Cicada vs Wild Boar Audio: Which Harley Touring Kit Suits Your Build?

Product Comparison · Harley Audio Systems

The Cicada Audio 14FLXCX-4X2 and the Wild Boar WBARG-KIT.2R / WBASG-KIT.2R both give 2014-2023 Harley-Davidson Touring riders a proper amplified front-stage upgrade, but they are built around very different ideas. Wild Boar provides a complete, fixed-tune two-speaker system with a genuine FM-reception advantage. Cicada starts with an adjustable four-channel amplifier, leaving two channels available if you add rear speakers later. The better choice depends less on which badge you prefer and more on what you want the system to become.

At a Glance

The Biggest Difference: How Each System Expands

Both systems can grow to four speakers. They just get there differently, and that is the single most important thing to understand before you choose.

The FLX500.4 in the Cicada kit is a 4-channel amplifier. Two channels power the front CX 6.5" speakers; channels 3 and 4 sit unused. The amplifier is already installed, powered and fused. Adding rears still requires the speakers, rear-speaker wiring and the 6x9 cut-in lid hardware for the saddlebags — but no second amplifier and no second power run.

The Wild Boar KIT.2R takes the opposite approach. Its 2-channel WBA 400.2R drives the front stage, and the kit ships ready to accept a second WBA 400.2R (the mounting plate is included) for a rear zone, with a third amplifier possible via the optional Side Plate-RM, growing the system to as much as 1,200W rated across three amplifiers. It is a genuinely expandable platform, Wild Boar designs it that way, but the expansion method is to add amplifiers rather than use spare channels in the first one. That means more hardware in a fairing that was already tight with one amp in it, and Wild Boar notes that each added amplifier increases FM interference.

So the real question is which growth path suits you: spare channels already sitting in the amp you bought (Cicada), or a modular stack you build up one amplifier at a time (Wild Boar).

Fixed Tuning vs Adjustable Tuning

The Wild Boar WBA 400.2R is factory configured, with no user-adjustable gain or crossover controls. That simplifies installation and removes the need for manual amplifier setup, but it also gives the installer less flexibility if the source, speakers or system design change later.

The FLX500.4 takes the opposite approach. It ships with selectable crossover modes (LPF / FULL / HPF), adjustable crossover frequency across the full 20Hz-20kHz range, selectable slopes at 6, 12, 24 and 48 dB per octave, REM/DC/VOX signal turn-on options, and a gain range from 0.2V to 12V. An installer can dial it precisely to the speakers, the source and the listening environment, and as the system grows (DSP integration, rear speakers, a different head unit) the amp adapts. If you ever want DSP integration, see the Cicada DSP guide for how the FLX series fits into a tuned system.

How They Sound in Our Experience

Once correctly configured and installed, both systems are a significant step forward from factory audio. As noted at the top, the impressions below come from our installation and listening experience on correctly configured, fairing-only Touring builds, stationary and at highway speed — not a controlled same-bike test. How any system sounds on your bike depends on the source, the radio configuration, speaker positions and tuning.

In our experience the Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 places vocals and upper-midrange detail further forward, which helps them remain audible as wind and road noise increase. There is enough weight in the low-mids that the system holds its composure at highway speed rather than thinning out.

The Wild Boar KIT.2R has a smoother, less aggressive presentation. It does not project vocals the same way, and long rides feel relaxed rather than fatiguing; riders who prefer an easygoing sound over maximum vocal projection may well favour it. The WBC 1654 speakers are genuinely well-specced, with carbon fibre woofer cones, titanium dome tweeters, studio-grade crossover components and vented magnets for heat management. These are quality drivers in a quality package.

FM Reception: Where Wild Boar Has the Advantage

Wild Boar's R.E.M.I.T. (Reduced Electro Magnetic Interference Technology) is a real feature addressing a real problem: Class-D amplifiers generate electromagnetic interference that degrades FM reception, and Wild Boar's proprietary circuit design minimises it. If FM radio is a regular part of your riding, this is a meaningful and honest advantage. The FLX500.4 has no equivalent technology, so if FM reception matters to you, factor that in.

Power and Impedance: Why the Numbers Aren't Directly Comparable

Cicada publishes the FLX500.4 as 125W x 4 RMS at 2 ohms (a continuous, RMS measurement). Wild Boar publishes the WBA 400.2R as 200W x 2 rated at 4 ohms. Those figures are not expressed on an identical basis, so they should not be read as a direct laboratory comparison; a meaningful power comparison would require both amplifiers tested under the same voltage, load and distortion conditions.

The impedance figures describe the load each system is designed to drive, but they do not by themselves prove that one complete system runs cooler, draws less current or has more headroom. Those outcomes also depend on amplifier efficiency, supply voltage, output level, tuning and test conditions. The important point is that each kit's speakers and amplifier are impedance-matched as a system: the Cicada runs 2-ohm speakers on the FLX500.4 (paired with the HDPG8K 8 AWG wiring kit sized for the load), and the Wild Boar runs 4-ohm speakers on the WBA 400.2R. For a full explanation of what impedance means in practice, read 2-ohm vs 4-ohm: What It Actually Means for Motorcycle Audio.

What a Four-Speaker System Costs Each Way

Because the two kits expand differently, the honest comparison is the completed four-speaker build, not the starting price. One cost that is easy to overlook is the saddlebag speaker mounting hardware: on bikes with standard solid saddlebag lids, adding 6x9-inch rear speakers requires either replacement speaker lids or a cut-in lid kit — it is not simply a matter of buying the speakers. Using current MAA pricing (AUD inc. GST, July 2026):

Both totals include the rear speakers and the saddlebag cut-in hardware, and exclude installation, so the two paths are compared on the same basis. Prices checked against current MAA listings, July 2026.

If you would rather buy a four-speaker system complete from day one, both brands offer one: the Cicada 14FLXCX-4X4 ($3,240, single amplifier, saddlebag lids included) and the Wild Boar BIG-PIG kits for Road Glide ($2,995) and Street Glide ($2,900), which include twin amplifiers and saddlebag lids.

That creates an important distinction: Cicada is the lower-cost path when expanding from the front-stage kit later, while Wild Boar's complete BIG-PIG packages can cost less when the full four-speaker system and saddlebag lids are purchased from day one.

The Radio Check: Both Systems Need It

MAA requires the factory radio configuration to be checked before either system is installed. Depending on the bike and its existing configuration, that may mean confirming the correct settings or carrying out a radio flash. An incorrect factory configuration can apply EQ, compression and output limiting that restricts the performance of either amplified system, regardless of brand or price; with the radio set up correctly, both perform as designed. If a flash is needed, budget $150-$300 AUD and about 30 minutes with TechnoResearch or an authorised dealer. For the full detail on what the flash changes, read Why Flashing Your Harley Radio Matters.

Which System Is Right for You?

Choose the Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 if you:

• Want a front stage today with a simpler, lower-cost path to a four-speaker system later (see the cost table above)
• Prefer not to add a second amplifier to your fairing when you expand
• Want a tuneable system that can grow with DSP, different speakers or a new head unit
• Prefer vocal presence and projection at highway speed
• Stream music, Apple CarPlay or Spotify, so FM is not your primary source

Choose the Wild Boar WBARG / WBASG KIT.2R if you:

• Primarily listen to FM radio and want the best possible reception from a Class-D system
• Want a complete, fixed-tune two-speaker package with no amplifier setup required
• Are happy to expand later by adding amplifiers rather than using spare channels
• Prefer a relaxed, smooth sound signature over a forward, dynamic one

The Bottom Line

The Wild Boar KIT.2R is a well-built, complete two-speaker system with a genuine FM-reception advantage and a modular path to more amplifiers later. If FM is your world and a fixed-tune front stage suits you, it does the job well. The Cicada 14FLXCX-4X2 is the more flexible starting point: its FLX500.4 is already a four-channel, fully tuneable amplifier, so expanding to rears requires the speakers, saddlebag lid hardware and wiring — but not another amplifier. If you expect to start with the front stage and add rears later, the Cicada amplifier's unused channels provide the simpler and lower-cost expansion path. If you already know you want a complete four-speaker system, compare the complete Cicada and Wild Boar packages as well — the Wild Boar BIG-PIG kits can cost less when everything is purchased together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• Harley Radio Flash vs Line Leveller
• Cicada DSP: DSP Amps vs Standalone Processors
• Cicada FLX vs Hertz SP: Which Motorcycle Amplifier?
• 2014-2023 Street Glide Audio Upgrades

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