98 Ultra Speakers

[PJultra]

I recently picked up a 98Ultra, first bike with tunes. Do these speakers need to be marine rated? Do motorcycle speakers need to be "motorcycle speakers"? Are they specially made fore bikes?
I have an all stock sound system and thinking about upgrading the speakers, but I've rode so many years without tunes, I really haven't used it.
I know the stock speakers are 2 ohm. Does this mean I have to buy 2 ohm speakers?
Thanx for the audio education in advance.

[Coyote]

The stock speakers on your bike are 4 ohm. You may not see a big improvement if you don't put an amp in.

[PJultra]

The stock speakers on your bike are 4 ohm. You may not see a big improvement if you don't put an amp in.

I've had the outer fairing off and I could almost swear that they're 2 ohm. The key word being "almost".

[Bsmith153]

Im pretty sure they are 2ohm speakers, but couldnt swear to it. Actually I think youll get better sound upgrading by upgrading tge head unit. They are pretty cheap these days. IMO the radio should be marine grade, but the speakers dont really have to be.

[UltraNutZ]

actually the correct information on a stock 98' model FLHT is they are 8 ohm but the head unit is capable of handling a 4 ohm speaker.  Why HD did this, I haven't a clue.

To answer your questions;

Do these speakers need to be marine rated?

no they do not but do not buy speakers with paper cones.

Do motorcycle speakers need to be "motorcycle speakers"?

no such thing as a motorcycle speaker; that is unless you listen to John @ J&M or Ed @ Cycle Sounds.  Speakers are speakers

Are they specially made fore bikes?

no not really.  Any stock speaker you replace with aftermarket is going to require the use of adapter rings.  Some speakers are more durable in wet/humid/snowy/vibrating/hot/cold environments than others are.

I have an all stock sound system and thinking about upgrading the speakers, but I've rode so many years without tunes, I really haven't used it.
Thanx for the audio education in advance.

in the end, here's what I always tell people.  Speakers are the foundation of your audio so buy the best you can afford to buy here.  Then later on if you decide you need more, simply add an amp as Coyote suggested, replace the headunit as Bsmith153 suggested, etc. but you won't have to replace speakers again.

[tdgriff]

Nutz said just what alot of us had to learn the hard way. Buy the best speakers you can. Then upgrade as you can afford to.

[Coyote]

Funny, I knew the HU was 4 ohm. Never knew HD put 8 ohm speakers on it. Go figure. 

[UltraNutZ]

what clued me into that a few years back Coyote was the fact that "motorcycle friendly" audio retailers and manufacturers were selling 5.75 ohm speakers for them and I'm wtf.. so dug a little and discovered it.  still beyond me why someone would manufacture a 5.75 ohm speaker for these systems though.. 

[PJultra]

As far as ohms, I can buy any ohm speakers? Or what has to go with what?

[Nebraskarider1]

I had a 97 Ultra and it had the Radio Sound unit with 4 ohm speakers and I picked up some Kenwood speakers (4 ohm also) pretty cheap locally and they sounded really good in the fairing. The 97 had 4" from the factory and I went to 5.25" so the size alone probably made a lot of the difference.


As far a the ohms if you drop the ohms more current flows through them and more current equals more heat in the amp. in your head unit. More ohms would probably equal less volume but not be damaging to anything. At least thats the way I remember it from reading up on the subject in Crutchfield catalogs back in my car audio days.


From Hawg Wired website, but I'm sure UltraNutZ is correct about using 4 ohm's on the Radio Sound units if he checked it out:
1996-1997 Radio Sound H-D Radio/Tape 2CH @ 4 ohm
1998-2003 Radio Sound H-D Radio/Tape 2CH @ 8 ohm
1998-2003 Radio Sound H-D Ultra Radio/Tape 4CH @ 8 ohm
2004-2005 Radio Sound H-D Radio/CD 2CH @ 8 ohm
2004-2005 Radio Sound H-D Ultra Radio/CD 4CH @ 8 ohm
2004-2005 Radio Sound H-D CVO Radio/CD 2CH @ 8 ohm
2CH @ 4 ohm
1998-2005 Radio Sound H-D Add-On Tour-Pak Amplifier 2CH @ 8 ohm
1998-2005 Radio Sound H-D Ultra Tour-Pak Amplifier 4CH @ 4 ohm
2006-2012 Harman/Kardon H-D Radio/CD 4CH @ 2 ohm
2006-2012 Harman/Kardon H-D Tour-Pak Amplifier 4CH @ 2 ohm

[UltraNutZ]

As far as ohms, I can buy any ohm speakers? Or what has to go with what?

sorry this got by me.  stick with 4 ohm speakers and you'll be fine.  They're easier to find as well.