Best Hidden Antenna for Harley-Davidson Reviewed
Touring and Cruising motorcycles made by Harley-Davidson commonly have a stereo speaker system attached to them, while all these are unique features of bikes like the Electra Glide, Street Glide, Road Glide, and Road King. These bikes are huge and wide with all the features built into them, making them intimidating and masculine.
One major design cue that riders don’t like much is the dangling antennas for the radio, so buying and installing a hidden antenna that you can put on your fairings or compartments is a great option. Here are our top picks.
Our first pick is the Kuryakyn 853 Hidden Antenna made for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. This antenna is intended to be placed inside the fairing, which will make it effectively hidden. But is it any good? Let’s take a look.
First off, like with all antennas, we’re looking at the Kuryakyn 853 will require no grounding to work well. This antenna is classified as a half-wave helical dipole antenna, enabling the antenna to be shorter while being as effective as longer and larger antennas. Other than that, the antenna is hand-tuned and tested to ensure that it brings out the best performance expected from it.
Since this antenna is intended to be mounted inside the fairing of your motorcycle, Kuryakn also made sure that the antenna won’t pick up any electrical disturbances and noise by integrating a 95% braided shield cable.
Installation is easy for Harley-Davidsons made from the year 1996-2019. But, Harley-Davidsons made in the year 2014-2019 needs an adapter to work with this antenna. You can also buy that adapter as it is also available along with the listing of the antenna.
Overall, this antenna can be an easy solution for you, especially if you are experienced with installing aftermarket parts on your motorcycles. But for the average person, I recommend having the antenna installed by a professional, as it can get tricky given that the antenna has a short cable.
- Half-wave helical dipole antenna ensures a good performance despite a small appearance
- Braided cable shields the antenna from electrical noise and disturbances
- Needs a separate adapter with specific year models
- Can become tricky to install due to short cable
This next antenna can be used on a broader variety of vehicles. Not just Harley-Davidson motorcycles as it can also work with ATVs, Trailers, Boats, and more. Let’s find out more about this antenna.
First, the manufacturer of this antenna claims that it can boost and amplify your FM and AM radio’s reception quality. And since this antenna uses Standard Motorola Reception wires, you don’t have to worry about losing signal even with an 80-inch long wire. The antenna itself is also over 13-inch wide, which helps improve reception, although it may take away some practicality and ease in installing the antenna in tight spots.
Installing this antenna on Harley-Davidsons may require a bit of preparation, and it’s best if you acquire a bit of technical knowledge and skills first. The first thing you have to worry about is the reception wire since the reception wire will come to you without any plugs and connectors, so you do need to order a separate connector for your stereo system, which you’ll also need to solder.
The second thing you need to worry about this antenna is that you need to put the antenna somewhere you can easily ground it to the chassis. But once that two things are covered, all that’s left to do is stick the adhesive into the spot you picked and connect the antenna to the stereo system.
Installing this antenna on Harley-Davidsons may require a bit of preparation, and it’s best if you acquire a bit of technical knowledge and skills first. The first thing you have to worry about is the reception wire since the reception wire will come to you without any plugs and connectors, so you do need to order a separate connector for your stereo system, which you’ll also need to solder. The second thing you need to worry about this antenna is that you need to put the antenna somewhere you can easily ground it to the chassis. But once that two things are covered, all that’s left to do is stick the adhesive into the spot you picked and connect the antenna to the stereo system.
Overall, this universal hidden antenna is an excellent upgrade for Harley-Davidsons. Despite the tricky installation process, this might be the most effective antenna in most cases.
- Uses Motorola Reception wires to ensure quality
- Amplifies FM and AM signals
- Reliable and effective
- Needs some custom connector work in most cases
- Needs grounding
Our last pick for the best-hidden antennas compatible with Harley-Davidsons is the J&M Audio Hidden Antenna. Although this antenna only works with Harley-Davidsons made in the year 2014 and newer.
Unlike the two antennas we mentioned in this list, the J&M Audio antenna will be the most accessible antenna to install. Still, will it improve or even perform adequately with your radio? The listing and the manufacturer stated that this antenna would not improve FM and AM reception, but it will perform as good as exterior-mounted antennas.
The deal maker with this antenna is that it just works, and with a simple design, you won’t worry about complicated setups and finding the perfect spot in your vehicle. Installation is pretty straightforward.
You need to gain access to your stereo system by removing the fairing. Then with the included wire holders, you should place the wires in a pattern in which it can cover many areas. Get this right, and your signal reception will perform as well as external antennas.
This antenna will be best suited for people who’s a complete beginner in modifying motorcycle parts. Overall, this antenna does not bring any quirky benefits and downsides other than it works perfectly fine.
- Easy to install
- Simple design leads to a more durable life
- Includes cable holders for a clean installation
- Does not improve signal reception but works fine
Did you like our top picks for the best-hidden antennas for Harley-Davidson motorcycles? Make sure to take a look at the products mentioned above. And if you’re interested in finding out more or if you want to buy something from this list, make sure to click the links provided above. Have fun modifying!