The Early Days of Fairings
Motorcycles are one of the most popular forms of transportation in the world. They are relatively easy to maintain, fuel efficient, and can travel to places that larger four-wheeled vehicles can’t go. They are also easy to modify and upgrade, which makes them the perfect platform for a rider to express their own personality and style. Nowadays, there are many styles of bikes on the road that are suited for many styles of riding, and a lot of subcultures have grown up around these different styles, but that hasn’t always been the case.
The earliest motorcycles produced over a hundred years ago were extremely simple machines that had more in common with a modern bicycle than a modern motorcycle. Early motorcycles featured simple open frames with basic gasoline engines, and used wheels and tires not much larger than those found on a bicycle. And while there were many different companies building motorcycles in those early days, they all looked visually similar.
Motorcycle styling really began to split off into different styles with the addition of fairings. The basic definition of a motorcycle fairing is a protective paneling, traditionally made from plastic, fiberglass, or aluminum, which wraps around and covers the frame of a bike. Early bike fairings were styled after the aerodynamic paneling found on aircraft of the 1930s and 40s, and became popular after the Second World War.
The first fairings that covered bike frames were created for racing purposes. They were made from ultra-light materials and were styled by designers into a shape that mimicked airflow. The same style of racing fairings can still be found on race bikes and sport bikes today, but with modern upgrades such as increased aerodynamics and the use of even lighter weight material such as carbon fiber. While race-style fairings are still in use, other style fairings have been, and continue to be popular on road bikes today.
The popularity of using fairings on road bikes really took off in the 1940s. This non-racing style of fairing grew from the addition of windscreens on bikes like Harley Davidsons and Indian Scouts and Chiefs. These windscreens and the panels covering the fronts of the bikes they were attached to were designed with aerodynamic purposes in mind, just like racing fairings, but unlike race bikes, they were intended to protect the bike and rider from the wind, road debris, and any inclement weather they might encounter on a trip. These front fairings started to grow in size and incorporate features such as headlights, fog lights, and storage space. They were often painted to match the rest of the bike, and when paired with matching saddle bags on the back, they make motorcycles comfortable to drive on long trips, and allow a bikes owner to add their personal touch and style to their bikes. Now you can find most Harley-Davidson motorcycles with lower fairing speakers and inner fairing speakers.
Fairings and Speakers
In modern times, large front fairings can be found on road bikes, cruisers, baggers, and many other styles and sub-cultures of the motorcycle world. Bikes like the famous Road Glide Harley Davidson feature a shark nose fairing that attaches to the frame, while Street Glide models feature a large front fairing known as batwing fairing that attaches to the front forks, and many other bikes feature fairings from the factory, but upgraded and custom fairings are always a popular choice. While they are still used for their original purpose of protection and comfort, they have become popular for another reason; they are a great place to house speakers for a motorcycle’s sound system!
Nothing quite compares to the freedom of riding a motorcycle, and for many, riding a bike is a relaxing experience and a fun way to travel. One of the fastest growing trends in the world of motorcycles are sound systems so that a rider can listen to the music of their choice while out on the road. Unlike other vehicles, on a motorcycle, space is at a premium, and fairings offer the perfect place to house speakers. Speakers located in front fairings are directly in front of a rider and closer to their ears than if they were located anywhere else on a bike. If a motorcycle has a sound system with only one or two speakers, it’s almost a sure bet that they will be located in the bike’s front fairing.
Motorcycle Speakers
Motorcycle sound systems and speakers are more popular than ever, but speakers used on a bike will face factors that home audio systems and sound systems found in cars and trucks do not have to deal with. The most obvious factor is the lack of space found on a bike. Cars and Trucks have roomy interiors that allow for the placement of several speakers of various sizes and design working together to create a balanced sound, but motorcycles have less surface area to mount speakers, so the speakers that are installed will have to be purposely chosen to produce the best sound possible in the least amount of space.
Another factor that has to be taken into account when it comes to motorcycle speakers is that they will come into contact with elements that other speakers will never see on a regular basis. Exposure to rain, wind, dust, dirt, gravel, and UV rays due to sunlight are all things that need to be taken into account when installing a sound system on a bike. Luckily for motorcycle riders today, many of the best brands of audio equipment are producing marine-grade speakers that are up to the task.
Fairing speakers have to be size conscious and robust, and these needs are accomplished by using the best materials available and using speaker designs such as coaxial speakers, which contain a full two-way system mounted in a single unit, and allows them to reproduce sound in a quality that component speakers would need multiple units to produce. Faring speakers are mounted in pods located in a motorcycle’s front fairings, and there are two main places to locate these speakers on a bike, inner fairings and lower fairings.
An inner fairing is mounted high on a bike, beneath the windshield, and behind the front fairing that often incorporates the headlight assembly. The gauges and instruments are usually protected by the inner fairing in a central location, and on both sides of the instrument cluster is a great place to mount fairing speakers. Most factory motorcycle speakers are mounted in this location. Lower fairings are located on both sides of a bike beneath the inner and front fairings. Lower fairings help protect a rider’s legs and are a great place to mount speakers and speaker pods. It is often easier to mount larger speakers on lower fairings than on inner fairings, but speakers mounted on inner fairings are closer to a rider’s ears. The good news is that a bike’s sound system can include speakers in both locations, so if you can’t decide which is the best motorcycle speaker for you, you can have both.
How Do You Install Fairing Speakers
Luckily for motorcycle enthusiasts who want to upgrade their speakers to listen to their favorite tunes, installing them can be a straightforward process. Bikes that come from the factory with a sound system are prewired for universal fit speakers and have cutouts for the stock speakers, which can be used for aftermarket units. If your bike doesn’t have speakers or you are looking to upgrade your current fairings, there are aftermarket inner and lower fairings available that are easy to install and come with the space and cutouts for fairing speakers, and if you are looking to build a truly unique bike, then custom fairings can be created. Installing the speakers of your choice into motorcycle fairings is really no different than installing any other speakers. With the right tools and a little bit of patience, it can be accomplished by any knowledgeable bike owner.
What are the Best Brands for Fairing Speakers
There are a lot of speakers out there that can fit into motorcycle fairings, but it’s important to choose speakers produced by a reputable brand that has experience with marine grade speakers. Purchasing speakers from unknown overseas brands can lead to quality control issues and a sound that is subpar. Brands such as Cicada, DB Drive, Ground Zero, and Rockford Fosgate all produce high-quality speakers that are suitable for and even built purposely for use in motorcycle fairings. Brands like Dirty Bird Concepts, Fairing Factory, Hog Tunes, Metra, American Hard Bag, and Voodoo Bike Works are all brands that produce high-quality aftermarket fairings to house these speakers and can easily be installed to create the custom bike of your dreams if your stock sound system just isn’t cutting it.
What are the Best Fairing Speakers for Your Sound System
When it comes to what fairing speakers will work best for you, it depends on your particular goals. Are you just looking to replace your factory speakers, or are you looking to build a fully custom bagger with a world-class sound system? The good news for you is that all of the best fairing speakers on the market can be found at Garage Bagger Stereo. The folks at Garage Bagger have years of combined experience and have been involved with many amazing custom bike sound system builds. They not only carry the best speakers with amazing sound quality, but also carry inner and lower fairings that are made specifically for housing speakers, and they have any other motorcycle sound system equipment that you might need.
So head on over to https://garagebaggerstereo.com , order the best fairing speakers on the market, install them, and hit the open road listening to your favorite music on high volume in the highest quality possible!