Going comfortable two up your thoughts

[who me?]

Ive been in a daze the past couple of days The other evening at dinner SWMBO said"you need another bike" In the past almost 30 years Ive never heard this from her Afterwards I verified that I wasnt hearing things and hadnt had another stroke and yes she confirmed that that was indeed what she said Im thinking she wants to start back going riding with me so I am forming a preliminary search committee of which yall are a part of The basic requirements are for her Comfortable Trunk Armrest and for me A lower seat height Ive had goldwings (these are a known factor with her)and they are in the running and dare I say HD just from the shear volume of them in the cycletrader/CL Budget is around 10k Anything else I might want to put on the list?

 

[pslshawn]

Yeah, take her out to lunch and see what you can get. )

 

[ADVTRACKER]

Well, among many types of bikes from racing to cruiser to off-road to touring that I've ridden over the last 47 years, my Wings have been the absolute best for two up.  Did a two up trip with the SO on a Connie once, and even with a custom seat she said no more, we're taking the Wing.  I just bought the new redesigned 2018 Wing, but that or any of the 2001-2017s would be absolutely perfect for two up. The1500s too, but those are very old machines now and wouldn't trust for reliability on a long trip.

 

[ron203]

My wife and I have talked about this subject for a while. She likes the C-14, but does not like the higher seating (than the C-10). Several in our SE group have 'Wings, so we've been around them. One Saturday in February this past winter, we went for a ride and decided to stop in to see the bikes at the local Kawa/Honda/etc. dealer. This bike was on the floor. It's a 2008 Honda Goldwing with 28,000 miles. Lots of room, smooth, decent gas mileage if you don't flog it, quiet, corners surprisingly well.  Makes the C-14 feel like a bicycle, though at low speeds.  ;D

She sat on it and said, "Buy this." I did. I paid $8,750.  She says the C-14 is my bike and the Wing is "Our" bike.  ;D

We rode it to the Beat The Heat rally this weekend and had a very pleasant time. We got home and she said, "I could definitely ride a long way on this."  We bought it to see if we liked it. Like a C-14, it needed/needs a few farkles to be "just right" but it's a pretty good time to buy an older 'Wing if you want one, but if you wait until winter, you might get a better deal.

 

[ADVTRACKER]

My wife and I have talked about this subject for a while. She likes the C-14, but does not like the higher seating (than the C-10). Several in our SE group have 'Wings, so we've been around them. One Saturday in February this past winter, we went for a ride and decided to stop in to see the bikes at the local Kawa/Honda/etc. dealer. This bike was on the floor. It's a 2008 Honda Goldwing with 28,000 miles. Lots of room, smooth, decent gas mileage if you don't flog it, quiet, corners surprisingly well.  Makes the C-14 feel like a bicycle, though at low speeds.  ;D

She sat on it and said, "Buy this." I did. I paid $8,750.  She says the C-14 is my bike and the Wing is "Our" bike.  ;D

We rode it to the Beat The Heat rally this weekend and had a very pleasant time. We got home and she said, "I could definitely ride a long way on this."  We bought it to see if we liked it. Like a C-14, it needed/needs a few farkles to be "just right" but it's a pretty good time to buy an older 'Wing if you want one, but if you wait until winter, you might get a better deal.

That's a pretty good deal, as I sold my 2003 Wing with 76,000 mi for $6,900.  (Albeit with about $3 million in farkles which you can never get back of course.)  Congrats!

 

[jettawreck]

Having moved on from a couple C10's to the Honda ST1300 for various reasons it's getting a bit of the same urging from the (very) occasional passenger.
Going to look at a 1500 Goldwing tomorrow. Stable mate or replacement, I'm not sure yet.

 

[ADVTRACKER]

Having moved on from a couple C10's to the Honda ST1300 for various reasons it's getting a bit of the same urging from the (very) occasional passenger.
Going to look at a 1500 Goldwing tomorrow. Stable mate or replacement, I'm not sure yet.

Not the power or handling of an 1800, but I have to admit having owned an 1100, 1500, 1998 Valkyrie, 1800, and now the new (whatever it's called) 1800, the 1500 had tremendous storage.  Way more than all the others.  Two people could pack for a round the world trip on that thing.  One thing to think about, it unless it's been totally rebuilt, you're looking at very old cooling hoses, brake and fuel lines, and externals, like water pump, alternator, fuel pump, fuel filter, cables, etc.  Basic engine is probably bullet proof if the valves have been properly adjusted.  Great luck in whatever you choose! 

 

[Ranger Jim]

Another 'wing supporter here. The wife and I are on our second one (2012). I'd had a 2002 that I'd bought used in 2007; sold it to my BIL in 2015 for $8000 with 84K on it. He and his wife are still riding it and have over 100K on it now.

I'd look around for a first generation GL1800 (2001-2009) or the 2nd generation (2010-2017). The 2010-2017 models have slightly more luggage space but not enough to get real excited about.

You can likely find some deals as owners trade their old 'wings in for the newest generation.

HD makes some nice two up bikes, lighter than a 'wing but no reverse. Same for the Victory (now out of production). Kawasaki Vulcans have potential as do Indians.

 

[rain dancer]

I think a lot depends on your wife. My wife hated the wing when I took her out on one. However, she is also a rider. She felt most of what she enjoyed about the motorcycle experience was lacking on the wing. She loves the C10, and she loved the seating on both the Tenere and the GS1200. YMMV (We use the same bike on long trips, she is my GPS). She likes the FJR, but feels more cramped than the C10, so we limit that bike to 2 week trips. Is there a dealership or do you have friends that will lend you a bike so you and she can try it? Had an ex that would have loved a wing. Friend had an older 1500 and when I used it, she would sleep on it! Good luck with your search.

 

[DeansZG]

  Don't forget to look at the BMW Light Trucks, ie:  K1200LT    can be had for couple grand less than similar year gold whangs....

 

[jettawreck]

  Don't forget to look at the BMW Light Trucks, ie:  K1200LT    can be had for couple grand less than similar year gold whangs....

I have "looked" at them a bit and see they sell used for very reasonable prices, but not seriously considered them because of some of the rear drive failure history and rather complicated maintainence routines (real, imagined or rumored).
Looked at the blue 2000 Gold Wing 1500 today. It's in very nice shape as far as I can tell. Guy builds/rebuilds vintage small airplanes and has taken care of it. Changed timing belts last year (supposedly) at 60k miles. He's pretty firm at $4k. I'm undecided yet if I want/need another motorcycle as I'm not really ready to give up the ST1300 yet.

 

[Gumby]

I think a lot depends on your wife.

BINGO! We have a winner.

My wife has gone on Sunday rides through wine valley, through the twisties at high speeds, through treacherous weather(TREACHEROUS), and on tremendously long days just because I needed to make it to the next best road on the Butler map and she still gets on the back of my C14 for to do it again. She likes the ride as much as I do... just get a custom seat, comfy foot pegs, top notch gear, music in her helmet, something to hold on to, and a nice robe for the night at the spa. $$$$$ :truce:

 

[diz@ct]

2 biggest draw backs for passenger comfort are wind buffeting and leg position. Buffeting on the wing for the passenger is minimal as long as you're not going across Kansas where the wind always seems to hit sideways. Even the wing; as heavy as it is can act like a sail but the passenger seems to get the worst of it. Most passengers don't like having their knees bent the way a C-14 or FJR will when seated for miles. Can't beat the wing for leg room.

 

[who me?]

My wife and I have talked about this subject for a while. She likes the C-14, but does not like the higher seating (than the C-10). Several in our SE group have 'Wings, so we've been around them. One Saturday in February this past winter, we went for a ride and decided to stop in to see the bikes at the local Kawa/Honda/etc. dealer. This bike was on the floor. It's a 2008 Honda Goldwing with 28,000 miles. Lots of room, smooth, decent gas mileage if you don't flog it, quiet, corners surprisingly well.  Makes the C-14 feel like a bicycle, though at low speeds.  ;D

She sat on it and said, "Buy this." I did. I paid $8,750.  She says the C-14 is my bike and the Wing is "Our" bike.  ;D

We rode it to the Beat The Heat rally this weekend and had a very pleasant time. We got home and she said, "I could definitely ride a long way on this."  We bought it to see if we liked it. Like a C-14, it needed/needs a few farkles to be "just right" but it's a pretty good time to buy an older 'Wing if you want one, but if you wait until winter, you might get a better deal.

I think this is where I/we are at Back in the day the 1500 checked all the boxes with her I dont see us doing week+ on the bike but more like an overnight or a long weekend at most Im going to wait til near the end of the season before I get serious about buying (unless the deal of the year drops on my doorstep) Im going to get with a buddy that has an 1800 and borrow his for an afternoon when it cools off a bit and SWMBO wont complain about it being hot

 

[Ranger Jim]

IMO & FWIW, the GL1800 is a much better bike. It handles and rides significantly better. The GL1500 does have a bit more storage but that can be a very mixed blessing.

 

[lieu910]

I think used K1600GTL's are obtainable in that price range as well.

 

[MizzouMike]

Hi I'm Mike and I ride a Harley Davidson....

I was happy riding along on my Yamaha with the wife on the back, then one day we stopped at the local HD dealer.  The salesman was smart, too smart...  He asked my wife if she had ever ridden on the back of an Ultra.  She had not, so he threw the keys at me and said "take her our for a ride."  I didn't sign anything, didn't have to show M/C endorsement, nothing.  (They must have good insurance).  Well when we got back, my wife explained to the salesman, "That is the most comfortable I have ever been on the back of a motorcycle"  ...eventually I heard her say "We need to get one of these", and he replied "NEVER EVER argue with your wife when she is the one who is trying to convince YOU to buy a motorcycle"  Long story short, I bought the Ultra, and the wife loves it.  The best part of this story is that she has since sat on the back of a Goldwing, and that will be our next two up touring bike.  I just have to get a few kids through college first...

I will likely be looking at the 2012-2017 vintage of Goldwing at that point.  I bought my C-10 in 2009, my Gen 1 KLR in 2001, and my air-cooled HD right after the Rushmore improvements.  I have been able to find low mileage bikes at significant discounts that way. 

 

[funsize]

My husband, Jorge, had a C10.  He purchased a Corbin seat and got floor boards for me after our first long trip on the bike in 2010.  We lived in central Indiana at that time and we rode it all the way to Camden, Maine.  The seat was very comfortable for me.  It was after that trip that he purchased the floor boards for me.  In 2011 we went back east on the C10.  I was very comfortable on the bike.  So much so, that I almost fell asleep on it!  It would have been good to have arm rests like the Goldwing.

For me the C10 and C14 are comfortable to ride as a passenger.  But it all depends on what is comfortable for your wife.  The ride has to be comfortable for her.

Irene

 

[Jpd11958]

Our 99 c10 is the most comfortable bike my wife has been on. We will do very long days. I put on floor boards so her legs are not locked in to one position and I have hi-way pegs so she can use the drivers pegs to stretch out also. After 5 years I added a backrest. It is the first bike that the backrest was not the first mod I did.
I have a Versys 650 as my commute bike and it could be ridden two up but the c10 is so much better for her.
We have not tried the wing so no comments on it. In a couple of years the new 18 wing my be in the cards. See likes the looks of it.

 

[Tinsailor]

For two up, the Wing is the Thing!

 

[dcsorric]

  Hi I have goldwings for a long time> Started with a Gl1000 than went to a GL1500 Sold it with 205k on it as it was just broke in. I have A GL1800 Goldwing rode for as a 2 wheeler and now it is a trike. Great bikes wife has always enjoyed them. You can not  go wrong with a Goldwing. Theres a lot on the market and a lot of great buys, so If I were you a Goldwing will make a happy wife.

 

[who me?]

After some more discussion with SWMBO she said she doesnt feel I could hold up a wing with her on the back (bad knee on one side stroke damage on the other) My primary objective in all this is I want her to feel secure And with that it lead to an Oh by the way moment Remember when I had the sidecar on the mule Well its going to go back on sometime between now and next spring That said and not wanting to squander an opportunity I talked her into signing off on another two wheeler for me
I found an 08 FJR with the paddleshift transmission and made my move while the iron was hot 
They say three is a collection so Im 2/3 of the way there

 

[ron203]

:beerchug:

 

[jettawreck]

My wife and I have talked about this subject for a while. She likes the C-14, but does not like the higher seating (than the C-10). Several in our SE group have 'Wings, so we've been around them. One Saturday in February this past winter, we went for a ride and decided to stop in to see the bikes at the local Kawa/Honda/etc. dealer. This bike was on the floor. It's a 2008 Honda Goldwing with 28,000 miles. Lots of room, smooth, decent gas mileage if you don't flog it, quiet, corners surprisingly well.  Makes the C-14 feel like a bicycle, though at low speeds.  ;D

She sat on it and said, "Buy this." I did. I paid $8,750.  She says the C-14 is my bike and the Wing is "Our" bike.  ;D

We rode it to the Beat The Heat rally this weekend and had a very pleasant time. We got home and she said, "I could definitely ride a long way on this."  We bought it to see if we liked it. Like a C-14, it needed/needs a few farkles to be "just right" but it's a pretty good time to buy an older 'Wing if you want one, but if you wait until winter, you might get a better deal.

ron, I passed on the 2000 GW1500 just because it was the first one I had really looked at and didn't really want the first one I saw.
There now is a 2008 GE1800 up for sale now w/18k on it, audio upgrade (which I don't care about), navigation and a few minor extras that I see. And a hitch, which I see as a mixed blessing/curse. I do have a really neat tent camper trailer that we never intended to use behind a bike only behind the VW, but maybe, just maybe with an 1800?? Guy is asking $8500. Any tips or things I should ask about and/or look out for?

 

[who me?]

My wife and I have talked about this subject for a while. She likes the C-14, but does not like the higher seating (than the C-10). Several in our SE group have 'Wings, so we've been around them. One Saturday in February this past winter, we went for a ride and decided to stop in to see the bikes at the local Kawa/Honda/etc. dealer. This bike was on the floor. It's a 2008 Honda Goldwing with 28,000 miles. Lots of room, smooth, decent gas mileage if you don't flog it, quiet, corners surprisingly well.  Makes the C-14 feel like a bicycle, though at low speeds.  ;D

She sat on it and said, "Buy this." I did. I paid $8,750.  She says the C-14 is my bike and the Wing is "Our" bike.  ;D

We rode it to the Beat The Heat rally this weekend and had a very pleasant time. We got home and she said, "I could definitely ride a long way on this."  We bought it to see if we liked it. Like a C-14, it needed/needs a few farkles to be "just right" but it's a pretty good time to buy an older 'Wing if you want one, but if you wait until winter, you might get a better deal.

ron, I passed on the 2000 GW1500 just because it was the first one I had really looked at and didn't really want the first one I saw.
There now is a 2008 GE1800 up for sale now w/18k on it, audio upgrade (which I don't care about), navigation and a few minor extras that I see. And a hitch, which I see as a mixed blessing/curse. I do have a really neat tent camper trailer that we never intended to use behind a bike only behind the VW, but maybe, just maybe with an 1800?? Guy is asking $8500. Any tips or things I should ask about and/or look out for?

FWIW We had a camper and pulled it with a 1200 and I knew it was behind me traded it in for a 1500 and it pulled it with no problems Now keep in mind I didnt do a lot of pushing it thru the curves We hung out at TWO about every other weekend back then That was BC (Before Child)
On the maintenance side on the 15 the hitch was another thing to deal with before you could get to what you need to fix

 

[ron203]

I'm probably not the best one to ask because I haven't had this one but about six months. Two of our members, Kurt Brown and Jim Culp have far more experience with them than I. Also Fred Boothe and others have extensive Wing experience as well. Maybe start a thread just for this. Kurt pulls a pop up with his. I think Jim is on Wing #2. Fred may be on #2+ also.

There are HUGE numbers of Wing forums and I've spent hours reading them. Like all internet forums, you find all the horror stories but lot of people happily riding and riding for thousands of miles. The first valve "check" on the 2008 GL 1800 is @ 32,000 miles and seems to be about $300 for the going rate. Various issues with the transmission pop up in discussion. The tranny does not shift on my Wing nearly as smoothly as my  2014 C-14. Part of that is difference in design/weight/technique/etc. I find I get smoother as the day goes by. The C-14 is just slick all the time. The Wings seem to be a little clunky and the shifting noise is  a common feature, mitigated by your technique, but still not as bad as some of the Vtwins.

Kurt told me (and I've seen it elsewhere) that the suspension needs upgrading at about 30,000 miles. I'm starting to believe that. The electronic suspension has two memory settings and like all Japanese bikes, comes set apparently for a 150# rider. I've not seen 150# since I was about 14 and push 250-260# most days plus gear. The setting range is 1-25(?) with two memory positions. I set one @ 18 and one @ 22 and it helped a lot. Typical Honda exhaust surface rust, here and there on one exhaust tip, and parts are not cheap, but what OEM parts are? Some GL's have some alternator whine but that seems to be not unusual. Could be it's just easy  to  hear  with the big fairing.

Mine's about due for fluids, hoses, etc. Tires are NOT  cheap, but I went with Dunlop E4's which are the newest heavyweight version. Oil is easy to change. Air filter, apparently not  so much. They ride and handle nicely. I DO very much like the throttle roll on/off feel. Maw Kaw could take lessons from Honda on that. I rode Hwy 28 in NC for 25 miles (constant twisties - highly recommended) in 3rd gear and it was "on/off", "on/off." No jerks, just sweet like a rheostat. Mine does not use oil and the last tank of gas (regular 87 octane!) returned 44 mpg running at 55-60 mph.  Push up to 75-80 and you get about 38. i've seen that more than once.  Not as fast or quick as a C-14, but still is quite fast and quick enough when you want to pass something or make time. I think most GL1800's top out at about 125 mph, but I don't ride it like that. Stable as a ROCK on the highway. What truck cross winds?

Mine is the "base" model 2008, whatever that's called with 29,900 or so miles now. It has a CB and AM/FM radio, neither which I use. I'd gladly trade both for ABS.  The bike overall reminds me a whole lot of a C-10 on steroids. Heavy at low speeds, but not necessarily top heavy in this case. Handles well above 20 mph. Nice "pocket" for weather protection. Sort of  hot for summer because of the big rider position pocket. A little "short in leg room for me" but  I'm 6'4" and it's okay. But my goodness is  it comfortable to eat miles. My wife says the C-14 is my bike and the Wing is OUR bike.  ;D  It's true.

There are lots of forums, but one of my favorites is "GoldWing Docs." Just google "Goldwing Forum"  and settle in for a while. Lots of these around and lots of nice owners, like this group. $8,500 is a good price, but I'd offer a few hundred less here at the end of the summer. You probably want to do a little service and maybe a new battery (easy to get to that btw on the left side - gently pull the side cover off). It mounts in 3(?) grommets) Much easier than C-14's.

 

[Ranger Jim]

Ron is pretty much spot on with his observations.  MOST regular services are very easy to perform. The air filter requires removing most of the plastic but it's only required every 30K so ... .  Talking with a service tech about the valve check, he says the only ones he's ever seen out of spec are ones that are regularly bounced off the rev limiter. Fred Harmon has a set of maintenance videos for it too. As far as handling is concerned, I've surprised more than a few squids in the twisties and will probably surprise more now that I've got my suspension upgraded.

I'm on my second GL1800 and sometimes pull a Lee-Sure Lite pop-up camper with it. Pulls it with no difficulty but you can feel it when you're stopping. It also costs me about 4 mpg due to the increased parasitic drag.  My "normal" fuel economy is like Ron's, 42-44 mpg on regular gas. My bike is the Level 3 trim, sound, nav, comfort package (heated seat, grips), CB radio and ABS. ABS was the only thing I wanted but Honda (formerly) wouldn't put it on anything but the loaded model. :??:

The 'wing is my wife's bike, I'm just the driver.  We rode the first 'wing from WA state to SC (there's a ride report in the (Ride Report in the Fall 2008 issue of CONCOURIER), SC to the Grand Canyon, SC to Maine, to the Spider Ride in MO (repeated that trip with our "new to us" 'wing). It's a great mileage maker.  The wife really likes the secure feel the wrap-around backrest provides plus the stock seat is IMO great.

It is heavy, 900+ pounds for mine but the CG is really low (fuel tank is under the seat) and it goes up on the center stand more easily than my C10 did.

Just one word of warning; Do NOT take the wife on a ride on one unless you're prepared to buy one. DAMHIK, as Ron or Kurt. :rotflmao:

 

[who me?]

My version of MC camping vs SWMBO version

 

[jettawreck]

This is the tent camper I have. Never been towed by a motorcycle since I've owned it, although my previously owned 2005 C10 pictured camped along with the VW tow vehicle. It had the extra room area added by prior owner. Not sure of the manufacturer, but it's nicely done and pulls effortlessly with the VW.

 

[Ranger Jim]

Any idea what it weighs?  I try to avoid towing anything that weighs 50% of my towing vehicle so anything I tow with the 'wing will weigh less than 450 pounds in towing configuration. Tongue weight 25-35 pounds.

 

[ron203]

The 'wing is my wife's bike, I'm just the driver. 


Just one word of warning; Do NOT take the wife on a ride on one unless you're prepared to buy one. DAMHIK, as Ron or Kurt. :rotflmao:

That reminds me, one of us still needs to give Denise a ride on a Wing. David needs a(nother) bike. We've been promising her for a year now... :nananana:

 

[jettawreck]

Any idea what it weighs?  I try to avoid towing anything that weighs 50% of my towing vehicle so anything I tow with the 'wing will weigh less than 450 pounds in towing configuration. Tongue weight 25-35 pounds.

I should scale it, but I'm guessing less than 250 pounds, w/o "extra" gear stowed inside where there is plenty of room. Yes, tongue weight is very light perhaps 25 pounds.
When towing anything my concern is not how much you can pull, it's how much can you safely stop well.

 

[Ranger Jim]

Absolutely! That's another reason to keep the towed vehicle much lighter than the towing vehicle. Otherwise the "tail can wag the dog."

 

[Fred_wa2gzw]

The wing gets my vote!

 

[diz@ct]

I found this comparison of the Wing vs. the K1600 amusing and informative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0hv0NEvXWI