in 2014 or after, you will need to "flash" (software update) the radio to work with your new gear. This is generally not free, and you should contact your Harley-Davidson dealer for more info and pricing.

The Rockford Fosgate DSR1 digital signal processor lets you add an amplifier to a factory radio on your motorcycle.

Other things should you consider for your motorcycle

As is the case with cars and trucks, iDatalink offers a steering wheel interface (or handlebar interface in this case) for several Harley-Davidson motorcycles we've researched. When connected to compatible stereos, you can keep and enable the factory audio controls to work with the new stereo. iDatalink even offers enclosures to house the interface.

If you're interested in some exploring, Garmin offers some navigation options made for motorcycles.

If you're adding amplifiers to your bike, you can also upgrade the sound with a digital signal processor (DSP), like the ones from Cicada and Rockford Fosgate.

And don't forget, we have gear for some 3-wheeled vehicles, like the Polaris Slingshot. Enclosures like those from SSV pictured above let you install the 6-1/2" speakers of your choice to make your ride more fun.

What's the next step?

If you think you have a motorcycle we may have researched, you can confirm it using our vehicle selector to see what's available for our bike. Or, you can simply dive into our collection of motorcycle gear! While we may not have fit info for your bike, we offer online instruction manuals for the motorcycle products we carry. And if you have a motorcycle we haven't researched and wish to help us get more information in our database, please reach out. We'd love to hear from you. Check out our article about researching your bike the Crutchfield way to learn more.

Our knowledgeable Advisors are available online or by phone for any questions you might have. They've completed a training course specifically for outfitting motorcycles. Lastly, you get lifetime Tech Support on all products you purchase from Crutchfield, so we won't leave you hanging.