left and right pockets

Is there normally anything in these pockets on the fairing? The K100 I'm waiting to trade for has I think 4 keys and I tried them all but never got the lids to unlock and open.

Also there appears to be speakers built into the fairing, but are these really speakers or just covers where speakers can be placed?

The K100LT came with a radio that was in the left pocket with speakers behind the grills. To open the covers you have to push the latch under the egde of the cover. I leave both of mine unlocked all of the time. Only someone that knows how to open them could anyway and a theif will pry it open even if its unlocked.

I went back this evening and opened the pocket lids, they weren't locked like I had thought...just used the button like you said. I was hoping to find a radio in there but no such luck, just empty pockets.

The pockets were more ample than expected though and I think I'll be able to get by without a tank bag on this bike, anything bigger can ride in the saddle bags. I also found that I could feel behind the speaker grills and there were just grills, no speakers


So does anyone know how to attach speakers behind these grills? I felt no type of mounting hardware back there.

.

So I'll need that part #2 at least to put in some speakers. I think maybe I'll do that and just run something like a 40 watt power booster and my Sony mini disc player.

If you've got the grills you already have part #2. That's what the grills screw onto. The speakers do not mount with screws but instead are held in place by the grill. The speakers are round with no mounting holes for screws. If you don't have part #2 I believe that somewhere around the garage I have a left and a right one. I also have one new never used BMW speaker. If you're interested I'll sell what I have for $30.

Speakers

Good topic!
Are the speakers "special" other than needing to be outdoor rated?
I've thought about putting new ones in mine, but of better quality.
I have a 93-K1100LT.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Fernando

Re: Speakers

Fernando Rubio said:

Good topic!
Are the speakers "special" other than needing to be outdoor rated?
I've thought about putting new ones in mine, but of better quality.
I have a 93-K1100LT.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Fernando

Click to expand...

BTDT on the '85 K100RT - I used some Japanese speakers.. let's see if I still have the box (with the BMW speakers in it) in the garage.. be right back.

Pioneer TSG-1033.

This was about 8-9 years ago, so it's entirely possible these aren't made any more. What I did was walk into an auto-audio store holding one of the BMW speakers in my hand and asked what they had that was like'm. If I remember right (the FYK100RT is long gone) - the Pioneer's did have mounting tabs and holes that lined up exactly with the holes in the grilles.

All that said - the radio was pretty much useless at any speed over 25MPH.... even with the new speakers and a newer more powerful receiver. I finally took it out so I could use the left pocket again. Put it back in for the guy I sold it to.. dunno if he ever used it.

If anyone wants to pickup the old BMW speakers (they still worked OK - I just wanted to try someting "better") - you're welcome to them for free.

One caviet on getting replacement speakers - there isn't a lot of room behind the left side one if you have the amplified antenna in the 'standard' mounting positon. Getting one with a somewhat bigger magnet may mean it won't fit. I did check this at the auto-audio shop by removing the grill on both speakers and installing them right in their parking lot. The Pioneers did fit.

Oh - the factory speakers are not "outdoor rated" that I could see - standard paper sort of cone and I think I went over them with some varnish to help make them more waterproof. They do look like $2 speakers.

Best,

Exactly what size are the speakers anyway? 3 inch, 4 inch?

R75rider said:

Exactly what size are the speakers anyway? 3 inch, 4 inch?

Click to expand...

I believe they are what pass for 4" - which means about a 3" cone. You might just remove one grille and measure it.

I would do that if I owned the bike, but I'm currently stuck in limbo waiting on the title to come in so that I can purchase it.

I thought if someone knew the size for sure then I could do some advance searching for a set that could handle about 60-100 watts from an amplifier.

The '95 K11LT has four speakers (i.e., w/ 2 rear speakers in the topbox). I can't say that the sound quality is inspiring ... but it is a noise for the boring straightaways.

Riding along about two years ago, a buddy pulled alongside me and began gesticulating that something was amiss behind me on the bike. Upon stopping, I found the left rear speaker hanging out by the wires. The short of it is that vibration in the top box was such that the speaker mount cracked, and the left rear speaker fell out on the seat. One of the wires was snatched loose, so I unplugged the rear speakers.

Later, I repaired the mount with epoxy, and recently, I hit a monster bump on a bridge and it broke again. So I am back to the two front speakers. The only thing more underwhelming than four funky speakers is two funky speakers.

Next, the cassette deck in the BMW radio (mine, anyway) eats cassettes. So I'm left with just the radio, and two tinny sounding stock speakers. It makes my heart pine for my Gold Wing sound system, you know?

Meanwhile, J & M seems to be doing some innovative stuff with CB/AM-FM setups that mount on the handlebar. So my musing has become to can the BMW radio, put a J & M unit on the handle bar, and then put a CD or MP-3 unit in a saddlebag that will transmit to the FM radio.

Now, (giving up part of a bag to the media unit) where will I stow my stuff?

That brings me back to a hitch and a trailer. Bushtec makes a hitch for the K11, and I already have a cargo trailer. But a hitch (to my thinking) makes a K11 look sort of like a kid with a full diaper, so my sense of dignity may not be able to stomach the hitch.

Which basically leaves me to settle with a funky sounding radio.

I'm really glad to read all this stuff about speakers! Maybe there is a way to unfunk-i-fie this thing yet.

R75rider said:

I would do that if I owned the bike, but I'm currently stuck in limbo waiting on the title to come in so that I can purchase it.

I thought if someone knew the size for sure then I could do some advance searching for a set that could handle about 60-100 watts from an amplifier.

Click to expand...

I'd still wait until I had the bike - besides diameter, you DO need to know the size and depth of the magnet. There isn't a lot of space behind the grilles so if you get one that has a large magnet (like one that could handle a real 15 watts) - it's not gonna fit.

And you'll never find one that won't light up in that size for 60-100 Watts from an amp (if they're real Watts - not car-audio-watts), physically impossible to disappate that much heat in that small a space without fire resulting.

Speaker option

How about installing a reception for a jack so as to plug in a head set, thereby bypassing the need for speakers and probably having a better sound?

I tried using my Sony minidisc player already and the earplugs don't quite work with my helmet, maybe if I consider putting some small speakers in the helmet itself... but then again i don't like being "hooked" to a motorcycle. Maybe I'll just mount some 4x8 speakers somewhere else in the fairing.

As a side note, I was informed today that the title is on the way and I should be able to purchase the K100 about the middle of next week.