radio flash
Novice
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 19
Likes: 6
From: Delaware
Speaking of radio flashing. I have a 2016 tri glide which I installed an auxiliary input cable. Made an appointment with my local dealer to have the radio flashed so that it would recognize the Aux input. I made the appointment and after telling the service representative what was to be done, I sat down and waited after looking at all the nice new bikes in the showroom. The service tech found me and asked what I wanted done. I explained to him exactly what I installed and that he needed to use the digital tech to turn on input number 3 so that the radio would see the Aux input and allow me to choose it. I should have seen the writing on the wall at that time. Older and not as fast as I was. After waiting for over 2 hrs the service tech informed me that they couldnt (or didnt know) how to do it.
they told me that they called Harley and were told that you couldnt do that. At this point I decided that the tech didnt know what he was attempting to do and probably didnt explain to Harley what he was trying to do.
I asked the service manager how they could work on bikes that were basically computers on wheels when they couldnt even flash a radio. He just told me that they didnt have any knowledge techs and were having lots of issues just working on current models.
Now Im stuck with finding a dealer who has a tech that knows what Im talking about.
ok my rant is done, thanks for listening.
they told me that they called Harley and were told that you couldnt do that. At this point I decided that the tech didnt know what he was attempting to do and probably didnt explain to Harley what he was trying to do.
I asked the service manager how they could work on bikes that were basically computers on wheels when they couldnt even flash a radio. He just told me that they didnt have any knowledge techs and were having lots of issues just working on current models.
Now Im stuck with finding a dealer who has a tech that knows what Im talking about.
ok my rant is done, thanks for listening.
Last edited by Bissj; Mar 18, 2024 at 09:28 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 5,749
Likes: 1,603
From: High Point, NC.
Speaking of radio flashing. I have a 2016 tri glide which I installed an auxiliary input cable. Made an appointment with my local dealer to have the radio flashed so that it would recognize the Aux input. I made the appointment and after telling the service representative what was to be done, I sat down and waited after looking at all the nice new bikes in the showroom. The service tech found me and asked what I wanted done. I explained to him exactly what I installed and that he needed to use the digital tech to turn on input number 3 so that the radio would see the Aux input and allow me to choose it. I should have seen the writing on the wall at that time. Older and not as fast as I was. After waiting for over 2 hrs the service tech informed me that they couldn’t (or didn’t know) how to do it.
they told me that they called Harley and were told that you couldn’t do that. At this point I decided that the tech didn’t know what he was attempting to do and probably didn’t explain to Harley what he was trying to do.
I asked the service manager how they could work on bikes that were basically computers on wheels when they couldn’t even flash a radio. He just told me that they didn’t have any knowledge techs and were having lots of issues just working on current models.
Now I’m stuck with finding a dealer who has a tech that knows what I’m talking about.
ok my rant is done, thanks for listening.
they told me that they called Harley and were told that you couldn’t do that. At this point I decided that the tech didn’t know what he was attempting to do and probably didn’t explain to Harley what he was trying to do.
I asked the service manager how they could work on bikes that were basically computers on wheels when they couldn’t even flash a radio. He just told me that they didn’t have any knowledge techs and were having lots of issues just working on current models.
Now I’m stuck with finding a dealer who has a tech that knows what I’m talking about.
ok my rant is done, thanks for listening.
Find an indy shop that can flash radios.
Novice
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 19
Likes: 6
From: Delaware
I added a Harley part, sold by Harley, sold by this dealer. There’s no reason not to flash. It’s not that they wouldn’t flash the radio, the reason they didn’t was because they didn’t know how.
Last edited by Bissj; Mar 18, 2024 at 12:53 PM.
Club Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,618
Likes: 10,437
From: Des moines IA
If you search older threads here, there are detailed instructions to have the dealer flash for the aux input. I did it back in 2015 or 16 on my bike. I brought my phone into the service area and read the post to the tech.
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Novice
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 19
Likes: 6
From: Delaware
Thanks, I did find many post regarding what the tech had to turn on (input #3) and to choose (Both) and that they should be able to Name the input. I told the tech when I dropped off the bike and gave him a copy of the directions for the Aux Input Kit, which told you that you needed to bring the bike to the dealer to have the radio flashed in order to have the ability to choose Aux when cycling through the inputs, ie Am, Fm, Weather, USB etc.
They had the bike for over 2 hrs and I could see the tech working on it with the digital tech on his lap. They told me that they were not able to access the inputs in order to turn them On. That they called Harley and who ever they talked to told them that they couldn’t do what they were trying to do. I can only assume that the tech didn’t do a good job of explaining to Harley what he was attempting to do. That’s where they left it. The service manager told me that his technicians were having lots of problems with the 2024 bikes also. I can only assume that this dealer doesn’t have knowledgeable technicians and that I’m going to have to find another dealer.
I know that they can do what I asked because they did it on my 15 Ultra. Of course that was years ago so perhaps that technician no longer works at this dealer.
Im going to call the next nearest dealer today and speak with them about this and make sure that the technician knows what and how to do the flash before I ride down.
I think that a dealer where I have purchased 5 bikes from didn’t seam to care about me and didn’t even tell me that they would look into it and get back to me.
I’ll just move on and find a new dealer who I assume will like my money and appreciate me buying my next bike from them.
I posted only to blow off steam and appreciate the responses that I received.
They had the bike for over 2 hrs and I could see the tech working on it with the digital tech on his lap. They told me that they were not able to access the inputs in order to turn them On. That they called Harley and who ever they talked to told them that they couldn’t do what they were trying to do. I can only assume that the tech didn’t do a good job of explaining to Harley what he was attempting to do. That’s where they left it. The service manager told me that his technicians were having lots of problems with the 2024 bikes also. I can only assume that this dealer doesn’t have knowledgeable technicians and that I’m going to have to find another dealer.
I know that they can do what I asked because they did it on my 15 Ultra. Of course that was years ago so perhaps that technician no longer works at this dealer.
Im going to call the next nearest dealer today and speak with them about this and make sure that the technician knows what and how to do the flash before I ride down.
I think that a dealer where I have purchased 5 bikes from didn’t seam to care about me and didn’t even tell me that they would look into it and get back to me.
I’ll just move on and find a new dealer who I assume will like my money and appreciate me buying my next bike from them.
I posted only to blow off steam and appreciate the responses that I received.
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Novice
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 19
Likes: 6
From: Delaware
Good and bad news regarding this issue.
First the bad: I called Harley, again and had to go through 3 people before I got a technician that knew what I was talking about and how to do it.
Now the good: I talked the dealership into attempting to flash the radio again armed with exactly what they had to do on the digital tech. The service manager was not convinced that it would work because of what the Harley Technician had told them but agreed to try again. 25 minutes later they told me that my bike was ready and that I now had Aux as an input and that Aux was now showing up as a choice when advancing through the choices with the mode switch.
It works as advertised. Sometimes its advantageous to be persistent.
First the bad: I called Harley, again and had to go through 3 people before I got a technician that knew what I was talking about and how to do it.
Now the good: I talked the dealership into attempting to flash the radio again armed with exactly what they had to do on the digital tech. The service manager was not convinced that it would work because of what the Harley Technician had told them but agreed to try again. 25 minutes later they told me that my bike was ready and that I now had Aux as an input and that Aux was now showing up as a choice when advancing through the choices with the mode switch.
It works as advertised. Sometimes its advantageous to be persistent.
Last edited by Bissj; Mar 22, 2024 at 08:16 AM.
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