Coming soon to a Norge 8V near you - fairing mounted speakers

[canuguzzi]

OK, for the gadget impaired or bailing wire and JB weld crowd this might seem over the top so proceed at your own risk.

I like to listen to music sometimes while riding. I've got my list of tunes, mostly from my yoot and they often go with the rhythm of the ride. Whenever I've ridden bikes that had fairing mounted speakers it seems so much better than stuffing your ears with buds or inside helmet mounted speakers, don't know why. It isn't that inside the helmet speakers aren't easy to hear, it's just that the sound is so close to your ear that it's pretty much all you hear too. Besides, when you stop some place like a cliff over looking the ocean and want some tunes, wearing your helmet then attracts unwanted attention.

So I've decided to make up a fairing mounted speaker gizmo. The project is just starting but shouldn't take too long and since I'm going the route of making a router jig to cut out the final pieces before forming, they'll end up looking as if they are part of the fairing. I found some material that matches the surface finish of the OEM parts almost perfectly.

Here is a pic of the start. I'll post up some more as the project comes along. With plenty of power available up front it shouldn't be a problem to energize just about any speaker. The goal is to put bluetooth speakers in the fairing so they can connect to a smartphone, MP3 player or the tablet I use for GPS making wires a non issue.

The left side edge will extend out to match the fairing parts and I'm leaving the assembly screws accessible so that the entire affair can be removed without disassembling more parts that as original to get to anything underneath. The sides that are above the black fairing parts will extend down to close things off and give it the factory look and keep eebeejeebees out. The upper contour matches the fairing parts just about perfect, a little more forming and it will be good to go. The it will be the right side and then I'll have router patterns to make up the finals. Just before that though, I'll use these to make forming jigs so that it will be a simple matter to form the final parts. I use the term simple in a relative sense.

[PJPR01]

What sort of speakers are you planning on mounting and how about water proofing?  Something that will drive some real bass I hope!

I recall I had a decent (not great ) factory stereo with speakers on my BMW K1100LT and it was pretty cool, but I'm always annoyed a bit when folks on other motorcycles blast their music next to me, so I guess I prefer the helmet mounted speakers these days, or a portable T7 Bowers & Wilkins player to take along for extended stops.

[canuguzzi]

And the beat goes on, next pattern improvement. Very close so the right side is next. Since each Norge is different when it comes to how the plastics fit (according to what I've seen in showrooms) a bit of final hand-fitted on the contours will be needed but that is why they invented files and dremels. Even removing and putting the plastics back on can result in a slightly different fit. The panel secured to the fairing part (top) buy a screw going into an ABS block that is threaded and held in place via 3M VHB.

More pics on the way.

[canuguzzi]

What sort of speakers are you planning on mounting and how about water proofing?  Something that will drive some real bass I hope!

I recall I had a decent (not great ) factory stereo with speakers on my BMW K1100LT and it was pretty cool, but I'm always annoyed a bit when folks on other motorcycles blast their music next to me, so I guess I prefer the helmet mounted speakers these days, or a portable T7 Bowers & Wilkins player to take along for extended stops.

I've seen/heard the newer fairing mounted speakers adjusting the volume automatically according to the speed but I'm not sure what it would take. Maybe some very easy to use slider/ wheel volume control would do it without getting into a complex deal on this. Know what you mean though, the bikes that run through town with their radios blasting to annoy everyone else sucks, don't want to be one of them for sure. This would be for longer rides where some music isn't going to bother others.

The Kabuto helmet I got is very quiet so the music won't have to blast and I'm lucky, the windshield doesn't produce any loud wind noise so volume can be kept below public address volume.

As for waterproofing, probably the best bet is waterproof speakers instead of trying to make some housing that does it. I'm not sure it could be done easily anyway. I'll probably hit up some marine supply store, they sell stuff like that and I can try before buying.

[PJPR01]

Good call...hadn't thought of that (marine speakers)...  :)

[lorazepam]

Is that Kydex?

[canuguzzi]

Is that Kydex?

The mockups are expanded PVC. Even though they are just that, the finish is nearly identical to the finish on the OEM MG parts. The finals get made from ABS that has a sort of media blaster finish to it that looks just like the plastics used by MG. I've used Kydex for car dash panels but the sheet stuff easily reverts back to it's original form in moderate temps after using a heat gun to thermoform, not good for this application where direct sunlight is possible. If I had access to a vacuum thermoformer I might use Kydex or thin seaboard and avoid that concern.

Actually, the expanded PVC would hold up quite well for a while it just goes from formable to melting really fast. Expanded PVC is wonderful stuff for mockups. At just the right temp, you can make very clean bends using jigs and the stuff looks factory made. Cheap too.

[lorazepam]

Very interesting! I have made a few holsters using Kydex, and like how easy it is to form. I can understand how it might lose form in your application due to heat.

[canuguzzi]

Yes, Kydex is a favorite material for many when holsters. Have you tried the old standby leather? Hand boning good leather gives you a fit that is really nice and adapts to your body contours. You have to stitch it though but it can be a very relaxing hobby to go along with the  gun sport.

With the Kydex, if you like a suede type of finish you can soda blast it and get s soft touch treatment on it. You might like it. You're heating the entire cut out sheet for the holster and then forming? If so you won't encounter any return to original shape from moderate temps. The heat gun method I'm using on this project is why I didn't consider Kydex. They do make a high temp Kydex which is used in some aircraft cabin parts.

[lorazepam]

I use a "taco" fold or make a half shell and attach it to leather with mounting screws and spacers. Heat the kydex in the oven, and then work fast to get it wrapped around the gun, or over the gun, and them press it with a homemade press I have. I wouldn't want to make them for a living, but it is fun and satisfying to make your own holster.
Alien gear makes holsters cheaper than I can buy the stuff to make my own, so I stopped doing it.

[canuguzzi]

I know what you mean, the stuff I've made when I could have just bought it from someplace.

[not-fishing]

You do realize if you put speakers on a Guzzi you can only play Vivaldi, Puccini and Verdi.

No Sons of Anarchy 'tracks.

[PJPR01]

You do realize if you put speakers on a Guzzi you can only play Vivaldi, Puccini and Verdi.

No Sons of Anarchy 'tracks.

Cancel my order of speakers then unless these are going to be Bowers & Wilkins or Avantgardes...nothi ng else will do to play those great maestros!  :)