Recently purchased an Ultra with a CB radio, but the previous owner unscrewed both antennas a long time ago and doesn't have them. I saw a pair of 13 inch antennas for Harley's online but heard somewhere you can't use certain antennas with a CB, that it might cause damage to the CB. (or perhaps that is just for the shorty antennas). If you buy a pair of antennas (13 inch or larger) is one of them CB only, or will either one work for left (fm) side or right (CB side) ?

 

Can an improper antenna (or improperly tuned antenna) on a CB cause damage to the CB?
Yes.
Do not transmit using the CB until you know you have a proper antenna for the application.

(tuning an antenna is way beyond this discussion, but has been discussed on these forums many times. Just do a search. Any CB antenna specifically made for your HD bike and unit should be tuned close enough to avoid damage, but may not necessarily produce the best results. Tuning an antenna for transmitting is both an art and science.)

Are the Harley radio antenna and CB antenna different?
Yes.

I do not know how the older whip antennas were marked, but on my 09 the base of the antenna is marked “CB”. I believe the base of the radio antenna has AM/FM on it.

It is up to you what you want to put on.

I believe stock antennas for your 02 bike (you should mention that and not make people search to find out what you are talking about …) would be
CB - 76250-98
AM/FM – 76306-98
which were metal whips.
Although many say the long metal whips have better reception and are more easily tuned, some do not like the length.

Mine are:
CB - 76250-09
AM/FM – 76503-08
which are fiberglass, and only 33 inches tall.

HD makes the SHORTY antennas as a replacement, which I believe are only 19 inches tall.

Then there are the aftermarket antennas …
.

 

Thanks for the information. I put a 5 inch AMFM antenna on the left side so I could get radio stations. So if I get a genuine Harley CB antenna designed for an 02 would that work without having to get a long Harley FM antenna as well? Is the reason both antennas are the same length just for looks, or is there a functional reason?

 

You will find that the original whips for your bike work much better(am/fm and cb) then the shorty ones. It also my look funny with one short and one long antenna on your bike.

 

The antennae are the same length for aesthetics. Most people like their bike to look symmetrical. As long as the antenna is specifically designed for the frequency band you want to transmit on, and to a lesser degree what you want to receive, looks don't really matter unless it is an unpleasant look to you. Having said that a longer antenna, for the proper bandwidth, will almost always work better than a shorter one.

 

Thanks for the info. I probably will only be using the CB occasionally, when I'm riding with someone in a group who also has a CB, and the expected range will be within sight of them most of the time anyway. The rest of the time 9which is probably 95 % of the time) I will be removing the CB antenna part anyway, so am not that concerned with how it looks with different size antennas.

 

Hi all,
Not to change the subject but what side is the CB Antenna on ?

Thanks Hickey

 

right side...

 

Quick tip, put a dot of, whatever color fingernail polish your wife has, a dot on the base of the CB mount and a dot on the base of the antennae. I pull mine off prior to winter cover going on and lay on the mount on the saddle bags respective to the side they go on. When traveling they get pulled off at the hotel/motel so they don't wander off during the night. The dot makes the install quick and easy, no guessing.

 

Just go onto Ebay and buy new antennae. The radio has "FM" in the base plastic, and the CB has "CB" in it. I have a 36" FM I need to sell.

In standard configuration, both antennae are 36".