R1150RT Stereo Removal - Change for a CD player

[Monty]

Hi, I have just bought an R1150Rt with the built in radio cassette but would like to change to one with a CD player.

A coulple of questions, can the radio be removed without messing with the fairing and is there a standard CD / Radio that will work with the handlebar controls ?

 

Thanks for you help

[gdouglas]

I had a 2002 RT and I put an aftermarket radio/cd unit in it. It was a marine setup with a waterproof remote that I mounted on the handlebars. The radio was fine, but the CD would skip very easily with the unit mounted vertically in the glove box. After doing some more research, most car/marine CD units do not dampen vibration in a vertical plane, just only in a horizontal plane. I seem to remember doing a search on this site and finding out that Sony made an all position AM/FM/CD player with a spindle support for a CD disc that would provide skip free music in any posistion. Last I heard, this model was discontinued.

 

The factory radio is mounted in a standard DIN chasis bracket and any DIN cased aftermarket radio will fit.

I do not know of any aftermarket radios that can utilize the factory remote, though.

[ednap]

I had a similar experience as gdouglas when I changed the player on my old K1100LT to a new marine unit. I ended up putting the unit in the tail piece to get better skip control by having the player in the horizontal plane. Better but not perfect.

 

Another option you may consider is using an MP3 player with an FM transmitter connected. You can then tune the existing radio to the nominated FM frequency and away you go.

 

I have a PocketPC phone which is also an MP3 player. I electrified my R1150RT's BigMak tankbag to provide ongoing power for the FM transmitter and MP3 and now I can use them through the existing radio quite easily. My unit has a touch screen and I can leave it in the map pocket section for access.

[Penrod]

Hey Ed, how about some pics and more details about your set-up, it sounds like something I would want to do.

[Lyter]

May I recommend an IPod using one of those cassette aux audio inserts. You can use the stock handlebar control to adjust the volume and switch from "tape" (or the IPod) to radio.

 

I did that with my 04 RT that I bought used with the stock radio. Under pressure from my youngin's, I joined the 21st century and got an IPod. I have a tank bag and that is where the IPod goes.

[HoMa506]

Hi, I have just bought an R1150Rt with the built in radio cassette but would like to change to one with a CD player.

Welcome Monty. All the previous information is correct. If you MUST change the unit out then you'll have to find a Sony CDX-MP70 which is a AM/FM CD Player that will let you play the CD in a vertical position. Note that this unit has been discontinued by Sony and you'll have to find a used one or somebody that has NOS. THEN you'll also need a Sony RM-XM10 Marine Remote Commander which is a water resistant control you can mount on your handle bar or dash. Once you get that all hooked up you'll need a BMW car adapter to mate the wiring of the radio to the BMW motorcycle wiring.

I have this set up now and it works great and is pretty much skip free in the vertical position, you have to hit a pretty good size bump to jar it.

 

As of this writing I have the Sony CD and Marine Remote installed but like Lyter I too joined the 21st century and have an iPod (kids upgraded... I got the hand me down). Instead of carrying around a stack of CD's and then having to change the CD at gas stops to get a change of pace in music the iPod holds hundreds of songs which you can play a choice of music or "shuffle" all the music to play randomly. I use the Griffin iTrip wireless transmitter instead of one of those cassette aux audio inserts.

[ednap]

Sorry no pictures at present but the setup is pretty simple.

 

I fitted a Powerlket adapter

 

 

on my tankbag. I can plug power to it via a shoart lead that plugs into the BMW power socket I fitted to the area by the ignition switch.

 

Inside the tank bag there are twin leads with standard car cig locket sockets.

 

In one I plug the car charger for my PPC Phone, in the other I plug the FM transmitter.

 

The earphone outpout of my PPC Phone plugs into the FM transmitter.

 

Now with the bikes FM stereo tuned to the frequency of the FM transmitter I can play MP3's on the PPC Phone and listen through the bikes radio speakers.

 

The setup for the Ipods described in this thread is using the same technology it is just more compact. The Ipod's FM transmitter plugs directly into the ipod both connecting to the speaker lines and the power connection in a single plug in unit. That means you only require a single power socket to charge/run the Ipod. It is certainly a neat setup.

[twilmotte]

You may want to think twice (or three times) about putting a CD player on your RT. Lots of R12RT owners are complaining about CDs skipping in their BMW radio/CD units because of bumps/vibration. Plus, you only get max 80 minutes of music on a CD, then you have to change it. I use a cassette adapter to play my iPod or XM radio through the BMW radio and it works great (and I can use the handlebar mounted remote controls).