97 to 98 difference in electrical systems : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

bussiemi · 06-21-2006, 10:27 AM

I am told by Harley that there was a major change in the 98 Ultra Classic that does notmake the upgrade to the CD 76146-04 radio possible. Major change means "major" to some but not insurmountable to others. Anyone here have any idea what the change was?

99igor · 06-21-2006, 10:49 AM

Somewhere in that time frame they changed the wiring harnesses from all in one to a standard harnes with an untra overlay harness. My 99 has both.

pajoe · 06-22-2006, 07:40 AM

If I remember correctly, the fellow from Radio Sound said the difference is in the way they work, the older system switches affects the voltage to control the circuit, wheras the newer system just send a signal to a processor that controls the radio etc. analog vs digital - my guess is everything would have to be changed. The best you can do with the older Harleys is to use the Biketronics "retro-radio" kit to install a new Sony radio. Even with the Sony, the speakers were smaller in the older Ultras, the newer 5 1/4 " speaker size has many more after market choices as oppossed to the older, smaller speakers . Radio Sound will recondition any of your older Harley sound system componets and they give good service. We had our intercom-control pod serviced but chose to use the Biketronics kit to install a Sony radio. We only use the headsets for the intercom and the speakers for the radio. I still haven't decided on the speakers I want. The newer radios do open the door for more possiblilities as opposssed to the old Harley 8 ohm speaker requirement. The only thing I really like better about the newer Ultras is the sound system.

bussiemi · 06-22-2006, 10:12 AM

Thanks both

What you both say explains what I have heard. I would assume the new processor system would require a different harness. The switch to processors would be a big change and would require substantial retro work to overcome.

I have checked with Biketronics and am aware of the radio retrofit you mention and was told we would loose our sound into our headsets and our CB capabilities. I will give them a call and see if there have been changes since then, they did not mention the set-up you have.

I to like the older style Ultra and do not want to move newer. It is really part of us now as we have made it into the bike we want. Don't want to start over just want better sound and radio. We upgraded the speakers and will amp it up a bit to overcome the SEIIs a bit so my wife can hear the sound better.

pajoe · 06-22-2006, 10:23 PM

The representative from Biketronics was pleasantly surprised to learn that we were able to retain the intercom in the headsets only - the wires that go from the radio to the control pod , to the rear speakers were removed and replaced with wires directly from the radio to the rear speakers.. I thought about running the AVC wire to the intercom/control pod to try that but never did - the intercom volume does not change - don't know if it ever did or is suppossed to. With fullface helmits the volume is great but with the KBC shorty helits we have to speak up when it gets noisey.

Our CB never worked and I didn't want to pay to have it serviced so I removed it. J&M sells a cb setup which is probably what I would do. I think they also has an adapter to pipe in a talking GPS to the left headset speaker, bypassing the Harley intercom. (We use the J&M headsets.)

Dragonfly has radio upgrades for Glides as well, I think they told me the oldest glide they did was a '96. They use Kenwood and offer a high powered surround sound system as well for about a thousand bucks. Ours is a '90 , and I didn't know if it could be done, so I went with the Biketronics kit for a lot less money installing it myself. If Dragonfly would have had a dealer close by that could have looked at ours and said, yes, we can do it - I would have that system now.

ON EDIT: If you do your own work, I suggest you try temporarly unhooking all the wires on the control pod that come from the radio to see if the cb still works . I suspect it may still be made to work, the main things that may not work are the push to talk switch ( if it is coming through the radio) and the antenna switch - both are important but possibly can be modified/adapted to work. Although they said the intercom needed the radio, it does not need the radio to work - it just doesn't mute the radio when you talk, the cb may be the same way - but if the cb is used through the headsets it would not matter. If my cb had worked before I installed the Biketronics klit, I would have tried it. On ours, the switch on the dash still works as well, turning off the front speakers but the rear speakers stay on.

bussiemi · 06-23-2006, 08:13 AM

Very interesting stuff. Thanks I will be oing a lot more research.

The headsets do not have volume controls so that still works the same on yours.

We do have our GPS piped through the headsets and that works great. We connected it at the rear amnd it mutes the radio when it sounds. It really emulates the mics beening activated. We had to but in a resister to ensure there was no feedback to the GPS that would damage the GPS sound system

We rarely use the CB as we ride solo most of the time so that would be no big deal.

Worth the effort to keep the 97 and have nice tunes and directions. Hard to read a map on the bike when one is doing 70mph.

Ultra89Rider · 06-29-2006, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bussiemi

I am told by Harley that there was a major change in the 98 Ultra Classic that does notmake the upgrade to the CD 76146-04 radio possible. Major change means "major" to some but not insurmountable to others. Anyone here have any idea what the change was?

All you have been told

is just to get you to buy more from others.

I have been riding all of my life and on HD for over 30 years.

I have modified several and built a couple of customs. I am right now changing my 1989 Ultra to a 1998.

I have a carb so I used the 1997 main harness. I used the 1998 inner fairing and ultra overlay harness.

I have a 1998 Ultra radio with the rear speakers and center console. If you just change to the 1998 inner connect and Ultra overlay, you can change to the 1998 radio.

Harley will not tell you that. Just remenber that some of the switches need to be changed to the 1998 stuff.

To see what you need to change, get a 1998 parts catalog

and change to any part that has the -98 part number to be sure. I have changed to the under the transmission oil tank and under the seat battery as well as the complete front fairing.

Mine takes more to change than yours will take. Good luck and Ride Safe