By Joe Sgroi, Knight ATV - 11/3/2026
Yes. A speaker kit on a floor machine helps a dealership sell ATVs, as long as it doesn't get in the way of what a utility buyer needs. The machine that's playing music is the one customers walk up to. It's an add-on they can hear in five seconds. And it opens the door to the rest of the accessory sale.
You may have heard that audio is a bad fit for utility quads, and that upfits don't pay. That's true for some accessories. It isn't true for a fender-mounted speaker kit sold the right way. Here's why, what dealers selling our kits have found, and how to set one up on your floor.
Quick answer for dealers
- Speakers sell the weekend. Plenty of "utility" ATVs work during the week and hit the trail on weekends. Music is part of that second half.
- Fender pods don't block the racks. Knight ATV speakers mount on the fenders, so front and rear racks stay open for sprayers, toolboxes and cargo bags.
- Sell it as an add-on, not a markup. Demo the kit on one floor machine and offer it at the close. You earn on it instead of burying it in the sticker price.
Why a speaker kit helps a floor machine sell
A showroom is a row of machines that look a lot alike. The one playing music is the one people walk across the floor to see. Once they're sitting on it, your salesperson has a conversation going.
- It stops people. Sound pulls a customer in a way a spec sheet never will. We see it at every expo booth we run, including our booth at the Off-Road Products Expo (OPE) in 2026, pictured at the top of this post.
- It's an easy demo. Most accessories have to be explained. A speaker kit gets demonstrated with a phone and Bluetooth.
- It paints the picture. A buyer who's thinking about riding with family or friends can hear what that trail ride sounds like.
- It opens the accessory conversation. A customer who says yes to audio is already thinking about lighting, a phone holder or a 4WD upgrade.
What real dealers found
Knight ATV speaker kits are on showroom floors at powersports dealerships across several states, including stores in a 23-location dealership group. Resellers such as Wild Boar ATV Parts carry our pods too.
The industry numbers point the same way. Accessories sell when customers can see them. An ADP Lightspeed study of 812 U.S. dealers, reported by Powersports Business, found that in 2012 accessories on new UTV deals averaged 6% of the unit's selling price. The median was about 5%, and dealers hitting 8% or more showed that's attainable. The study also found that about half of all units sold had no accessories on the deal at all. The study's author, Hal Ethington, told dealers below 5% to "make product available, show it, and educate their sales force on features and benefits."
That study covered UTVs, not ATVs, but the lesson carries over. The half of the floor that leaves with nothing attached is the opportunity. A kit that's playing on a demo machine is product that's available and being shown.
The common objections, answered
"Utility buyers want a tool, not a toy."
Partly true. A farmer running a machine as pure equipment may not care about audio. But many utility ATV buyers are families and weekend riders. For them, music is a reason to pick your machine over the one next to it.
"Audio blocks the rack space."
A soundbar on the rack does. Our fender speaker pods are custom-fit for each make, model and year, built from laser scans of the OEM fenders, and bolt to the fenders. The racks stay free for work gear.
"Dealers barely recoup what they spend on upfits."
We looked for a credible published figure on how much of an upfit dealers get back and didn't find one, so we won't quote a number. What the industry data does show is where accessory profit leaks away: discounting and unwanted add-ons.
- Discounts eat the margin fast. A Powersports Business column works through a $50 ATV accessory that costs $30. At full price it earns a 40% margin. After a single sale at 20% off, it takes seven more full-price sales just to bring the department back to 38.2%.
- Unwanted pre-loads get given away. In car retail, a Reynolds and Reynolds consulting paper warns that accessories a buyer didn't want are "typically negotiated into the deal for next to nothing," and the dealer writes them off as a loss.
- Sold right, accessories pay. The better powersports dealers "consistently achieve 35-40 percent (or better) in gross profit margins" in parts, garments and accessories, according to Powersports Business.
So don't bury a speaker kit in the sticker price. Demo it on the floor and sell it at full retail as its own line item, to the buyer who just heard it and wants it.
"It'll scare off the buyer who wants a stock machine."
Then don't force it. Keep one kit on a demo unit. The buyer who wants stock still gets stock.
"Can you even hear it over the engine?"
Yes. In October 2026 a Knight ATV system won the MONSTERFEST sound competition at RATS Offroad Park in Camden, Arkansas with a 119.4 dB run, and our kits have been recorded at up to 139 dB by a third party at a sound competition event. We've also tested them on camera with Can-Am and Honda engines running.
What's in a Knight ATV speaker kit
Every kit is built to survive the conditions utility ATVs actually see, so it holds up on a demo unit and after the sale.
- Waterproof and built for mud riding and water crossings
- Your choice of two 6.5" or two 8" marine-grade speakers
- A Bluetooth amplifier with a plug-and-play wiring harness, no wire cutting
- Built-in RGB LED lights in each speaker, controlled by the included remote or a phone app (iOS and Android)
- Custom-fit fender pods for the specific year, make and model
- A 2-year warranty
- Room to grow: add 4" rear fender pods, or more speakers with the add-on amplifier kit
The pod housings are printed on industrial 3D printers in ASA. We've tested that material in real elements for over 10 years, from -40°F on a frozen lake in upstate New York to 115°F in the Arizona desert, and our 3D-printed products have never failed. That matters on a demo unit that gets sat on, leaned on and rolled in and out every day.
Front kits start at $549.99 retail. Dealer pricing is available through our authorized dealer program.
Which ATVs the kits fit
Put the kit on a model families and new riders are already looking at. These are the most popular fits:
- Can-Am Outlander: 2012–2024, 2015–2023 and 2023+ pods, plus rear pods
- Polaris Sportsman: 2005–2024, 2009+, 2017+ and 2021+, plus rear pods
- Honda: 1995–2004 Foreman 400/450, 2007–2013 Rancher 420, and 2014–2026 Foreman and Rubicon rear pods
- CFMOTO CForce: 2019–2024 800/1000 and 2024–2026 800/1000 Touring
- Also available for Kawasaki Brute Force, Yamaha Grizzly and Kodiak, Arctic Cat, Suzuki King Quad and Hisun Guardian. Find yours under Shop by Make.
How to put a speaker kit to work on your floor
- Pick the right machine. Choose a popular mid-size or full-size model like an Outlander, Sportsman, Foreman or CForce. Skip the stripped-down work model aimed at commercial buyers.
- Put it where people walk in. The first machine customers pass should be the one playing.
- Keep it playing. A silent kit is just plastic. Pair a store phone or tablet, keep the volume reasonable and turn on the LEDs.
- Give the sales team one line. "Want to hear what it sounds like on the trail?" Then hand the customer the phone.
- Offer it at the close as its own add-on, so the buyer chooses it.
- Bundle it. Speakers pair naturally with LED taillights with built-in reverse lights, SafeBox phone holders and Sure 4 4WD kits.
Installs are plug and play. Your service department can follow our speaker pod installation guide or the installation videos for each make.
A few things to check before you order
- Model and year: pods are custom-fit, so match the exact machine on your floor.
- Speaker size: 6.5" for most setups, 8" for the loudest demo.
- Front, rear or both: a front kit is the place to start. Rear pods, or the Outlander surround sound system, add a surround-sound demo.
- Custom colors: color-matched housings are made to order and take up to 5 business days.
Dealers: put a kit on your floor
If you run a powersports dealership and want to try a speaker kit on a floor machine, contact us and ask for me, Joe. You can also apply through our authorized dealer page.
FAQ
Do speaker kits help dealers sell ATVs faster?
Yes, when the kit is on a floor machine and actually playing. Sound draws customers to the machine and gives the salesperson an easy demo and an add-on to offer at the close.
Are speakers a good fit for utility ATVs?
For most buyers, yes. Many utility ATVs are used for work and weekend riding. Fender-mounted speakers leave the racks free for work gear.
Do ATV speaker kits take up rack space?
Knight ATV kits don't. They mount in custom-fit fender pods, so the front and rear racks stay open.
Are Knight ATV speaker kits waterproof?
Yes. They use marine-grade speakers and are built for mud riding and water crossings.
Can you hear ATV speakers over the engine?
Yes. A Knight ATV system won the MONSTERFEST sound competition at RATS Offroad Park in October 2026 with a 119.4 dB run, and Knight kits have been recorded at up to 139 dB by a third party at a sound competition event.
How hard is a speaker kit to install?
Each kit comes with a plug-and-play wiring harness. Step-by-step guides are in the Knight ATV installation videos.
