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TechNote #5 - 10/15/2008 - Motorcycle Audio Part 1 - "Just Listening"

We field a lot of questions every day regarding audio on motorcycles. Some people just want to hear their iPod or satellite radio, others want to talk to passengers or other bikes, and many want to integrate a variety of audio devices including GPS and radar. The questions might relate to bikes like the Gold Wing or Ultra Classic, which already have some built-in audio capability, or it might be a sport bike, sport-tourer, cruiser, dual-sport, or even a scooter where we're starting from scratch.

Obviously this is a pretty big subject, so I'm going to break it down into several TechNotes to cover all the bases. This month's subject, "Just Listening", addresses those people who want to hear something, but not talk to anyone, and who have no built-in audio on their motorcycle. In future TechNotes, I'll get into systems that incorporate rider-to-passenger, bike-to-bike, and cell phone communications as well, and I'll discuss how to add new capabilities to bikes that have built-in audio.

So, you're looking for something to while away the time on long rides? Maybe hear a few tunes, or the voice prompts from your GPS? Perhaps tie in the audio from a radar detector to keep the budget from getting busted by a speeding ticket? We can help you.

The first thing to consider when looking for a motorcycle audio solution is how, exactly, you're going to hear the sound. There are basically three ways - Speakers on the motorcycle, speakers in the helmet, and earplug speakers.

Bike-Mounted Speakers

CycleGadgets.com offers a terrific set of handlebar-mounted speakers from J&M corporation. The speakers are a little on the large side, but that's because they have the amplifiers built into the speaker housings - meaning there is no external amp box to find room for. Also, the J&M speakers feature a thumb-operated volume control on the left speaker that lets you adjust the volume without fumbling for your iPod or working through a menu on your satellite radio.

Once you have the speakers, how do you hook up your audio? That depends on what it is that you'll be using. Most of the time, it's as simple as taking the audio cable from the J&M speakers, and plugging it into the headphone or audio out jack on your music device. But, what if you want to hear more than one thing? Suppose you have a radar detector, or GPS, or both an iPod and a satellite radio?

We have solutions that will enable you to mix and prioritize different audio sources. Kennedy Technology Group makes a variety of audio interface products, and two of them (the AuxSwitchSet2 and the AuxSwitchADSet) are perfect for use with J&M amplified speakers. These products can also handle connecting power to many audio products, simplifying installation. As always, contact us for help creating a custom solution for your needs.

Helmet Speakers

Putting speakers into your helmet allows you to hear your music clearly, even with a full-face helmet that might muffle the sound from bike-mounted speakers. It's also more portable, and can give you a solution that works on multiple bikes.

We carry a nice, very reasonably priced set of speakers from Chatterbox. The speaker elements are very thin, and fit easily into almost any helmet. The sound quality is surprisingly good, even at higher volume levels.

One issue with helmet speakers is that the volume level provided by your audio device probably isn't adequate to drive the speakers loudly enough to overcome road noise. So, you'll need some sort of amplification. If you just have a single device like an iPod, and don't need a separate volume control, we carry a portable amp called the Boostaroo that gives enough sound boost to work with a fairly quiet bike & helmet. If you need a lot of power to overcome loud pipes or a noisy helmet, or if you need multiple inputs for up to 4 audio sources, then look at the Mix-It2 personal audio amp.

Earplug Speakers

I have worn earplugs when I ride for many years, unfortunately not until after I began to notice hearing deterioration. Earplugs cut down on the low-frequency noise, particularly wind, but at the same time they prevent your ears from "numbing" to subtler noises like other traffic and even voices. One problem with earplugs, though, is that they do cut down on the volume of your helmet speakers - meaning that you need to turn them up, which may mean needing a bigger amplifier.

A great solution for people like me that wear earplugs anyway, is to get earplugs with speaker elements built into them. Some riders have good luck with off-the-shelf speakers like the Shure Etymotics or even Wal-Mart earbuds, but depending on the fit of your helmet either of those can be VERY uncomfortable due to the space they take up outside the ear. Another common solution is custom-molded earplug speakers, purchased through an audiologist - but those require making molds, waiting for the speakers to be manufactured, and a BIG price tag.

CycleGadgets.com has an excellent earplug speaker solution for motorcyclists - the S-Plug. This speaker is actually made from a hearing-aid transducer, which is small enough to fit inside the earplug - not on the end of it. This means that the entire mechanism fits completely within your ear canal, and the only thing in the outer ear (where your helmet can interfere) is a thin wire.

Since earplug speakers are positioned inside the ear canal, and because the earplug portion blocks out much of the outside noise, you can usually just plug them directly into your iPod or other audio source - the volume level should be more than adequate. Products like the Mix-It2 personal audio amp might still be used to add multiple audio sources, or also look at our Radar OverRide from Kennedy Technology Group if you just want your music plus a radar detector or a GPS.

We would be happy to help you find the exact custom solution that works best for your needs. Just contact us with your questions and we'll be glad to work with you.

TechNotes are occasional articles that we write to help people identify products and solutions that will work well for them, or for other technical subjects. If you have a suggestion for a future TechNote topic, please let me know.