I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to improve the FM radio reception on a 2007 Honda gold wing GL1800? Even my local station will cause the stereo light on the dashboard to blink on and off and there's added static in the station which makes it annoying.
I tried to use a FM amplifier thing that I bought on Amazon but it doesn't seem to improve it at all. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on how to improve the reception of the FM radio? Thanks.
Improve AM/FM Radio Reception
- MikeB
- Posts: 3323
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
184K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
14K Miles - Contact:
Re: Improve AM/FM Radio Reception
While the radio is tuned into a local station and the reception is poor, place your hand on the antenna and see what happens. If the reception gets better, the issue may be a poor ground to the antenna. That ground strap that connects the antenna to the frame of the bike may not be making good contact. What you can do is attach a piece of grounding braid or a length of wire with terminal ends on it from the antenna mounting bolt to the antenna ground point inside the trunk. Or, maybe just make sure that the ground strap is clean and making good contact.
If nothing happens when you touch the antenna, it is probably just poor radio reception . You could contact Larry M. at Wing Connect https://wingconnect.com/ and see if he has any easy answers for you. There is a nice troubleshooting guide on his website.
If nothing happens when you touch the antenna, it is probably just poor radio reception . You could contact Larry M. at Wing Connect https://wingconnect.com/ and see if he has any easy answers for you. There is a nice troubleshooting guide on his website.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
- DenverWinger
- Posts: 1762
- Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:20 pm
- Location: Denver, CO
- Motorcycle: (s)
1980 GL1100 STD Vetter (2005-)
1993 GL1500 Aspencade (2017-)
1983 Trav-Lite Camper (2010-)
Past rides
1972 CL350 (1980-1988) sold
1978 Suzuki GS550 (1985-2005) sold
1977 GL1000 (2002-2006) sold
Re: Improve AM/FM Radio Reception
Do you have any LED lights? Some of them make RF noise than can interfere with the radio....
♫ 99 Little Bugs in the Code, ♪
♪ 99 Bugs in the Code. ♫
♫ Take one down, Patch it around, ♪
♫ 127 Little Bugs in the Code. ♫ ♪
~Mark
♪ 99 Bugs in the Code. ♫

♫ Take one down, Patch it around, ♪
♫ 127 Little Bugs in the Code. ♫ ♪

~Mark
- keithg64
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 9:47 pm
- Location: Geneseo, IL
- Motorcycle: 2007 Gl1800HPNA Blue
2000 GL1500 Pearl Coranado Blue -sold
Re: Improve AM/FM Radio Reception
I had an issue with my 07 last year. There are a couple of antenna cable connections. I disconnected then and cleaned them with scotch bright pad or steel wool. All good now. Easy fix.
It's not what you buy, it's what you build.
- MikeB
- Posts: 3323
- Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:54 pm
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Motorcycle: 1998 - GL1500 Aspencade
184K Miles
2017 - GL1800 Audio Comfort
14K Miles - Contact:
Re: Improve AM/FM Radio Reception
Good idea. Oxidized connections can be a real problem with any system.
MikeB
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA
1998 - GL1500 w/184,500 miles ~ 2017 - GL1800 w/13000 miles
USAF Avionics Communications Tech - 1968 - 1986 / Flight Engineer C-130E - C-141B - 1986 - 1992. Retired
Industrial Maintenance Tech - 1992 - 2014
Retired in Tacoma, WA