A bit of a dilemma on motorcycle purchase

Robert_in_NY · Jun 19, 2003

I am planning on going down to Deal's gap next year since I have most of my vacations planned already for this year. It looks like a riot to ride. For anyone who is interested you can learn more about it here Tail of the Dragon

Wingnut · Jun 19, 2003

Can't say enough good things about that ride, Gary ... and I did the ERC **AFTER** I got back (so I aced it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ).
I was probably a little TOO proud of myself ... but I managed to sit in my "position" at the back of the trio and we did all the twisties like we were tied together. I've never been much of a group rider .... but the additional challenge of holding the line made it even more fun than just the twisties.
Deal's Gap ... well ... it can certainly be interesting ... especially when you're coming into one of the hairpins and there's some fruitcake (at least I thought they were ... on THAT road) coming into it from the other side with his 18 wheeler.
On the road over to Cherokee, there was one stretch that really delighted me - since the "OrangeCrush" is so nimble - and that was a 470 degre turn .... you go thru a tunnel, loop around and go over the tunnel and keep turning for awhile yet .... lots of bikes leaving peg and floorboard shavings on that stretch!
You really know you're in the groove when a small change in speed seems to make a BIG difference ... most of the roads are top speeded at 45 mph and dropping to 40 mph after doing hours of 45 seemed like stopping!
Actually ... the first day we ended up following a paved goat trail (or maybe it way a mule trail) in a park behind Gatlinburg (our "tour guide" was a hoot!) and it really gave me a taste of dirt-biking (which I've never done on a bike) ... talk about a "technical" ride. The poor guy with the hack almost didn't make it through due to width ...

The difference in power (1100 to 1800) is nothing compared to the difference in the bike itself. The seat is comfortable (for me) from the get-go ... the Oldwing got a custom seat the first year. The balance is incredible ... I constantly point out the "sportsbike" feel. The fit and finish ... well, Honda has had 21 years to get it down ... and they got it down. The suspension ... going to a swingarm makes a serious differnce ... is great ... I've done four 700+ mile days so far without any problems ... although I will admit that the use of a T-Bag on the last trip has almost made me decide to put a backrest on it (if it doesn't compromise Carolyn's comfort).
It's still a Wing ... so reliability and longevity are almost guaranteed ... but it's so different from the Oldwing that it's hard to believe they're related!
1800cc's .... bigger engine than my first couple of new cars!

pete

Gary_in_Indiana · Jun 19, 2003

I'm afraid whatever I get is going to have a seat reconfiguration to get me a bit further back from the dash and handlebars to increase the angle at which my reconstructed knees rest to something over ninety degrees.

If I sit in the standard 'bucket' of the stock seat my heels are behind a line drawn down from my knees. The only way I know to 'adjust' this situation is to move my butt back as there's no way to move my feet forward. Of course, extending the frame and lengthening the wheelbase would work, too, but I just can't bear the thought (or the expense) of cutting on a brand new Goldwing.

Wingnut · Jun 19, 2003

My 6 ft carcass sits comfortably in the seat with my heels resting on the pegs about even with my butt ... in normal riding my toes are down (they usually touch the ground first, letting me know I'm close to scraping.
A lot of folks (on the GL1800 board) have gotten one of the aftermarket seats to move back, down, etc .... but - so far at least - I'm happy in the position I'm using .... no thoughts of getting hiway board (or floorboards) at this time ... all the 10 - 12 hour / 700 mile days (four, so far) I've done so far have been with my feet on the pegs with no fatigue.
But ... there are at least 6 aftermarket seat companies building / rebuilding GL1800 seats ... so a replacement is easy (albeit no cheap) to procure.
A lot of folks also add an aftermerket spacer to the handlebars to bring them up and back a touch .... so far I'm happy with stock there too.
On the other side of that coin (customizing) is my friend Dennis ... who has two '02 GL1800A's ... one converted to a Chamion trike. He has EVERY aftermarket accessory you can locate ... windshield, seat, wings, etc, etc .... of course ... he has more money than me /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

pete

Gary_in_Indiana · Jun 20, 2003

Pete,

If I were 6' tall, I'd probably think the Goldwing was roomier than I needed. At something over 6'-8" tall with surgically reconstructed knees the need for more room becomes crucial, I'm afraid. As it stands now, without any change in the stock bike and without using highway pegs (which aren't convenient for a lot of the shorter hop running around I do, anyhow), I begin experiencing discomfort withing a relatively short time. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Within an hour at most, the discomfort has become pain. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

You'll have to either post or email me the URL of the site to which you referred. I might find someone there who's encounted the same problems and has a ready made solution. Thanks!

Wingnut · Jun 20, 2003

6'8" ... well ... that makes me look up to you ... LOL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

http://www.gl1800riders.com is where a great deal of the more verbose 1800 riders hang out. (As you might guess ... wingnut was quickly taken so my nom-de-guerre is OrangeCrush)

There have been some folks that have reported great results (butt-wise) from Russell and others ... as well as a lot of firm believers in aftermarket shields to lighten the wind buffetting.

One suggestion springs to mind .... there's already cop shops using the Wing as a police bike ... mods include single seat and no trunk, among others .... single seat (or at least removing the "roll" at the back of the drivers section) would move you back a lot.

pete

dmccarty · Jun 20, 2003

Wingnut,

Franklin, NC is near Cherokee, NC. If you take US 64 from
Franklin to Highlands you will see a two or three water falls.
The road is not for the feint hearted. There are minimal to
no guard rails and the road is hanging onto ridges. They
used to allow Semis on the road which is insane. My mother
and an aunt where going to Highlands one day and a semi
hit there car. It was low speed, there ain't no way a semi
can go fast for long before leaving the road, and the its along
way down. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif There car was about six inches from
finding out how far down one could go. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

From Asheville to Hot Springs there is another winding road. I
drove it one night in a rain storm and the steering wheel
never was straight for a second. Go right and then go left.

Now that I think about it there is a road from Franklin to
Fontana Dam that in the same catagory.

I don't ride a motorcyle but I think these would be fun roads
to ride. If you are ever back this way you might want to
check these places out.

Highlands is a rich persons hideway with lots of arts and
antique stores. Hot Springs does have a spring down by the
river but its a warm spring not hot. The town used to be
named Warm Springs but to bring in the tourists they changed
the name to Hot Springs even though its only warm. The
springs are right on the river which one can watch while
sitting in a hot tub. They used to have a spring house of
some kind but it burned down many years ago. There is a
camp ground there as well. But its all along a railroad track
that follows the river. The first time I heard the train moving
down the valley I thought a **** had broke and we where
going swimming! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Later,
Dan McCarty

Gary_in_Indiana · Jun 20, 2003

Pete.

Thanks for the link. I'll check that out.

I had to smile when I read your line about<font color="blue"> "aftermarket shields to lighten the wind buffetting."</font> It reminded me of something I'd long since forgotten.

Years ago I was at an auction just outside Columbus, OH (Grove City, OH, if anyone knows it) the Wednesday morning before Christmas and, lo and behold, there was a bank repo'ed current model year Aspencade being offered for sale. Needless to say the timing for disposing of that was terrible for a couple of reasons; The time of year was wrong and no one had any money to bid with Christmas expenses.

As you've probably already guessed, I bought the bike. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif The one thing I hadn't considered was that I didn't have a way to get it home. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

The only thing I could come up with at the time (remember, I was younger then) was to ride it home. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif The roads were clear and dry with no snow in the forecast so I squeezed on a full face helmet that was with the bike, grabbed some long cuffed leather gloves from the KW, borrowed a scarf from one of the girls in the office (a lovely lavender, as I recall) and off I went.

You can imagine the looks I got along the way but I got it home in one piece. I was more than a little chilly but I've always been able to take cold weather better than most. I thought that was the worst of it until I woke up the next morning.

I literally couldn't lift or turn my head. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I was in agony. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif The windshield on this particular bike was set at such a height that it broke the wind up to my forehead. With the full face helmet I didn't really notice it but I was apparently pushing my head forward against the force of that wind the entire ride home. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Wingnut · Jun 20, 2003

Hey Dan ... thanks for the info ... we saw some of that .... I've got a picture of the bike under one waterfall (small one that comes down over a turnout off the road on the way to Highlands).
Highlands sure looked like a money place ... most of the cheap cars were Beemers and high-end SUV's. But we didn't tary long ... being Goldwingers, we just stopped for Ice Cream and hit the road again ... LOL.
I'm pretty sure we took the road you're talking about with the waterfalls ... they had turnouts close to each one and we stopped so I could take pictures for my better half. As little as she likes leaning, it's unlikely she'll ever be on these roads ... LOL.
We did those roads on our 300+ mile day ... FUN FUN FUN ... but you're right, those roads aren't for the faint hearted. We consistently stayed close to the speed limit (as in ... 5mph higher) ... but still had one doofus in a Grand Cherokee trying to drive up my tailpipe and make me go faster .... and me with no .45ACP ... LOL.
I am definitely going to join the crowd for the same run next year ... and try out any roads that we didn't run.
/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
pete

Wingnut · Jun 20, 2003

Been there , Gary .... I ride looking over the shield and I stick to a 3/4 helmet. Not as safe as full face, I know ... but ... hey ... I'm cofortable and THINK I can see better (besides ... before my laser surgery, I wore coke-bottle glasses and they always fogged inside a FF.)
There's a lot of conversation on the 1800 board about reducing wind .... me ... I always thought this was a motorcycle and I was OUT in the wind ... LOL.
One of the local chapter members was telling about the Ride To The Wall this year. He's rode there for the past 8 ... but this year he rode to California first to do the ENTIRE ride (gutsy fella!). Anyway, as they're pulling out onto the freeway in L.A. .. a careless goof on a VW trike managed to run him over (not paying attention to what was in front of him) ... damage was comparitively minor .. scrapes, bruises to body and bike ... bike was rideable BUT windshield was toast. He said that you wouldn't believe the wind on a wing that has no shield. They managed to find a used shield in New Mexico ... but it was windy from L.A> to New Mexico. Don't think I want to try that.

When I bought my Oldwing ('82 Aspencade) back in '82 - in northern Alberta - I didn't have a garage ... and it was where I could see it every day ... so (also being young and unseasoned) I decided I was going to ride it EVERY month that year. Imagine the surprise of a 18-wheeler pilot when he was passed by a nutcase on a GL1100A in January and the temp was minus 30 ... 20 miles was all I could stand .. even with my snowmobile suit and a FF helmet.
I've been caught in snow 4 times so far in the past 20 years .... first time on JULY FOURTH !!! in White SulphUr Springs, Montana .. second time in mid-June on I-90 crossing the Cascades to Seattle ... started snowing 3/4 of the way up and snowed until I was almost 1/2 way down the other side (talk about "clenching your butt!!) ... then again 10 days later crossing the Rockies on the Cocquahala in B.C. .... and finally a few years ago when I got caught in a freak May snowstorm on the way back from a weekend ride here in Michigan. Snow is not much fun but if one takes it slow .... and easy ...

The shield on the 18 is set at the lowest setting to allow me to look completely over it .... and it still pretty well directs the wint over my helmet. There's a lot of folks trying different aftermaket models to limit the buffeting for the passenger ... and I may do that ***if*** she complains. Until then, I'm happy.

pete