F6B or Full Wing...?

[JMartin]

Alright guys... thank you so much for your input and opinions. At the moment, I'm leaning heavily toward the F6B again. White, of course... which pretty much forces me to the 2016. PilotGuy, your pictures are awesome... I just love that White/Black look. White over Black has been a trademark look for me most of my life and with several vehicles. Even my current ride is an ex-Pasadena Police bike.

For the stock F6b however, these items are a must:

Touring Rack
The stock rear rack is pitiful. Plus I already bought a TourMaster Tail Bag, where my Tent and several other items will reside, so I'll need a larger rack to handle this bag. The bike I rented had this rack on it. I like the design and looks of it over the other tubular type racks available.

Saddlebag Liners
Already bought these too. Have one of them packed with goodies already (Tool Kit, Tire Kit, Stove, Propane, Tarp, First Aid Kit, Hammock, and other necessities). The other will be for clothing and the likes. I want to be able to pull into a hotel/motel and just grab the one bag and go.

Madstad Windscreen
Although I don't really care for the bracketry hanging off it... it does work very well. This was also on the bike I spent a day on. Very effective. I may look at, and try, others that are more sleek and look better... I just don't want to go through 5 or 6 windshields just to settle on one.

Lighting
Filling in the factory lighting location seems a requirement for me. Something in LED's would be my preference. I also like the idea of the Badge accent lights, but don't know if I like the "brighter than the headlights" look or the "white/yellow" turn signal functionality. And if I do end up with White... then switching out to the clear turn signal lenses with switchback LED's is likely also. (I tried to link to some, but the URL gets squashed by the forum software... apparently they have to be supporting vendors).

Other than those specific items, I'm sure I would consider the F6B a perfect bike. Especially if it already has Cruise Control. I want Cruise more to keep my speeds under control than I am worried about hand fatigue or anything like that. Most of my street bikes have had some form of throttle lock, but I've never experienced a true electronic cruise control on a bike. I love the torque and thrust that the 1800cc Flat Six puts out, but I'm afraid it will constantly creep up on me over distance, and I've kept my driving record clean since giving up my 1978 Black TransAm back in my teen years.

Just thinkin' out loud.

Jim


[Holy Smokes... just got off the scale this morning... 215.8... less than a pound to go!!! Wooohoooooo!!!]

[opas ride]

Alright guys... thank you so much for your input and opinions. At the moment, I'm leaning heavily toward the F6B again. White, of course... which pretty much forces me to the 2016. PilotGuy, your pictures are awesome... I just love that White/Black look. White over Black has been a trademark look for me most of my life and with several vehicles. Even my current ride is an ex-Pasadena Police bike.

For the stock F6b however, these items are a must:

Touring Rack
The stock rear rack is pitiful. Plus I already bought a TourMaster Tail Bag, where my Tent and several other items will reside, so I'll need a larger rack to handle this bag. The bike I rented had this rack on it. I like the design and looks of it over the other tubular type racks available.

Saddlebag Liners
Already bought these too. Have one of them packed with goodies already (Tool Kit, Tire Kit, Stove, Propane, Tarp, First Aid Kit, Hammock, and other necessities). The other will be for clothing and the likes. I want to be able to pull into a hotel/motel and just grab the one bag and go.

Madstad Windscreen
Although I don't really care for the bracketry hanging off it... it does work very well. This was also on the bike I spent a day on. Very effective. I may look at, and try, others that are more sleek and look better... I just don't want to go through 5 or 6 windshields just to settle on one.

Lighting
Filling in the factory lighting location seems a requirement for me. Something in LED's would be my preference. I also like the idea of the Badge accent lights, but don't know if I like the "brighter than the headlights" look or the "white/yellow" turn signal functionality. And if I do end up with White... then switching out to the clear turn signal lenses with switchback LED's is likely also. (I tried to link to some, but the URL gets squashed by the forum software... apparently they have to be supporting vendors).

Other than those specific items, I'm sure I would consider the F6B a perfect bike. Especially if it already has Cruise Control. I want Cruise more to keep my speeds under control than I am worried about hand fatigue or anything like that. Most of my street bikes have had some form of throttle lock, but I've never experienced a true electronic cruise control on a bike. I love the torque and thrust that the 1800cc Flat Six puts out, but I'm afraid it will constantly creep up on me over distance, and I've kept my driving record clean since giving up my 1978 Black TransAm back in my teen years.

Just thinkin' out loud.

Jim


[Holy Smokes... just got off the scale this morning... 215.8... less than a pound to go!!! Wooohoooooo!!!]

Good luck with your decision my friend and hope it works out for you..but, be very careful about thinking there is such a thing as the "perfect bike" because I doubt you will be totally happy with that mind-set....I love my F6B and have no plans to sell it at this point, but after several bikes over the years, I am still looking for that "perfect bike"....Regards and ride safe

[Old Ryder]

Good luck with your decision my friend and hope it works out for you..but, be very careful about thinking there is such a thing as the "perfect bike" because I doubt you will be totally happy with that mind-set....I love my F6B and have no plans to sell it at this point, but after several bikes over the years, I am still looking for that "perfect bike"....Regards and ride safe

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!!! And my wife will tell you that it is a very expensive search! The B is my 12th bike in 16 years (to be truthful some of the bikes were tempory "flips" to make a few bucks) and another trade is on the way, but I am not leaving the Goldwing family. All bikes have there strong and weak points and for some of us--as my wife says--"You just can't be happy with a single bike, can you?" It is a sickness. I have buddies that ride the same bike for a decade and are happy as can be. And then you have guys like us.................

[JMartin]

... as my wife says--"You just can't be happy with a single bike, can you?"

And yet we are expected to be happy with a single wife, huh?
Double standard.

(Just kidding hun... )

[tiltingf6b]

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!!! And my wife will tell you that it is a very expensive search! The B is my 12th bike in 16 years (to be truthful some of the bikes were tempory "flips" to make a few bucks) and another trade is on the way, but I am not leaving the Goldwing family. All bikes have there strong and weak points and for some of us--as my wife says--"You just can't be happy with a single bike, can you?" It is a sickness. I have buddies that ride the same bike for a decade and are happy as can be. And then you have guys like us.................

[JMartin]

Just have to wait for the bike to be brought to California.
If it wasn't December, I would have flown out and rode back home... but I didn't want my first experience to be a miserable one.

Making a spot in the showroom for it... probably right in the middle where the old PC800 used to be:

Space.jpg

Can't wait!

Ordered a full shop manual off eBay, and have a few farkles on my Christmas list now.

[JMartin]

They are supposed to load up my bike in Kansas next Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and then it's two weeks en-route to California.

In the mean-time, I picked up this today... complete with Goldwing Hitch and Wiring Harness.
Spotted it on Craigslist about 90 miles away, and couldn't pass it up!

Attachment 24944 Attachment 24945 Attachment 24946

I can't wait to "not even know it's back there" (so everyone says).

[pilotguy299]

They are supposed to load up my bike in Kansas next Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and then it's two weeks en-route to California.

In the mean-time, I picked up this today... complete with Goldwing Hitch and Wiring Harness.
Spotted it on Craigslist about 90 miles away, and couldn't pass it up!

Attachment 24944 Attachment 24945 Attachment 24946

I can't wait to "not even know it's back there" (so everyone says).

great find !

[tiltingf6b]

They are supposed to load up my bike in Kansas next Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and then it's two weeks en-route to California.

In the mean-time, I picked up this today... complete with Goldwing Hitch and Wiring Harness.
Spotted it on Craigslist about 90 miles away, and couldn't pass it up!

Attachment 24944 Attachment 24945 Attachment 24946

I can't wait to "not even know it's back there" (so everyone says).

Does that trailer thingy? have a name? looks like I could modify it to run a stock M-60 machine gun for tailgaters. Or a mean ass pitbull.

[D-Train]

They are supposed to load up my bike in Kansas next Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, and then it's two weeks en-route to California.

In the mean-time, I picked up this today... complete with Goldwing Hitch and Wiring Harness.
Spotted it on Craigslist about 90 miles away, and couldn't pass it up!

Attachment 24944 Attachment 24945 Attachment 24946

I can't wait to "not even know it's back there" (so everyone says).

Now you just need to paint it red to match your new bike!