What the next Gen GoldWing should be....

cldryder said:

I just completed a 4000 mile trip on my recently acquired GL1800. It's definitely a better bike than my GL1500 but ...

I have some suggestions for the next gen goldwing:

1. make it lighter so it's not overloaded with 2 adult americans (who tend to be kinda fat) and a weeks worth of touring gear.

2. match a smaller engine (like an opposed 4) with a CVT. A CVT properly mated to the engine gives a very close approximation of "big block" torque without the weight and poor fuel economy. (yes I like to shift too but I'd gladly give up shifting if it saved weight.)

3. add an elec. adjustable windshield.

4. make it simpler. REDUCE the parts count. Reduced part counts typically yield a proportional savings in manufacturing cost.

5. incorporate the equivalent of "air wings" and "hand wings". I had these add-ons on my bike and they greatly increased our comfort level on a trip that included 39 degree mornings (michigan U.P.) and 90 degree afternoons (North Carolina). In particular the lower wings ability to blow some of the warm air from the radiators back to the rider was surprisingly effective.

6. either eliminate the seat so the rider can buy one that is actually comfortable all day or learn how to make one and include it with the bike. It's absurd that an aftermarket seat is necessary on a $20,000+ touring bike.

all that said the GL1800 is the best touring bike I've owned so far ...

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1. You know how we are. If it was made lighter we would still have a tendency to over-load it.

2. The GL1800 engine design is as good as it gets and has plenty power with the current technology. The leg and foot room only need some more refining.

3. Too many gadgets now.

4. Can't reduce the parts count if we continue to want more toys.

5. Everyone may not want air-wings.

6. It would be extremely difficult to make a seat that everyone would like. A lot of folks may not want to spent the high $$$$ on an aftermarket seat.

Having said all of that, I am on my 8th Gold Wing and my 7th new one and have been fairly pleased with the improvement through the years that Honda has made. Of course I'm the sort of guy that likes thing simple.

Lets start with better ventilation which the 1500 is so much better at.

Increase storage space.

Bring on the 6 speed that the 1800 could push so easily.

2000cc engine.

Incorporate Bluetooth like BMW.

More lights on the sides.

Standard HIDs.

I guess blending a 1500 with a beamer would do it.

Hi guys. I work as a concept artist in an independent car design studio, one of "The guys who draw up the concepts" as choppas posted. I registered here today after years of lurking, because this post caught my attention.

The way automotive designs work is that someone (usually the client) comes to the studio with an idea. They have a rough idea for a new vehicle, but can't picture it complete in their head. They sit down with a concept artist and he or she makes notes of what the client needs. The artist is trained to ask certain questions so the general form or shape of the vehicle can be roughed out on paper, paying particular attention to the design elements that inspired the client in the first place.
Then the questions are expanded to ask about key parts like lights, grilles and other "character" elements. Yes, cars and other vehicles all have character. Next are questions about the vehicle interior and trunk.

At that point the client leaves and the artist then translates the sketches into digital drawings, which get sent to the other artists computers so we can work together. The rest of the team (which is usually small, as large teams take longer to agree on stuff) comes along and adds their expert input. Some of these guys are engineers who will point out issues, FI like:

"That radiator grille is too small to cool the radiator"
"Those tires are too narrow to support the weight"
"The wheel arches need to flare out more for the wheels to clear them on the up travel"

The engineers have to balance out the clients needs with practical and real world concerns.

You probably get the general idea. Eventually the drawings go to the client and we wait for his feedback. Some clients prefer to visit us as they don't trust email, even encrypted.
He or she will get back to us and suggest changes. Once the changes are agreed, the real work starts. More detailed drawings are made, properly colored and shaded. The design team artists split into a team for the exterior design, and one for the interior. More drawings are given to the client. Once the drawings are up to par, the next and hardest part of the job starts. Which is making a CG model

We then pass the artwork to the CG guys and girls. Their work is harder and takes longer to do. Don't let anyone kid you that CG is easy, it isn't. Their brief is to come up with a model to clients specifications, and to make it look real in various digital environments (city, desert etc.). They block out the general exterior shape of the vehicle as a kind of digital clay model, and we give it as a 360% flash file to the client. Once the clients changes are done to satisfaction, the interior of the vehicle is started by the CG team. All this takes time, from a few weeks to several months. The finished vehicle will be dropped into various backplates so the client can see how it looks in real-world environments.

I hope that gives some idea of what is involved in vehicle design. :waving:

I am no expert on MC design, but I can tell you what practical improvements I would like to see on a future Goldwing.

1. Headlight running right across from mirror to mirror. Get rid of the chrome or black filler pieces where the current headlight ends, instead extend the headlight up to the mirrors.

2. Better foot protection from rain. Heated saddles and grips are useless when my "waterproof" boots are soaked through. Honda should have beaten that by extending the lower fairing or the engine covers out to keep rain off boots.

3. Place the warm air vents in more practical places. The lower vents (in the exhaust covers) in the newer 1800 and on the old 1500se are too far forward and any warm air gets whisked away by the forward motion of the bike. Those vents should be nearer our feet.
Make the lower fairing knee area vents bigger.
Make the windshield vent wider and get rid of the small fiddly vents near the speakers. I'll take bigger speakers instead.

4. Extend the dash cover out to better cut down reflections from the instruments.

5. More side lighting, along the saddlebags and fairing.

6. Get rid of the long antenna and replace it with a low visibility antenna. The long ones look cool but are impractical and they often rip motorcycle covers.