Motorcycle Audio

The latest generation of Road Glide and Street Glide touring bikes from Harley-Davidson are now ready for a high-performance audio system upgrade thanks to Rockford Fosgate. We took a look at the Stage 2 and Stage 3 kits recently. Now it’s time for a deep dive into the HD24BL69 saddlebag speaker kits. Let’s check them out!

Features of the Rockford Fosgate HD24BL69

The Rockford Fosgate HD24BL69 is a cut-in speaker kit designed for 2024 and newer Road Glide and Street Glide bikes with the Skyline infotainment system and Harley-Davidson’s ABS saddlebags. You can check fitment for your bike using the compatibility chart on the product page.

The kit includes a pair of the new TMS24-69 6×9-inch Element Ready speakers, a set of bag-lid grilles, the speaker bucket system, the lid cutting templates and a plug-and-play wire harness. The kits are compatible with the Power Lock Kit, so you can keep your gear safe.

How the HD24BL69 Kit Works

Here’s how the Rockford Fosgate HD24BL69 kit works. Your installer will remove the lids from the factory saddlebags, then protect them with masking tape. Next, the cutting templates included with the kit are put in place, and holes are drilled to serve as a pilot for a saw. Lastly, the bag-lids are cut to make room for the speaker upgrade.

Once the lids are cut, the grille and basket assemblies are put in place. The new baskets mount from the top, providing room for a large speaker. They fasten to a self-centering backer ring for a watertight seal, and integrated O-rings help improve water resistance. Finally, with the speaker and wiring installed, a set of grilles shaped to match the bag geometry fit in place, and the Rockford Fosgate badge on the outside shows you are serious about your music.

Exploring the new TMS24-69 Speakers

While every component in the kit is vital to performance, the heart of the upgrade is the new TMS24-69 speakers. These new speakers take everything you love about Rockford Fosgate motorcycle audio and take things up a notch or two. First and foremost, the speakers are Element Ready. This means they can handle exposure to rain and prolonged UV without fear of damage. Each component in the speaker, from the high-performance coaxial tweeter and curvilinear polypropylene woofer cone to the motor components and basket, won’t fail even after thousands of hours of shocks and vibration.

The new speakers are based around a glass-fiber reinforced PA66 Nylon basket. This rigid and thermally stable design ensures motor geometry remains accurate. The carbon-impregnated woofer cone is attached to the basket using a Santoprene rubber surround that resists rot and UV degradation. The carbon doping in the cone enhances thermal stability and damping, resulting in tight bass and clear midrange performance. The new speakers have more excursion capability than their predecessors, with an Xmax specification of 4.5 millimeters in each direction.

Speaking of output, Rockford Fosgate implemented its Vertical Attach Surround Technique (VAST) geometry on the woofer surround. VAST dramatically increases the driver’s cone area, which translates to more bass and improved efficiency.

Dual neodymium motor magnets ensure excellent speaker efficiency without adding a lot of weight to your bike. An integrated motor cover inside the saddlebag ensures your belongings won’t be exposed to high temperatures after a long ride with the volume cranked. Speaking of high power, the 1.5-inch Kapton voice coil is larger than previous speakers to increase power handling 50% over the 1st generation TMS69 speakers. Likewise, the tinsel leads to the coil are braided and stitched to the surround for reliable operation.

Finally, the TMS24-69 speakers feature a concealed passive crossover network that Rockford Fosgate calls their Integrated Concealed Crossover (ICC). This design eliminates the need to mount oversized external components, simplifying the installation process while ensuring maximum performance. The 4 kHz crossovers feature a second-order 12 dB/octave slope to ensure smooth performance across the entire listening range.

Power handling on the TMS24-69 is rated at 150 watts continuous, with a maximum power rating of 300 watts. The speakers are 91.4 dB efficient when measured at a distance of 1 meter and fed with 1 watt of power. That’s impressive for a speaker that still delivers bass down to 50 Hz. As with all Rockford Fosgate transducers, the specifications they provide are compliant with the ANSI/CTA-2031 standards, so you know you can trust them.

Upgrade Your Harley-Davidson with Rockford Fosgate Today!

If you are looking to hear every word and note of your favorite music on your next ride, consider visiting a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer to learn more about the new HD24BL69 saddlebag speaker cut-in kit for 2024 and newer Harley-Davidson touring bikes. You can find an authorized retailer using the locator tool on their website.

Be sure to follow the team from Rockford Fosgate on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up-to-speed on all the amazing new products they will be releasing over the next year or so.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

If there were a car audio brand synonymous with motorcycle audio upgrades for Harley-Davidson Road Glide and Street Glide motorcycles, it would be Rockford Fosgate. Their upgrade kits are the benchmark for improving the audio on these touring bikes. With the introduction of new fairing and saddlebags on 2024 and later bikes, Rockford Fosgate has introduced new audio upgrade kits featuring a unique amplifier solution. Let’s check out the HD24-STG2 and HD24-STG3 audio kits for the 2024 and up bikes.

Rockford Fosgate HD24-STG2 Features

The HD24-STG2 is a high-performance two-speaker amplified audio upgrade designed for 2024 and newer Road Glide and Street Glide models. You can find exact fitment details on the product page (https://rockfordfosgate.com/products/details/hd24-stg2/). The kit includes a set of the new TMS24-65 6.5-inch Element Ready speakers, complete with grilles, and a 1,000-watt amplifier.

The TMS24-65 speakers are the next evolution of Rockford Fosgate’s motorcycle speakers. They feature a carbon-filled curvilinear polypropylene woofer cone and a Santoprene rubber surround. The speaker utilizes the Vertical Attach Surround Technique (VAST) design to maximize cone area, thereby increasing efficiency and bass output. The 1.5-inch Kapton voice coil is larger than that of previous models, providing improved power handling. The tweeter remains mounted in the center of the cone, delivering perfectly aligned output at all angles. The frequency response has been improved over the 1st generation by providing extended low-end response and reduced distortion for a richer, more balanced listening experience.

The new amplifier is a masterpiece. First, it connects directly to the A2B digital audio bus output of the Skyline OS factory radio, eliminating the need for expensive interfaces. The TMA-1000X4i amp is rated to produce up to 200 watts of power per channel into four 4-ohm or 2-ohm loads. It can be bridged to deliver 400 watts into a pair of four-ohm loads. The amplifier’s dynamic power output is 1,200 watts.

The amplifier includes an integrated digital signal processor. Your installer can configure the amp for the type of stage installed using the RF Connect app. These are DSP presets done by Rockford Fosgate with the EQ, Gain, and Crossover settings pre-configured to take the hassle out of tuning the amplifier manually.

The HD24-STG2 kit includes an RFK-HD24 amplifier installation kit, complete with a bracket and all necessary wiring, for your motorcycle. Best of all, everything is designed to connect directly to the factory audio system wiring, eliminating the need for cutting or splicing. This means your warranty remains intact.

Rockford Fosgate HD24-STG3 Upgrade

If you are looking for even more sound from your Harley-Davidson, then the Stage 3 kit is the way to go. The Rockford Fosgate HD24-STG3 builds upon the features of the Stage 2 kit by incorporating the HD24BL69 bag lid speaker kit. This kit includes a set of the new TMS24-69 6×9-inch Element Ready speakers, upgraded cut-in speaker grilles, and all the wiring necessary to connect to the TMA-1000X4i amplifier. It’s important to note, this system is designed for “blank” saddlebags, so if you already have color matched speaker lids, the HD24-STG2 + TMS24-69 speakers is a better choice.

The new 2024 and later saddlebag speaker kit plays louder while occupying less cargo space. It even works with the Power Lock Kit. Being Element Ready means everything can withstand water, dust, prolonged UV exposure, and harsh vibrations —such as those experienced by Road Glide and Street Glide bikes.

Upgrade Your New Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Today!

If you have a 2024 or newer Street Glide or Road Glide, it’s time to visit a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask about the HD24-STG2 and HD24-STG3 audio system upgrade kits. They are designed to deliver a massive sound upgrade without any headaches. You can find a retailer near you using the Dealer Locator on the Rockford Fosgate website.

Be sure to follow Rockford Fosgate on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date with new product releases and coverage of the events their team attends.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Where once the domain of only a few specialty brands, motorcycle audio speakers are now available from dozens of brands. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean all the offerings sound good and play loudly. This Product Spotlight will examine the Rockford Fosgate TMS69 6×9-inch bag lid speaker set to explain what differentiates them from the other offerings in this category.

Rockford Fosgate TMS69 Specifications

The TMS69 set includes a pair of motorcycle-specific 6×9-inch speakers and hex-head mounting screws. Rockford Fosgate rates the speakers as capable of handling 100 watts continuously with peaks up of 200 watts. The speakers have a nominal impedance of four ohms and an impressive 1W/1M efficiency of 89 dB SPL.

For those into analyzing and understanding Thiele-Small parameters, the TMS69 woofers have a resonant frequency (Fs) of 75 Hz, an equivalent compliance (Vas) of 16.8 liters, and a total Q (Qts) of 1.63. The Xmax specification, which is measured at 10% THD using Klippel transducer evaluation equipment, is 3mm. Unless you know another manufacturer used 10% THD, you can’t compare this number with their maximum linear excursion specification.

Designing a speaker for an outdoor application, as you’d find on a motorcycle, is no easy feat. The Rockford Fosgate team spent countless hours cruising Arizona highways to audition dozens of samples of the TMS69 during the development process. The goal was to tailor the frequency response to what enthusiasts would enjoy while compensating for exhaust, wind, and tire noise. While most speakers in this market are marinized car audio speakers, the effort put into making the TMS69 truly unique is impressive. If you are looking for a speaker that sounds good at 75mph, you’re in the right place.

TMS69 Bag Lid Speaker Features

Motorcycle speakers differ from typical car audio speakers in several ways. First, they are designed with efficiency in mind. Getting more output for a given amount of power dramatically reduces how much current the amplifier driving the speakers consumes. This is crucial on a motorcycle where power is limited. Rockford Fosgate uses a low-mass polypropylene woofer cone with a high-Q suspension design. This will maximize output through the midbass region to ensure the drivers pack a punch; no pun intended.

Thermal power handling is also crucial, as the speakers are typically installed in airtight Harley-Davidson saddlebags. This means they can get quite warm. TMS69 speakers feature a huge 1.4-inch diameter voice coil to help dissipate heat efficiently.

These speakers have a shallow design, so they don’t take up valuable room in the saddlebag. Mounting depth is specified as being only 2.8 inches deep. The compact size is achieved thanks to a high-efficiency neodymium magnet structure. A second benefit to speakers that use Neodymium magnets is weight reduction. Each TMS69 weighs about a pound. Ceramic-magnet speakers, albeit cheaper, can be five times as heavy. Rockford Fosgate chose the Neodymium route because it’s much lighter than a traditional speaker with a large ceramic magnet, while still producing the same output. Added weight, especially at the top of the saddlebag, can affect the handling and stability of the motorcycle.

Materials and Design

When you look at the top of the TMS69, you’ll first notice the low-profile 25mm dome tweeter with a phase disc integrated into the grille. The disc helps ensure even sound dispersion at extreme frequencies. The small vertical waveguide around the sides of the tweeter help direct the output towards the driver.

To ensure the speakers are 100% water resistant, Rockford Fosgate has implemented a synthetic rubber surround between the tweeter post and the polypropylene woofer cone. This ensures water can’t get into the motor assembly should you get caught in the rain.

The last feature worth noticing is the massive amount of cone area afforded by the Vertical Attach Surround Technique surround. The way the surround attaches to the vertical sides of the basket allows the radiating surface to be much larger than competing products. In short, you get way more effective cone area and output for your money compared to other offerings.

Element Ready Design

While other products may claim water resistance, Rockford Fosgate takes building speakers for outdoor applications seriously. They use the term “Element Ready,” which means the speakers are water resistant and UV resistant. This means they won’t dry out and crack after prolonged sun exposure. The speakers are also subjected to vibration and impact testing to ensure all components remain secure. A solid design is crucial for a motorcycle, which experiences intense vibrations from the lumpy camshafts. The ultra-rigid glass-fiber reinforced polymer plastic frame is an example of putting durability at the forefront of the design.

Harley-Davidson Installations

The TMS69 speakers are available as stand-alone options. However, they are the heart of the popular and often imitated bag lid speaker kits; the TMS69BL14 for 2014-2023 Harley-Davidson® touring motorcycles, and TMS69BL9813 for 1998-2013 H-D® touring models. The kits feature a cutting template that allows your installer to modify the existing bag lids to accept the 6×9 speakers using the provided mounting brackets and grilles. This eliminates the need to try to paint-match aftermarket lids. If you want to bring the sound system on your Harley-Davidson Street Glide, Road Glide, Electra Glide, or Road King to life, these kits are a perfect upgrade.

Enhance Your Motorcycle Audio System with Rockford Fosgate Speakers

If the stereo system on your Harley-Davidson motorcycle doesn’t put a smile on your face when you crank the volume, drop by a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask about an upgrade that includes the TMS65 fairing speakers, TMS69 bag lid speakers and their impressive amplifiers. You can find a local authorized retailer using the dealer locator at on the Rockford Fosgate website. Be sure to follow the gang from Tempe, AZ, on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to learn about the products they offer and the incredible events they attend.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

There are a lot of companies offering speakers designed as upgrades for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Picking the best speaker for your situation can be a daunting task. That said, knowing you’re dealing with a manufacturer that has more than 50 years of experience creating products for music fanatics makes that choice easier. Let’s take a close look at the Rockford Fosgate TMS65 6.5-inch speaker for Harley bikes and trikes.

Features of the Rockford Fosgate TMS65

The TMS65 is a coaxial full-range speaker designed as a direct drop-in replacement for 2014 and newer Harley-Davidson upper fairing, non-cooled lower fairing, and TourPak locations.

The TMS65 is built on a Glass Reinforced Polymer frame, with mounting provisions that match the original locations. Your installer can drop this speaker in without cutting or drilling. Even the factory wire harness will plug in without an adapter or modifications to it or the speaker.

The speaker features a low-mass carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene woofer cone, offering a balance of efficiency, thermal stability, and accuracy. The primary spider at the outer edge of the cone is made of a synthetic rubber called Santoprene. The surround attaches to the basket using Rockford Fosgate’s Vertical Attach Surround Technique (VAST) to optimize the cone area. The beauty of this balanced design is the frequency response specifically tuned for what Rockford Fosgate calls “open air” acoustics. Typical “flat response” or car audio speakers sound great in cars, where there are reflective surfaces like glass and door panels, but on a motorcycle, there are few reflective surfaces. This specially tuned response allows riders to hear their music while riding on the highway, overcoming wind, tire, and engine noise.

Element Ready™ Reliability

Unlike many coaxial designs, there is a second surround at the base of the woofer cone to keep water and debris out of the voice coil gap. This second surround is crucial to the driver’s Element Ready™ Design. Element Ready refers to Rockford Fosgate’s suite of features that help their products perform reliably in motorcycle, motorsport, and marine applications. Aside from being dust, dirt, and water-resistant, the TMS65 speakers are constructed using materials that won’t dry out, fade, chalk, or crack due to prolonged UV exposure.

A final consideration that many competitors overlook is vibration and impact testing. The TMS65 is subjected to what can only be described as violent physical abuse to ensure the product remains intact. The result of all this is a speaker solution that will perform reliably for years on your motorcycle.

Premium Power Handling

Returning to the design features, you’ll find a 35 mm voice coil wrapped around an anodized aluminum former at the base of the cone. The anodized former helps wick heat away from the copper winding, allowing the speaker to reach its 75-watt continuous, 150-watt maximum power handling rating.

The speaker’s center features a 25 mm proprietary film dome tweeter. The grille integrated into the speaker above the tweeter includes a phase plug to improve accuracy and off-axis performance, which is critical when the speakers are installed in lower enclosures on either side of the engine.

The speaker is powered by a compact neodymium ring magnet motor with integrated cooling. This is vastly different from competitors in the market that use large, heavy ferrite magnets. The neodymium motor allows the speaker to drop into upper fairing locations without cutting or heat-molding the inner pods. Further, neodymium weighs significantly less than ferrite for a given magnetic strength. As such, you can add great sound without added weight that might affect the bike’s balance.

TMS65 Speaker Specifications

The TMS65 has a nominal impedance of four ohms and a sensitivity of 94 dB SPL measured at 2.83 volts at a distance of one meter from the cone. The frequency response is specified as 56 Hz to 20 kHz. As always, Rockford Fosgate’s specifications for its speakers comply with the CTA-2031 standard.

When purchased independently and not as part of a vehicle-specific audio upgrade kit, the TMS65 speakers include grilles for 2015 and up Road Glide front fairings, 2014 and up Street Glide front fairings, and 2014 and newer TourPak applications. The speakers also work with Ultra Classic, Electra Glide, Tri Glide, and Road Glide Ultra applications. Your Rockford Fosgate retailer can confirm if the speakers fit your specific situation.

Balanced Sound Profile

Shopping for speakers without hearing them is like buying a paint color for your car without looking at the options. When it comes to motorcycle speakers, the engineer who designed them must balance two criteria: efficiency and midbass performance. The TMS65 speakers are a great combination of both. They play low enough to allow bass guitars and drums to be felt in your chest while minimizing amplifier current draw.

More efficient speakers are on the market, but they lack midbass performance. If screechy midrange and no midbass are your goals, those are a better choice for your situation. One additional thing to remember is that the TMS65 speakers blend perfectly with Rockford Fosgate’s saddlebag subwoofer systems. Those ultra-high-efficiency midrange drivers will leave a frequency response gap to the subwoofers unless you add dedicated midbass drivers.

Upgrade Your Harley-Davidson Motorcycle with Rockford Fosgate

When it’s time for your Harley-Davidson’s stereo system to sound better and play louder, drop by a local authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer and ask about the TMS65 speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers they have available. You can find an authorized retailer by visiting their website and using the locator tool. Be sure to check out their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube feeds and channel to stay up to date with their latest product releases.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Rockford Fosgate has cemented itself as the undisputed leader in Harley-Davidson motorcycle audio system upgrades in the past few years. They offer dozens of direct bolt-in speaker and amplifier kits for all the popular touring bike models. In this spotlight, we will look at the HD14RGST-STAGE3 aftermarket audio system for 2014 and newer Street Glide and 2015 and up Road Glide touring bikes. This kit also works with the Road Glide Special and Street Glide Special bikes from the same year.

Rockford Fosgate Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Sound Systems

Harley-Davidson has done a good job engineering the Boom! Box infotainment system on the latest touring bikes. Although the source unit is amazing, the first-generation factory-installed sound system falls short in speaker output capability and power delivery. Rockford Fosgate’s HD14RGST-STAGE3 kit is the perfect upgrade to make the audio system crystal clear at 75 mph and even drown out that rowdy exhaust note.

The HD14RGST-STAGE3 includes a set of Power Series 6.5-inch speakers and grilles for the front fairing, a pair of 6×9-inch speakers and grilles for the saddlebags, a Power Series four-channel amplifier and all the wiring, connectors and mounting components your installer will need to complete the installation. Best of all, everything integrates into the wiring on the bike without any modifications so it won’t affect a brand-new motorcycle’s electrical system warranty.

The TMS65 and TMS69 speakers in the kit were designed specifically for motorcycle and powersports applications – meaning they are frequency-response tuned for open-air environments and protected to withstand the harsh outdoors. They include oversized voice coils on the woofers to handle extreme power levels for long periods. The Vertical Attach Surround Technique (VAST) cone and surround design increases the effective radiating area of these drivers to deliver more output than conventional drivers. Grilles are included for both the Road Glide and Street Glide fairings.

The HD14RGST-STAGE3 system includes the TMS69BL14 saddlebag speaker installation kit. Your installer can mount the TMS69 speakers in the bag lid covers quickly and efficiently with these parts. There’s no need to spend money or waste time color-matching new lid covers to get great sound. Finally, these speakers are designed to meet Rockford Fosgate’s strict Element Ready requirements to withstand rain, dust and prolonged UV exposure without failing.

The TM400X4ad four-channel amplifier is rated to simultaneously produce up to 100 watts of power to each of the four speakers. Knowing how Rockford Fosgate rates its amps, actual power is likely 10 to 15% higher. The system includes the RFK-HD14 amplifier mounting bracket with an integrated heatsink that works with Bat Wing and Shark Nose fairings. Power wiring, speaker connectors and signal input harness with OE-grade Harley-specific connectors are also included. The optional DSR1 digital signal processor can easily be added to upgrade the system using the included loop-through harness.

Speaking of the factory-installed Boom! Box radio, an authorized Rockford Fosgate retailer will need to flash the software in the radio to change its built-in equalizer settings before bringing the new amp and speakers to life. You can find a retailer with the tools and training to do this here.

Enjoy Your Favorite Music on the Road

If you’ve ever been frustrated that the audio system on your motorcycle starts to distort and become garbled just before it gets loud enough, the HD14RGST-STAGE3 is the cure. The new speakers are more efficient and sound better than what comes with most motorcycles. The amplifier can deliver clean and clear power to extract every ounce of performance from the new Power Series motorcycle speakers. In short, even if you’re cruising down the interstate with friends, Rockford Fosgate’s motorcycle speaker and amplifier kit will ensure that Clapton, Seger, Cash or Skynyrd will absolutely rock!

To learn more about upgrading the sound system on your Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Street Glide or any of their touring bikes, visit the Rockford Fosgate website. You can keep up with the latest new motorcycle audio system offerings by following our friends from Tempe, Arizona, on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.