ultra rear speaker replacement

[mrrick]

I have a 1990 ultra and would like to replace the rear pod speakers.  They are 4 inch original [meaning 21 years old].  I seem to run into problems with 4ohm vs. 8ohm taking more power from the amp, burning out this and that.  What can I put back there that will sound better than the stock in the 4in. size.  BTW, I am still listening to the stock radio/cassette.  thanks for the help.

[mkd]

hogtune! way better than stock. replaced my front speakers 4 yrs ago and have had no problems.www.hogtunes.com

[mrrick]

thanks mkd.  I went to the website and it shows from 1998 up though. What year is your bike and what model speaker did you select and what ohm. [I did email their contact info line.]  Heard alot of good things regarding hogtunes

[PaJoe]

J&M makes replacement speakers for a 1990 FLHTCU that I think are 4 ohm and work better than stock 8 ohm speakers. You will notice a difference.  Sierra is a pretty good place to buy J&M products:

http://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp?prod=JM-HRSK-9000

I have seen them at Dennis Kirk as well. 


I no longer have the stock radio and now prefer the Infinity Kappa 4" speakers, it is a 2 ohm speaker that is set up to show a 4 ohm load to the receiver. Kappas give you a little more sensitivity; are designed for low powered head units so they get a little louder than the average speaker using the same receiver. I currently have my rear speakers in my lowers because my wife blocks the rear speaker pods  making them useless, but they are not much better in the lowers. The rear pods are definitely better if you ride solo.

However, the Kappas are much more expensive and can be found at Crutchfield

http://www.crutchfield.com/s_108429I/Infinity-Kappa-42-9i.html?search=108429I



ON Edit: If I remember correctly, the J&M use the same connectors as the stock Harley speakers, they really are easy to install.

[Nebraskarider1]

I am not sure about the 90 but I have a 97 and mine were 4 ohm front and rear. That opens it up to a lot of choices since most automotive speakers are 4 ohm. Check them, an ohm meter is cheap or have someone do it. If they are 8ohm (not sure on a 90) dropping down will let more current flow than the amp is designed for and it could overheat or damage it. If its in the center pod like my 97 they are around $200 to get serviced by Radiosound.com so if its good take care of it. When I replaced my speakers I was told to look at the sensitivity level and get something over 90 or they wouldn't be very loud. I found some Kenwoods for the front and got a 5.25" to fit with very little modification to the spacer and none to the fairing at all, not sure why the factory didn't just put a 5.25 in but oh well. Keep in mind mine is a 97 so I have the newer inner fairing so that may not apply to yours. Tried a couple different ones from WalMart and there was a difference between sensitivity levels and loudness like I was told. Got the Kenwoods at a stereo shop on open box special. Back to the rears I didn't try to go to a 5.25 on them I just went with the Infinity Kappa's like the other guy mentioned in a 4 inch version. They sound "good" but if you can make a 5.25 work I bet they would sound "real good". Maybe get an old 5.25 and see if with a little modification you can make it fit, like I said I didn't try since my fronts sounded so good I didn't need too much more in the back. Sounds good for an old bike now. I have no issues with Hogtunes or J&M I just didn't want to buy the speakers for a different year and have to return them and all they offered for my fronts was a 4".

[97flhtcui]

I just replaced all 4 in my 97 ultr :bike:a.I went with the 4in. from j&m and am very happy with them.

[PaJoe]

The J&M replacement speakers have been tested and proven reliable, and they fit well. The 1990 Ultra has a separate amplifier built into the control pod on the tank. If you have problems with the rear speakers you have to have the control pod serviced by Radio Sound. When I bought our '90 Ultra  the rear speakers always had a slight static noise to them, even when the radio was off - after Radio Sound serviced the pods, the rear speakers and intercom worked as it was supposed to work.

If you are unsure on what speakers to use, going with the J&M speakers is the safest way and they do work good, I had a pair in mine for a while, I just like the Kappas a little better.


On Edit: I would never have the control pod serviced again, for about the same price you can get a Biketronics Retro-radio kit  and hook up a Sony receiver. I had one for several years and also got a new Sony radio/ digital media player (no cd) for Christmas that i still did not get around to installing.

[mrrick]

thanks for all the replys.  Now you have me wondering.  I do have a rythmic pop coming from the rear speakers.It goes away if I mute the radio, then comes back.  Are you thinking the rear amp is going out.  I too have replaced the cb pod once and won't do it again.  The rear amp is located in the pod.  I have taken it off and it seems well sealed with the goop that its coated in.  I do recall in the past if I rapped on the bottom of the cb pod[where the rear amp is located] I can get the popping to stop for awhile.  I also looked into biketronics and they dont go back to 1990.  What year retro-kit would I use for my year. 
     My cb has an ongoing issue while I think of it.  The display is very sensitive about showing when I turn it on.  I have to just click the cb on and wiggle the volume from off to just on and sometimes I will show a red digit[channel] most times nothing. Maybe its time to turn the ultra into a classic and ditch all the electronics!   Rick

[Nebraskarider1]

I have an update regarding the Kappa's I have been chasing a rattle and today I noticed one of my speaker covers was loose, I thought I found the rattle and I popped the cover off and the Kappa was just laying in there, the mounting tabs had broken off. They are real thin and are serrated so you can break them off for whatever reason. Well they broke themselves off so I will be buying J&M's. Like the above poster said sometimes its just best to buy what is designed for the application. In this case a motorcycle speaker. The Kappas just didn't handle the vibrations of a bike and I only got about a year out of them, they have a 2 year warranty but I doubt they would cover them since they were in a bike, not even gonna try.
     I had the pod serviced once too after I had the bike worked on one time by an indy (probably just coincidence he's a good guy) the cb channel display went out and I had fuel pump noise (now carbed so thats gone) and turn signal popping (still there), probably ground loop but I went through everything and eventually had the pod serviced and ever since that you can't turn the rears all the way up or they cut out. Seems to me the pod is very tempermental and if you have a good one its just a stroke of luck. Won't waste the money on mine again either, good front speakers do the job fine the rears just help a little.

[PaJoe]

mrrick,

I purchased my kit in 2005 from Dennis Kirk :
Biketronics Retro Radio CD/Radio Adapter Kit
Dennis Kirk Part #: H40821   
Manufacturer Part #: BT1008


I did not see the BT1008 on the Biketronics web site, I suggest you email them. I think they now have pre-wired kits
whereas the BT1008 you had to solder the wires,  it was not hard just followed the color code, red to red etc.
At one time they had a Nomad kit which included the control switch and worked with any bike, but I did not see that either.

It is possible one of the other kits will work but you have to change the connectors.

Nebraskarider1:

Thanks for the heads up, yet another reason for me to quit procrastinating and take off the fairing, a time consuming task I really hate to do . I also need to read about some of the changes, it has been a while since I did anything with my audio system, 7 years with the retro-radio kit.