Shorty Antenna compared to stock antenna ...

[zuni]

Thanks to those who responded !

So the stock antenna just unscrews then ?

Thanks again in helping this new Spyder owner !

yes it just unscrews, unfortunately not always easy. Mine was no problem but I have heard of others suffering trying to get it off. I was able to slip a small open end wrench in the opening and unscrew it without removing any of the panels.

CJ JAX

[WEB-WVR]

yes it just unscrews, unfortunately not always easy. Mine was no problem but I have heard of others suffering trying to get it off. I was able to slip a small open end wrench in the opening and unscrew it without removing any of the panels.

CJ JAX

So to clarify, you guys are not just removing the visible part of the antenna and replacing it ?.....you are removing the entire unit out (guts and all) and replacing the entire unit ?

I thought you/they were just replacing the visible part of the antenna.

Sorry....just asking for clarification.

[M109Dreamer]

So to clarify, you guys are not just removing the visible part of the antenna and replacing it ?.....you are removing the entire unit out (guts and all) and replacing the entire unit ?

I thought you/they were just replacing the visible part of the antenna.

Sorry....just asking for clarification.

Yes, just slide to boot up and use a wrench to get the stock antenna off.

You will need to drill out the hole in the boot a bit bigger to fit around the shorty antenna.

I added a small drop of blue loc tite to keep the stubby antenna from vibrating loose.

[rutger]

Just replaced the OEM on my wife bike's with a Walmart shortie with help from Copperman.

Was going to start pulling plastic to get a wrench down in there (but contacted him first and he told me how he did the one on the RT I bought from him.)

Thanks guy! How many left?

Any way for those if any other than myself who couldn't get the old antenna loose no matter what you used or did. Tried a 7mm open end and all I did was round off 2 of the flats. Cut the tip of the told antenna off and slid a 7 mm long socket down over and used both vise grips and channel locks to try and loosen the OEM. Still NO go!!

So cut the OEM off at about an inch long and with the Walmart shortie there's a piece to use if needed that set screws onto a broken antenna if you CAN'T get its base to unscrew. And as long as you leave enough of the old (cut it off twice to make sure it wasn't too short) and then only use the short set screw on the RT, it works GREAT!

PS Had her radio playing the entire time and we were both amazed that out of the 11 pre programed stations ALL 11 played loud and clear sitting in our driveway with about a 1 inch long antenna. Now distance from the various stations I'm sure would have been effected, but it still amazed us that we did't lose a single station and ALL came in loud and as CLEAR as with the 3 footer sticking up in back.

So for those worried about damaging the OEM base trying to remove your old 3 foot long one. Just buy the Walmart shortie and CUT the antenna off at about an inch to an inch and a half and use the small set screw adapter for the Walmart shortie.

Again Thanks for the help Copperman! Hope your new ride is as much fun if not more than your last!

[Bob Denman]

I wonder how BRP's new "shorty" antenna compares to the ones from Wal-Mart?

[Commander]

I believe the 2016 RTL comes with the shorty antenna.

[Bob Denman]

That's the antenna I was referring to.

[Bdomini]

Shorty. Nuff said.

[rutger]

Shorty. Nuff said.

For any one doing this.

One more thing. I opened the hole on the boot up a little with a couple of consecutively larger drills. It actually only opened maybe 50% larger because you're drilling thru rubber and I wasn't going to sit around freeze it first.

Then coated both the boot hole and the lower part of the antenna with liquid soap, not just soap and water and the boot slid right over and down. cleaned off the soap and good to go.

Reason I opened it up a bit was because I had to go the the dealer and buy another boot for my wife's bike because the OEM boot ripped some on top (and although she said it was Ok I'm not an idiot), when I apparently didn't lub the the parts up enough on the first one.

Live and learn.

[Boilermaker]

I have been looking to pick up a stubby at some point and, thanks to the link, just picked one up at Walmart for $5! Ten minute install and I'm good to go! After pulling off the boot, I just used a 7 mm combination wrench (closed end) and was able to get to the hex without a problem (a little tough overcoming the loctite). I put hand sanitizer on the boot and reinstalled without modification.

[Stumpy6Guns]

When I changed mine, I cut off the whip and gave it a shot of Kano AeroKroil penetrating oil. Then I slipped a 7mm deep socket on and eased it out. Easy peasy!

Kroil is awesome stuff. Smells funny, and I've kept a can handy for years. Amazon carries it, as do a lot of other places.

[WEB-WVR]

How about a photo ?

[Deanna777]

About 3 weeks ago, I broke my stock antenna, when I was putting on my 1/2 cover.

It broke off at the metal piece ( just below the Tupperware ). I am replacing it with a shorty( from Pitbull). Deanna

[Pampurrs]

This is on my short list. Please pardon the pun

Pam

[pegasus1300]

You have to remember; the GoldWing has now reached it's 40th year of production.
It takes a while to perfect a product to that level... give BRP some time.

That level of of product perfection was there from the first time the Goldwing came with a radio back in the early 80's.

[AY4B]

Has anyone used a Tune Trapper Antenna? When I got my Corbin Bags, They had me relocate my antenna under the rear fender. I tried a wallmart shorty and can not get more than one station where I live. I put back the stock one and shortly after, broke it off trying to fit it under my cover. I just found the tune trapper and am going to give it a try. http://www.tunetrapper.com/motorcycle_antenna.html

[cyclekid58]

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/template...0&GroupGuid=78


Wonder how this one would work, being wire wrapped would make it more like factory with equivelant length, certainly would be better for putting a cover on?

[Pampurrs]

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/template...0&GroupGuid=78


Wonder how this one would work, being wire wrapped would make it more like factory with equivelant length, certainly would be better for putting a cover on?

Looks like a nice antenna, but it's on back-order on their site.

Pam

[Bob Denman]

That level of of product perfection was there from the first time the Goldwing came with a radio back in the early 80's.

Sorry...
Did you forget about the Stators that regularly burned-up?
How about the ComStar wheels, with rivets that would loosen-up?
Timing belts that would bust, and take out the top-end of the engine?
If you loaded your bike up with accessories (who didn't?), they'd start to head shake violently in the twisties...
The factory radio in mine quit sending sound to one speaker: Honda couldn't fix it, and wouldn't replace it.
Perfect? No!
But they were STILL great bikes, and I put 50,000 miles on mine!

[Bobleach45]

I put 2 shorties on my HD and got better reception with radio and CB than the long. Have not changed the Spyder.