Two Serious Radios for the Same Platform — But They're Not the Same Radio
If you're upgrading the audio on a 1998–2013 Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Soundstream's Reserve lineup gives you two purpose-built options: the WHD.9813 and the WHD.RG. Both are engineered specifically for the 1998–2013 Road Glide and older Harley-Davidson Touring platform. Both include wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, handlebar control integration and 5V RCA outputs. Both are genuinely good radios.
But they're not interchangeable, and the right choice comes down to what you're after. This comparison breaks down the differences clearly — fitment, screen, controls, sound processing — so you can pick the right one for your 1998–2013 Road Glide radio upgrade without second-guessing it later.
The Core Difference: Fitment and Visual Style
This is the first thing to understand, because it affects everything else.
The WHD.9813 drops into the factory radio opening — the same hole as the original unit, edge to edge. It fits the Road Glide, Street Glide, Ultra Limited, and Electra Glide. If you want the cleanest factory-style fit, or if you're not on a Road Glide specifically, this is the unit.
The WHD.RG is built specifically for the Road Glide shark nose fairing. It's a larger, oval-format screen that fills the entire face of that fairing opening — not just the radio cutout. The result is a more aggressive, Road Glide-specific look that's immediately distinctive. If the visual transformation of the shark nose is what you're after, this is the unit.
Neither is a compromise — they're designed for different priorities.
Screen Size and Resolution
Despite the WHD.RG appearing physically larger, the WHD.9813 has the bigger screen by diagonal measurement — 7.7 inches versus the WHD.RG's 7 inches.
The WHD.9813 uses the highest-resolution display Soundstream has put into a Harley radio at this form factor. It shares the screen technology with the V2 and SGV2 models — and it's the first radio of this size, fitting in the factory opening, to be certified for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at that resolution. The practical result is a sharper, smoother CarPlay and Android Auto experience than you'll find in a radio that fits the same opening.
In terms of glare: the WHD.RG screen can appear slightly brighter indoors, but the WHD.9813 uses a notably less reflective panel. In direct sunlight — where it actually matters on a moving motorcycle — the anti-reflective coating on the 9813 is a meaningful real-world improvement. If you've dealt with glare on a Road Glide screen when the sun is over your shoulder, this is worth factoring in.
Layout-wise, the wider WHD.9813 displays five CarPlay icons across, while the taller WHD.RG shows four. Minor difference, but worth knowing if you navigate across apps regularly.
Source Options and Connectivity
Both radios cover the same core sources:
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — wireless or wired via USB
- AM/FM radio
- Sirius XM ready (SXV300 tuner required, sold separately)
- Bluetooth audio and phone
- USB flash drive audio playback
- Backup camera input (wired and wireless supported)
One practical note on Sirius XM: if you're already connected via CarPlay or Android Auto, running the SiriusXM app through your phone will give you better sound quality than the hardware tuner — and it won't cost anything extra if you're already a SiriusXM subscriber on another vehicle.
Controls and Interface
The WHD.RG has physical hard buttons for volume, home, CarPlay/Android Auto shortcut, voice assistant, power, daytime/nighttime mode, EQ access, phone pairing and settings. If you prefer tactile controls you can find without taking your eyes off the road, this is the better experience.
The WHD.9813 moves most functions to a hidden on-screen panel accessed by tapping the Soundstream logo — volume, brightness, mode, phone pairing, settings, power and mute — plus a large clock display that's a specific request from some riders. The trade-off is no hard buttons, but the screen real estate gain is significant.
Both radios include built-in handlebar control integration — no additional modules required. They're sealed and IPX marine rated at the controller, so water ingress is a non-issue. Standard pre-programmed functions include volume, track, station, source and mute.
The WHD.9813 adds one useful feature: programmable long-press actions on the audio and mode select handlebar buttons. Through the settings menu — no computer or external module required — you can assign each long press to home screen, CarPlay/Android Auto, radio source or camera input. If you have a backup camera and want fast access to it, or just want a quicker path back to a specific source, this is a practical addition. The WHD.RG does not have this feature.
Sound Control
Both radios include balance/fader, digital EQ, high-pass and low-pass crossover filters, and subwoofer output control (level, crossover point and phase).
EQ: The WHD.RG has a 13-band EQ with ±12 dB of adjustment and one custom EQ slot alongside presets. The WHD.9813 steps up to a 15-band EQ — matching the V2 platform — and offers two custom EQ slots. This means you can store separate profiles, for example one for music and one for spoken audio, without rebuilding your settings each time. The preset EQs on both radios boost the signal more than is useful at higher volumes, so the custom slots are what you'll actually use.
Crossovers: On the WHD.RG, the high-pass filter is global — front and rear speakers share the same crossover point. On the WHD.9813, front and rear crossovers are independent. If you're running different speaker sizes front and rear, this lets you set appropriate crossover points for each without compromise. If you're adding an external amplifier with its own onboard crossovers — which is the right approach for any serious build — you'll be setting crossovers at the amp anyway, which reduces the practical impact of this difference.
Button lighting: The WHD.RG allows you to change the colour of its physical buttons. The WHD.9813 has no buttons, so this setting instead controls the background display theme.
Both radios include 5V RCA preamp outputs for front, rear and subwoofer — the correct foundation for adding an external amplifier.
Shared Features Worth Knowing
- IPX5 marine rated — sealed in all directions. Rain and bike washing are not concerns.
- Plug-and-play installation — unbolt the factory radio, bolt this in, connect to the existing harness. No cutting or splicing required.
- Both radios ship with a replacement USB port for fairing access and a GPS antenna for improved navigation accuracy when out of cell range. The antenna requires installation in the fairing — it's included but not plug-and-play.
- 2Ω and 4Ω speaker compatible — works with factory or aftermarket speakers directly.
- Both radios measured just over 20W RMS per channel in testing. That's a solid result for a head unit — well above the factory radio — but it's still a significant step below a proper amplified system. If your goal is clear, undistorted audio at 100 km/h with a helmet on, an external amplifier is the next real step. Both radios provide 5V RCA outputs specifically for this purpose. See: Cicada Audio amplifiers for Harley Touring.
- Custom backgrounds can be loaded via USB on both models.
- Pre-2006 bikes with factory rear speakers may require a connector adapter — the radio uses the newer, larger rear speaker connector.
Which One Should You Choose?
The simplest rule: choose the WHD.RG if you want the Road Glide-specific look with the screen filling the entire shark nose, and you prefer physical hard buttons. Choose the WHD.9813 if you want the sharper screen, independent front/rear crossovers, dual custom EQ slots and programmable handlebar controls.
WHD.RG — right for you if:
- You want the Road Glide-specific oval screen filling the entire snout
- You prefer physical hard buttons over on-screen controls
- Your system is straightforward and one custom EQ slot is sufficient
WHD.9813 — right for you if:
- You want the factory-opening fit with maximum screen resolution
- Screen clarity and anti-glare performance in direct sunlight matter to you
- You want independent front/rear crossovers and dual custom EQ slots
- You want programmable long-press handlebar controls
- You're building a more complex system and want maximum onboard DSP capability from the head unit
Both are well-built radios. Soundstream has been producing Harley-specific audio long enough that fit, finish and integration are solved problems on either model. The decision comes down to the look you want and how much audio control you need at the head unit level.
View both units: Soundstream WHD.9813 · Soundstream WHD.RG · Full Soundstream Reserve range