| I would buy a new wing if .... | Rate Topic |
| Moderators: redbaron, MDKramer, Flyone, AZgl1500 | Page: 1 2 3 4   |
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| Posted: Mon Jul 28th, 2008 02:20 am | 1st Post |
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A little background .... I own a GL1500 that I use for X-country trips with my daughters. None of my other bikes even come close to the GL for long trips. The radio and intercom are the best I've ever experienced. I commute on an FJR1300. It has the weather protection I need on cold mornings but is far more fun for everyday riding. I also have a ZRX1200R. I wish the FJR's motor was as good as the Kaws. I'd be glad to get rid of the GL1500 and the FJR if HOnda made a good enough newer GL to replace them both. heres what it would need: REverse. I'd hate my GL1500 if it didn't have reverse. Radio/Intercom with MP3, XM radio, a couple aux. inputs, and bluetoorth interfaces. Keep the much better than average audio quality. an interface for a reasonably priced 3rd party CB. current price for these "extra's is ridiculous. make your money on the bike. Saddle bag capacity at least as good as GL1500. Have you ever considered expandable bags or two sizes. with quick dismount like the FJR you could have 2 sizes for bags. More ponies and more torque. at least equal to FJR. more is better. No one likes to ride a pig. (Well, maybe HD riders do.) DOn't be afraid to make a motor that revs. Japanese motorcycles are SUPPOSED to rev. My old GL1000 was a lot more fun to ride than my GL1500. continue with a more sport capable suspension. do some engineering. You're supposed to be good at it. the wing has FAR too many parts. makes it complicated and expensive and a bitch to service. make your target 1/3 less parts, then beat the target. my 5 cents mark in MN
____________________ 05 FJR1300, 88 GL1500, 98 TL1000R, 03 ZRX1200R, 74 Z1, 78 KZ750, 72 GT380 |
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| Posted: Sun Aug 3rd, 2008 07:59 am | 2nd Post |
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I had more money.............
____________________ Ronald GL1100 Standard ----------------- Previous bikes in random order: GL1200 Interstate 3x Honda Transalp Honda CB900C Suzuki Burgman Yamaha XV920 Yamaha TDM 900 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Yamaha Diversion 900 Honda Shadow 800 GL1100Interstate |
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| Posted: Sun Aug 3rd, 2008 11:17 am | 3rd Post |
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Make the driver's cockpit less cramped for people 6' and taller. Less toys, more substance. Face it, the toys are nice, but they're nothing more than cute, expensive things to break in a few years. They're also a distraction to a low-mileage rider who will spend more time fiddling with the toys than paying attention to the road. More room for personalization. We like to hang pretty little chrome things all over our bikes. On the engine, around the bags, around the trunk, all over the fairing, etc... There is just no PLACE to put custom stuff on it, and very few suppliers of chrome toys. So they all end up back in the condition they were when we bought them...looking exactly alike again. More color options, and the ability to special order the colors we want. The speedometer OUT of the line of sight of the rear passenger. She doesn't need to know how fast we're going...and me getting slugged in the back of the helmet constantly is a safety hazard. I can put 2 full-face helmets in the trunk of my '80 Interstate with ease, I couldn't figure out how to do it with an 1800...what's wrong with this picture? Can those UGLY headlights already! Mike Last edited on Sun Aug 3rd, 2008 11:17 am by MDKramer ____________________ Mike Kramer "Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: Now." Denis Waitley |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 4th, 2008 01:11 am | 4th Post |
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Am I the only one who has no use for the stereo? 
____________________ KANWINGS / Wild Rhinos Kansas Patriot Guard Μολὼν λαβέ Oath Keepers NRA Life Member GOA 97 1500SE Black/Chrome |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 25th, 2008 01:05 am | 5th Post |
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Ahhhh Popeye: You are not that only one! However it does give the passenger the option of listening to something.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 25th, 2008 02:14 am | 6th Post |
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...I didnt love this old 1500 so much.
____________________ TJ 88 GL1500 91 ST1100 |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 25th, 2008 03:48 pm | 7th Post |
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a few adds: make the seat height lower. It's much too high on the GL1500. YOu add substantially to your potential user population by accommodating vertically challenged people. you could also put a decent seat on the bike. It's ridiculous to have to spend the better part of a thousand dollars on an aftermarket seat for a bike that already costs close to $20k and is designed to be ridden all day. (does Honda get a kickback from the seat manufacturers for using crap OEM seats?)
____________________ 05 FJR1300, 88 GL1500, 98 TL1000R, 03 ZRX1200R, 74 Z1, 78 KZ750, 72 GT380 |
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| Posted: Mon Aug 25th, 2008 04:05 pm | 8th Post |
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... there were no used ones left out there to buy.
____________________ Rudy RudysProducts Info: Due to recent declining health, I have decided to pass Rudy's Products on to a nearby friend who will be trained to do it right. As a result, product availability will be hit or miss during the transition, both at the web store and at Cyclemax. SmartLights are discontinued with the possibility of occasional small batches being made if there is interest. The transition will be gradual and I will continue to make items as I am able. Please expect extended delivery times. If you have a specific need, please let me know and I will attempt to accommodate you. I thank you all for your friendship, support and loyalty. |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18th, 2009 04:11 pm | 9th Post |
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a couple more adders: make the ergonomics adjustable thru a wide range so a 5'6" person can get just as comfortable as someone 6'3". make the design such that if the bike tips over the only damage is to some relatively cheap and easy to replace part(s) bigger, heavier, more complicated, and more expensive is probably not the way to go for the future.
____________________ 05 FJR1300, 88 GL1500, 98 TL1000R, 03 ZRX1200R, 74 Z1, 78 KZ750, 72 GT380 |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18th, 2009 05:13 pm | 10th Post |
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To my mind you are searching for an almost if not completely impossible Utopia, and expecting it out of the crate at that. You are looking for a bike, the size of a truck for luggage capacity, you want a bike that can adjust to accommodate a very tall and a very short person, you want a riding possition that will be comfortable all day, you want one that is ergodynamically designed to slip through the air effortlessly, you want a high revivving engine that has a ton of power, you want weather protection, but nothing that will get damaged in a tumble, you want sports bike nimbleness. etc etc. Here are a list of bikes that I would recommend everyone goes out and buys. Once you have them, strip down every nut and bolt of each one and put your hybrid Utopia together....... Suzuki Hyabusa, ( engine gotta be super quick I am sure) Ducati Monster ( amazing street fighter that goes round corners well) Harley Ultraglide ( huge tour box) Triumph bonniville ( beautiful sounding exhaust) Honda Shadow ( great comfortable bike for shorter people) Honda Transalp ( nice to have when you meet a dirt road and suits tall people) Boss Hoss ( head turning monster) The list could go on, but you get my drift I am sure, but unless you do as I suggested I fear you will never find that Honda model...... "The Utopia." With each generation of Wing, Honda have stayed ahead of the game and each model has had a pretty good shelf life, and there will always be those that say the early ones were best, and there will be those who consider the latest model to be the most advanced and best, but with a motorcycle there is never going to be a "one size fits all" straight out of the box, if there was, everyone would rush out and buy it and everything else would be history. I am very lucky, I guess, because I am size "Mr Average" and Wings suit me, right out of the crate as a superb, long distance tourer, coupled with being a good all round town and country bike. Now I challenge anyone to name another make or model of bike that can perform so many tasks so well, come on now, convince me!!!!! I lay £5.00 down I can pick holes in that bike that would be a reason for me not to buy it instead of a Wing. 
____________________ Pete http://www.rblr.co.uk '06 GL1800 '77 GL1000 Executive |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18th, 2009 08:24 pm | 11th Post |
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My My Silverfox...I think you scared everyone away with your challenge ?!  Last edited on Wed Feb 18th, 2009 08:26 pm by BlueWinger ____________________ TERRY ************************************************* "To realize the 'Worth' of the anchor, we need to feel the 'Stress' of the storm" ************************************************* "Worry is the Darkroom where Negatives Develop" ************************************************* 2010 GL1800 - Metallic Black) - We call her "Pearl" (as in Black Pearl, a rare, beautiful and exotic gem) |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18th, 2009 09:36 pm | 12th Post |
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The perfect GW. I bought a 1989 Gold Wing a few years ago with about all the bling bling you can imagine. It does have a set of road pegs that I could take off and throw away; I don't think I could ever spread my legs that far apart and be comfortable. It has a Travelcade Road Sofa seat and I would not trade it for a new Gold Wing. It is bulletproof and runs like a new motorcycle and it has 86000 miles on the odometer. It is great to own the GW that is absolutely everything you could ever want in a bike. Now if I just had enough money to ride the wheels off of it! By the way we plan to put about 6000 miles on it this summer, can hardly wait!!! Your Friend, John D. (Retired and ready to roll) Last edited on Wed Feb 18th, 2009 09:36 pm by john D. |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18th, 2009 10:44 pm | 13th Post |
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BlueWinger wrote: My My Silverfox...I think you scared everyone away with your challenge ?! Don't think anyone is too impressed even with the $/£ exchange rate at the moment BlueWinger!!!! 
____________________ Pete http://www.rblr.co.uk '06 GL1800 '77 GL1000 Executive |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 18th, 2009 10:49 pm | 14th Post |
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The only thing that fits your criteria is a HUMVEE
____________________ RIDE FREE |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 19th, 2009 02:46 am | 15th Post |
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I'm an engineer with a lot of design experience and I can say for certain that a bike with the features I'd like to see is possible. The savings from a smaller opposed four would pay for some of the other features I'd like to see and provide better mileage to boot. Add in the fact that parts count reduction typically results in a percent savings in manufacturing cost equivalent to the percent reduction in parts count. Again, more money saved to apply to other features with weight savings to boot. Consider also that top of the line sport bikes and snowmobiles have both lost approx. 100 pounds in the last 10 years while hp has increased approx. 50%. it's possible to do the same for touring bikes, it just depends on where the engineers are putting their emphasis. Let gas get to 4 or $5 per gallon in the USA and I guarantee you someone will make a bike much like what I've asked for.
____________________ 05 FJR1300, 88 GL1500, 98 TL1000R, 03 ZRX1200R, 74 Z1, 78 KZ750, 72 GT380 |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 19th, 2009 09:13 am | 16th Post |
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cldryder wrote: I'm an engineer with a lot of design experience and I can say for certain that a bike with the features I'd like to see is possible. I would very much like to see your interpretation of that perfect bike. 
____________________ Pete http://www.rblr.co.uk '06 GL1800 '77 GL1000 Executive |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 19th, 2009 05:10 pm | 17th Post |
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I think we already have the perfect bike. The 1800 is a tough act to follow. Power, instant response, great balance , big so you can be visible, very comfortable to most and many aftermarket items for those who need something a bit different. I think I am in the majority when I say I ride a bike for fun. It is a toy. I really do not have to have it for a commuter. I ride it for the enjoyment it provides. So I want power, I want instant response, not really concerned about how much fuel it burns. If I want a commuter bike to save gas I will buy a 600 cc sport bike or something. Or one of the older Honda Fours that got really good gas mileage. The 1800 has a few things to improve upon, but they are getting them done, a bit each year. I really do not see it changing a whole lot, it is the bike by which all others are judged, just really a great bike. Thing is if you did build a small four cylinder and have other bikes available with motors like the S and S 111 twin. I for one would purchase one of those, I want power and performance for my toy. So if you kill the 1800 as now designed , your sales will die too. Yea I know I am very spoiled with this bike, but I have had a bunch of them, and have never had one like this one. One good thing is they last a long, long time, so I have no worries, if I wear mine out, I am sure there is one sitting in a garage, with 600 miles on it somewhere, if they were to change to a smaller bike, but I do not see that happening. They have the perfect bike and they already know that. Kit
____________________ The 1800 is my bike. The very best motorcycle ever made. I was enthralled with my first test ride on this machine. It is a great bike. A crotch rocket with storage bags.............As for oil I use the slick kind, and I like round tires, but as of late I have found square ones work best on the rear. Pirelli Eufori 195/55/16 @ 32 PSI Kit |
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| Posted: Fri Feb 20th, 2009 10:43 pm | 18th Post |
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My question is.....Does Honda really read this forum??? Or we just talking to ourselves??? The first new bike I bought was not a Honda, at that time and even now Honda is out of my personal price range new....I did buy an 1982 Interstate and am in the process of rebuilding it....I want it done one way...and that would be as safe as I can make it....Almost all replaceable parts Honda quit making for these older Wings, and used and abused rebuild-able parts is all we can get, or second rate after market parts.... My wife worked for one of the Honda dealerships in Houston Texas, for over 6 years, and I saw many many Honda's that I would have bought...The CBX was a winner in that touring/sports bike category, followed by the CB series....4 cylinders and raring to go....Even with a total dressed out CB-750 you had enough power to ride two up all day long.....Then the Silver Wings...And the Pacifica....These were all great bikes.....Great for what I like to do...Touring with my wife behind me, not crouched over on the fuel tank, with my butt in the air.....You also stopped making a great looking bike in the Valkyrie.....Why??? Long and short is this there are over 14,000 riders on this forum and we all own at least one or more Gold Wings and an assortment of the above mentioned bikes, and most swear by these discontinued bikes...Seems to me that Honda has lost sight of what people really want in a motorcycle... Call me an old man or what ever you want to call me...but here is something that Honda has also lost sight of.....I may be old but I AM the one that has good credit..... I am the one that has a job... I am the one that won't flinch at $24,000.00 dollars if I want it......The only way now I can afford a new Gold Wing is to win the state lottery, should I do so you can bet that a New Honda Gold Wing will be the very first thing I buy...... In closing does Honda really read our comments?? and do you really care that we are serious about the Gold Wing motorcycle??? and what if any thing can and will you do to make our choice of motorcycles better?????..Or do you just read, have a good laugh, and continue on with business as usual???? Claude....
____________________ THE NATION WHICH FORGETS ITS DEFENDERS WILL ITSELF BE FORGOTTEN 1982 GL-1100 Goldwing Interstate...Old Red 1982 GL-1100 Goldwing Interstate...Black Beauty http://www.RudysBackyard.com |
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| Posted: Sat Feb 21st, 2009 03:31 am | 19th Post |
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I agree with redbaron. If Mother Honda was really interested in making a touring bike that would fit the expectations of the buying public then they would have added a 6-speed transmission about 20 years ago when the requests were started. The way the Wing is going seems to be bigger outside specs with smaller storage capacities for much more money. I think I'll just keep my 26 yr old strong running 1100 for another couple of decades.
____________________ Andy 1983 GL1100 Vetter Fairing, Bags & Trunk MOTAD Stainless Exhaust 1993 GL1500 Interstate  "Always have a smile on your face, makes everyone else think you're getting away with something" If you woke up this morning, don't complain - You woke up! "It's amazing how much good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit." |
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| Posted: Sat Feb 21st, 2009 04:47 am | 20th Post |
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redbaron wrote: My question is.....Does Honda really read this forum??? Or we just talking to ourselves??? The first new bike I bought was not a Honda, at that time and even now Honda is out of my personal price range new....I did buy an 1982 Interstate and am in the process of rebuilding it....I want it done one way...and that would be as safe as I can make it....Almost all replaceable parts Honda quit making for these older Wings, and used and abused rebuild-able parts is all we can get, or second rate after market parts.... Amen to that Claude, My personal favorite has always been the CB engine (See my list of bikes, 2 Nighthawks and a 919). I don't know why Honda didn't use it in more applications. I love my 84 wing too and the price is right. 20K is a lot of money for a new bike I think if they brought back the Interstate trim level and left options to add stereos, CBs, intercoms etc. but just offered a basic wing with the luggage and offered it in the 14 to 15K range they would be getting my attention.
____________________ Jeff USN Ret 1985 2005 Wild Rhinos Oklahoma Chapter Present Bikes in the stable 2007 ST1300 |
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