For most of us involved in the car audio scene, we love music and this love of music isn’t just limited to 4-wheeled vehicles. Motorcyclists enjoy music, too. Riding a motorcycle and listening to music is the ultimate ride. The freedom of the open road, accompanied by your favorite tunes makes that ride more enjoyable.
The problem for most motorcycles is that the audio systems just plain suck, or they have no audio system at all. One way to get some tunes while riding is to use headphones. But, listening to music with headphones in can be distracting, and it can be downright dangerous because it inhibits the rider’s ability to hear what’s going on around them.
Trying to choose and install an audio system on your bike can be a difficult task depending on your bike, the type of music you prefer, and the skills you possess in regard to installing your system. In this post, I will discuss what it takes to install a great-sounding audio system on your bike and some things you should consider before installing an audio system on your motorcycle.
Considerations
Before you decide to install an audio system in your motorcycle, there are a few things to consider before jumping into everything feet first.
- LOUDNESS — When it comes to “getting loud,” you have to realize that being one with your bike is a must. You must be able to hear everything around you, all while listening to your motorcycle. By this, I mean listening for changes in engine noises, engine revs, etc. If your system is too loud, it could be dangerous. That said, the audio system you may want because it’s loud, may not be a perfect choice.
- SOUND QUALITY — Because of the nature of the motorcycle install, being loud doesn’t necessarily mean the quality will be there. The main point here is to not “cheap out” on the audio components you choose. The cheaper audio equipment will ultimately be constructed of cheap materials that will leave your music sounding lackluster. My advice would be to choose the best audio components you can buy, within your budget, and buy them from a reputable retailer like Down4Sound Shop.
- COMPONENT SIZE — When installing audio components in a motorcycle, the components must be compact in size. Because you are limited by installation locations, most of the system will need to be installed in the front of the motorcycle (faring) or within saddlebags. In order to be sure the system you want will fit, be sure to check the dimensions of every component before your purchase them.
- SYSTEM DURABILITY — The varying environments a motorcycle will encounter should be a major factor to consider when choosing your audio components. The components you choose should be durable and in almost every case, waterproof. Be sure that the audio components have an IPX67 or higher water rating. If they do not have this specific rating, do not use them in your system.
- PRICE — All of the features of your audio system will ultimately come down to price. In most cases, good motorcycle audio components will cost more due to their added features such as waterproofing, etc., but the more you want our system to do for you will also mean it will cost you more as well. When planning an audio system for your bike, be sure to set a budget upfront.
How Do You Install An Audio System In A Motorcycle?
The answer to this question is not as easy to answer as it sounds. It all depends on the motorcycle and the type of audio system you would like to install. If you want to go simple with, let’s say, a handlebar system, obviously, this will be fairly simple to install.
On the other hand, if you would like to add a subwoofer and amplifiers, this will be more involved and more complicated to complete. In most cases like this, you may be better off taking your bike to an installer that is experienced in complex motorcycle installs.
Where Can I Get Motorcycle Audio Components?
That’s pretty obvious. Down4Sound Shop carries all of the top motorcycle audio brands in the industry. We strive to be the number one source for not only car audio, but marine, and motorcycle audio as well. For a complete rundown of the audio equipment, we carry for the motorcycle enthusiast, check out our selection, HERE.
Conclusion
About all motorcyclists conclude that listening to music while riding helps them to enjoy their ride even more, compared to not listening to music. Installing a quality audio system can be confusing and frustrating, but Down4Sound Shop takes the negative aspects of this away by offering the most comprehensive selection of audio for your bike.
comments (0)