What can I connect my MP3 to ?
- canoodle
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:18 pm
- Location: Vancouver,BC Canada
- Motorcycle: 2000 Honda Valkyrie GL1500 Interstate
What can I connect my MP3 to ?
I purchased the attached pic goodie on Amazon, thinking I could plug my MP3 player into it ( MP3 has USB on it) and play play music through the AUX setting on the dash. I found a lot of wires in the left glovebox. One I inserted into my phone and I could play music from Youtube etc using the AUX setting. Assumed I could plug the same wire into my MP3 and then insert the USB part of my MP3 player into this goodie I just bought. Tried it today-it only charges my MP3 player but does not play music from the MP3 player.
What can I plug the USB part of my MP3 player into, in order to play some of my favourite tunes ?
What can I plug the USB part of my MP3 player into, in order to play some of my favourite tunes ?
- tamathumper
- Posts: 584
- Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 6:02 pm
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Motorcycle: 2003 GL1800A
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
That device looks like a USB power socket, so if hooked up correctly it should power your MP3 player just fine.
If you plugged the bike's 1/8" AUX stereo jack into your phone's headphone jack and it played music through the bike's AUX circuit, then the AUX cord on the bike is working fine.
If your MP3 player has a 1/8" headphone jack, then plugging the bike's AUX cable into it should work exactly the same way as it does with your phone. Use actual headphones to verify the MP3 player is outputting music to that jack.
If your MP3 player somehow has a 1/8" "Line Out" jack, the signal may be much too low to hear on the bike's AUX circuit.
If you plugged the bike's 1/8" AUX stereo jack into your phone's headphone jack and it played music through the bike's AUX circuit, then the AUX cord on the bike is working fine.
If your MP3 player has a 1/8" headphone jack, then plugging the bike's AUX cable into it should work exactly the same way as it does with your phone. Use actual headphones to verify the MP3 player is outputting music to that jack.
If your MP3 player somehow has a 1/8" "Line Out" jack, the signal may be much too low to hear on the bike's AUX circuit.
'03 GL1800A - Warning: fopen() [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: Sense of humor not found on line 2
- Andy Cote
- Posts: 579
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:38 am
- Location: Windham, ME
- Motorcycle: 2015 Goldwing, basic black
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
The item you purchased provides power only. It can be used to charge anything with a USB capability (phone, digital camera, etc.). It will not provide data connection.
I believe your bike has a connection in the trunk for a CD player. There are several companies that provide the capability to use a common MP3 player in lieu of the expensive CD player. That would be an easy solution. There are several posts on this board describing these options and how to arrange the music files to perform best with the handlebar controls.
Your bike should also have a connection for an AUX cable under the left side glove box. May already be hooked up with a cable inside the box as you describe plugging your phone in. This cable usually has a male headphone type 2.5mm plug. You can use the headphone jack on your MP3 player but your controls are limited to volume only.
I believe your bike has a connection in the trunk for a CD player. There are several companies that provide the capability to use a common MP3 player in lieu of the expensive CD player. That would be an easy solution. There are several posts on this board describing these options and how to arrange the music files to perform best with the handlebar controls.
Your bike should also have a connection for an AUX cable under the left side glove box. May already be hooked up with a cable inside the box as you describe plugging your phone in. This cable usually has a male headphone type 2.5mm plug. You can use the headphone jack on your MP3 player but your controls are limited to volume only.
2015 Goldwing, basic black
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
- Andy Cote
- Posts: 579
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:38 am
- Location: Windham, ME
- Motorcycle: 2015 Goldwing, basic black
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
Good morning. You beat me to it!
2015 Goldwing, basic black
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
- Andy Cote
- Posts: 579
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:38 am
- Location: Windham, ME
- Motorcycle: 2015 Goldwing, basic black
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
This is one example: https://jmcorp.com/JM-Digital-Music-Pla ... p_316.html
same unit: https://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.as ... JMDM-GL18K
same unit: https://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.as ... JMDM-GL18K
2015 Goldwing, basic black
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
Previously: GL1200 standard, GL1200 Interstate, GL1500 Goldwing, GL1500 Valkyrie Standard, 2000 Valkyrie Interstate, many other Hondas
- canoodle
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:18 pm
- Location: Vancouver,BC Canada
- Motorcycle: 2000 Honda Valkyrie GL1500 Interstate
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
Thanks as always for the responses-looks like that J+M thingamajiggy is the way to go.
- kwthom
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:36 am
- Location: Jaynes Station, AZ
- Motorcycle: 2016 GL1800
- Contact:
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
May need to be certain of this by turning up the volume of the MP3 player with it attached to the 3.5mm AUX input.tamathumper wrote: ↑Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:52 am If your MP3 player somehow has a 1/8" "Line Out" jack, the signal may be much too low to hear on the bike's AUX circuit.
It worked just fine on my '06, back in the day when I used an MP3 player made by Sandisk (Sansa of some sort...)
• "If I can't fix it, I'll fix it so nobody can!" ● Wait...I no longer have to fix it - I'm retired!
● Ken (IBA#50030) ● "Get busy living, or get busy dying." -Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption 1994 ● My blog ●

- tamathumper
- Posts: 584
- Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 6:02 pm
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Motorcycle: 2003 GL1800A
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
Sandisk Sansa Fuze, loved those things, still have two, but the rubber coating on them is kinda sticky now.
'03 GL1800A - Warning: fopen() [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: Sense of humor not found on line 2
- kwthom
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:36 am
- Location: Jaynes Station, AZ
- Motorcycle: 2016 GL1800
- Contact:
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
It may be helpful for the OP to let us know which MP3 player he's trying to use...
• "If I can't fix it, I'll fix it so nobody can!" ● Wait...I no longer have to fix it - I'm retired!
● Ken (IBA#50030) ● "Get busy living, or get busy dying." -Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption 1994 ● My blog ●

- canoodle
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:18 pm
- Location: Vancouver,BC Canada
- Motorcycle: 2000 Honda Valkyrie GL1500 Interstate
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
***SUCCESS !!** love it when a plan comes together. Thought I'd give it another bash today. Turns out I do not need the charger goodie I purchased off Amazon. Just changed the jack size and plugged it into my MP3 ( it's an ancient Sony model BTW) and lo and behold on pressing the AUX button, heard the sweet sounds of my beloved TOTO filling the Covid-19 infused Summer air. Back in business. Thanks to all for the time taken to post here. Be safe and take care.
- kwthom
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:36 am
- Location: Jaynes Station, AZ
- Motorcycle: 2016 GL1800
- Contact:
Re: What can I connect my MP3 to ?
Another happy ending!

A nugget of (nearly) useless information...
2001 - 2010: AUX button simply activates the aux input line, as you now have seen.
2012 - 2017: AUX button has a toggle function. It can toggle between the USB port (located in the trunk...the device that took the place of the CD player) and the 3.5mm port that our OP has put to use on his bike.
So, for those reading along...it *does* help if one of the pieces of the puzzle you're trying to get help with is what year your bike is for these types of odd reasons.
• "If I can't fix it, I'll fix it so nobody can!" ● Wait...I no longer have to fix it - I'm retired!
● Ken (IBA#50030) ● "Get busy living, or get busy dying." -Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption 1994 ● My blog ●
