Stereo speakers on the handlebars?

[quitsmirking]

Ordered my NC700XD today - should be here in a few weeks. Very excited to finally join you guys.

I'm graduating from a 150cc scooter that I mounted stereo speakers onto:



And I'm wondering if anyone has done anything similar to their NC700X. I know I can do a bluetooth-helmet solution, but having mounted speakers is much better for hearing traffic noise and I don't have to get another bluetooth helmet setup for my girlfriend when she rides with me.

My scooter had speakers very similar to these, and I've also checked out this company which looks good too.

Has anyone had any success with handlebar or mirror-mounted speakers?

 

[Mike Cash]

Have you considered that while you'll be able to hear traffic noise traffic also has to hear your noise this way?

There's only so much you can do with handlebar mounted stuff on this bike, as you end up whacking the body or windscreen.

 

[quitsmirking]

Of course. I keep the speakers at a volume that doesn't extend very far past my bike. And I turn them down at stoplights.

 

[Bug Dr.]

You'll never hear those speakers at any speed over 20 mph. Get the helmet speakers and be done with it. Like Mike said, you will end up knocking them off of the bars when you turn.....not safe.

BTW your thread title made me smirk.
Mike

 

[quitsmirking]

So - back to my original question - has anyone tried this and had successes or failures?

There are plenty of examples of this working, just want to know if anyone has tried it on our specific bike.

 

[Mike Cash]

Anything above the bars will whack the windscreen. Anything below will whack the body. In-between might block the frunk lid.

 

[JDE]

Anything above the bars will whack the windscreen. Anything below will whack the body. In-between might block the frunk lid.

I think you are right Mike Cash. Don't think it would work well with our bike. Plus, I haven't heard of or read on this forum where anyone has done this before.

 

[ronsaw]

Unbelieveable.

 

[670cc]

Posting this photo because it's relevant to this thread. I have nothing good to say about it, so I will keep quiet.

 

[dduelin]

I never tried handlebar mounted speakers but I have a philosophical problem with external speakers to begin with. When I'm in earshot of some bikes with them the owners like their music so loud I'm forced to enjoy their music as well. I'm sure that you are more considerate of others and don't fall into this category.

When I first added music to my riding I installed speakers in my helmet. I found I had to turn the volume up so high to overcome wind noise the sound quality was poor and the high volume level surely wasn't good for my long term hearing. I began using a moderately priced pair of earbuds and eventually began using Sony ones that cost about $50 a pair. I know they are not as good as high quality in-ear speakers built into ear plugs but the sound quality is good and the silicone ear canal seals block out a large portion of wind noise which reduces my exposure to hearing loss or damage. Most of the time on the highway I wear good earplugs (no music but to save my hearing) but I do listen to music some of the time especially on long rides.

 

[quitsmirking]

Hahahahahahaha those giant speakers are ridiculous - are those really installed on somebody's Honda?!

I was thinking of something more like this - only big enough for me to hear, invisible unless you're sitting on the bike:



Dave, thanks for the first helpful response to my question! Earbud volume is my main consideration - I don't want to have to turn up in-helmet speakers so loud that I damage my hearing and block out traffic noise. I've been using my scooter speakers (which I can hear clearly going 65mph) for 5 years and they've worked perfectly. And yes, of course, a 670cc is going to be much louder than my 150cc scooter.

 

[Samurai]

I used Bluetooth Motorola Buds. I really like it comfy for my ear.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bug Dr.]

I guess you'll be the first to try it. Report back and let us know what you find.
Mike

 

[Cagedodger]

I suspect that on this bike you'll find that 65mph is a bit faster than 65 bmph (although still not as far off as Blur Distance Units). That aside, like others have suggested, you'll run into issues with the windshield unless you find some really small speakers like the one in your last picture, but I don't know how well those will sound. You could use something like a BRUUDT windshield adjuster that will move the windshield more forward which might get you enough clearance. Actually, you might be able to make the clearance work if you go with a Madstad windshield.

I'd suggest riding a few hundred to a thousand miles to determine what changes you want to make (seat, windshield, handguards, footpegs or seat) before adding mods like speakers. The reason being is that if you decide you want handguards (pretty nice for cold weather) and a particular after market windshield, that might limit your ability to still have speakers and move the bars lock to lock.

At any rate, great choice and welcome to the club.