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Biketronics speaker and amp package BT2180

18K views 50 replies 16 participants last post by  1shark3 
#1 · (Edited)
Had this put in a couple of weeks ago on my 2016 RGS. BT had a 20% off sale over Christmas and I also mentioned hdforums, which I'm also a member of and got another 10%. Package included 2 Titan speakers, amp, hardware and plug and play wiring.

Took it to a good indie I know for the install. Was 3.5 hours. Gold I did too, as I am not that savvy with the tools.

Even with the discount, the whole endeavor was expensive, but worth it. On the freeway at 80 I can hear the music at 2/3 volume. I actually have to turn it down on some songs. Not sure it's as clear as I want it, but I am on a motorcycle, after all.

Overall I'm happy and glad I did it. Good people at biketonics.

http://www.biketronics.com/2015-and-up-rg-bt2180-amp-speaker-package/
 
#2 · (Edited)
First of all, congrats on the system & the excellent deal you got on that setup. 30% off is nothing to sneeze at! I'm looking at the BT kit as well, now I'm thinking I should hold off till near Xmas this year & hope for them to run another special! So I kind of get the feeling like you're slightly disappointed? Were you expecting it to be louder? Clearer? Are you running the stock windscreen?

Most reviews I read about BT stuff is typically very complimentary of the clarity of the sound. Wondering what in particular you are thinking might be improved with the system?

The other option I'm considering is a Cerwin vega & arc motos, price ends up being about the same when it's all said & done when you add in the line leveler & wiring harness
 
#3 ·
Hey there,

It's definitely loud enough. I think I may be losing a little clarity from the source iPod I'm using. I'm playing around with the volume and eq this weekend and will let you know. I'm running the iPod at about 80% volume. There's lots of variables with the settings and even individual songs.
 
#4 ·
The loss of some clarity/volume is due to the rushmore stereo. The BT line leveler has helped a lot, but still not perfect at getting rid of some of the signal distortion issues. I had their setup in my 13 and it is awesome, the 6.5s are on my counter waiting for bike to come back from paint (a week late already) and I know it won't sound as good as the 7.1s with an aftermarket HU and amp, but will blow the stage II crap away and still sounds better for less money (not to mention a lifetime warranty) than the other turnkey kit products out there.
 
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#5 ·
Had this put in a couple of weeks ago on my 2016 RGS. BT had a 20% off sale over Christmas and I also mentioned hdforums, which I'm also a member of and got another 10%. Package included 2 Titan speakers, amp, hardware and plug and play wiring.

Took it to a good indie I know for the install. Was 3.5 hours. Gold I did too, as I am not that savvy with the tools.

Even with the discount, the whole endeavor was expensive, but worth it. On the freeway at 80 I can hear the music at 2/3 volume. I actually have to turn it down on some songs. Not sure it's as clear as I want it, but I am on a motorcycle, after all.

Overall I'm happy and glad I did it. Good people at biketonics.

2015 and Up RG BT2180 Amp & Speaker Package - Biketronics Inc

200 bucks and a couple of hours and I am in the same boat. I do have a few regrets but works good. Do your research and audio can be done by the owner. I hate overpaying. Over pay for one thing...less I have to spend on the next upgrade. Mine also is not clear at highway speed but good enough to know what song I am listening to. A good windshield will help. Harleys are something else. Good luck and thanks for the updates.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I'm with you on not overpaying JJ, but I went down the same path you have with my SG, had maybe $350 into the system. I guess I was ok overall with that system, which was an RF 300x2 & kappas with the stock HK radio, and eventually the head unit started crapping out on me which was the impetus I needed to make the trade to the RG. Payed $23000 for a new radio & they threw in a bike for free! Haha!

While I will say for $350, that system was ok, I wasn't thrilled with the sound quality overall. It got washed out pretty easily & if I turned it up louder to overcome road noise/speed, those kappas got pretty harsh sounding.

I guess Im really considering the plug & play aspect of the BT system as a bit of a value add in this case. Plus for all intents & purposes, the speakers are HAT's which seem to be highly regarded in the audio world. Oh well, can't take it with you. I still may investigate some more DIY setups, but from what I'm finding, those run about the same price as BT's stuff anyway.
 
#7 ·
Well, I used the discount t code that Biketroincs offers RGorg members & pulled the trigger on a RG kit, but upgraded to a 4180 amp for a measly $100 more. This will give me full flexibility going forward to add either speakers in some lowers, bag lids, or both! After listening to multiple YouTube clips, I think I'm going to be pleased with the outcome. It's definitely going to blow away the current stock sound!
 
#13 ·
Got the kit installed & tested late last night, took a bit longer than I had expected, but i also had never pulled apart my fairing before, so that always slows me down as I tend to be extra careful to not break something. It does sound damn amazing! I haven't tried the sound with the engine running which I know changes the radio eq, but it was loud & clear. Still in the garage with the door closed & I couldn't go above 1/2 volume as it was almost too much to take.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of the install as I was purely focused on just getting the job done. However, for the most part the instructions the BT has online are all you need. There are a couple of gaps in their instructions that are really not needed as what needs to be done is fairly obvious.

There's nothing difficult about the install save for that effing amp plate, which held me up for a while, trying to figure out how to hold the amp in place while fishing it in there. I'm also not a fan of the vhb used to hold the amp. Definitely would've liked to see a more robust attachment method, plus I ended up having to use my own vhb tape as the stuff that was on the amp wasn't holding.

Otherwise, the kit was as plug and play as it gets, truly dummy proof, which was awesome, everything needed is there, no running to the hardware store!
 
#14 ·
I meant add that I haven't put any polyfil in the pods yet either, so I'm hoping for a bit more bass response once I do so. But the sound quality was really good, an amazing difference from stock. I did a comparison test of before & after, it was no contest. The stock speakers are muffled & muddy, & I could start hearing distortion at around 2/3 volume. Whereas the 4180 & Titan II's were crisp, clear & the system was significantly louder at 1/2 volume than stock.

I did immediately silicone up the edges of the pods while we installed the components per the instructions, but there was no mention of polyfil. Does it make that much of a difference?
 
#15 ·
I did immediately silicone up the edges of the pods while we installed the components per the instructions, but there was no mention of polyfil. Does it make that much of a difference?
From what I've read most guys aren't doing it. In the old fairings without pods it seems to have helped. Those that did it in the new pods seem to report very little if any change and it doesn't take much to get packed in there too tight. Still waiting on my bike to come back from paint, won't be using any in it.
 
#17 ·
Do the Rushmore RoadGlide pods need to be sealed? If yes, is it necessary to remove the pods from the bike, split the pods, apply rtv, and reassemble/reinstall....or do I leave the pods on the bike and just apply a finger bead along the seams?

I'll be installing a BT RG 2180.14 kit in couple of days and would like to know. I had the fairing off my bike tonight and the pods appeared screwd tightly together from the factory.
 
#18 · (Edited)
The BT instructions say to seal the pods, so I would. I've seen a youtube vid where the person was holding a piece of felt or something near his pods to show how much air leaks from the seam, you could also hear the "chuffing" as BT calls it on the video.

There is no need to remove the entire pod, the outer half comes off of the inner half by removing the 8 -10 torx screws holding the two halves together. The inner half stays connected to the fairing. You'll be able to tell once you take a closer look at the assembly.

As for sealant, I used the GE kitchen & bath clear silicone II as it has a fast cure time and also would allow me to get the pods apart in the future if I ever needed to for some reason. I'd think RTV might be on the aggressive side....it may never come apart!

Just run a small bead in the "channel" of the inner pod (it has a tongue & groove type joint between the inner & outer pod halves).

Also, when disassembling the parts to mount the amp, make it easy on yourself and go ahead and disconnect the harness leading to the radio (as you face the front of the bike, it's the left side main harness coming from the backbone of the bike) to put some slack in the harness. Makes fitting the amp mounting bracket in there much easier. The two center wiring harnesses are meant to sit "outside" on either side of the plate. I was trying to secure the amp bracket with the harnesses squished behind the plate, it just doesn't work and the amp plate doesn't sit flat against the inner fairing support like it's supposed to.

Also count on getting your own VHB tape for the bottom of the amp to attach it to the amp plate. The stuff on the amp I got was useless and also didn't even engage the plate fully.
 
#19 ·
I installed the BT465 speaker kit with Hogtunes grill, silicone and all in my '15 RGS However...its a really tight fit. I used three of the supplied 1" screws to mount the adapter plate to the pod. Then, when I tried to line up the BT speaker with the plate, all I can do is secure two machine screws and a fourth 1" screw into the last hole per the BT instructions.

It seems the large magnate is bumping up against the ridge inside the pod. Would it hurt to grind that ridge down to gain a little bit of clearance? between the magnate and the pod? What your the other BT465 doing gain that much needed 1/8 of an inch?
 
#21 ·
Yup...I have both locating notches at the bottom of the rings over the locating pins...it could be sheer dumb luck that the speaker wires are pinched between the magnates and the baffles/ridges...I'll double check again.

Were you able to secure all of the specified machine screws between the speakers and the rings?...cuz I wasn't able to no matter how hard I tried...thus the speakers are held by three screw and the ring held by four screws only because of one of the screws that go from the speaker, through the ring and into the pod...
 
#22 · (Edited)
I was able to get all screws attached. I will say though, that I had to spin the speaker around a bit to find the spot where all 4 holes lined up. I'm almost thinking the same as you, it might be the wire terminals hitting or the wires are caught in there. No doubt it's a tight fit. HD sure didn't account for a very large magnet size fitting in those pods considering the stock speakers.
 
#26 ·
Working on it tonight...I'll post when done....
 
#27 ·
I wish BT had the time to mark the appropriate speaker and adapter with some type of matching reference mark that we can see at a glance...and include extra machine screws (I spent appreciable precious time looking for those suckas when I dropped them cuz of my arthritic sausage fingers and I didn't have magnetized bits)...I'd pay the extra cost whatever it is...it would save some of us dyi neophytes some of the aggravation and frustration..
From what I remember there is an alignment notch on the adapter rings. Its a small half round notch in the ring that goes toward the bottom and sits on a small pin....and in the directions there's a picture of the orientation of the adapter rings and of the speakers.
You may get it to fit by using any 4 holes but it fit perfectly by using the pictures as reference.

ADAPTER:


SPEAKERS:
 
#32 · (Edited)
Got it all hooked up. I'll be hitting the desert roads today for an hour or so which will give me ample opportunity to sample improved sustained volumes at 65-75-85 mph speeds. I sampled a parking lot side-by-side sound-check against a '14 SGS that has HD's Boom Stage-2 amp/speaker up-grade, and a bone-stock '15 RGS. All bikes run front speakers only. The same music sample was played through the bikes. Same volume setting, same tone settings in the middle. Sound checked while sitting on the bikes, no helmet, engine off.

My BT 2180.14-equipped RGS sounded louder and brighter than the bone-stock RGS. The SGS sounded just as loud and bright as my bike, but had more bass punch. The stock RGS sounded anemic next to SGS and it's improved bass-punch. The improved bass heard heard from the SGS was not as rich as what you'd hear even in a stock audio-equipped sub-compact car, but was an appreciable improvement over what I heard from my BT/RGS and the bone-stock RGS. The SGS had its head unit flashed to the most recent available upgrade, both RGSs have never been flashed since their otd delivery a year ago.

BT $700 DYI install vs HD $1400 dealer installed Stage-2. Is there a way improve the BT's bass? Would the latest flash help? Or is HD's Stage-2 that much better than the BT 2180.14? Would I even hear the appreciable bass difference between the BT and the HD Stage-2 at speed? I guess I'll soon find out. Stay tuned.
 
#34 ·
BT $700 DYI install vs HD $1400 dealer installed Stage-2. Is there a way improve the BT's bass? Would the latest flash help? Or is HD's Stage-2 that much better than te BT 2180.14? Would I even hear the appreciable bass difference between the BT and the HD Stage-2 at speed? I guess I'll soon find out. Stay tuned.
Bass is the first thing to go once the bike is moving, for all systems, even with subwoofers. You can bump it up a couple of notches in the audio setting and it sounds alot better, at least to me.
 
#33 ·
When I ordered mine they said they were running a week or more behind. They build the amps to order apparently and didn't have any on hand when I made my order.
I asked them if they could expedite my order for a fee and they said they'd do their best but didn't want any additional money for it.
I had my kit in hand 4 days later.
They impressed big time with their customer service and again with the sound I get out of the kit.

The ONE drawback is the instructions are a little lacking for the RG, most instructions are geared toward the SG.
I have a good pdf that I found online somewhere that helped me out a bit, I'll post it later when I get home.

Anyway follow the instructions as much as you can, especially for the speaker alignment - that's where people seem to struggle the most. mine fit perfectly so there's no reason they all shouldn't if we all have the same fairing.

The amp mount is the other place where some struggle and the instructions don't help much but I can help you with that too if you need it.
 
#39 · (Edited)
I think LL247 said it best over there. You're considering two good amps. There is no wrong choice.
I guess it boils down to how much adjusting do you see yourself doing. If you're like Gann, where you want to tinker & push every decibel out of your system however you can & you enjoy that kind of thing, then the arc. But if you figure you'll probably never open the fairing to mess with the amp beyond the first setup & want to fire & forget, then the 4180.

I guess this BT amp is as loud as I need it to be, no fiddling, which I like. Also less chance of me messing something up! There's nothing to tinker with! Haha!
 
#40 ·
Very true. I wouldn't plan to adjust things constantly. But would like to be able to tune the audio accordingly when setting it up. Plus would give me the ability to adjust if I use different setups or components down the road. But wouldn't wanna screw it up either! :surprise: I remember reading that very reply. They're both great amps, just a bit different functionality wise. I'll have to do some thinking before plunking down the $600ish on either amp package.
 
#42 ·
Installed the Biketronics Road Glide Kit and what an improvement over stock, directions could be a little better, if they would of included a connector for the stock speaker wiring harness from the amp, things would of just clicked together.

I see that Bill has a discount: "I setup a 10% discount for members, use coupon code HTT to get the discount. It will work on anything we sell online or you can mention it when you call in." Glad to be here, looks like a great place. Bill (From Harley Tech Talk)
 
#45 ·
Bt465

I just ordered the BT465 speaker kit for my '15 RGS. Some day when $$ allows I'll go with either the 2 channel or the 4 channel amp to finish out the system for now. I'm anxious to hear just how much better the BT speakers sound over the stock ones. I noticed a pretty significant difference when I changed from the stock windshield to the 9" Klock Werks, and left the vents open. First ride on the bike it was cold, so I thought closing all the vents would help....not. Could hardly hear the radio there was so much wind noise.
 
#46 ·
I just ordered the BT465 speaker kit for my '15 RGS. Some day when $$ allows I'll go with either the 2 channel or the 4 channel amp to finish out the system for now. I'm anxious to hear just how much better the BT speakers sound over the stock ones. I noticed a pretty significant difference when I changed from the stock windshield to the 9" Klock Werks, and left the vents open. First ride on the bike it was cold, so I thought closing all the vents would help....not. Could hardly hear the radio there was so much wind noise.
Don't get too excited, because unfortunately you're going to be underwhelmed. It's got nothing to do with biketronics, I've run their stuff for a couple of years now and it's great equipment.

Without an amp the speakers won't sound a whole lot better than stock, so don't get disappointed and throw in the towel early. The stock speakers are very low ohm rating and the BTs (like most other quality speakers) are 4ohm and the head unit is not going to push them very well at all.

Save up and get an amp/line leveler as soon as you can and it will make a world of difference.
 
#47 ·
yes, that's the plan. I just couldn't swing the whole package at once with the cost of some of the other mods I'm doing.
Maybe I'll hold off on installing the speakers, and just do them when I can get the amp/levelers.
That may make more sense based on your input.
Thanks!
 
#48 ·
It certainly won't hurt anything to put them in and saves you time later, I just didn't want you to have expectations through the roof and then be disappointed with BT.

If you haven't removed your pods and sealed them yet it's actually not a bad idea to do that ahead of the amp/levelers. Pulling the fairing and pods are easy and it's a good idea to let the silicone dry overnight without the speakers in the pods anyways. The speakers are also much easier to install with the pods off the bike. Seal the pods, install the adapter rings and speakers to the pods, reinstall the pods and you save yourself some work when you do the amp down the road.
 
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#49 ·
I just finished my install. Huge difference!

I did have a hiccup though, I finished the install and before putting everything back I turned the bike on to see what the difference was going to be. I was super disappointed at first. My left (Clutch side) speaker was cracking and and popping and just sounded like crap. I was pissed. Thought for sure the speaker was bad or something was wrong with the Line leveler. Decided to take a break and look at it again when I got home from work. I turned the bike back on and it was clear....??!?!?!?! Sounded amazing. Im not sure if the bike did some kind of reset or what. I do know that the Level Gauge was reading empty and when I got home it was reading 1/4 again like it was supposed to.

In the end maybe the radio did some kind of reset or something happened behind the scenes because i changed nothing and it was unbearable to listen to before.

Install of this system is straight forward. I did seal my speaker boxes with kitchen and bath sealer and then put poly fill in the pods. Cant tell you if the poly did anything or not. But its a known audio trick so why not. If anyone needs some poly Fill I have a lot that is going to see the trash soon. Only needed a handful per box and they only sell it in medium pillow size bags.

ALSO, PAY ATTENTION TO THE RING INSTALL. YOU INSTALL THE RING FIRST USING WOOD TYPE SCREWS AND THEN THE SPEAKER IS INSTALLED USING THE SMALL MACHINED SCREWS!! I OVER LOOKED THAT PART AND HAD TO TAKE IT ALL APART AGAIN.:crying:

I should have a video up of the install in the next few days. I need to take the faring off again to shoot the rest of the clip.
 
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