| Goldwing VS Harley Electra Glide | Rate Topic |
| Moderators: redbaron, MDKramer, Flyone, AZgl1500 | Page: 1 2 3   |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 03:06 am | 1st Post |
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Hi all I am a complete novice that loves Goldwings. I'm told they rule for long distance riding and Harley's are the bike of choice for around town for fun riding. I don't see myself going over the road on long distance rides so Im not sure the Goldwing is the best choice? Also I don't own a garage so my bike will be driveway kept and hopefully stored indoors for winter. Any reccomendations and pros and cons on both bikes will be very helpful to me. Experienced riders opinions are very welcomed! Thanks KB
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 05:44 am | 2nd Post |
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Just my opinion on Harleys, hope nobody takes offense. Some of the reasons I would never buy a Harley. 1) Too noisy 2) They vibrate too much and are not mechanically reliable 3) The seating position is not comfortable (pegs are too far forward, putting too much weight on the spine) 4) Far too expensive for such a simple bike 5) Too many ride them these days to look 'cool' or 'bad-a**' - to me they look like yuppies dressed up as pirates - makes me want to laugh 6) Most of these groups (usually a bunch of them together) don't take safety very seriously. Reasons to buy a Goldwing. 1) Less expensive than a Harley for a much more refined and reliable bike 2) Did I say reliable? Yep - Goldwings are pretty darn reliable and trouble-free 3) Much, much more comfortable than most Harleys 4) More practical than a Harley 5) If you ever did want to take up touring, it's what the Goldwing was designed for. It does it admirably. 6) You'll be seen as a much more refined, safe, and experienced rider on a Goldwing - seems to have that aura. 7) Predictable, balanced, and precise handling - not sportbike-like, but pretty good nonetheless. 8) Handles two-up riding pretty darn well. This is because much of the weight of the bike is forward because of the engine placement. Weight on the rear doesn't alter the handling as much. 9) Smooth and quiet, and more power than most Harleys. 10) You'll get to use this forum (and others), and Goldwing people are some of the nicest on the planet. Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2004 06:35 am by axelwik ____________________ Marco, Albuquerque, NM '77 GL1000 (sold) '08 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 '99 Ducati 900ss '97 Honda XR650L |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 08:05 am | 3rd Post |
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I have to agree with axelwik, my ex mother in-law has own Harley for years and her biggest bitch is the repair bill. She always says the same "cost 100.00 just to have them look at it". She also has the leather B.S. and tattoos. (a leather cloth granny..... just not too sexy for some reason) The other thing that bugs me is, if you want the Harley look, Honda and Yamaha's have plenty of bikes with the old 40's look and they're a lot cheaper. I also notice that most Harley riders have respect for Goldwing riders. It seems they look at your "cc's" more than the name. Good luck
____________________ Take baby steps first when checking a problem. Check the fuses first then go to the big stuff. |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 08:30 am | 4th Post |
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HI and welcome to the forum  If you want to buy a motorcycle then buy real motorcycle and not a piece of metal with bits constantly falling off .  .BUY A WING ,,and forget all the inferior bikes ..this is the rolls royce of bikes ,,ths bits you buy for a HARLEY are to keep it going ,but the bits you buy for a wing is to make it look prettier ,,,,,long live the wing and to hell with the junk ..cheers CiaranPS if you get a harley ,you wont make it long distance .... Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2004 08:31 am by wexy ____________________ http://www.shinywing.com ...An Irish based online Goldwing shop .. worldwide shipping RUDY NEEDS OUR HELP CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW .. http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/forum3/129204.html CIARAN (pronounced Keeron)  |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 10:13 am | 5th Post |
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As I former Harley fan I am lucky in that my lifelong friend is the owner of the local Harley Dealers and he would on occassions go out on a run with me where we would swop bikes. I stopped swopping as the Harley was shaking the bones off me. Last run out we came along side one another and when I looked over he was layed back relaxed, riding with virtually one finger really enjoying the ride. Me on the other hand - even my teeth began to vibrate and I couldn't wait to get off it and back on my wing. Harleys are a fantastic icon but personally they are not very comfortable in comparison to the wing. Take the 1800 for example. You have the performance of a luxury cruiser coupled with the high speed performance of a sports tourer. Try leaning a Harley into a roundabout at speed and you will soon get the idea. When I went to the states several years ago I hired an Electrglide Ultraclassic simply because I could find a Wing for hire anywhere. Next time I go it will be a wing every time. On the Wing you can balance a 50 pence piece on it's edge on each cylinder, start the bike and they won't fall off. It is that smooth. Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2004 10:15 am by Littlejohn ____________________ Candy Red 2003 GL1800A3 |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 10:58 am | 6th Post |
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If you go to a Harley forum you will get Harley bised views, so understandably here you will get Wing biased. I've had both an Ultraglide and GL1500 at the same time and loved them, but I would always pick the Wing for long spins. With the Harley it was a major undertaking to see if it would start and run properly each time, with the Wing I just press the button and go. No worries.
____________________ Ted Kelly. Current Wings; 2006 GL1800 & 1997 GL1500se. |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 12:00 pm | 7th Post |
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I ride out with three harley bikes in the good warm weather, I say the good warm weather as at least one won't start when the clouds come over, they are nearly always late for a meet, because of an sos to get one of them started, the only one to nogotate a hair pin bend properly was the Harley Trike and the . this confirms axelwik's point 8. My next door neighbour has a garaged Harley, on sunday mornings in the summer he has a hell of a job to get it started , and all ways complaining of the cost of replacment componants. In fact I can't remember seeing it on the road this summer, for what reason?I like Little John found the vibration and noise to much, this is why you don't find radios and cd players on the Harleys. My advice is lookat the  or even the Pan European
____________________ only the best maintained wing stays out in front! |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 12:20 pm | 8th Post |
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I know nothing about Harleys. But if you get an 1800 Wing, you'll have a combination of a sport bike and a touring bike. Yesterday, two of us babysat a couple of our Harley friends through the N. GA mountains. It was kinda nice because usually I'm going too fast to enjoy the scenery. But with them sandwiched between us, with me bringing up the rear, I noticed how beautiful the mountains actually were. Took a lot longer to complete the ride though. Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2004 04:31 pm by ddking ____________________ Dan Duffy |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 01:49 pm | 9th Post |
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Thanks for the great feedback! I am convinced the wing is the bike for me! My other considerations: Only experience on a bike was 30 years ago as a kid on a dirtbike, what if the wing is too much for me to handle? I live in a townhouse, I have no garage and no side yard to keep the bike, I'm concerned that its not a good idea to keep it in front of my home all season, I'll need to comeup with some storage solutions. Thanks again for the great feedback! KB 
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 05:32 pm | 10th Post |
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Might be a good idea to go to a bike shop and ask for a test ride first. The first 5 minutes on a Wing is the hardest, pulling it up off the side stand is a real eye opener. If a shop won't let you ride one (they might not if you told them you've been off bikes for so long), just sit on it and pull it off the stand etc to get an idea of the bulk you are dealing with. Whatever you decide, ride safe in the new year.
____________________ Brian Rowan |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 05:36 pm | 11th Post |
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IWANNABIKEATAGE46 wrote: Thanks for the great feedback! I am convinced the wing is the bike for me! Get a big cover for the bike. That will keep nosey kids away from it. A plain canvas type cover with no flashy graphics will be even less attractive to them.
____________________ Eamonn. 1985 GL1200 Aspencade |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 07:27 pm | 12th Post |
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If you haven't been on a bike for 30 years, I strongly recommend taking a motorcycle safety course. They say that 90 percent of fatal motorcycle accidents here in the states involve riders who have never had specialized motorcycle training. It's really worth it. In a car, one can make many mistakes and get away with it. A motorcycle is much more dependant on rider skill and knowledge. An MSF friend showed me his business card that read, "Take the safety course or die." ... something to that effect. Take the course and you'll never regret it. It will not only make for safer riding, but you'll be much more confident and have much more fun. Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2004 07:29 pm by axelwik ____________________ Marco, Albuquerque, NM '77 GL1000 (sold) '08 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 '99 Ducati 900ss '97 Honda XR650L |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 09:08 pm | 13th Post |
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Axelwik is right! Do yourself a favor and go to a Community College and take the basic safety coarse! If you only learn one thing that saves your life or keeps you from getting crippled it's worth it ! And actually it's fun to go through! If you're at least 5'9" a Wing will be OK for you with commen sence! Then again I know a guy who's 5'6" and has one , can't touch both feet at once but he rides the snot out of it ! Harley got alot better after it went to the "EVO" motor but still not reliable over time! Old technology (Air cooled, push rods )! Ask a friend if you can put in their garage in the winter or rent a storage facility ! 35 years ago I brought mine in the house one winter, didn't go over to good with the new wife, ha ! Young and crazy ! Last edited on Fri Dec 31st, 2004 09:10 pm by wingdawg101 ____________________ Against the Wind ! "Patriot Guard Rider"/Nevada GL 1100 Valkyrie "Fat Lady" |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 31st, 2004 11:48 pm | 14th Post |
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By all means take the rider safety course. There are still several that supply bikes if you can't borrow one. I don't want to offend the gods, but unless you absolutely have your heart set on a Goldwing. (you professed to not seeing any long open road tours in your future) I would suggest looking around for a used Pacific Coast-800, or better yet a ST1000/1100. These are still fair sized motorcycles. This would get you into the reliability of a Honda, with less weight and cost. A full dress tourer, Goldwing or Harley, is not the bike for a novice to gain experience on. I took my cycle test and was licensed when the top of Honda's line was a 305 Super Hawk. I know times they are a changing, but it still makes sense to learn to walk/fall/walk, then run.... Best of luck...............Shooter
____________________ For those who've never fought for it, the price of freedom shall never be known.... "Shooter" 1986 Interstate |
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My honest opinion to you is keep far away from the Goldwing untill such time that you have sufficient experience under your belt to ride one. 
These are a big machine and are not for the NOVICE. 
There are plenty of smaller touring bikes out there to help you get that bit of experience, but STAY AWAY FROM HAR*** DAV******* unless you fancy yourself as a great walker. 
I dont know what country you hail from, 
but with the volume of traffic on our roads today and the fools that sit behind steering wheels you dont get a second chance if you make a mistake. The best of luck whatever you do and a very Happy New Year to you. 
| Posted: Sat Jan 1st, 2005 03:01 am | 16th Post |
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I agree with the later posts. A Goldwing is a very big bike to start on. I think the best way to get back into it is to first (as I said above), take a safety course, and get a smaller bike to start with. If you still have your heart set on a Goldwing, get a smaller bike on the used market that you can sell a year from now for about the same price you bought it, then go for the Goldwing. It is certainly possible to start on a big bike - and people have done it, but it could also be very nerve-wracking. This also depends on the person. If you're one of those people who can take up new things immediately and it instantly feels natural, then maybe you can do it, but that's taking a risk. If you're a person who is more meticulous and thinks through things rather than feels through things, maybe you should take smaller steps. Regardless of which way you go. The first step should be to take a safety course. You'll be amazed at what is covered - much of it common sense, and much of it not so intuative.
____________________ Marco, Albuquerque, NM '77 GL1000 (sold) '08 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 '99 Ducati 900ss '97 Honda XR650L |
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| Posted: Sat Jan 1st, 2005 08:23 am | 17th Post |
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After so long off a bike I would strongly reccommend that you ride something smaller than a wing or a harley for sometime first. The Goldwing is is great and very comfortable but I find mine cumbersome in the city and at low speeds. In saying that it is the most enjoyable ride I think I have ever had. PLEASE get lessons and ride away from traffic for a while. Many bike accidents are caused by car drivers.
____________________ Kiwi Winger EX'87 1200 Silver/blue Aspencade Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm, going fast but stiff joints |
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| Posted: Sat Jan 1st, 2005 08:33 am | 18th Post |
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Lessons are a good idea and riding the bike away from main traffic for a while makes sense. If you live near an industrial estate, riding around it at night when there is little traffic will be a great learning aid. Over here there have been a few accidents by "born again bikers" that could have been avoided by a few lessons. Take care and ride safe.
____________________ Brian Rowan |
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| Posted: Sat Jan 1st, 2005 10:02 am | 19th Post |
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The sad part is..... once you ride a wing, everything else seems like a toy. I know, I have a 750 and 850 I haven't road in months. Now they're up for sale. (The wing has spoiled me) 
____________________ Take baby steps first when checking a problem. Check the fuses first then go to the big stuff. |
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