Rear speakers on 1st gen

[Gearhead]

Have any of you fine folks retrofitted rear speakers onto your first gen? How'd ya do it?

Jeremy

[E-Fishin-C]

Have any of you fine folks retrofitted rear speakers onto your first gen? How'd ya do it?

Jeremy


When I bought my first Gen in 1986 without the luggage rack I installed
Kawasaki Voyager rear speakers on the top of the trunk.

[Gearhead]

Thanks, Fishin. Did you wire them in parallel with the fronts?

I searched for Voyager speakers on E-bay - very proud of them!

Oh, regarding the front speakers: how do you get them out of there? Does it require fairing removal, or is there an easier way? Through the turn signal hole, maybe?

Thanks,
Jeremy

[Yammer Dan]

Use a flat piece of aluminum bar about 3/16" thick by 1 1/4 " wide 12 to 16" long enough to clear trunk. Drill hole in the end bolt it in with trunk mounting frame. Mount a small box speaker something like a computer speaker on other end of bar. Adjust to where you want it. I have this set-up but it is hard to describe. Just wire them in with front and run wires under seat.
:7_6_3[1]:

[Yammer Dan]

What are Voyager speakers like? I need a new set for new (to me) ride.

[Gearhead]

Yammer,

Voyager speakers are ~4" speakers in self-contained boxes. Kawi mounts them to the trunk rack, which severely limits the usage of the rack but works well. They are wedge-shaped, holding the speakers at an upward, forward angle, pointing at the passenger's head. They would be a nice way to add speakers, as the enclosures, while nothing real special, are designed to be on a bike and look the part.

The bar you describe - one end is under a front corner trunk mount bolt, and the other end protrudes past the armrest to hold the speaker?

I thought about computer speakers, but didn't figure they'd hold up in the elements.

Jeremy

[Yammer Dan]

Yes and you can position the bar and speakers any way you want. Voyager speakers sound as if they may work in this.
:7_6_3[1]:

[gibvel]

Oh, regarding the front speakers: how do you get them out of there? Does it require fairing removal, or is there an easier way? Through the turn signal hole, maybe?

Thanks,
Jeremy

Unfortunately, you have to take off the black panels on the top of the farings. You'll have to remove the class system/CB panel and then the panel that's under that. Same on the other side. I think you'll probably have to remove the turn signal as well. When you take those panels off the speaker comes out with it.

[duke]

Thanks, Fishin. Did you wire them in parallel with the fronts?

I searched for Voyager speakers on E-bay - very proud of them!

Oh, regarding the front speakers: how do you get them out of there? Does it require fairing removal, or is there an easier way? Through the turn signal hole, maybe?

Thanks,
Jeremy


I replaced my speakers with a set of four inch Jensen speakers from a chain called Princess Auot up here. The install was not difficult. I took the turn signals off and went in through the hole and unscrewed the four retaining nuts and pulled the speaker off the front. (The dash side) Then I soldered the OEM connector wires onto the new speakers and the install was just the reverse of removal. Be careful with the cloth membrane when you reinstall it. The new speakers make the world of difference.

We will be coming down to Phoenix for the winter we will be riding down your way maybe we can meet up for a coffee.


Oh and then you have to do want gibvel says....

[silvercrew]

Sorry I don't know how to post a picture here yet but maybe someone can help m,e out. To anyone wanting to know what voyager speakers are like take a look at my pictures. Mine are not factory kawasaki and they didn't come on the voyager until 87,88 or 89 on the trunk. Mine I got the speaker boxes from radio shack for about $9.99 canadian but they do look fairly close to the oem part. I just wired mine into the front speakers. My wife said they make a big improvement to the factory stereo.

[Venturous]

One of my last winter's projects was I installed a Blaupunkt radio w/ cd/mp3 in my standard Venture. I had a radio in it before. I also installed rear speakers. I decided to give up a little space and installed them in the trunk top cover. The only thing that I have found it has hurt for me is that to put two helmets in the trunk, if they are full size helmets, I just turn them upside down.
I went to an audio store and picked up some cheap speaker covers and took the metal grill off. I cut the grills to match the pattern I wanted and bent them to fit the contour of the trunk. I then used thin strips of industrial strength Velcro on the perimeter of the inside and then on the outside of the trunk. By doing this I was able to make another set of solid covers that replaced the ones with holes in them when I needed to keep the speakers dry. For the speakers, I used a set of $7 from Walmart.
Now, I have good surround sound and my wife says she can hear the sound system real good while going down the road.
randya

[timk]

When I was in the market for a Venture, I called a guy that had a 93 with factory rear speakers. He said the bike came that way. Anybody know if this was bogus??? Anyhow I bought a 86(just fronts). I upgraded the fronts and they were adequate to about 70. We mostly used the helmet speakers.

[sarges46]

Hmmm...never heard of factory rear speakers on a 1st gen.

[LASER917]

I have early model Goldwing speakers on mine, They look like they were made for the Venture.