SoundStream WHD.SG vs WHD.9813 vs SG.V2: Which Head Unit for 1998 to 2013 Batwing Touring?

Product Comparison · Harley Head Units

Upgrading the audio on a 1998-2013 Harley batwing Touring bike, SoundStream offers three purpose-built head units: the WHD.SG, the WHD.9813 and the SG.V2. Between them they cover the 2006-2013 Street Glide, the 1998-2013 Electra Glide and Ultra Classic, and applicable Ultra Limited and Tri Glide models. All three add wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and are genuine upgrades over the factory unit, but they suit different riders, and the price gap reflects real capability differences. This comparison breaks them down so you can pick the right one without second-guessing it later.

Written and technically reviewed by Nathan Ford, Motorcycle Audio Australia. Specifications verified against current SoundStream product listings. Last reviewed July 2026.

Quick Comparison

Fit and Form Factor

Start here, because it shapes everything else.

The WHD.SG fills the larger batwing fairing opening, spanning the full face of that panel. If you want the radio to make a visual statement and fill that space with a Street Glide-specific look, this is the unit. For riders who mainly want modern CarPlay and Android Auto in a large batwing display with dedicated buttons, without stepping into the full SG.V2 feature set, the WHD.SG makes a lot of sense.

The WHD.9813 fits in the factory radio opening, the same cutout as the original unit, edge to edge. It is compatible across Street Glide, Road Glide, Ultra and Electra Glide. If a clean factory-integrated look is the goal, or if you want one radio that works across multiple Harley platforms, the 9813 is the right fit.

The SG.V2 is a direct OEM-replacement for the 1998-2013 batwing Touring and batwing Ultra platform (Street Glide, Electra Glide, Ultra Classic, Ultra Limited and Tri Glide). It mounts in the factory location using OEM hardware, with no brackets or trim rings, and accepts the factory AM/FM antenna without adapters. Of the three, it is the most purpose-engineered for this platform, and the feature set reflects that.

Screen Size and Display Quality

Diagonal is the standard way to compare screens, but across these three it is genuinely misleading, because the panels are very different shapes. The WHD.9813 is an extreme widescreen, roughly three times as wide as it is tall. The WHD.SG is much closer to a conventional two to one. Two panels with a similar diagonal can therefore end up with very different usable area, and that is exactly what happens here.

Compared by area rather than diagonal, the order changes. The SG.V2 has the most screen of the three by a clear margin, at roughly 25 square inches. The WHD.SG is second at roughly 20 square inches. The WHD.9813 has the least, at roughly 17 square inches, despite carrying the larger 7.7 inch diagonal. In practical terms the WHD.9813 gives you around 15 percent less usable screen than the 7 inch WHD.SG, because its extra width is offset by how short the panel is.

All three at true relative scale. The WHD.SG and SG.V2 share a 225 mm faceplate that overhangs the opening; the WHD.9813 sits inside the 210 x 65 mm opening, so its face is chassis sized.

The SG.V2 is the largest display at 8.3 inches and the brightest at 1000 NITs. In direct Australian sunlight, the real-world test for any motorcycle display, that brightness matters significantly. It is also the only one of the three that is both wide and tall, which is why it comes out well ahead on area. The touchscreen is fast and responsive, and the format works well for navigation and media control alike.

The WHD.9813 has a 7.7 inch widescreen Quantum Film LCD, and it is the widest panel of the three. That wide, short shape is the trade-off for fitting inside the factory radio opening rather than overhanging it. It suits split-screen use well, with navigation alongside media, and gives good daylight readability, but it is the shortest panel here and the smallest by total area. In side-by-side comparisons it can appear slightly less bright than the SG.V2.

The WHD.SG has a 7 inch optically bonded QLCD. It carries the smallest diagonal of the three, but it is not the smallest screen: the taller, closer to two to one shape gives it more usable area than the 7.7 inch WHD.9813. Optical bonding puts the glass directly against the panel, which cuts glare and prevents condensation between the layers. The screen is narrower than the SG.V2's because the WHD.SG gives up width on both sides to its dedicated illuminated buttons, which is the trade-off for having physical controls on the same size faceplate.

Connectivity and Source Options

All three cover the same core sources:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired USB also available)
• AM/FM radio
• SiriusXM ready (SXV300 tuner sold separately; note SiriusXM is not available in Australia, but the hardware capability is present)
• Bluetooth audio and phone
• USB flash drive audio playback
• Backup camera input

Where the SG.V2 pulls significantly ahead:

iDataLink Maestro integration. With a Maestro RR2 module added, the SG.V2 displays up to 10 real-time digital gauges from 40-plus parameters (oil pressure, fuel level, engine temperature and more) directly on screen, with pop-up warnings, and makes the handlebar thumb controls fully programmable. Maestro integration is available on compatible 2009-2013 models, with exact availability varying by model and year. The SG.V2 installs and operates on 1998-2008 bikes, but CAN bus integration is not available on those years.

Built-in iGo Primo GPS navigation. The SG.V2 includes standalone GPS navigation that works independently of your phone, useful when you are out of cell range, with a magnetic-mount GPS antenna included. Australian maps are not pre-loaded and must be purchased separately via Naviextras.com. For most Australian riders, Apple Maps or Google Maps via CarPlay or Android Auto is the more practical day-to-day solution, with the built-in GPS as the off-phone backup. The WHD.SG and WHD.9813 do not have built-in navigation or a GPS antenna; they use phone-based navigation through CarPlay or Android Auto.

Wireless headset audio. The SG.V2 pairs up to two Bluetooth headsets, rider and passenger, for wireless audio, with no WHIM module required. Configure each headset to receive GPS navigation prompts, music, or both. This does not exist on the WHD.SG or WHD.9813.

Rally Mode. Broadcasts your audio stream to Rally Mode-equipped riders nearby, with unlimited riders able to pair to your stream. Useful for club runs and group touring. Not available on the other two radios.

Built-In Amplifier Power

All three radios have a built-in amplifier, and all three can drive upgraded fairing speakers directly. The manufacturer ratings are not expressed on an identical basis, so treat them as a guide rather than a like-for-like bench comparison:

• The WHD.SG has a 200W peak, 4-channel Class A/B amplifier, 2-ohm stable.
• The WHD.9813 has a 4-channel Class A/B amplifier, 2-ohm stable (no directly comparable peak figure is listed).
• The SG.V2 has a 200W, 4-channel Class D amplifier, 2-ohm stable.

In practice, most riders adding an external amplifier will bypass the internal amp and run through the 5V RCA preamp outputs, which all three radios include for front, rear and subwoofer. But for a solid single-unit upgrade without adding a separate amp, any of the three can drive an upgraded front stage on their own. When you are ready to go further: Cicada Audio amplifiers for Harley Touring.

Sound Control

All three radios include proper audio control: digital EQ, independent front and rear high-pass crossovers, subwoofer output control, and 5V RCA preamp outputs for front, rear and subwoofer. The difference is how much EQ control each gives you.

The WHD.SG has a 13-band EQ with plus or minus 12 dB of adjustment and one custom EQ slot alongside presets.

The WHD.9813 and SG.V2 both step up to a 15-band EQ with two custom EQ slots, so you can store separate profiles for different content or riding conditions. All three offer independent front and rear crossovers, letting you set different high-pass points for different speaker sizes. If you are running an external amplifier with its own crossovers (the recommended approach for any serious build), you will likely set crossovers at the amp, but the head-unit crossovers remain useful for system-level control.

A practical note on EQ presets across all three: the presets tend to boost the signal more than is useful at higher volumes. The custom EQ slots are what you will actually use for day-to-day tuning.

Controls and Interface

The WHD.SG has dedicated illuminated (phantom) buttons around the screen for functions like volume, home, the CarPlay/Android Auto shortcut, day/night mode and settings, alongside the touchscreen. If you like finding controls by position rather than hunting on a screen, this is the most straightforward of the three.

The WHD.9813 moves functions to a hidden on-screen panel accessed by tapping the SoundStream logo: volume, brightness, mode, pairing, settings and mute, plus a large clock display. No dedicated buttons, but a gain in screen real estate. It adds programmable long-press handlebar controls: through the settings menu, assign each long press to home, CarPlay/Android Auto, radio source or camera input, with no external module required.

The SG.V2 is touchscreen-based and retains the OEM handlebar controls, which become fully programmable through iDataLink Maestro integration (compatible 2009-2013 models), giving a deeper level of control than the other two when running the Maestro module.

All three include built-in handlebar control integration with no additional module required, and an IPX5-rated faceplate. Standard pre-programmed functions are the same across all three: volume, track, station, source and mute.

Installation Notes

All three are plug-and-play replacements using the original harness connectors, and each includes a USB cable that can be routed through the fairing. Only the SG.V2 includes a GPS antenna, a magnetic-mount unit for its built-in iGo navigation that routes into the fairing; the WHD.SG and WHD.9813 use phone-based navigation and do not include a GPS antenna.

If you are on a pre-2006 bike with factory rear speakers, check the rear speaker connector before purchasing: these radios use the newer, larger connector and may require an adapter on older bikes.

For amplifier compatibility (Harman/Kardon replacement and MTX retention), see the factory amplifier note near the top of this comparison. Contact MAA if you are unsure which amplifier your bike has.

Which One Is Right for You?

The simplest rule: the WHD.SG for the big batwing look with dedicated buttons; the WHD.9813 for the sharper screen, extra EQ control and broad platform fit; the SG.V2 when you want everything, GPS, Maestro gauges, wireless headsets, Rally Mode and the flagship build, in a single unit.

WHD.SG, right for you if:

• You want the large-format screen filling the Street Glide batwing fairing
• You prefer dedicated illuminated buttons alongside the touchscreen
• You want modern CarPlay/Android Auto without stepping into the full SG.V2 feature set

WHD.9813, right for you if:

• You want the factory-opening fit with a large, sharp screen
• You want a 15-band EQ with two custom slots
• You want programmable long-press handlebar controls
• You may be fitting this radio across different Harley platforms

SG.V2, right for you if:

• You want the largest, brightest screen of the three
• You want built-in GPS navigation that works off-phone (Australian maps sold separately)
• You want iDataLink Maestro integration for digital gauges and advanced handlebar programming (compatible 2009-2013 models)
• You want wireless headset audio for rider and passenger without a WHIM module
• You want Rally Mode for group rides

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

• SoundStream WHD.9813 vs WHD.RG: Which Head Unit for Your 1998-2013 Road Glide?
• Stock Harley Radio vs Aftermarket Head Units
• Upgraded Your Harley Head Unit? Here's What to Do Next
• What Is Apple CarPlay and What Can It Do?

Motorcycle Audio Australia. Sound That Rides.