Vinland, a supplier of large screen head units, will enter the market for Harley Davidson radios in May with some advanced features.
The company will offer an 8-inch Android-based radio that is one of the few Harley decks to support front and rear recording cameras with parking surveillance features.
Riders can use their cellphones to activate the cameras even when away from the motorcycle through an app. There is a GPS module in the radio that allows tracking via the app to see where the vehicle is and where it has been. Users may also set a geofence, so whenever the motorcycle is outside the range, users receive an alert on their phone.
The Rebel radio works with iDatalink Maestro RR or R2 interfaces to retain Harley factory features. It has a short chassis so an amplifier may be installed behind it, said Vinland’s Michael Cai.
“The Harley community is very interesting to us. Also, I think they are looking for radios with more features and better quality. As a community, they require high quality products, not just a price, so I think this is a market worth investing in for us,” said Cai.
The radio is waterproof and includes a QLED screen that is 1,000 nits bright to “work perfectly in sunlight,” said Cai. The radio uses a high end Snapdragon Qualcomm Octa-core processor and SIM card slot so users may connect to the internet and download apps for music, or camera apps for videotaping while riding. The radio supports 2014 and up Harley touring motorcycles.
Pricing is expected to be announced in April.
Karaoke Feature in New Tesla-Style Radios
Joining the new Harley Rebel radio is the Titan car radio series with Tesla-styled screens from 12 to 15 inches. The line of six models works with Ford F150s from 2015 to 2020, Ram trucks from 2018 to 2023, Chevy Silverados from 2019 to 2023, Ford Mustangs from 2015 to 2020, Ford Explorers from 2014 to 2018 and Chevy Suburbans from 2015 to 2020.
The radios are Android based with SIM cards and they include a Snapdragon octa-core fast processor, 6GB of RAM and 128 GB ROM. They support four recording cameras, including one that can be used for the cabin and another for a truck bed.
When playing music streamed over Bluetooth or an app, the radio can strip out the vocal track and retain the background music for car karaoke.
Start up time for the radios is 2 seconds.
The radios include dual Bluetooth modules for a cellphone connection or to add other Bluetooth devices such as an OBD2 device, game pad or ambient lights. The line supports 6th generation WiFi for a stable and fast signal.
The Titan series is expected to ship in late May to June at a retail price range of $900 to $1400.
