Cicada Motorcycle Speakers Guide for Harley Riders

Reference Series · Speakers

Which Cicada Speakers Suit Your Harley and Your Riding Style?

Quick answer: Cicada's speaker lines are different tools, not a good-better-best ladder. CHX horn coaxials project vocals through wind at highway speed but sound bright; CXX and CX dome coaxials are smoother and less fatiguing on long rides; CH All-Weather covers wet, exposed positions; CM (and Kevlar CXXM) mid-bass drivers add the body and punch under a horn front stage; CMB handles serious saddlebag low end; and CXK component kits combine CM and RR tweeters, pre-matched per model year. Pick by position and how you ride, not by price.

Cicada's speaker range covers eight distinct lines, each built for a specific purpose within a Harley Touring system. They are not a ladder from entry to premium: they are different tools designed to solve different problems. CHX projects through wind. CH covers weather-exposed positions. CXX delivers high output with a smoother character. CX is the clean coaxial foundation. CM adds punch and body. CMB handles serious power in saddlebag positions. CXK combines CM and RR tweeters into a matched component kit.

This guide explains what each line actually does, where it fits on a Harley, and how to choose the right one for how you ride.

Not sure which speakers suit your build? Tell us your bike and what you want from the system, and we'll point you in the right direction.

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Speaker Lines at a Glance

Line Type Sizes Character Best for
CHX Pro coaxial horn 5.25", 6.5", 6x9, 8" Bright, projecting, vocal-forward Highway volume, group rides
CH Coax-horn 6.5" Classic, 6x9 & 8" All-Weather Horn projection, weather-sealed variants Fairing builds, weather-exposed positions
CXX Pro coaxial 4", 5.25", 5x7, 6.5", 6x9, 8" High output, smoother than horn Loud builds with less aggressive top-end
CX Coaxial 6.5", 6x9 Clean, balanced Entry builds, complete kit configurations
RR Horn tweeter 0.5", 1" (two profiles), 3" (6x9 plate) High-frequency extension and projection Add-on tweeters, component builds
CM Mid-bass 6.5", 6x9, 8" Punch and body, no tweeter Component builds, staged systems
CMB Pro mid-bass 6x9, 8", 10", 10" Neodymium High power, serious excursion Saddlebag mid-bass, high-output builds
CXK Component kit 6.5" (14-23 & 24+), 6x9 (14-23 & 24+) CM mid-bass plus RR tweeter, pre-matched Model-specific component installs

Cicada also makes a Kevlar-cone mid-bass line, CXXM, as a lighter-power alternative to the carbon matrix CM. If you are weighing the two mid-bass ranges, see Cicada CXXM vs CM-X Mid-Bass: Kevlar or Carbon Matrix?

The Lines Explained

CHX: Pro Coaxial Horn Speakers

Sizes: 5.25", 6.5", 6x9, 8", available in 2Ω and 4Ω.
Construction: Carbon matrix composite cone, horn-loaded tweeter.

CHX is the most commonly chosen Cicada speaker for Harley riders, and the reason is straightforward: the horn-loaded tweeter projects high frequencies further and more efficiently than a dome tweeter. At highway speeds with a helmet on, this means vocals and guitar stay audible where a dome tweeter would get buried under road and wind noise.

The trade-off is tonal character. Horn coaxials are inherently bright; they are built to project, not to smooth. If long-distance listening fatigue is a concern, the CXX is the more relaxed alternative. If your priority is hearing the music clearly at 110 km/h, CHX is built precisely for that.

Horn coaxials prioritise projection over low-frequency weight. If you want warmth and body alongside the CHX's clarity, plan CM mid-bass drivers in other positions as part of the build. It is not a limitation, it is how well-designed multi-speaker Harley systems work.

Available positions: fairing (5.25" and 6.5"), saddlebag lids (6.5", 6x9), custom enclosures (8"). Both 2Ω and 4Ω variants are available: 2Ω for direct connection to high-current FLX amplifiers, 4Ω for standard amp configurations.

CH: Coax-Horn Speakers

Sizes: 6.5" Larry Frederick Classic, 6x9 All-Weather, 8" All-Weather.

The CH line covers two distinct applications that share the same horn coaxial design.

The CH65 Larry Frederick Classic is a 6.5" fairing speaker: a refined horn coaxial with a focus on tonal balance alongside projection. It carries a different character to the CHX, with a slightly more considered tone that suits riders who want horn efficiency without maximum aggression.

The CH69 and CH8 All-Weather variants are sealed against moisture and corrosion. These are the correct choice for positions exposed to direct water spray, particularly saddlebag lids and any speaker location that sees regular rain, road spray or washing. A standard speaker in a weather-exposed position will degrade; the All-Weather CH variants are built to handle it long-term.

If your bike lives outside, rides in wet conditions, or you are fitting speakers into positions that see genuine weather exposure, the All-Weather CH variants are the appropriate choice regardless of which output level you are chasing.

CXX: Pro Coaxial Speakers

Sizes: 4", 5.25", 5x7", 6.5", 6x9", 8", available in 2Ω and 4Ω.

CXX is the pro coaxial line without a horn tweeter. The result is a speaker that handles more power and plays louder than a standard coaxial, but with a smoother, less directional high-frequency character than the CHX. If you want serious output but prefer a more balanced, less forward sound, or if listening fatigue on long rides is a real consideration, CXX is usually the better fit over CHX.

The 5x7" CXX57 deserves a specific mention: it is designed for Boom! II bi-amp configurations in Harley saddlebag lid positions, where the factory wiring applies two amplifier channels to a single speaker location. If you are running a Boom!-equipped bike and upgrading the saddlebag lids, this is the correct variant for that wiring configuration.

The full CXX size range, from 4" through to 8", also makes it the most flexible line for custom and non-standard Harley applications where the common 5.25", 6.5" and 6x9" sizes do not apply.

CX: Coaxial Speakers

Sizes: 6.5", 6x9", available in 2Ω and 4Ω.

The CX is the standard coaxial in the Cicada range: below CXX in power handling, but a clean, balanced speaker that works well in complete kit configurations and straightforward fairing and lid builds. If you are starting out and want a solid coaxial foundation that can be built on later, CX is the practical entry point into the Cicada speaker range.

RR: Horn Tweeters

Options: RR05T (0.5" titanium), RR075T (1" shallow ring radiator), RR1T (1" titanium short horn), RR3TM (3" horn on 6x9 plate).

RR tweeters are the high-frequency element in Cicada component builds, used alongside CM mid-bass drivers in the CXK component kits, or as standalone add-ons in positions where a full coaxial is not the right fit.

The RR075T and RR1T are the most commonly specified in Harley fairing positions. Cicada makes branded fairing grille kits for the 2014-2023 Road Glide and Street Glide that incorporate RR tweeter mounting directly: the CHDRGGTK for Road Glide and CHDSGGTK for Street Glide. These are the clean way to add dedicated tweeters to fairing positions on those bikes.

The RR3TM is a 3" compression horn mounted on a 6x9" plate, designed for saddlebag lid positions where a larger horn is practical and the extra projection is wanted.

CM: Mid-Bass Drivers

Sizes: 6.5", 6x9", 8", available in 2Ω and 4Ω.
Construction: Carbon matrix composite cone, dedicated mid-bass design (no tweeter), 250W RMS.

CM drivers reproduce the 80 to 800 Hz range: the part of the frequency spectrum that carries bass guitar, kick drum, male vocals, and the warmth that makes a system feel full rather than just loud. They have no tweeter. They work with a crossover that hands the high frequencies to a dedicated tweeter (either in the CXK component kit or as a separate RR unit).

CM is what gives a horn-based Harley system its body. CHX and CH speakers project the top end clearly; CM provides the weight and punch underneath. In systems where everything lives in the CHX range and the sound feels thin or aggressive, adding CM mid-bass drivers in other positions is typically the most effective fix, more so than adding power or changing the EQ.

CM is also the mid-bass element in the CXK component kits for both the 2014-2023 and 2024+ Touring platforms. For a lighter-power Kevlar-cone alternative, see the CXXM line covered in the CXXM vs CM-X guide.

CMB: Pro Mid-Bass Drivers

Sizes and power: 6x9", 8" (500W RMS), 10" (800W RMS), 10" Neodymium (800W RMS), 4Ω.

CMB is the high-power mid-bass line. Where CM suits most Harley Touring builds, CMB is for systems that are being pushed hard: saddlebag builds with serious amplification, 10" configurations in extended saddlebag enclosures, or systems where the installer needs maximum excursion and power handling from a mid-bass position.

The CMB10 in a saddlebag position is one of the most impactful single upgrades available to a Harley system that already has a solid front stage: it adds genuine low-frequency weight and authority that no amount of fairing speaker power can replicate. It requires proper enclosure work. Cicada makes the 14HDRING10 and 24HDRING10 mounting ring kits specifically for this application.

The CMB10.S4NEO uses a neodymium magnet assembly: the same 800W RMS power handling as the standard CMB10, with a lighter magnet structure. Neodymium is a magnet type used in this specific CMB10 variant, not a separate speaker line.

CXK: Component Kits

For 2014-2023 Touring: 14CXK65 (6.5" fairing), CXK69 (6x9 saddlebag lid).
For 2024+ Road Glide: 24CXK65RG (6.5").
For 2024+ Street Glide: 24CXK65SG (6.5").
For 2024+ saddlebag lids: 24CXK69 (6x9).
Available in: 2Ω and 4Ω.

The CXK kits combine a CM mid-bass driver with RR horn tweeters, crossover hardware, and the year-and-model-specific mounting hardware required for a correct Harley Touring installation. They are the complete answer when you want a properly crossed-over component system (dedicated mid-bass, dedicated tweeter, correct crossover points) rather than asking a coaxial to handle the full frequency range from a single driver.

The kits are platform-specific in both generations: the 14CXK range covers 2014-2023 Touring and includes grilles for both Street Glide and Road Glide models. The 24CXK kits cover the 2024+ platform and are model-specific: Road Glide and Street Glide variants are not interchangeable due to the fairing architecture changes in 2024. Parts from the 14-23 range will not fit the 2024+ platform and vice versa.

Speaker Placement on Harley Touring Models

Where speakers go on a Harley shapes what they need to do and which line fits best.

Position Common sizes Role in the system Best lines
Fairing (front stage) 5.25", 6.5" Primary clarity and vocals, the most important position CHX, CH Classic, CXX, CXK
Saddlebag lids 6x9", 6.5", 8" Output and soundstage width CHX, CH All-Weather, CXX, CX, CM, CXK
Lower fairing / pods 6.5" Mid-bass body and fill CM, CXX, CHX 6.5"
Tour-Pak (rear) 6.5", 6x9" Rear fill and passenger audio CXX, CX, CM
Saddlebag (mid-bass) 8", 10" Low-frequency weight and impact CMB8, CMB10

Horn Coaxials vs Dome Coaxials: The Short Version

This is the most common point of confusion when choosing between CHX, CH, CXX and CX.

Horn-loaded tweeters (CHX, CH) project high frequencies further and more efficiently. At highway speed, this means vocals cut through. The character is bright and forward.

Dome tweeters (CXX, CX) produce a smoother, wider dispersion pattern. The sound is less directional, easier to listen to for long periods, and less fatiguing. Output is still strong with the right amplification, it just does not have the same narrow, punchy projection as a horn.

Neither is objectively better. Horn coaxials win on projection and highway clarity. Dome coaxials win on tonal balance and listening fatigue over distance. Most Harley systems benefit from one or the other depending on how and where the rider uses the bike.

A Note on DSP

DSP is not mandatory for every build. A well-matched coaxial system with a quality amp and sensible gain structure will sound excellent without it. Where DSP earns its place is in component builds (CXK, CM plus RR tweeter combinations) and any system with more than one amplifier or multiple speaker positions, where crossover control, time alignment and level matching make a real, audible difference. The Cicada DSP guide covers when it is worth adding and which option suits which build.

Common Questions

I want my existing Harley to sound better without building a complex system. Where do I start?

CXX or CX in the fairing position, powered by an FLX700.4, is the most straightforward upgrade that delivers a genuine result. Clean, matched power to good speakers makes more difference than any head unit EQ setting or factory audio tweak.

I ride in groups and want to hear the music clearly at highway speed. Which speaker?

CHX. The horn tweeter is specifically what makes vocals audible at 100+ km/h with road and wind noise competing. The CHX65 in the fairing is the single most common upgrade for group-ride focused Harley builds.

What's the difference between CHX and CXX?

Tweeter type. CHX has a horn tweeter: bright, projecting, vocal-forward. CXX has a dome tweeter: smoother, wider dispersion, less fatiguing over long rides. Both are high-output speakers. The choice is about sound character and how you ride, not about one being better than the other.

I want my system to have more warmth and body. What's missing?

Mid-bass. If your system sounds sharp and loud but thin, CM drivers in additional positions (lower fairing, saddlebag lids, or a dedicated rear position) will add the body the CHX or CH fairing speakers do not produce on their own. It is a deliberate design: horn coaxials project the top end; CM provides the weight underneath.

What does a CXK component kit give me that a coaxial doesn't?

A dedicated mid-bass driver and a dedicated tweeter, each doing one job correctly, crossed over at the right point. A coaxial asks a single driver to handle the full frequency range, which involves compromises at both ends. The CXK gives you a CM mid-bass handling the body of the music and an RR tweeter handling the top-end, the same principle as a quality home audio setup applied to a Harley fairing or saddlebag lid. The result is more accurate and more dynamic than a coaxial at the same price point.

Do I need All-Weather speakers if my Harley has a fairing?

Not for fairing positions; standard speakers are fine there. All-Weather CH speakers are for positions that see direct water exposure: saddlebag lids, lower fairings on some models, and any custom mounting location that is not shielded from rain and road spray. If the speaker is exposed to the elements, use the All-Weather variant.

Shop this setup

Choosing Cicada speakers? Start with the mounting position, then confirm nominal size, basket and magnet clearance, bolt pattern, impedance, recommended power and weather suitability.

Not sure what fits your bike? Contact Motorcycle Audio Australia with your year, exact model, factory radio, current speaker locations and whether the bike has a factory amplifier, and we'll confirm the right parts →

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