2nd gen - Front speaker replacement write-up

[InfinitySurf]

I decided to just go ahead and get the front speakers replaced today and just finished a little while ago. I did realize earlier when searching that someone else did do a front speaker replacement write up back in 2007, there may be others but that is the only write-up I stumbled upon. Figured I would go ahead and post this info anyway since I said I would do it.

I used the Polk DB402 and also installed foam baffles (boom mats). After the install was done I tested it for a while without the baffles and then with the baffles. With the front fairing off it makes a HUGE difference having the foam baffles installed, before it projected the sound everywhere and with the baffles installed, when sitting in the saddle the tunes were deeper and projected right at me so IMO, well worth also installing them. I did have to trim the flanges off the baffles since its so tight behind the fairing but a little gorilla duct tape to keep them in place and I doubt they will move. Basically similar to how I installed the baffles for the rear speakers yesterday.

The pictures all have notes written on them so pretty self-explanatory but 1 thing to note is after I removed the 4 nuts and the philips head screw that attach the speaker and the grille, nothing wanted to budge with some gentle prodding, being afraid I may break something (since that fairing has proved to be a little brittle at times... actually I have to plastic weld 1 of the 8) tabs back onto the front fairing that broke off when I was removing the screw earlier this evening).... anyway I used my heat gun to slowly heat up around the speaker area and blew some heat thru the grille from the saddle side of the bike, obviously being careful not to get anything to hot....and then all it took was pushing gently on the 4 bolts a little at a time and the grille with the bolts popped right out pretty easily.

Like the rear speakers, the OEM connector obviously wont work and the existing spades are much too large for these Polk speakers, I wanted a nice tight connection that I wont have to worry about so since the Polk speakers come with about a 12" pigtail with the correct size spades on one end, I cut the factory connector off and took about 6" of the Polk pigtail wires, twisted the wiring together and then soldered them and put heat shrink tubing over the soldered splices. 

Hopefully the pics with notes are clear, hopefully this helps someone else down the road. Cheers