IMHO we've reaches the end of the road for bigger, heavier, & more complicated.
I'd buy a new Goldwing if ....
it had a simpler and cheaper engine like a horizontally opposed 4 that could be serviced by the owner. 1200cc. would be plenty and maybe you could make it get better than mid 30's for Mpg.
reduce the parts count drastically. the GL1800 is far too complicated. cut the # of parts by a third and you'd cut the cost to manufacture by a similar amount. (note the 4cly immediately gets you the parts count reduction on the engine!)
use the weight savings from the smaller engine and parts count reduction to increase the load capacity.
skip all the plastic that covers the engine, adds cost, and makes it a bitch to service. lots and lots of goldwing owners are old enough to remember the days when the owner could do a lot of his own maintenance and would do it again given 1/2 a chance.
make trunk and bags removable. maybe expandable or 2 sizes.
make the electronics optional and 3rd party friendly to keep the cost down.
give it an electric windshield (which the GoldWing STILL doesn't have!)
make the seat optional. many many gold wings have aftermarket seats. save the new owner the cost of an OEM seat he isn't going to use anyway.
design the frame and suspension so a lowered version is easily accomplished at little or no added cost for short people. lots and lots of short people out there.
go to the big goldwing rallies and study the add-ons. you'll find lots of things Honda could be selling that you are ceding to the aftermarket industry. (examples: air wings, passenger armrests, trunk racks, etc.) you might find some significant additional profit in this market without making the base version expensive.
price should come in around $15k. my guess is you'd sell a lot of them. I'd buy one.
I'd buy a new Goldwing if ....
it had a simpler and cheaper engine like a horizontally opposed 4 that could be serviced by the owner. 1200cc. would be plenty and maybe you could make it get better than mid 30's for Mpg.
reduce the parts count drastically. the GL1800 is far too complicated. cut the # of parts by a third and you'd cut the cost to manufacture by a similar amount. (note the 4cly immediately gets you the parts count reduction on the engine!)
use the weight savings from the smaller engine and parts count reduction to increase the load capacity.
skip all the plastic that covers the engine, adds cost, and makes it a bitch to service. lots and lots of goldwing owners are old enough to remember the days when the owner could do a lot of his own maintenance and would do it again given 1/2 a chance.
make trunk and bags removable. maybe expandable or 2 sizes.
make the electronics optional and 3rd party friendly to keep the cost down.
give it an electric windshield (which the GoldWing STILL doesn't have!)
make the seat optional. many many gold wings have aftermarket seats. save the new owner the cost of an OEM seat he isn't going to use anyway.
design the frame and suspension so a lowered version is easily accomplished at little or no added cost for short people. lots and lots of short people out there.
go to the big goldwing rallies and study the add-ons. you'll find lots of things Honda could be selling that you are ceding to the aftermarket industry. (examples: air wings, passenger armrests, trunk racks, etc.) you might find some significant additional profit in this market without making the base version expensive.
price should come in around $15k. my guess is you'd sell a lot of them. I'd buy one.