Does Honda do Goldwing demo rides?

[Imapilot]

In the Philly area.  I was planning on a touring middle weight.  ie, st or connie.   But i had a friend mention to try the heavyweights ie. goldwing( already tried the Vulcan Voyager).  

Does Honda test ride the heavy bikes?

[Cablebandit]

Yup.  Just find a dealer and ask.

[spd2918]

Weight is not the issue- its the clearance, length, and suspension.

[Krellian]

Weight is not the issue- its the clearance, length, and suspension.

Comfort, smoothness, gadgets galore!
what have you rode before? ever rode a Wing?

[sleazy rider]

If you're in the market for a touring bike, put the wife on the back.  Guaranteed, you will own a Wing.

[The Shepherd]

I went to a Honda Powerhouse dealership and test rode a Wing for shits and giggles, it rocked!

I can see why people love those things. Buttery smooth and blasting AC/DC into the countryside, YEAHH!

[spd2918]

Comfort, smoothness, gadgets galore!
what have you rode before? ever rode a Wing?

My brother-in-law and I tour.  We sometimes swap bikes when bored and I enjoy with GL1800.  I might even own one down the road.  Everyone bitches about the weight but to me it is a non-issue.  The clearance, length, and suspension limit it for the type of riding I do.

That was the context of my post- that the weight is not biggie but the other issues are.

[sfalexi]

The gl1800 is an awesome awesome bike.  I was VERY VERY close to buying one.  I just felt uncomfortable with that size, weight and seat height for my "all around" bike (wasn't going to buy two bikes, so I needed a tourer AND commuter in one).  

Also, I was afraid I'd be breaking the law too often and/or kill myself.  It was REALLY REALLY easy to ride fast.

Alexi

PS - Wife loved the back.  But that's no surprise.

[ST-DocLizard1]

I test rode an GL1800 before I bought my ST1300. The dealership rule was just a copy of my license and to have it back by closing time. It was the good-looking yellow one and I enjoyed it all afternoon. If I was going to ride two-up, I would have bought the Wing.


Doc

[atadaskew]

Does Honda test ride the heavy bikes?

Just test drive a Honda Accord, but make sure all the windows are down.
Same sensation.

[Orson]

Honda bashing reported to moderators.

[atadaskew]

Honda bashing reported to moderators.

I wuz complimenting the Accord.

[Imapilot]

I test rode an GL1800 before I bought my ST1300. The dealership rule was just a copy of my license and to have it back by closing time. It was the good-looking yellow one and I enjoyed it all afternoon. If I was going to ride two-up, I would have bought the Wing.


Doc

Hey Doc,  What dealer in NJ was that?  i'm in the southern part.  But my local dealer told me they don't like to let the goldwings out to demo.  Makes em harder to sell he said.   So no go from them.


I have contemplated where we draw the line between motorcycle and car.  At some point( i believe its the Spyders)  you loose the soul of the motorcycle.

[sammyseaman]

Hey Doc,  What dealer in NJ was that?  i'm in the southern part.  But my local dealer told me they don't like to let the goldwings out to demo.  Makes em harder to sell he said.   So no go from them.


I have contemplated where we draw the line between motorcycle and car.  At some point( i believe its the Spyders)  you loose the soul of the motorcycle.

Oh shit! If this turns into a conversation about "soul" I predict 10 pages. Many Honda's have sold their soul  

[timbo813]

I have contemplated where we draw the line between motorcycle and car.  At some point( i believe its the Spyders)  you loose the soul of the motorcycle.

I believe it is when they lose the ability to lean.  Spyders and trikes are not motorcycles IMO.  (Yes, I know the law says differently.)   If I reach the point where I can't ride on two wheels, I will look at convertibles.  

[atadaskew]

But my local dealer told me they don't like to let the goldwings out to demo.  Makes em harder to sell he said.  

I think your dealer does not understand the purpose of demos..

My demo ride on my Wing 1800 back in 2002 made me buy the bike.  Waaaay better than the Valkyrie IS I rode in on.  So I traded.

[Imapilot]

I think your dealer does not understand the purpose of demos..

My demo ride on my Wing 1800 back in 2002 made me buy the bike.  Waaaay better than the Valkyrie IS I rode in on.  So I traded.

I guess at $27K they practically sell them selves sight unseen.............

[1KPerDay]

Many Honda's have sold their soul  

And many souls have sold their Hondas....

[1KPerDay]

 The clearance, length, and suspension limit it for the type of riding I do.

I don't see why the length would be an issue, but I agree about the others. After a while you self-calibrate your internal gimbals to "Goldwing lean" and it feels fast again.

[sleazy rider]

How are your engine guards holding up?  Mine had some rash on the bottom when I sold it.    I did end up putting new lower cowls on too.

[1KPerDay]

Guards are a bit squared but okay so far. The lowers might not fare so well

[Imapilot]

Mmm dragging hard parts.   That just screams safe situation  

[1KPerDay]

Have you ever ridden a GL18? No?

Then kindly piss off. You can drag hard parts making a left turn at an intersection.

[spd2918]

I don't see why the length would be an issue, but I agree about the others.

It, with rake, effects how quickly the bike drops in when turning.  There is a reason sport bikes have such a short wheelbase.

A met a guy in West Virginia that bumped up his rear tire height and modded the suspension to ride slightly higher.  He claimed a big improvement in the total lean angle.

[Imapilot]

Have you ever ridden a GL18? No?

Then kindly piss off. You can drag hard parts making a left turn at an intersection.

I don't quite understand the Jack ass commentary.  Why we turn a thread about potentially riding and buying a GL18 into a pissing contest is beyond me.  It must be a magical bike to give the people online the balls to run there mouths.  

IF at all possible to stay on topic anyone ELSE know...  How much lean angle do you get with the Wing?  One of the reasons we couldn't do the Voyager was the ground clearance.  it was easily scraping and making me swing wide in the intersections.  had to slow WAY down to turn.  Not something i was used to coming off 10 years of riding sport bikes.  generally, considered a safety issue for me if i get a decreasing radius turn and the bike has no more over to give.  

[Cablebandit]

Paging BigBird to the white courtesy phone.  

[Scratch33]

One more time!  

[Imapilot]

I have seen that video before but never really analyzed it.   Granted camera pincushining can lead to some error.  But it looks like those guys are pushing almost 35-40* of lean angle.  Impressive riding.  Think that is stock ground clearance.  I'm sure they post the stats on the angle somewhere just need some time to look it up.  But as as mentioned earlier,  the test ride is really what seals a deal.  

[1KPerDay]

I don't quite understand the Jack ass commentary.  Why we turn a thread about potentially riding and buying a GL18 into a pissing contest is beyond me.

you started it, genius....

[1KPerDay]

It, with rake, effects how quickly the bike drops in when turning.  There is a reason sport bikes have such a short wheelbase.

A met a guy in West Virginia that bumped up his rear tire height and modded the suspension to ride slightly higher.  He claimed a big improvement in the total lean angle.

Yeh, I'm running a higher profile rear and the suspension pumped all he way up. Helps a bit. I never felt the bike dropped in though. Very neutral.

[spd2918]

IF at all possible to stay on topic anyone ELSE know...  How much lean angle do you get with the Wing?

If I were you, I'd find one to rent in an area that you'd like to ride.  Renting gives you more time to bond with the bike and get to know its strengths and weaknesses.

[BigBird]

Paging BigBird to the white courtesy phone.  

The video of Yellow Wolf at Deal's Gap is with a stock suspended GL1800 and is filmed from a following stock suspended GL1800.  (He did LATER add the full Traxxion set up.)

The stock suspension has springs that are WAAAAY too soft - such that BOTH ends have sag in the range of ~50% thus limiting lean angle and making bottoming a constant threat.  I believe this is done to make showroom seat height LOW to help sales.    By running the adjustable rear setting at full high (25) a solo rider of avg weight can get the rear sag to around 35 or 40%.  This is probably what Yellow Wolf had in the video.

By simply changing front and rear springs, one can get the sag to the desired ~ 30% on both ends and substantially increase lean angle (and reduce bottoming).  This eliminates MOST of the dragging of belly pans, mufflers and crash guards, reduces peg dragging and improves ride substantially and can be done for a few hundred dollars in parts.

By changing the shock & spring and the cartridges and fork springs to Traxxion's set up (or probably to other company goodies) you can also gain greatly increased ride control (better damping and less harshness) and the bike becomes like a BIG Sport Touring bike that can do fairly well in the twisties even 2 up - or in our case 3 up  This is about $2K.  It is still heavy (especially 2 or 3 up) and you can't expect to do major mid-turn line corrections - but it will corner if you use the right line and can be made to keep up with most sport toruing bike/rider combinations in all conditions and I think it is a FUN ride (and GAIL & Bandit LOVE it).  (And you can even do this with your tandem mountain bike attached to the Bike Axle "Hitch" in the back)  

GL1800s are VERY reliable so there is no problem getting a used one 2001 up and saving big $.

IF you get one don't even THINK about NOT getting ABS!  This bike NEEDS it!

[spd2918]

Now you got me thinking I NEED one.  Thanks.        

[falconati]

What, your ST13 isn't heavy enough?  

[spd2918]

What, your ST13 isn't heavy enough?  

Weight is not an issue for me.    

[MDHCO]

Let me guess, you actually fire up the engine, throw a leg over, and ride?  

I suppose those, who spend a lot of time walking their bikes around the parking lot, find weight to be a real problem!

[Imapilot]

I will admit the weight really does not concern me as long as it carries it well.  I would have never thought a 680lb bike could be thrown around as easily as the Connie took too.  I do occasionally worry about that time you put you foot down on slick or gravel surface and it slips a bit.  Having to do an emergency catch could suck.  

[Cablebandit]

No such thing as an emergency catch on the Connie. When she decides to nap just get out of the way to avoid getting hurt. The C14 is also pretty top heavy. The wing seems to carry all it's weight about six inches off the ground.

[Justin]

I do occasionally worry about that time you put you foot down on slick or gravel surface and it slips a bit.  Having to do an emergency catch could suck.  

The Victory Vision seems to be pretty good in that regard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_OK-D5zW3M&feature=player_embedded

And when you are riding it you can't see how ugly it is  

[atadaskew]

The Wing handles much better than the Vision.  Feels like a much smaller bike.

[Justin]

The Wing handles much better than the Vision.  Feels like a much smaller bike.

Yes, but the Vision appears to fall over well

[atadaskew]

Yes, but the Vision appears to fall over well

It needs to.  It's much more top heavy and ungainly especially at low speeds.

[sfalexi]

Victory Vision FTW!!!

And I do NOT have trouble at low speeds.  And I don't think ANYONE would have trouble at low speeds on ANY bike.  It just takes learning the bike.

As for the handling, I cannot confirm nor deny it being worse than the goldwing.  I've ridden the goldwing, I own a vision, but haven't done them back to back close enough to make a decision.  The goldwing WAS easier to turn in, but the vision has a greater lean angle ......

[atadaskew]

As for the handling, I cannot confirm nor deny it being worse than the goldwing.  

I can

It's worse.

[sfalexi]

I figured it probably was, but for my riding (legal speeds), it works just fine.

Alexi

[atadaskew]

I figured it probably was, but for my riding (legal speeds), it works just fine.

Alexi

To be fair, I think that the Vision is a different kind of ride.  A more mellow, more stretched out (it is much roomier than a Wing) ride that should be compared to the Harley Eglide.

[sfalexi]

To be fair, I think that the Vision is a different kind of ride.  A more mellow, more stretched out (it is much roomier than a Wing) ride that should be compared to the Harley Eglide.

I think the Eglide is the exact market they were trying to go after.  Features, and riding position and whatnot.  The wing I guess would be best compared with the bmw LT (maybe the new bmw 1600?).  

Overall though, if you ride more sporty, you're probably much better off with a goldwing.  The vision suits my commuting much better than I think a goldwing would do, backseat comfort for a passenger I'd say is about equal, and I can have more fun on the vision and lean more than your "typical" cruiser (Eglide, Star motorcycle, etc), but probably not corner as fast as a goldwing or bmw.  

But don't worry about the slowspeed handling.  No issues here with it.  And if your feet slip for some reason (gravel, or you get surprised by a car and grab that front brake while in a slow turn   ), the tip-over guards work GREAT!  To the point where it will support the bike AND you on it so you can literally stay seated while it's on the tipover guards and get off at your leisure.

Alexi

FWIW, if I had the cash and I was a little taller, I would have gotten the goldwing.  However the vision does everything I need it to do with just as much comfort, is lower to the ground so I can reach easier (30" inseam), and I HATE having to look through a windshield, so an electric windshield is damned near a dealbreaker for me.  

[1KPerDay]

It's good to hear some first hand feedback.  

[atadaskew]

The e windshield is great on the Vision.  And I find it comfier than the Wing, crazy as that may sound.  I think it is partly due to the huge floor boards allowing you multiple foot placements.