Just picked up my bike after having some mods done. I removed the shorty and installed the new HD Boom hidded antenna. Worth noting, I live about 10 minutes from NYC. The reception is great with FM, AM and WB. Very pleased with results.
Pics to follow shorty, also installed Yaffe plate and hid the 2 point docking. I ride solo most of the time. Really happy wih the simple clean look.
Living very close to a major city makes a huge difference. I can get decent reception here near Chicago with a bent coathanger. A much better test would be to take the full size whip antenna, the shorty antenna, and the hidden antenna out in the boondocks far from a big city and compare reception. Under those conditions, unless something magical has changed in the past few years since I last experienced a hidden antenna, I'd guess your results would be different.
Anyhow, if you're happy, and you never plan to use the radio while traveling across some wide open spaces, it's all good. Don't throw the old antenna away though; you never know, you might wind up moving to Wyoming or Montana some day.

Jerry