BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I own a 2008 R12RT and fitted an aftermarket radio but cannot for the life of me get any type of decent reception.



I grounded the antenna, and even added magnets all along the antenna wire as well as the radio power wire.  Still no joy.

Aftermarket AM/FM Radio - poor reception

Aftermarket AM/FM Radio - poor reception

Does anyone have any ideas I could try?  I hate to have wasted >$200 on a radio that barely
picks up any stations.  The bluetooth is working perfectly with my Sena, just little to no reception.

I was going to point you in the direction of another BMW forum, but I see that you have five pages of posts in quite a long thread.  You don't link to that thread so that folks here can read what has already been tried. You also make no mention that reception is/was acceptable with the engine off, but disappears with the engine on.


I do appreciate that you are most frustrated by this problem, but do you think that your post is entirely fair?

I was hoping, new audience, new ideas.

TexasMule wrote: I was hoping, new audience, new ideas.

I read the original thread through and discovered that you have already posted on a second forum (BMWOA).


I would add I have never heard of a Jensen radio on a European BMW. 


We get digital radio over here, and I had terrible reception problems until I created a antenna ground-plane out of aluminum foil.


I hope you find a fix.

beemerboy9 wrote:
I would add I have never heard of a Jensen radio on a European BMW. 


We get digital radio over here, and I had terrible reception problems until I created a antenna ground-plane out of aluminum foil.

As I stated, it's an aftermarket radio.

Tell me more about the ground-plane.  Does it need to be horizontal i.e. parallel to the ground?  My antenna is mounted
on a vertical axis.



See, new audience, new ideas. 

Off to research antenna ground planes.....

As I stated, it's an aftermarket radio.
Tell me more about the ground-plane. Does it need to be horizontal i.e. parallel to the ground? My antenna is mounted
on a vertical axis.

See, new audience, new ideas.
Off to research antenna ground planes.....

That aluminum box should be a super ground-plane, which is why I did not mention it.

After many months, and installing a Tune Trapper antenna in the fairing, I think I may have isolated the problem.

I'm running HIDs in both my headlights, and based on input from both Tune Trapper, and the Swedespeed forum, it appears that HIDs emit a tremendous amount of EMI noise that reduces reception.

This would explain why when I just turn on the bike (don't start) the radio works perfectly fine, but as soon as I start the bike and the HIDs fire up, reception is lost.

Now I just have to figure out how to "shield" the ballasts on the HIDs.

Any ideas John, you seem to be knowledgeable.

Instead of messing around trying to shield crappy HID ballasts, I just bought a set from XenonDepot.

They state;

Do you have a motorcycle CB or radio on your touring motorcycle? Xtreme motorcycle HID ballasts are especially equipped with EMI filters to ensure that our upgrade kit does not interference with any of your bike’s electrical components – unfortunately not the case with lower quality ballasts

and I definitely have some "lower" quality ballasts on the bike.

We'll see if this makes a difference.