Many riders are mixing their love of riding and music by wearing Bluetooth headsets in their helmets and now Bluetooth speakers are being added to bikes.
While we love riding to our favourite tracks, we are not big fans of speakers on motorcycles.
They tend to be inaudible above the wind noise at highway speeds or when wearing a full-face helmet.
They can also be embarrassing if you pull up at the traffic lights and the pedestrians catch you listening to The Carpenters’ Greatest Hits!
But some riders love them and many big touring bikes feature speakers.
Now Bluetooth technology is making it easier for riders to add speakers to smaller motorcycles.
YouthTune founder Erin Taylor says Bluetooth speakers mean there are no messy wires to hide.
Erin Taylor“One of the bluetooth motorcycle speakers that come to mind is this product from Shark. It has a continuous power handling of about 65W and a maximum wattage of 150.
“The speakers are waterproof although the peripherals are not, so you have to cover them with some plastic.
Shark Bluetooth speakers“You can also play songs through it using an SD card, flash drive, 3.5 mm compatible music devices, and Bluetooth.
“The downside of this product though is its short cables, especially for the remote. But that should not be much of a problem because it also comes with a wireless one.”
There are plenty of Bluetooth motorcycle speakers now on the market from as low as $100 with 600 watts of power, such as these from Boss. Just make sure if you put them on the handlebars they do not obscure the instruments or your controls.
She also suggests that if you are adding speakers to your motorcycle or upgrading the original speakers on your tourer, you should go “loud”.
“The best motorcycle speakers should have at least 300 watts RMS,” she says.
“The higher the wattage, the higher the possibility of having loud music with minimal distortion.”
Erin also recommends the speakers be waterproof, not just weatherproof.
She says space is also a problem with installing motorcycle speakers.
“One way you can save space is by choosing motorcycle speakers with a pre-loaded amp,” she says.
“Choose speakers that allow for portable devices as the audio source.”
Erin also suggests the speakers have controls which are easy to use and not a distraction when riding.
“Another feature you can find is the docking station for your device. This will ensure your gadget doesn’t run out of juice while playing your favourite songs.”