Premium Motorcycle Audio Upgrade for 2020 BMW K1600B from Raleigh

A client from Raleigh recently contacted the Motorrad Audio team to inquire about upgrading the stereo system on his 2020 BMW K1600B motorcycle. As with Harley-Davidson touring bikes, the stereo system on these BMWs doesn’t play loud enough and isn’t very clear at higher volumes. Because of the small speakers BMW uses, the system also sounds weak and thin with no bass. After talking to the client about his listening preferences, we proposed an amplifier and speaker upgrade that uses the Motorrad Audio front fairing pods and saddlebag speaker panels. With a plan in place, the client brought his bike to our sister company, Extreme Audio, in Mechanicsville to perform the installation.

BMW Motorcycle Speaker Upgrade Solutions

Our technicians securely mounted two ARC Audio speakers in the new pods.

These Motorrad pods are sleek, and they’re meant to withstand harsh conditions.

The tiny 3.5-inch stock BMW speakers were removed to make way for the larger Motorrad Audio 6.5-inch speaker pods.

The client chose to add rear speakers to the motorcycle, by way of our cycle-specific saddlebag panels.

The project started with removing the tiny 3½-inch speakers in the front fairing to make way for a set of our Motorrad Audio 6½-inch speaker pods for 2021 and older BMW K1600 touring motorcycles. These pods are designed and manufactured right here in the U.S. and can withstand the harsh conditions that motorcycles encounter. The client chose ARC Audio Moto CX6 speakers for this upgrade, based on their reputation for balanced midbass output and precise midrange performance. 

This particular K1600 doesn’t have any rear speakers. The client chose our 6½-inch rear speaker upgrade panels for BMW K1600 saddlebags to ensure that the system would play loudly enough. The Extreme Audio technicians modified the rear bags’ top portion to allow these custom speaker mounting solutions to fit perfectly. Crucially, the design of the speaker panels doesn’t interfere with or modify the operation of the locking/latching mechanism, so the owner’s belongings will remain safe and secure. The client chose ARC Audio CX6 speakers for the rear application.

ARC Audio Amplifier Delivers Efficient Power

The upgrade on this BMW K1600B features a four-channel ARC Audio Moto 720 amplifier. The amplifier is installed on the rear wall of the right-side saddlebag using weather-resistant glands to route wiring to the battery, speakers and source unit. As you can see from the images, Extreme Audio wrapped all the wiring in automotive-grade PET harness tape to protect it from damage.

This four-channel amp is rated to produce up to 150 watts of power from each channel. While this is one of the best-sounding motorcycle amplifiers on the market, the amplifier’s efficiency is a feature that’s even more important for an application like this. This amp runs cooler and draws less current per watt than any other we’ve encountered. The result is an audio system that can play louder without taxing the limited electrical system on a motorcycle like this BMW.

North America’s BMW Motorcycle Audio Upgrade Experts

Extreme Audio finished the project by setting the crossovers and level controls on the amplifier to ensure that it would deliver a clean signal, even at high volume levels. The client was thrilled with the upgrade and blown away by the improvement in impact and clarity. So if you own a 2011 or newer BMW K1600 GTL, GT, Bagger or Grand America and are looking for the best speaker upgrade solution possible, check out our Motorrad Audio speaker pods and panels. They are available in gloss or matte black finishes or without paint if you have plans for something custom. Motorrad Audio offers plug-and-play audio upgrade solutions for 2011 through 2021 applications and 2022 and newer bikes with the updated all-digital instrument cluster designs. If you have any questions or would like to place an order, please use our Contact Page to get in touch with us by phone or email.