Considering the Dark Side

[hlothery]

I would like to start this thread with a thank you to all of you with which I have communicated on this Forum over the 4 years I have been a member. I hope to continue to be allowed to do so for the remainder of my membership, and possibly beyond. The amount of shared knowledge and willingness to help each other here is priceless.....one cannot overestimate it's value. Why so melodramatic? I am negotiating the purchase of a 2009 Goldwing. Will be trading in my beloved RT as part of the package. I know this is considered blasphemy by many, but I suspect many of those have never ridden a Wing.......my mistake was doing so. My reasons also include the fact that I pull a trailer and can always use the extra torque, and I almost always ride two-up, and my wife will be much more comfortable on the Wing. Anyway....do not wish to start a litany of Honda vs BMW comments. Just wanted to thank you all for the help and fellowship over the past few years, and to let you know why you will be hearing less from me in the coming months.

Ride safe and be well.:wave

[jamesdunn]

I wish you many great rides on your new bike. It seems the right machine for you and your significant other and will serve you well.

[108625]

"You meet the nicest people on a Honda", as their ad used to say.
I wouldn't call it the dark side; perhaps "The Rising Sun Side". Anyway, I'm there too (VFR 800).

I'm still a member of BMWMOA and my local BMW club, where "we don't care what you ride" is the attitude. Our recently retired club president is riding an ST 1300 now. Gold Wings, V-Stroms, KLRs, and even Burgmans and Silver Wings are becoming more common at our lunch get-togethers.

Excluding someone because they changed brands only deprives you one more friend.
As far as I'm concerned; if we pay our dues, we can stick around as long as we want.

:bikes

[Mika]

Ride safe and enjoy the new ride!

:bikes and you.

[Semper_Fi]

I went the other way from Wing to RT.

Main reason is that my wife wanted to ride her own bike.

That said we had wonderful times on the Wing - several round trips to Nova Scotia pulling a trailer - not an issue.

Did have the wife fall asleep in the back a couple of times.

It's not what you ride, it is that you ride.

One suggestion, if you are not aware of it already, is do the Traxxion Dynamics suspension upgrade.

Front and rear - completely transformed the bike and it's handling.

Here is the link

http://traxxion.com/hondagoldwing.aspx

[SugarHillCTD]

WHEW!

When I read this topic, I thought you were REALLY going there....the Dark Side.

Google: motorcycle going to the dark side

and see what that turns up.

On many large motorcycle forums there are those that (according to them) successfully used an automobile tire on the rear wheel. That is commonly known as the "Dark Side"


But you are moving over to a GW? Congrats. Best of luck- very nice machine. Many happy miles with it. But no reason to stop contributing here-

[henzilla]

Hugh,
No comments other than enjoy the Wing...we ride with a few on occasion and the passenger is always smiling. We had one fellow that rode it like a sportsbike...amazingly! They only seem to be getting better from what I have seen.
Don't be a stranger and let us know what's going on

Steve

[Easy]

No reason to leave. Even Knary still hangs around, and he rides a motorcycle the name of which can not be pronounced in seven languages.

We enjoy your comments, stick around.

Easy :german

[Visian]

Ride safe and be well.:wave

wow, i guess you're older than i thought you were. :ha

seriously, i think the goldwing is one of the world's best motorcycles. i was given the chance to buy a low-milage, nicely-farkled (traxxion suspension, among other things) sample and i don't think i've ever heard my wife say "yes" so fast in my life! (biggest mistake i ever made was renting a wing out west and touring with her.)

i passed on it (no garage space), but i hope you enjoy your ride.

don't forget the matching silk jackets with your names embroidered and the GPS file with all the ice cream shop waypoints. :burnout

ian

[Oldhway]

I have ridden a wing, very nice. I think they still have 2 wheels?

Hugh, stay in touch and don't give up the forum folk here, we would miss you.

Steve

[hlothery]

As usual, this forum remains awesome.....I didn't know exactly what to expect from this announcement. I am very pleased that you all are accepting of my decision, which I believe to be the right one for me and my wife. I would like to hang around, if you will continue to have me.

Thanks for the support.

Ian.....do you have a website for those jackets?:nyah

I'll definitely check out the traxxion. (Wow, even great info on Goldwings on this site!)

[Rod Sheridan]

Hugh, congratulations on your new purchase, I hope you enjoy it very much.

I have always valued your insight, comments and humour on this forum.

Please continue to be a member, and post frequently.

Regards, Rod.

[mistercindy]

I was a Honda rider for years, and I'll not blame anyone for choosing a Honda. I learned how to ride on a beat up '74 CB360 held together with coat hangers (but it still ran). My first bike was a used '78 CB400T Hawk (damn near bullet proof). My most recent Honda was a '94 CB1000 - "The Big One," as they called it in Europe. Heckuva machine. A big-'ole standard seating musclebike along with Yamah's V-Max and Ducati's beautiful M900. Only sold in America for two years but still popular in Europe and Asia.

These days I wouldn't by a 'Wing. Not because its a Honda, but I don't want the weight, I never ride two-up, and I never use a trailer. For the same reasons I wouldn't buy a K12LT, either (is BMW ever going to update the K12LT? :dunno). But if I were looking at a sport touring machine, Honda's ST1300 would be on my list, right next to the R1200RT and Yamaha's FJR1300. I'll tell you what, though, if my wife ever showed an interest in riding two up for long distances I'd darn sure look at a Goldwing. My uncle owns one and loves it. He rode it for a couple of years then noticed that his balance isn't what it used to be, so he got it customized into a beautiful trike. Now he's back on the road!

I'd really like to see Honda's Transalp back in the U.S. of A. That's another great Honda that was only sold here for a couple of years, but the rest of world still buys them. With the ever-increasing popularity in America of enduro bikes (GS, V-stroms, KTM, KLR, etc...), I keep expecting Honda to bring it back. Sigh.... Europe gets so many great machines that we never see.

Good luck on the 'Wing!

[PAULBACH]

Be sure to join up with the Gold Wing chapter. I am a member of one in upstate New York even though I do not own a GW. They let me hang out for the ice cream runs every Wednesday night.

So one evening I show up with my ST1300 and someone makes the comment, "Hey what happened to the Beemer?" They liked the K75RT better than the ST. :laugh

Keep stopping by and say "howdy" from time to time. And, come on up to Americade and join all the GWs up here.

Paul

[Visian]

I'll definitely check out the traxxion. (Wow, even great info on Goldwings on this site!)

if you drive a porsche, you're going to want that traxxion upgrade. in addition to cartridge forks and shocks, there are fork braces, steering head bearings, a bunch of goodies that will make your wing handle with real authority, even two-up with luggage.

http://traxxion.com/hondagoldwing.aspx (watch the video linked from that page)

ian

[glennhendricks]

Could be a Scott Flying Squirrel.


Just because I don't want a Wing for myself doesn't mean I can't enjoy someone else's enjoyment of their ride.

I hope you have a long an pleasant partnership with the Wing. It is kinda like seeing an old Camero SS. I was and am a Ford guy, I'd take a Mustang every time but I still appreciated the SS. Enjoy the Wing and I'll keep waving at them just in case one of them is you.

[Oldhway]

Several years ago one of the magazines had a feature on a wing that was customized for Honda to give to some guy who rode an old wing around the world. I know that's damned ambiguous, but hopefully someone will remember it. I think it was Rider magazine that did the article. It may have been Dennis Berg who did the custom. Anyway, it was one of the most beautiful bikes I ever saw, with blacked out lights and a rich black paint job.

Anyway, there sure are some great things you can do to one of those things.. enjoy.

[Rich]

Honda makes great products! Good luck and enjoy yours.

[108625]

Several years ago one of the magazines had a feature on a wing that was customized for Honda to give to some guy who rode an old wing around the world. I know that's damned ambiguous, but hopefully someone will remember it. I think it was Rider magazine that did the article. It may have been Dennis Berg who did the custom. Anyway, it was one of the most beautiful bikes I ever saw, with blacked out lights and a rich black paint job.

Anyway, there sure are some great things you can do to one of those things.. enjoy.

This would be that guy:

http://www.emilioscotto.com/home.html

"Emilio travelled on his Honda Goldwing 735,000 km (457,000 miles), through 214 countries and territories, starting on 17 January, 1985 to 2nd of April, 1995. He has had many adventures, arrested for spying, imprisoned six times, encountered cannibals and contracted malaria." (I cut & pasted the caption.)

[glennhendricks]

Must have been Sturgis.

[SIBUD]

I thought you were getting a K bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like everyone else, who cares what you ride. Different bikes for different folks. It's all good. :bikes

Of course, we expect to see a pic soon as well as the first ice cream ride report.:wave

[hlothery]

Did think about a K12LT......wish I knew what the plans for that bike were. :dunno :scratch

I never knew about this ice cream thing.......but I do love ice cream!!!:heart

Should finalize the deal today.......debating the farkles, etc. The RT has been a wonderful bike, wish I had room in the garage for two, but no way. :(

I'll post a pic when I'm all done.

[tessler]

Best of luck with the new Wing, Hugh. Sounds like a real peach of a ride. :thumb

(I like Honda a lot; I own one of their Acuras and have been very happy with it. They make great stuff!)

[jforgo]

Based on your two up touring and towing usage, you would have to be nuts to not look at the Gold Wing. And, based on such usage, anything less than 100% faith in the final drive would seem to ultimately be a deal breaker. The Wings have a deserved reputation for being bulletproof.
If I were looking for a two up and towing touring machine, I would also look at the Rocket 3, Honda ST and Valkyrie, the new Victory tourer, as well as suitably accessorized mega Vtwins from Suzuki and Kawasaki. And, no, I did not accidentally forget the two most "legendary" marques on this list.
Brand faithfulness serves corporations, not riders. As I often say, if you cant ride for a day doing the sort of riding you prefer, and step off the bike with a big smile, you bought the wrong machine. If you additionally want to run lots of miles into Timbuktu and back, unquestioned reliability must support that big smile.

[hlothery]

Just closed the deal on a new (but 2008) Wing with Nav and ABS. They are adding farkles like armrests, auxillary lights, trailer hitch and wiring. Have to get my helmets rewired. Hope to pick it up today.

Woooohooooo!!



PS will have a used Baehr intercom for sale if anyone is interested.

[jforgo]

I you don't mind me asking....what's the other one???

Harley-Davidson

[bubbagazoo]

Congrats on the new bike, Hugh. Nothing wrong with a Gold Wing. I have considered a GW once or twice myself. They, however, are a bit outside of my budget.

Enjoy the new bike. And remember -- a bike that is not being ridden is an unhappy motorcycle.

[TexanRT]

I never knew about this ice cream thing.......but I do love ice cream!!!:heart Should finalize the deal today.......debating the farkles, etc.

I'll post a pic when I'm all done.

I've owned two wings and loved them both -- dependable rides. But mine were both long before GPS so I didn't have the Dairy Queen waypoints either. :) Do post some photos and ride reports -- I'd love to hear your impressions of the ride.

Check out youtube for this example of spirited wing riding on the Dragon.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

[hlothery]

I've owned two wings and loved them both -- dependable rides. But mine were both long before GPS so I didn't have the Dairy Queen waypoints either. :) Do post some photos and ride reports -- I'd love to hear your impressions of the ride.

Check out youtube for this example of spirited wing riding on the Dragon.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

Wow.....what a video!!

Pick mine up in about 30 minutes.:bolt

[hlothery]

Here it is......

[108625]

You're both smiling, and you did your part for the economy, too. Win-Win all round!:usa

[Visian]

Here it is......

looks like momma likes! :nod

(my fave color, too...)

you need matching jackets.

[hlothery]

looks like momma likes! :nod

(my fave color, too...)

you need matching jackets.

She does, indeed. I have a service appointment on the 8th for the installation of farkles - trailer hitch and light hookup, armrests for Momma, driving lights. I'm searching their parts catalogue for the ice cream cup holder.........man those silk jackets are stylish, maybe a dragon, or an eagle....:dunno:laugh:laugh

[hlothery]

I have one funny story, and then I'll shut up about my Wing. Did all the dealer visits, phone calls, negotiations, etc. Settled on a price for Wing and RT trade-in. Went out at lunch to get on the (now empty) RT to go make the trade, and turned on the switch. EWS. Couldn't believe it. I had put both keys together on the key ring, so thought that might be the cause. Moved the spare key to my pocket and tried to start it again........it started. Drove straight to the dealer to make the trade, with fingers crossed.


Hope it started for them.

[henzilla]

Great Hugh!

That's quite the cruise machine for sure

still laughing about the EWS... glad it reset!

[535is]

I never knew about this ice cream thing.......but I do love ice cream!!!:heart
Oh, jeez, how could you not know the major cultures of motorcycling?

Gold Wings ride from Dairy Queen to Dairy Queen.

HOGs ride from bar to bar.

Sport bikes ride from Starbucks to Starbucks.

BMWs ride from campground to campground - as long as it's at least half a continent away.

[hlothery]

I am definitely aberrant to this point.

2003 Road King - do not drink and ride (OK, maybe one occasionally)

2005 RT - quit camping when I retired from the Army in 1994. Wife thinks roughing it is a Holiday Inn.

2008 Goodwing - I think I may have finally found my niche!!!:laugh

[535is]

Oh, jeez, how could you not know the major cultures of motorcycling?
Just remembered the winter variations:
Gold Wings ride from Dairy Queen to Dairy Queen.
In winter, they all go to Florida.
HOGs ride from bar to bar.
In winter, they all use a Ski-Doo instead.
Sport bikes ride from Starbucks to Starbucks.
In winter, they use a Honda with a Fart Cannon© exhaust.
BMWs ride from campground to campground - as long as it's at least half a continent away.
In winter, they plug in the vest ...

[Rpbump]

Nothing wrong with a "taste" for other rides. I'm considering an RT, 2007 or newer for my next ride. Presently own a 2004 CLC and a 1996 Sporster. The new Triumph Thunderbird is also on my list of bikes I'd like to ride.
Ride Safe :usa :usa :bikes

[Oldhway]

Here it is......


Great looking bike Hugh... do they only come in gold?

Nice picture of you and your daughter too.... :whistle

[hlothery]

Great looking bike Hugh... do they only come in gold?

Nice picture of you and your daughter too.... :whistle

As if..........:laugh

Flattery will get you everywhere with her..........you might even get another glass of wine!

[tessler]

That's a sweet ride, Hugh! Congratulations and enjoy. :thumb

[hlothery]

Thanks everyone.....appreciate the responses. Someone asked for my riding impressions. Comparisons to the RT is like comparing apples and oranges, IMHO. The bikes are just different. The Wing riding position is substantially lower, and there is a nice backrest built into the driver's seat. The Wing balances very well for a bike of such weight, it handles very well in slow speed maneuvering....I have had no problems adapting.

It has all the amenities, stereo with integrated Nav, which works very much like (and as well as) my Zumo. The intercom is clearer than the Baehr I had on the RT, and the stereo is very audible in the helmet speakers at 70mph. You have the option of switching between the headsets and the speaker system. It has an auxillary input which can be used for an MP3 or a satellite radio. It has a weather radio built in.

The engine is awesome... with fantastic torque, quiet, smooth, and powerful. The mirrors do not vibrate. I like the sound. You don't have to plan a parking spot as much, since you can back out with the electric reverse if you need to.

It corners very well......I'm still getting used to it, but you can be very aggressive, and the Wing handles it well. The suspension is a little stiffer than the RT, but I am still playing with the adjustments (which are electric) and may be able to remedy that with time.

There is tons of storage, various cubby holes. The trunk and side cases hold at least as much as the RT, probably more.

The headlight is adjustable with the turn of a dial, for loaded riding.

It has warm air vents for your feet and knees for cold weather riding....wish I had had that in Red River last week. I like the 5 speed better than the 6 speed. Of course, heated seats, grips and cruise control. There is a vent in the windshield, which gives good airflow when open, and becomes a defogger when closed. The windshield is adjustable, but not electrically.

My wife thinks the back seat is awesome....a real plus for two-up riding. Not often do you find a passenger seat more comfortable than the driver seat.

So, initial impressions are that I made the right choice for the way we ride. Nothing against the RT....a great bike which took us on many adventures. I hated to see it go.

[lagator]

Did you get the "auto wave" option?:D Congratulations on the new ride. Hope ya'll have many happy and comfortable rides ahead.

[Oldhway]

Hey Hugh, Check out the golf club bag...

Just what you need

[108625]

That's nothing; take a look at this:

http://retriever-na.com/

[hlothery]

Hey Hugh, Check out the golf club bag...

Just what you need

That's awesome......I want one!!!

[hlothery]

That's nothing; take a look at this:

http://retriever-na.com/

Unbelievable!