I agree with V star, clamshell bags suck. Anyone that thinks they don't, hasn't used a top loader bag. Leg space is cramped. Ground clearance could be improved as well. Those are my biggest complaints, otherwise, the B is a beast and handles very well for her size, she just touches down in corners before I get to the discomfort zone. Once the pegs grind, the discomfort zone is in full effect!
Mike
Excellent info folks and very much appreciated. As mentioned, I'm searching for something..."different". I've never ridden that flat 6 but I know a little better now what to expect. I think it's time to visit a showroom and check out ergonomics, storage, etc..
Thanks again.
One thing about this bike that is the proverbial 800-lb gorilla in the room...and its a good thing...it is a very simple motorcycle. The motor is a SOHC two-valve per cylinder basic design with port fuel injection. The rest of the bike is a Gold Wing, which in its current form, is an 18 year old platform. The bugs have lonnnggggg been worked out of it. It is very, very reliable. Go ahead and try to find a thread about mechanical failures or breakdowns on this forum...they are few and far between.Originally Posted by Flhfxd
They are very easy to do maintenance on, too. Oil/filter changes are a piece of cake, and the removing the rear tire is simple as well. The air cleaner...that's a different matter...but you won't have to do that often.
Honda outboards and generators are the same way. The get the design correct, keep it simple, and keep running them down the assembly line the same way for decades. My 2001 Honda 30 hp outboard is exactly the same motor today as it was then, minus a decal update.
Former Ride:
2013 F6B Standard, black; sold 7/2019
Latest Addition:
2016 Gold Wing Level 3, red; SCT transmission stuck in manual mode
2019 Miles:
7,900 as of 10/6
Get a center stand, even if you have to buy one after. Almost all maintenance done with it. I bought a standard model, then added that later. Best move I made. All I have aftermarket is a windshield and pegs. Over 24k in less than a year and a half with no complaints....my 2 cents.
“Gibraltar” 2016 white deluxe has been sold.
All good. So I will need a center stand, footpeg relocation? (I'm joe average @ 5'10"), cruise control, rear storage (TBags are great), and a proper windscreen? Sound about right? Next question is: can you rent one of these for a decent rip
I have Rivco Aero pegs, the ones some are complaining about in another thread. I'm happy with mine. I barely use them. I'm slightly taller than you, and this bike fits me perfectly. I rode home from NC and never swung the pegs out. Cruise control....for me, just a way to stretch the wrists and air them out. Never use it for long periods, because, you very rarely get long periods, at least where I am. Windscreen is a crap shoot. So many....can't comment on a rental. That may be tricky.
“Gibraltar” 2016 white deluxe has been sold.
Try and find a Honda Demo Day, & take one for a spin. My first demo ride on an F6B, and I was turned off by the short stock windshield, and the quiet engine (HD lovers call it 'soul-less' - no noise). I was coming from a Suzuki big v-twin, and it was way quieter than I was sued to with my twin & stock pipes. But I wasn't happy with the Suzuki, wasn't satisfied with t as a distance tourer. I tried the Victory CC Tour, the Victory Vision, & the regular Goldwing. Eventually I came back to the F6b (with a Madstad windshield) and appreciated the quiet.
Oh, and because you are in Canada, we get ABS standard on our F6B's. Newer versions also have the regular cruise control, but I am installing a Breakaway cruise control before a trip to Vegas next month.
If you hit one of your local dealers, they prob have used GL1800 or two they will let you take out for a test ride. Then you will get to experience the freight train linear torque that people above have commented on. Then, imagine chopping 70 lbs off that regular Goldwing and the touring trunk, and figure that the stock seat on the F6B doesn't make you feel like you are being pushed up to a perch on the edge of the gas tank like the regular 'wing, and thats what I found was the main differences between the regular 'wing & the F6B.
Happy hunting!
C
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