Honda Gold Wing - the return of shaft drive

[Donk]

Just saw this over on the ST-Owners forum

All bikes lead to the GoldWing
It was June 2008. I had just purchased my ST a week earlier. I was filling my fuel tank for the first time on my 2007 ST 1300 when an old, weathered man riding an old, weathered Goldwing 1500 pulled up beside me. We started talking about bikes, riding and travelling. I mentioned that I had just returned to riding after a long break, and I was excited to see the U.S. and Canada. He told me it looked like I had a worthy steed for my plans and then threw in "all bikes lead to a Goldwing". I laughed and told him that I wasn't sure about that. I guess the old guy was smarter than I gave him credit for being at the time.

I suspect that's true because I've been doing mental gymnastics about a "Wing for some time now. I suspect it is inevitable! At least in my case

 

[JJTJ2]

I think I agree with him. I still have my S10 (and I still love it) but I entered my Gold Wing years 2 years ago.

 

[Sierra1]

I think if I get to my "Goldwing Years", I'm gonna want the last gen, not the current gen. Just me though.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

He told me it looked like I had a worthy steed for my plans and then threw in "all bikes lead to a Goldwing". I laughed and told him that I wasn't sure about that. I guess the old guy was smarter than I gave him credit for being at the time.

Certainly was true for me. BUT, it is not the "be all, end all" bike. I don't believe I could ever get rid of my SAS, and the 890 isn't on the chopping block. Glad to have the Wing, but one bike is not enough.

 

[Donk]

Dirt_Dad how do you find the front end feel on the 'Wing? How is it compared to the 1290 or the 890? Those are both bikes I know so it's a good reference point. I'm big on front end / front tire feel and I question that you can feel much with the GoldWing front end set up? Read a couple of reviews that said the same. For example if I go over a warm tar snake or hit a patch of sand mid corner I want to know what's going on with the front wheel. I don't want 800lbs of bike catching me by surprise.

 

[Want2]

I took a dct wing for a test drive and absolutely loved it watching the front end wishbones do their work were amazing to watch, that was until a gust of cross wind hit me. Those plastic panels turn into boat sails and I nearly was blown off the road!

 

[Checkswrecks]

I took a dct wing for a test drive and absolutely loved it watching the front end wishbones do their work were amazing to watch, that was until a gust of cross wind hit me. Those plastic panels turn into boat sails and I nearly was blown off the road!

The slab sides of the Ténéré are especially great in flat land cross winds either

 

[Sierra1]

The slab sides of the Ténéré are especially great in flat land cross winds either

???? I'm ass-suming that is to read "are not especially. . . .".

 

[Tenforeplay]

Is there any handlebar buzz up around 70+ mph?

 

[JJTJ2]

I have not noticed any on my 21

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Dirt_Dad how do you find the front end feel on the 'Wing? How is it compared to the 1290 or the 890? Those are both bikes I know so it's a good reference point. I'm big on front end / front tire feel and I question that you can feel much with the GoldWing front end set up? Read a couple of reviews that said the same. For example if I go over a warm tar snake or hit a patch of sand mid corner I want to know what's going on with the front wheel. I don't want 800lbs of bike catching me by surprise.

I'll say I have not been a fan of warm tar snakes on the wing. It's a big beast and I don't care for feeling. On both my orange bikes I often ride tar snakes for entertainment. So I guess that's a thing.
I'm really enjoying getting aggressive on the wing, but there is no mistaking that it is over 800lbs. You will not ride it like either KTM. It takes more effort to throw it from side to side. The power is very similar to the SAS, but the throttle is far more reactive to little changes (some would say twitchy). That is what can surprise you. We'll, that, plus the ease at which I find myself powersliding the beast. I've done it a few times now. Always small, but unmistakably, a powerslide. Never on purpose. Kinda amusing. But I like powersliding.

 

[Donk]

Dirt_Dad thanks for answering my question. Tar snakes ARE amusing on an 890 and that's the sort of thing that puts me off on the idea of owning a 'Wing. I need to feel what the front tire is doing and the bike is going to do next, in a good way not in an Oh _ _ _ _ sort of way. Appreciate the information.

 

[Cycledude]

Tar snake that’s sort of how I broke my leg back in 2007, temperature was in the upper 80’s and I was making a left turn at an intersection, saw the tar snake and thought that’s what’s making the front end slide, it will only slide a couple inches but nope it was diesel fuel spilled on the road from an accident the day before, i remember going down and my leg pinned under Goldwing, got my leg out and tried to stand up, must have passed out from the pain because the next thing I remember is a big fat guy holding me down and telling me not to move because my leg is broke.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Dirt_Dad thanks for answering my question. Tar snakes ARE amusing on an 890 and that's the sort of thing that puts me off on the idea of owning a 'Wing. I need to feel what the front tire is doing and the bike is going to do next, in a good way not in an Oh _ _ _ _ sort of way. Appreciate the information.

Unless tar snakes are unavoidable for you, I personally would not avoid owning a wing due to them. The wing is a great bike in so many scenarios.

I had to give up all my bikes for a week during my recent move to WV. The wing was the most difficult one to part with for those 9 days. It was the first one to ride out of the new garage.

 

[WJBertrand]

I don’t think the wing is unique with respect to tar strips. I had a full front wheel tuck, bounced off the steering stop and pulled my hand off of the bar even, on my ST1100 hitting one. Somehow the bike stayed up but I had split second cardiac arrest!

 

[Sierra1]

I don’t think the wing is unique with respect to tar strips. . . .

Bad news is that any bike will react badly to them. Good news is that they're (usually) very narrow which means by the time you start sliding and begin to react . . . . you're off onto nice sticky pavement and the sliding stops. All that's left to do is clean out your shorts.

 

[JJTJ2]

I try to kill tar snakes anytime that I see them. I have found out the hard way that running them over with anything that only has 2 wheels doesn't kill them.... it only pisses them off.

 

[Donk]

Bad news is that any bike will react badly to them. Good news is that they're (usually) very narrow which means by the time you start sliding and begin to react . . . . you're off onto nice sticky pavement and the sliding stops. All that's left to do is clean out your shorts.

Right but an 800lb bike has a lot more momentum than a 500lb bike so once it starts to slide it's going to take more to stop it

 

[Sierra1]

Yup. Me and my Tenere are well over 900lbs. Inertia and gravity are not my friend. I've learned to pay attention to road surface over the years. But once the tire gets off the snake and back onto pavement, everything gets back to normal.

 

[Donk]

Good to know. I kind of picture the 'Wing as unable to regain traction once it got back to clean road. Don't know why I think that but I do. Riding The Snowy Range last year they had just opened the road and it was a nice sunny day. There were some wide tar snakes, more like tar serpents. After the first few I got used to the 890 sliding around and while aware of them I really didn't pay them much mind. Got to the hotel that night and there were 5 Canadian riders, GoldWing, ST1300, GSA, don't remember other 2 bikes made it sound like they didn't think they'd make it though there in 1 piece. I know there are a lot of variables in the story but I had a bike that didn't care. Would hope the 'Wing would be similar.