Customer Build · 2016 Street Glide
Ken brought his 2016 Harley-Davidson Street Glide into our Brisbane workshop three times. The first visit was for wireless Android Auto and a wiring rescue. The second added a Hertz amplifier. The third turned it into a full Cicada Audio front and rear system, taking measured output from 98 dB to 112 dB.
The build at a glance
Bike
2016 Street Glide
Head unit
SoundStream WHD14+
Amplifier
Hertz SP4.900
Fairing
Cicada 14CXK65.2
Saddlebag lids
Cicada CMB69.2 in CHDLID
Measured output
98 → 112 dB
In this build
The walk-away test: the finished system playing as we walk away from the bike. Listen with headphones or good speakers, as phone speakers can't reproduce the mid-bass. Camera audio is also processed, so treat the video as a demonstration, not a measurement. The measured figures are further down.
Stage 1
Android Auto head unit upgrade, and a wiring rescue
Ken's first visit was about one thing: getting wireless Android Auto on the bike. We fitted a SoundStream WHD14+ head unit and, while the fairing was open, replaced the fairing speakers with a pair of Precision Power HD14.654 6.5" 4Ω speakers.
Opening the fairing turned up a problem. A previous installer had cut into the factory harness to add an Alpine car amplifier and speakers, and the work had been done badly: splice connectors and poor solder joints throughout. We see this regularly on bikes that come through the workshop. A car amp hacked into a Harley loom is exactly the kind of wiring that causes intermittent faults, noise and dead channels down the track.
Before anything new went in, we repaired the factory harness back to a sound state. Every stage of Ken's build since has plugged into a clean, reliable loom.
Worth knowing before you buy: if your bike has had an earlier audio install, the condition of the factory harness matters as much as the parts you add. A plug-and-play upgrade is only as good as the loom it plugs into, so we always check the wiring before we build on it.
Planning an upgrade for your own bike? Our 2014–2023 Street Glide audio upgrade guide covers the head unit, amplifier and speaker options in detail.
Stage 2
Hertz SP4.900 amplifier upgrade
Ken loves his music on the road, and it didn't take long before he wanted more volume and headroom. He bought a Hertz SP4.500 from another supplier, which arrived with a failed channel. They exchanged it for the bigger Hertz SP4.900, and Ken brought it back to us to install.
The SP4.900 is a 4-channel Class-D amplifier rated at 160W × 4 RMS at 4Ω and 250W × 4 RMS at 2Ω, in an IP55 weather-resistant chassis. We fitted it using our MAA 4-channel T-harness for the WHD14+ and Hertz SP amplifiers, so there was no cutting into the freshly repaired loom.
At this point the amp was driving the 4Ω HD14.654 fairing speakers, which can't use anything like the SP4.900's full output. With no rear speakers on the bike yet, only two of the amplifier's four channels had speakers to drive. So we set the amplifier's gain structure to suit them. Gain isn't a volume control: it matches the amplifier to the signal coming from the head unit, and setting it correctly limits what reaches the speakers so they stay protected and the system stays clean.
Stage 3
Cicada Audio speaker upgrade: fairing and saddlebags
With an amplifier capable of far more than the speakers could use, the next step was obvious. Ken came back a third time for a full front and rear Cicada Audio upgrade. As the authorised Cicada Audio distributor for Australia & New Zealand, we supply every Cicada product with local warranty support, and we know which parts pair correctly with which bikes.
Cicada 14CXK65.2 Street Glide fairing speakers
Up front, the HD14.654s made way for a Cicada Audio 14CXK65.2 6.5" component kit. It pairs a 250W RMS mid-bass driver with a Carbon Matrix Composite cone and a 1" ring radiator horn tweeter, which Cicada rates at 107 dB sensitivity, split by an external passive crossover.
In practice, that combination gives strong mid-bass and crisp, detailed highs that stay audible over the wind and road noise of a touring Harley. Because it's a component kit, the tweeter also has its own position in the fairing, which separates vocals and highs more clearly than a coaxial speaker. If you're comparing fairing speaker options, our guide to the best speakers for a Harley Street Glide walks through the alternatives.
Adding 6×9 saddlebag speakers with the Cicada CHDLID kit
Ken also wanted a rear stage, so we added a pair of Cicada CMB69.2 6×9 pro mid-bass drivers mounted in his factory lids with the Cicada CHDLID 6×9 cut-in kit.
The CMB69.2 is a dedicated 6×9 mid-bass driver rather than a coaxial: 150W RMS at 2Ω, a Carbon Matrix Composite cone, a Y35 ceramic motor and all-weather construction. Because it isn't trying to cover the highs as well, it delivers the punch and body that make the rear stage worth having at highway speed.
The CHDLID uses single-use alignment jigs to mark the cut, precision moulded ABS frames to carry the speaker, and dual-layer grilles with a powder-coated steel insert. Ken keeps his own factory painted lids, and the finished result looks like it came that way from the factory.
Retuning the SP4.900
Stage 3 put all four channels to work: two drive the 14CXK65.2 fairing kit and two drive the CMB69.2s in the saddlebag lids. With new 2Ω speakers front and rear, we reset the SP4.900's gain structure for the new load and reset the crossover points to match the CMB69.2s. With the CMB69.2s mounted in the lids and playing into the bag volume, the right crossover point controls excessive low-frequency cone movement, protects the speakers and keeps the system clean at higher volume.
On the highway, wind and exhaust noise bury anything that isn't clean and loud. Setting the gains and crossover points correctly helps balance the fairing and saddlebag speakers, giving us strong output without unnecessary distortion or pushing the drivers beyond their intended operating range.
Measured output, before and after Stage 3
98 dB → 112 dB
A 14 dB increase in measured sound pressure level. That came from the whole Stage 3 package: new 2Ω fairing speakers, a new rear stage and a full retune of the amplifier.
How we measured the improvement
We measured Ken's system using our standard SPL testing setup: AudioTools SPL Pro on iOS paired with a miniDSP UMIK-1 measurement microphone, using its individual calibration file.
The original system recorded 98 dB. Following the Cicada speaker upgrades and amplifier retune, the finished system recorded 112 dB, an increase of 14 dB in measured sound pressure level. Both measurements were taken in the same workshop location, using our standard testing procedure, to give a consistent before-and-after comparison.
These are measured SPL figures, not estimates based on video recordings. The walk-away video shows how the system sounds at a distance, but the SPL readings provide the objective comparison.
When Ken picked up the bike and heard the finished system for the first time, his reaction said it all:
“Oh my god.”
After a proper listen, he summed it up: “I love it.”
Walk around the finished bike
Best with headphones or good speakers.
Who is this system for?
This setup suits Street Glide riders who want a big step up from factory audio without filling the bike with multiple amplifiers and extra processors. It delivers strong fairing output, a rear stage from the saddlebag lids and wireless smartphone connectivity, all driven by one compact four-channel amplifier. And as Ken's bike shows, you don't have to do it all at once.
The parts list
| Position | Part | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Head unit | SoundStream WHD14+ | 1 |
| Wiring | Factory harness repair (previous install) | 1 |
| Amplifier | Hertz SP4.900 4-channel | 2 |
| Amp wiring | MAA 4-channel T-harness, WHD14+ to Hertz SP | 2 |
| Fairing | Cicada Audio 14CXK65.2 6.5" component kit (2Ω) | 3 |
| Saddlebag lids | Cicada Audio CMB69.2 6×9 pro mid-bass (2Ω) | 3 |
| Lid mounting | Cicada Audio CHDLID 6×9 cut-in kit | 3 |
From the workshop
Ken's bike is a good example of why building an audio system in stages works. It's easier on the budget, but the bigger benefit is that each step builds on the last. By choosing the right equipment at each stage, Ken kept his head unit and amplifier as the system grew, rather than starting again every time he wanted more.
The key is planning each stage with the next one in mind. Ken's SP4.900 had more power than his first set of speakers could handle, so we set it up to protect them. When the Cicada speakers went in, that headroom was already sitting there waiting to be used.
The new Cicada speakers, additional rear stage and retuned amplifier delivered a measured increase from 98 dB to 112 dB. Getting the gains and crossovers right was an important part of making that extra output usable while keeping the system sounding clean. Get that right, and you can make it loud.
What we value most is that Ken trusted us with all three stages: fixing someone else's wiring, adding power, then the full speaker upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Can you install 6×9 speakers in factory Street Glide saddlebag lids?
Yes. On 2014–2023 touring models, the Cicada CHDLID cut-in kit mounts a 6×9 speaker into your existing painted lids, as we did on Ken's bike, so there's no need for replacement lids.
Can I upgrade my Street Glide audio system in stages?
Yes, and Ken's build shows how. Start with the head unit, add an amplifier, then add speakers to match it. The trick is choosing parts at each stage that will still suit the system you end up with.
Do Cicada Audio speakers need an amplifier?
To get the most out of them, yes. The 14CXK65.2 and CMB69.2 are 2Ω speakers designed for amplified systems. Ken's are powered by a single Hertz SP4.900 four-channel amplifier.
Can I add wireless Android Auto to a 2016 Street Glide?
Yes. The SoundStream WHD14+ we fitted to Ken's bike replaces the factory radio and adds wireless Android Auto.
Motorcycle Audio Australia is the authorised Cicada Audio distributor for Australia & New Zealand. Every build is planned, installed and tuned in-house at our Kedron workshop in Brisbane.
Planning your own upgrade?
Send us your bike's year and model, a photo of the radio, and what you want from the system. Whether you want to do it all at once or in stages like Ken, we'll lay out the path. You can also browse our full Cicada Audio range for 2014–2023 Street Glides.
Parts from this build
Fairing speakers
Cicada 14CXK65.2 component kit
Saddlebag lids
Cicada CHDLID 6×9 cut-in kit
Saddlebag speakers
Cicada CMB69.2 6×9 mid-bass
Amplifier
Hertz SP4.900 4-channel
Another Street Glide build
Customer build
Michael's 2018 Street Glide: From Factory Audio to a Four-Speaker Cicada System