[40446]

I test rode a Goldwing and my bike felt like a moped on the way home...

 

[12217]

Re: 1978 GoldWing and Comstars

Despite the caption, that's a 1978, and those are the 'infamous' Comstars. The only thing I can say against 'em is that Honda shouldn't have chickened out and ran tubes in them. It's a situation I fixed by adding tubeless valve stems.

Other than that, my '78 is like a tank: unstoppable (literally - it has single-piston calipers all around.)

 

[smithrob75]

I felt the same way after test riding a R1200RT. I just seemed best suited for a long trip. I rode it stoplight to stoplight.



That Goldwing seems well finished though. I've met many a Goldwing rider and they all were very good folks.

 

[sportbike_pilot]

Well done Pete. First rate all around.



-martin

 

[DonM]

I would have liked to read what its like to ride the GL1500 and then switch to the GL1800. The most likely customer is a former owner when it comes to Wings.



MPG? How about a look under some of those body panels?



Also, is the luggage waterproof? Since the GL1800 has been out a while, why didn't you interview GL1800 owners and mechanics?



As a GL1500 owner I've found the popular Wind Wings air deflectors to scoop some of the breeze back into the ****pit in summer a good deal.



The weight of GL1500 is managable with just the rider. Adding a passenger though will be over some peoples limit.



And the price! The Honda Civic car is $4000 less money and only has 100cc less engine.

 

[35244]

Nice to see a Wing article. The MSMM (main stream motorcycle media) overlooks the Wings more often than not (MCN excluded). Guess Wings are not exciting or cool enough. Guess that demographic is just too darned old. Guess I won't make any smarty pants comments about just who has the disposable income.



I got a good laugh over the I-Pod comments. Why in this day & age ANYONE is paying big bucks for CD changers is fully beyond me (and I am a serious audiophile - no I-Pod in my he man system unless absolute min compression scheme is used) - Which leads me to a question: given BMW's demographic (or at least the demo they claim they have , upscale, educated, etc.) why would you want that crappy K12LT saddlebag eating changer that cost something north of a K-buck.



BBBUUUUWWWHHHHAAAA!!! Honda beat BMW to the punch with an I-Pod port. Maybe there is justice afterall!



postscript: yes, I still prefer LP's to CD's but I'm not preachy about it. Good sounds are where ya finds 'em. And if BMW has an aux. input, I take it all back or maybe I won't.

 

[longride]

Good Job Pete! I put many miles on my trusty 1500 Wing, and it was one fine motorcycle. The newest Wing left me a bit cold, though. Not that it isn't a fine bike, but Honda tried to cover the "Sporty" and "Touring" areas with this one. They should have stuck with 'Touring' in my opinion, and made a better 1500, not an all new 1800. Just my opinion. I did ride the new 1800 for a week, and didn't like it enough to buy one. I may own one in the future, but for now, my Geezer Glide is more of what I want in a motorcycle. Any one that rides a Wing wil not be disappointed though. It's the best mile eating machine ever produced. Again, nice ride review Pete!

 

[iamz]

".....so silky in appearance that it's almost phallic."



That being the case, you would think there would be more women riding these things.

 

[mile_eater]

That was a pretty disturbing section of the article... I mean... I don't know about you... but I read some lust in there... and well... I just don't want to read about a guy lusting after something he describes as phallic.

 

[iamz]

To each his own I figure, but at least Gabe has to be feeling good that he won't be the recipient of all that anonymous homophobic hate mail from down south anymore.

 

[Buzglyd]

Actually Harley beat 'em both to the punch. Electra Glides have had aux inputs for years. I've been using an MP3 player on mine for quite some time.

 

[Buzglyd]

You should have painted some checkers on it and put a light on top of your helmet and picked up some fares to supplement your MO salary.

 

[33129]

I'd rather have the mini in the background shot although I'd be giving up some storage space. Good write-up there Pete. I look forward to your next installment. How's 'bout the new Yamaha Morphous?

 

[33342]

Patience young Jedi. Morphous, reviewed it will be. When Yamaha released it has.

 

[mile_eater]

hrm... not been my experience that the "homophobes" from down south are worried about annonymity... they tend to be kinda proud of that sort of thing.

 

[mile_eater]

Dude... that thing is bizarre... that's all I'm sayin'.



Now the Ruckus.. THAT looks like fun.

 

[12250]

Very good article on one of the "other" sides of motorcycling. However, it would have been interesting to see some video of Sean throwing sparks from the pegs or lofting the front wheel.

 

[iamz]

I stand corrected. You are right sir.

 

[sarnali]

So would I, Mini Coopers are fun to drive once I shoehorn myself in.



A guy at work has a new champagne colored 1800 Gold Wing, it's funny to look at my Trophy, which is a Brit. version of luxo-tourer and look at the 1800 which is Japanese-American I suppose, and see the differance in design phyilosophy.



The Goldwing looks like a nice bike but I can't see me buying one, I'd take a Road Glide if I wanted to crank out freeway miles, the GW is way to complicated a motorcycle for me.

 

[Buzglyd]

Are you too busy grading papers or chasing co-eds?



We haven't heard much from you lately.