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2018 Gold Wing Demo


RTinNC

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Yesterday my buddy and I had the pleasure of riding the new Wing at a local Honda dealer. He was actually more interested than my in a purchase but I had my interest peaked by all I had heard. The dealer was VERY gracious and allowed us to demo 2 of the new Gold Wings for about 20 minutes each.

 

Let me begin by saying this is arguably the BEST iteration of the Wing to date! Honda really seemed to do their homework and it is one nicely put together motorcycle. The color options are all really attractive and the fit and finish and attention to detail is very well done. I love the way the side cases open and the lids seem very securely mounted. In addition the attention to the “little details” is very nice. But like the sales manager noted “it only took Honda 11 years to get it right” !

 

Riding the new Wing it is well …. very “Wing Like” which is smooth and powerful but not crazy fast but more sophisticated fast and very well mannered. We demo rode both the 6-speed manual as well as the DCT for about 20 minutes each. Not a very long ride but enough to get a feel for the bike. While the new Wing was comfortable at 6'3” tall with a 34” inseam I could not tell how comfortable it might be after 3 hours on it. But on the demo ride it was very comfortable. I did find on the 6-speed manual that my left boot toe kept bumping into the back of the cylinder. I assume that could be resolved by an adjustment but if not that would be very annoying. In addition I did feel a slight bit of heat on both my ankles since you ankles are right behind the cylinders that seems reasonable but I will note that my buddy did not notice that heat. I also notice a slight whine from the 6-speed manual that I did not notice on the DCT bike.

 

While I love shifting and using a manual transmission I have to say I was VERY impressed with the DCT (7 speed) and how buttery smooth it works. The BMW Shift Assist Pro (SAP) is very smooth on upshifts but have to say I think the Wing was even smoother. And in sport mode using the DCT the power was really impressive. If I were buying a Wing I am not sure if I would get the 6-speed or the DCT and I never thought I would say that about an “automatic transmission” as it was THAT good. I did not like that even in manual mode it downshifts for you. I would like manual to be well “manual”. The motor sounded very Wing like with maybe a slight bit or rumble added. I noticed that more on the DCT model than the 6-speed and liked the sound a lot. Not as nice as the BMW K1600 sounds but nonetheless a nice Wing sound.

 

The “parking motor system” both front and reverse seemed to work well and I did notice the “front assist” is only available not eh DCT. Not a big deal for me but some may want that feature. Also, the bikes had Hill Start Assist which worked fine but I did not like that it only says engaged for 5 or 10 seconds. On the BMW it stays on until you release it or pull away.

 

The new front suspension worked very well and it was neat to watch the top of the shocks (if they are shocks?) move up and down as the bike floated over bumps. The infotainment system seemed pretty well integrated but I did not really play with it too much. I will say that like most any other new high tech vehicle today the owner will need to study the manual as there are a LOT of tech bits to learn. Heck there are 2 or 3 different ways to just start the bike.

 

At 6'3” tall I thought the standard height windshield on the Tour model did a good job and provided a nice calm riding capsule. Some might find the windshield a bit narrow and lacking the arm and shoulder coverage but for me I really liked it.

 

All that being said would I buy one? Probably not. For me there is just not enough there to justify a $30K purchase. It is still a 800+ pound motorcycle and still a Gold Wing. My wife and I are never going to be a “touring couple” spending weeks on our motorcycle and if I were I would opt for a late model BMW K1600 as there are a ton of them on the market with very low miles for 1/3 the cost of the new Wing. And nearly ALL of the very nice enhancements on the Wing have been on the BMW bikes for a few years now i.e. electric windshield, DCT (BMW has the SAP), keyless ride, central locking, improved from suspension, etc. The Apple Car Play was the only feature I thought was unique to the Wing and since I believe we already have enough distractions that is not an issue for me. In addition the K1600 has more luggage room which if touring 2-up really is a big deal and something I think Honda may hear from the owners.

 

That being said if you are a Wing owner looking to upgrade and have been waiting for the new Wing you will LOVE this bike! It seems to have everything Wing owner have been waiting for. I was happy to get the opportunity to demo ride it now as I suspect the lines at Americade will be miles long !!

 

Oh and on pricing … it seems that a lot of the options are “dealer installed” and we learned from the dealer that while you can go on-line and configure / build your Wing and get an estimated cost, since the options you may have selected are “dealer installed” they will need to add labor for that installation of any of the accessories which could add quite a bit to the bottom line. The also noted that while there was not much ability to negotiate price at this time they were offering a “good deal” on the extended warranty and the service plans. I would probably look hard at the extended (5 year) warranty giving you a total of 8 years which is what I got on my 2016 RT, not sure I would go for the service plan. But that is just me.

 

As I have always said motorcycles are aa very personal thing and while the new Wing is probably not for me it is a superb motorcycle and I am certain the current Wing owners will love it and the initial demand seems to be supporting that perspective. What I am not certain of is whether this new Wing will attract the next generation of Wing owners. For me riding solo the RT is a much better option offering virtually all of what the Wing offers in a much lighter and more nimble package.

 

As always YMMV !!

 

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Ed:

I got the pleasure of riding a 2015 GL1800 and had a similar view. I was lucky enough that the dealer let me take it out for two hours, so I was able to give it a full run through on multiple type of roads, surfaces, etc.. If I was going to Super Slab tour the GW would be my choice. Great review and thank you for that. I just might have to take one out for a spin.

 

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Ed:

I got the pleasure of riding a 2015 GL1800 and had a similar view. I was lucky enough that the dealer let me take it out for two hours, so I was able to give it a full run through on multiple type of roads, surfaces, etc.. If I was going to Super Slab tour the GW would be my choice. Great review and thank you for that. I just might have to take one out for a spin.

 

The new Wing is a great bike and from my albeit limited experience with Wings being just demo riding (the 1500, 1800 and the new 2018) the new Wing really seems to be the best iteration yet. That being said if I were to as you put it "super slab tour" I would look hard at a used K1600. It has all the stuff the Wing has, is lighter and there are a plethora of them out there with under 10K miles selling for under $15K. And the kicker is you get that wonder K1600 sound! But the new Wing is certainly work a demo ride for anyone looking for a 2 up long distance tourer.

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Ed:

There is no way I will be able to afford either bike for the next 10+ years, so no bike shopping for me. Have not had the joy of taking out a newer K bike. I test rode a Flying Brick (2002) before I bought my first RT. The RT is my style of riding and fits me (outside of being 68" tall) very well.

 

Mike

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Yep ... for me the RT fits the bill pretty well. I see you are on a 2011 and yes the '05 thru '13 RT were built for taller guys (like me :->) The RTW's are a bit lower but nonetheless I love my 2016. But the 2011 Ostra Gray RT is a very nice choice and I still miss things about my '06. The 2011 should be good for that 10 years and by then who knows what we will be riding.

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Lone_RT_rider
Wonder how Honda explains this....

 

 

or this:

 

 

Yeah, that's not a lot of shock travel left of a single rider (200 lbs) until it get's to the Bump stop. That's about 1-2 mm max.

 

shock%20travel%20001-S.jpg

 

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Yeowzer, the loose steering head bearing is down right scary. All new models have teething pains, but this would affect safe operation and should be a show stopper event at Honda with some critical meetings being called to figure out the extent and cause. The good news is that unlike the shock failure the first year wethead RT this seems to be a day in the shop call back to fix.

 

The shock travel issue to me is a design FEMA failure. Firmer spring, smaller rubber bumper up to a shock with shorter body might all be fixes. The third party shock specialists are licking their chops on that one until Honda come out with a fix on later model years.

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Traxxion was famous for fixing a number of the shortcomings of GL1800 suspension. It looks like they're going to be making some money on the new bike as well.

 

As an aside, I do wish that the OEM's would make an effort to actually set up a bike for different rider weights. It wouldn't take much to have a range of shocks or the ability to mod a stock shock to make it work for someone other than the prototypical 155 lb Japanese test rider.

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Lone_RT_rider
Questionable design, that's for sure. Under load, the bump stop is going to get hammered hard and often.

 

If you watch the video all the way through, they show that the bump stop is already getting a large amount of wear even at 375 miles.

 

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A friend of mine with a Gold Wing that is looking forward to the new Wing asked a good question when I showed him the Traxxion Dynamics videos. Why don't they start the bike up ? When he starts his old wing he has multiple settings for one or two riders with or without luggage that raises the bike up . I'm assuming the shock or spring does this and lengthens the shock travel ..

Edited by Richard_D
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Bike Running?

 

I'm assuming the shock or spring does this and lengthens the shock travel ..

 

You know what they say about assumptions......

 

Not only that, but man, ask a few questions and you'll piss off Max! :mad:

 

Wow somebody sure tweaked him... :grin:

 

 

Pat

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That assumption suggests that the bike is lowered when the ignition is off, and rises when turned on. I don't think the GW does that, but it would cause problems when the bike is on the side stand as sloped ground can make the balance critical. Or imagine a rider with short legs losing ground contact when the power was turned on (not likely with the GW low seat height, but...)

 

In the Youtube "sag" video, one of the comment replies said that the electric preload adjustment was rear only, so the front height would not be affected very much anyway. Another reply said that Traxxion would soon be posting a video of the shock while riding the bike - that should be interesting. It's hard to reconcile the video with all the press impressions reporting good ride and handling.

 

Edit: once again, my typing lags behind the internet...

Edited by lkraus
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Dennis Andress
Bike Running?

 

I'm assuming the shock or spring does this and lengthens the shock travel ..

 

You know what they say about assumptions......

 

Not only that, but man, ask a few questions and you'll piss off Max! :mad:

 

Wow somebody sure tweaked him... :grin:

 

 

Pat

 

There's people on ADV saying he made the videos to cast doubt on the new suspension and drive business his way. I guess there's some truth in that, but if anything the videos have given me more things to look at when I get to see one.

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...There's people on ADV saying he made the videos to cast doubt on the new suspension and drive business his way. I guess there's some truth in that, but if anything the videos have given me more things to look at when I get to see one.

 

That truth from ADV sounds a little grassy knoll-ish to me. The guy/company is expert in suspension set up and yes could benefit from this design issue on the new GW. That said Honda released a bike that appears to be virtually out of shock travel with a 200 pound rider aboard. Pretty clear that no funny business was done to get the shock to be bottomed out under a very normal static weight situation. That isn't his doing, it was Honda's doing, and I gladly accept that a suspension expert has noted it, shared it, and will likely come up with a fix.

 

If you are going to wait on Honda to fix it anytime soon, don't hold your breath. Being a little geeky about suspension set up myself I find it mind boggling that the suspension engineering team didn't recognize that static suspension sag was chewing up all the usable travel when arriving at the final parameters for the spring and shock assembly, but I digress. If I had one of these bikes I would be figuring out if I could cut the rubber stroke bumper in half to get more unrestricted travel as long as it didn't have the front fender smashing into the fairing.

 

If the loose steering head bearing issue is pervasive that will be a handful enough for Honda to get in front of and the zero free travel shock issue won't even hit their radar. If Honda ends up with a big call back to check and tighten steering head bearings they could be proactive and combine that with a shortened shock stroke bumper as well since they will be deep into the front fork assemble anyway. Honda management and lawyers probably won't let that happen though as the shock travel issue is not a safe operating issue, adds cost to the fix, and essentially admits to a suspension flaw adding some additional liability risk.

 

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Dennis Andress

It's a sucky situation to be sure...

 

I bought my k13S without ESA with the thought that the money would be better spent on a pair of Ohlins. The front shock had the same problem: riding just above the bumper for my 210 lbs. I managed to get a 1/4 turn of preload adjustment, but more would have meant taking the shock off. I avoided bumpy roads the whole time I had that bike. Eventually Laney and I both had Wilbur shocks installed. The front sucked. The new shocks lifted the front about an inch. Laney's bike then leaned too far over on the sidestand for her to easily lift. My bike picked up a bad wheely problem. Wheelys are fun, until they aren't.)

 

So, I'm withholding judgement regarding the Wing's front shock. I know from experience that more preload is needed. And I know that more preload screwed up a couple of good bikes. I'm kinda wondering if there is something in the Hossack fork design that requires the shock to be like that.

 

I've a demo ride scheduled with the local Honda dealer in late March. I won't buy a Wing, but now I'm really curious about it.

Edited by Dennis Andress
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Would like to hear about that '18 GW demo ride. Should be able to feel the shock become travel bound.

 

I agree with you on the OEM shocks which never quite seem to allow a perfect set up. I shared your plan to go with standard shocks when I bought my '15RT and change them out, but found that virtually none are sent to the dealers and ESA is bundled with some other stuff I wanted, so I went with the package including ESA. I'm mostly pleased but I still find them to be a little short of my perfection regardless of the settings I use. To be fair it is hard for a motorcycle manufacturer to get the suspension right across the full range of rider weight, riding style, loading and types of roads they will get used on and I can get the ESA suspension of my new RT to about 90+ percent of what I would call perfection. I still miss the Ohlins I on my '99RT though when riding my '15RT. I'll just have to ride that '15 until the shocks are toast and go for Ohlins then:cool:

 

For sure I can see adding preload to fix a problem at the cost of ride height and fork geometry changes might only be trading one sin for another. That is why my first thought is to cut the stroke bumper as a first step. I have learned the hard way that indiscriminate radical changes in a bunch of settings at the same time will get one lost in suspension hell fast.

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I have front and rear suspension from Traxxion Dynamics on my Triumph . It's my first experience with after market suspension. When doing my research I went to all motorcycle brand forums and could not find one negative comment about them. My experience was great dealing with them as well. I've also been test riding a few demo bikes lately .A new RT as well as a new GS at least 60 or 80 miles each. I think my suspension is better than any mode on every bike I've tried so far. It could be because I'm used to it and it's set up for my weight and riding style . I wouldn't think twice about doing it again and absolutely using Traxxion Dynamics again.

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My demo ride wasn't really long enough or on technical enough road to really test the suspension it was 20 minutes on just surface roads. However we did notice that you can actually watch those little shocks bouncing and moving which we both found entertaining ad that suspension worked

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My demo ride wasn't really long enough or on technical enough road to really test the suspension it was 20 minutes on just surface roads. However we did notice that you can actually watch those little shocks bouncing and moving which we both found entertaining ad that suspension worked

 

Could be Honda wanted a silky smooth ride to a fault and ended up at a 1970's Lincoln Town Car set up. Like butter and very likely with a loss of chassis control. With the suspension set to sport mode I would bet you you get harsh compliance in exchange for for chassis control. With the shock out of usable travel before pulling away from the curb, it sure looks like they got the spring rate way, way wrong and you might not fix this with just putting on a spring with a higher compression rate. Maybe you could get luck with a progressive wound spring,,,maybe. I fear to fix this the internal shock valving may need to be changed too, and that gets to all kinds of $$$.

 

It is so tough to get to what I call a supple ride which I define as high compliance while maintaining a high level of chassis control. If you get it all right it transforms the bike into a confidence inspiring awesome handling machine.

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Dennis Andress

It is so tough to get to what I call a supple ride which I define as high compliance while maintaining a high level of chassis control. If you get it all right it transforms the bike into a confidence inspiring awesome handling machine.

 

That's what Ohlins are for...

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