When I bought Big Red 1 in March, 2011, I had the dealer install the BRP CB along with the XM radio and GPS. I ride with a group of 6-12 riders every Satlurday and generally I am the "sweep" rider with the lead the same person most of the time on his HD with factory CB installed. He would tell me my transmissions were weak, however I could hear him when he could not hear me.
I asked the dealer to check the SWR (standing wave ratio) on the antenna. They had a SWR meter and checked it out and we trimed the antenna slightly...(a little goes a long way) and my transmissions improved somewhat. I rode last Saturday (the 19th) and my HD buddy said he was hearing all of my transmissions. I have NO idea why, but it seems my CB transmissions are more clear than a year ago when I started fooling around with the antenna.
Yesterday, I rode my Motor Trike and my HD friend said my GW CB transmissions and distance are 2X to 3X better than BR1. He has said this on earlier rides. My GW CB was made by Clarion and BR1 is made by a company in Tenn. or KY.
One of the problems with motorcycles, GW, Spyders, etc is the small or no ground plane. Little metal compared to an 18 wheeler or auto. The BRP CB is poor at best, but you should be able to transmit and receive 1/4 mile or so.
When you hear "spotty" transmissions on your CB, you are hearing folks running illegal amplifiers on their home CB units and you hear "skip"....CB's operate on 11 meters, one of the poorest frequencies for any distance...(this is why the government put CB's on this frequency, so we could have short transmissions and not bother the world).
With my ham radio, (My call is WB5WFW) I can talk 1,000 miles on "low power" of 5 watts. (a CB is 4 watts into the final driver) With my usual 100 watts, I can talk to the world, but I have the proper antennas, etc.
I don't have many answers to CB problems as I was taught how to operate radios, now why they operate when I was in the USAF radio school in 1952. (if you have a problem, call maintenance...)
As a side comment, I did not like BR1 for a year, then he quit on me. He got a new throttle body and ECM and he seems to run better. The last three months have really been great with BR1 and I am starting to like him as well as or BETTER than my Wing (Punkin').
:spyder2: