Music on the bike

[Flyboy]

I am at the point where I am forced to purchase a new MP3 player. I would like to get everyone's feed back on what you use. Pros and cons.

Is anyone ever used the RAM mounting system to hold their electronic items? How do you mount your music device to your bike?

Thanks for any insight on this.

[R J]

My music device goes in my pants pocket and a ear speaker runs up under my shirt to my ear............  Very inexpensive.

The power cord get stuck in the cigarette lighter and off I go.....

Nuttin fancy, just sumtin to listen to and if I get tired of listin, pull the plug,

[Flyboy]

Early on that is the way I did it, but it really seams to be a safety hazzard, since I could not hear fire trucks coming in my direction. So I purchased some handlebar mounted speakers and a small 300 watt amp that fits under the seat. I place the radio/MP3 on the handlebars. Then the person behind me, on the next bike, can share in the music.

[Rocketman]

Use something flash-memory based (reads off an SD card, or some other solid-state memory).  These new super-huge players are hard-drive based, and can be damaged by vibration.  I know we don't have much vibration, but I put a CD player in my sidebag, and despite its purported "anti-shock technology", it was unusable.  Solid state stuff is hardy stuff.  It will take some serious abuse and still serve you well.

Mark

[godfire]

I'm still using a shuffle and headphones.

Hate to answer a question with a question, but what speakers and amp did you go with Flyboy?

[Flyboy]

I basically have a set of non amplified speakers that I purchased from, www.motorcycletunes.com

I purchased my amp from a local car audio store in Mesquite.

I just looked at the above website and he can sell you the speakers and amp for $199.99, and that is everything you need. The amp sits on top of my battery box, under the seat. I think this guy is in Texas. He has also added a ton of stuff to his inventory.

Let me know if I can be of some help. I have my bike here at the shop at the McKinney airport.

[Wanderer]

You can get a refurbed shuffle for $39 and free shipping at Apple.com  The heat spec max's out around 100 degrees F. I wonder if that is a real concern? I would imagine joggers heat up their units more than a lazy ole biker!

I have been very happy with my EdSets in the helmet. Patron has a setup for the true non helmet riding audiophile.

How much does looks matter?

[godfire]

I've had my shuffle in my pocket on 100 plus days and never had any problems.

Not being able to pick your song can be a pain.

[Wanderer]

I've had my shuffle in my pocket on 100 plus days and never had any problems.

Not being able to pick your song can be a pain.

Good news, GF!

How 'bout short cutting the whole thang and getting the iPhone? It is just a hundred more than the iPod Touch which has wifi connectivity for some apps. Might cut into the chrome diet! ~Jeff

[paul]

hey fly boy, i am using a sansa 1gig velcro,ed on the chrome tank cap trim, hold 200+ songs and has a digital fm tuner with 10 or so presets,,easy to operate and drive,,the tuner acually works good to in the metromess,,,good luck..may bee better to velcro on the bars??is there any thing that stuff wont do!!!

[Doc809]

I use a Zen nano.  Holds bout 12 hours of tunes.  Also have over the ear headphones.  Since they don't push down into the ears I can still hear sirens/etc around me.  I has a FM tuner too.  Runs on one AAA battery.  I used it all the way to San Antonio last weekend and back.  Never depleted one rechargable battery.  Its small and fits in my pocket or clips to my vest.  Total price $49 with a $25 rebate.  It's for guys like me who think cost is no object!

[Wanderer]

You guys got me to rethinking my XM habit. Eats me up to pay a subscription fee and listen to commercials. So, I ordered a 1 gig shuffle late last Monday. It was engraved and on its way from China around 3am (who's time, I do not know) and it was in my hands Thursday morning before 10am via Anchorage for regular shipping charges.

No problem mounting it, that is for sure! It will make this slow two tone faster too - if I jettison the XM weight. ~Jeff

[DrewDanube]

I'm about to order a shuffle like yours but maybe more GB of storage.  It would have been on the way but I've had a detour what with the tire issues I've had.  Minister of Finance (wife) isn't liking the I/S much at the moment...40 dollars in tools, 15 dollars worth of lube, 150 for a tire (free replacement warranty...woo!), 45 for mounting = no electronic gizmo's for me right now. 

You'll be spitting mad to know that www.woot.com had that player, refurbished, for like 30 bucks last week. 
Drew

[Shaman]

+1 on the flash-memory based systems--best way to go (micro drives are subject to crashing: one good pothole and you could end up tuneless).  I use the 8Gb iPod Nano housed in an Otter Box case. Apple claims a 24 hour battery life; I've gotten 12+hours use on the road and still had ~1/2 a charge left. Whatever you finally end up with, Otter Box likely has a case to carry it. Otter Box cases are built like brick outhouses, water resistant to 3 feet (!) and you can use the Apple touch controls right through the case. The Otter Box comes with a quick-detach elastic/velcro arm band that wraps readily around the left handlebar just outboard of the clutch reservoir--the iPod is protected from the weather, readily accessible on the road, and easy to detach and stick in my pocket when I stop. Lifetime warranty and great folks to do business with, too: the mini plug in my first Otter Box quit working--one call to them and they mailed me a new one post paid and no questions asked!

[cutter]

I have the shuffle on my I/S and works fine. Just wish I could charge it while listening to it on the bike. No USB port! LOL   

[godfire]

Cutter,
With a few mods it can be done.

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/carcharger.html

[cutter]

Cool. Now I need to add the power supply.

Thanks

[Rocketman]

Wow, I got beat to the post.  The cig lighter to USB units are common, and cheaper if you don't get the ipod-specific cable to go with it.  I have all my onboard devices powered through that.  That way, they're more interchangeable.

Mark

[Hollywood]

Since I'm in the Princess seat(rotflamo) I just use an MP3 with digital headphones( and they fold up too!) can hear plenty good(even though there are some who thinks our baby is too loud, pipewise!) It's really a lot quieter now with glass packs, but still loud enough to keep people and bikes off our tail! also may come in handy when going thru the woods late at night and the deer are out for a walk! ( keeping people in our prayers who have come out not so good with this encounter)
as always, Peace, Hollywood

[Bartman]

I know this is an old thread but I didn't have the whole picture posting thing figured out at the time.(and still may not)

I have the Rumble Road premium(amplified) speakers on my Valk. The pics are of them mounted on my '99 but they are currently in the same location on my '97. I purchased some heat shrink tubing to make a cleaner installation but I haven't taken the time to swap it yet. I used shelf brackets or "corner braces" according to the package. I trimmed them down quite a bit so that a minimal amount shows and I did have to drill the hole out for the speaker shaft to fit. I can't remember if I had to enlarge the hole(on the braces) that the windshield bolt goes through. I hope the pics are posted right.

Thanks,
Bart

[Thalas'shaya]

just wanted to pipe up and answer the RAM mount question in the starting post here.  my girlfriend uses a ram mount to hold an ipod on her yamaha royal star and loves it.  i know she's been eying the otterboxes, but has not bought one yet.  her bike vibrates enough to kill an ipod, and she killed two figuring that out so she converted to using a solid-state shuffle.  i use a 40gb ipod that i keep in a tank bag and the valk has never shaken it enough to stop the music.

we both route the music through our j&m handlebar units and have speakers built into our helmets that carry the music.  the j&m mutes the tunes when someone keys up on your cb channel.