My wife is short and hated getting on the RT and hated the bags digging into her calfs, neither are a issue on the F6B. I thought she would miss the top pack, but she says she is very comfy on the F6B. Now I don't buy my bikes to make my wife happy, but its a big bonus when she is. Good luck, both bikes are great...
i feel your pain. i traded a bmw k1200gt that i have enjoyed for a long while. at 64, the aggressive riding stance was reeking havoc on these ol' joints now. after a couple of hundred miles, i wanted to lean it against a tree somewhere & walk the rest of the way. i ride for pleasure & riding with pain is definitely not pleasurable. i want say that i don't miss the fantastic feel of the european quality & all the little creature comforts of the beemer, but i have absolutely no regrets having made the trade. the f6b's not a bmw but it has a lot of advantages you'll eventually come to appreciate. just do it & don't look back; you'll not regret it.
I will have back rest risers going into production soon and the height of the back rest will be a distant memory.....setting up a powder coating person now.....more to come..
P.S. Buy the dam thing !!!
" Truth is often deemed rude, blunt and to the point which is why so few make their friend " Freddy Hayler ..352-267-1553 Sanford, FLA Gutterman6000@Gmail.com
My advice....walk away. Most everyone here wanted the F6B at first site. Heck, I tried to talk myself out of getting rid of my perfectly good '12 GL1800 and buying the F6B but lost that mental battle when I got to see one at the dealership. I am so happy I bought it, it is the best motorcycle I have owned in 50 years of riding. It is a fair chunk of change for one of these motorcycles so if you have any reservations at all....walk. JMHO.
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Tex, I can appreciate that some folks just have to have something when they see it, and normally I have no problem buying bikes. Hell I've probably owned more new bikes in the past 20 years than most folks in a lifetime. Let me put it another way. I owned a first year Vision, was not love at first sight and in fact was like the F6.... took a while for me to warm up to it before I finally took one for a test ride and decided to buy. Put 46k on the odo in two years and purchased something new, simply because I wanted to.
Maybe that there is the hang up. Normally I'll pick up something new every two years, just because I want a change. This time I'm shopping because I have to. I just want to have some idea of others thoughts about the F6 before I buy. What did they come off of? Does it live up to their expectations? Heck already I learned that the Canadian and Auzzie version has ABS.
Bottom line is I have never seen a pic of any bike that made me just need to have it. It has to be right and you can't know that by simply walkin into a dealership, you have to ask around. I'll surely discard some things folks have to say because they just won't apply to me, but I've discovered sometimes someone says something that has not been considered previously. For example you said you traded a perfectly good 12 for the F6. Going from a GW to a GW shouldn't take a lot of convincing if the plan was to simply go more sporty and the F6 option is there.
I appreciate your thoughts, so thanks.
" Going from a GW to a GW shouldn't take a lot of convincing if the plan was to simply go more sporty and the F6 option is there."
There is a BIG difference in the handling, quickness, and comfort between the GL 1800 and the F6B. Although on the same platform, lowering the center of gravity, weight, wind drag along with a more comfortable seat allowing for more legroom makes the two models totally different. I came off a string of ten Harleys before purchasing my first Gold Wing. Prior to that, I rode smaller Hondas, a Kawasaki, BMW, and even a Zundap. When I switched to Wings a few years ago, I was extremely pleased with the quality and reliability. The F6B simply suites my riding style these days. I no longer want to do the cross country jaunts of my past riding years but stay fairly local and ride every day. I have put 5200 miles on this new bike since Febgruary 26, it is just a pure pleasure to ride.
This, and two other forums devoted to the F6B are packed full of useful information from owners that really love this motorcycle. Good luck with your due diligence and making an informed decision.
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Tex, Now see that second reply confirmed exactly what I noticed about the F6, lower CG, quicker, and the additional leg room. I also noticed the F6 turns in more abruptly which caught me a little off guard the first test ride. I also noticed 1st gear is about useless unless you want to just putt around the parking lot, and 2nd works fine for takeoffs. Frankly I could probably do away with 1st, & 3rd gear all together and never miss them.
I still plan to use the F6 for X-country trips if I pick it up but I spend most of my miles riding secondary roads rather than interstate which is why I feel the F6 is a better fit for me versus the GL1800. I'd rather be carving the back roads than chewing up super slab.
Again thanks for your reply, you have been most helpful.
ps... I rode a bunch of HD's and others myself but the RT spoiled me. I did look at a Vic and HD again but they felt like I was dragging an anchor. So really the F6 or GL have been the only two bikes I've considered. Again thanks.
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