Motorcycle Speakers for Harley-Davidson Touring
The speakers are the part of a motorcycle audio system you actually hear, and on a bike they have a harder job than anything in a car. There is no cabin to hold the sound in, the listening position is fixed and close, and the driver is competing with wind, exhaust and traffic from the moment you roll off. That makes choosing the right speaker for the position and for the rest of the system far more important than chasing the biggest power number on the box.
So the first question is not which brand, but what the speaker has to do. Where is it going, what job is it being asked to do, and what will be driving it? Answer those three and the size, impedance, sensitivity and power handling largely follow. The range you buy from comes last, once you know what the speaker has to be.
How We Choose a Speaker
- Start with the position. Fairing, lower fairing, saddlebag lids, Tour-Pak or a custom enclosure. The position sets the available depth, the mounting, the water exposure and how much air the driver has behind it, and those constrain the choice more than anything else.
- Decide what the speaker has to do there. A full-range front stage, mid-bass to add weight, rear fill from the bags, projection that stays intelligible at highway speed, or simply a cleaner replacement for tired factory speakers. That decision points you at coaxial, component or horn-loaded designs.
- Work out what will drive it. A factory head unit, an aftermarket source, an existing amplifier, or a new amplifier and DSP. This is where sensitivity and power handling start to matter: a higher-sensitivity driver can achieve more output from modest power, while speakers designed around higher power levels need suitable amplification if they are going to perform as intended.
- Then match the driver itself. Size, impedance, sensitivity, power handling, mounting depth and the bolt pattern for your exact bike. Sizes here run 4 inch through 5.25, 5x7, 6.5, 6x9 and 8, 10 and 12 inch, in 2Ω and 4Ω.
- Then choose the range. By this point the shortlist is usually small, and the question becomes which of the ranges below covers what you need now and what the build might become.
How the Speaker Ranges Differ
MAA carries several speaker ranges. They are not a ladder from worst to best; they are different tools, and each one earns its place in a particular kind of build.
- Cicada Audio: covers the broadest span of the system, with CX and CXX coaxials, CH and CHX horn coaxials, CM mid-bass and RR tweeters alongside its own amplification and DSP. Particularly useful when we are designing a system that may grow over time, and when weather exposure is a concern.
- Precision Power: straightforward HD-series options built around the factory Harley positions in 5.25, 6.5, 5x7 and 6x9, plus MAS and HT horn-loaded drivers. Strong value where the brief is a solid, well-fitting upgrade rather than a full rebuild.
- Hertz: SX full-range coaxials and SV SPL midrange drivers, with an emphasis on controlled, accurate output. Worth considering when refinement matters alongside volume, usually in a system with suitable amplification and tuning behind it.
- Velocity: high-efficiency, horn-loaded options, including designs that integrate the driver and grille into a bolt-in fairing upgrade. The range to look at when projection out of the fairing is the priority and there is suitable amplification behind it.
- Wild Boar and Hogtunes: simple upgrades that reuse the OEM positions and harnesses, including 6x9 saddlebag lids. The sensible range to look at when straightforward installation and factory-position fitment are high priorities.
Rockford Fosgate also appears here, with a pair of direct-fit Power Series replacements for the fairing and saddlebag lids, although its range at MAA is weighted towards complete systems rather than individual drivers.
FAQ
Which range should I choose?
Start with the job rather than the badge. Once you know the position, what the speaker has to do there and what will be driving it, the shortlist is usually two or three products across two ranges. From there it comes down to whether the system may grow later, how much of the work you want the speaker to do on its own, and your budget. Tell us the bike and the goal and we will narrow it down.
What size speakers does my Harley take?
The position and the model year decide it. Inner fairing is commonly 5.25 inch on 1998 to 2013 batwing and 6.5 inch on 2014 to 2023 batwing and 2015 to 2023 Road Glide, with 2024 and newer varying by model and audio package. Saddlebag lids take 5x7 or 6x9, and lowers and custom enclosures take 8, 10 or 12 inch. Nominal size does not prove the bolt pattern, depth or connector, so confirm the mounting for your exact bike.
Do I need an amplifier for upgraded motorcycle speakers?
Not always. It depends on the speaker and what you are asking it to do. Some speakers, including much of the Hogtunes range, are designed to give a worthwhile lift on factory radio power and to take amplification later if you want it, and higher-sensitivity horn-loaded drivers reach a given volume on less power. What changes the answer is expectation: a factory head unit has limited clean output and can clip as it approaches maximum volume, which is what most riders hear as the system running out of headroom. Dedicated mid-bass and high-power drivers do require an external amplifier to work as intended.
Should I choose 2Ω or 4Ω?
Choose the impedance to suit the amplifier and the system configuration, not on the assumption that one is better than the other. Bridging two channels into a single speaker commonly requires a 4Ω load, because bridging halves the effective impedance the amplifier sees. A 2Ω-stable amplifier running in stereo makes more output per channel into a 2Ω driver. Cicada and Precision Power offer most models in both, so check the amplifier's minimum rated load and how you intend to wire it before you order.
Not sure which speaker suits your Harley-Davidson Touring motorcycle? Browse by position in fairing speakers, lower fairing audio, saddlebag speakers and Tour-Pak audio, or contact Motorcycle Audio Australia with your bike's year, model and speaker position and we'll help you choose.
