Just joined the forum and have questions

[GaTeach]

Welcome to the forum.

Teach

[VStarRider]

My thoughts are basically the same as everyone else here, except I am 39 and have only been riding for five years. I considered a used full Wing but, as others have said, the seating position is not as comfortable as the slightly more laid back position of the F6B. The full Wing has a lower back support that takes up about 2-3" of horizontal seat space and pushes the driver forward too far , IMO. Also, at my age, I just wasn't ready for the Family Truckster look of the full Wing.

The seating position on the F6B is very good, and the seat is nice and wide and comfortably firm for longer rides.

[SierraKen]

I'm 65 and just trade a 2004 GL1800 for a new 2015 F6b and have no regrets. I ride mostly solo so don't miss the extra room. Have had to "relearn" to park without the reverse but most of my other bikes had no reverse. The handling is definitely lighter than full wing but still smooth and solid on the slab. With just 4000 miles on the odometer in a five weeks, I am so happy I made the trade!

[F6wannaB]

oldman!

All you guys in your 70's inspire me

[Hdnvn]

55 years old here, 6'2" 215lbs. Have a Harley Electraglide on a battery tender since the purchase of my black '13 F6B deluxe. Awesome ride. So awesome it has increased my confidence and improved my riding skills tremendously. Improvements at this point:
New grips, stock are too thin
New Vance and Hine pipes, stock are too quiet
New Klockwerks Shield, stock is too low and high clear ones are too ugly
Highway pegs
New 6.5" speakers, stock just don't cut it
Cubby 12volt port for charging cellphone
Cruise Control, aftermarket from Aus
Garmin 660 with custom made mount
Planned for the future,
Replace OEM amp
Add subwoofer to inside of low side bag
Possibly a paint job, black with a top coat...
I think that's it. I customized my Harley to the tune of thousands and thousands of dollars over 5 years and I find that the F is such a near perfect ride (functionally and visually) that I'm nearly done. It fits my tall frame much better than the Harley and the balance is unparalleled. And you know what? It's priced reasonable.

[STR8UP]

I am 60 and replaced a BMW K1200GT with a 2013 F6B and it is by far the bike I enjoy the most. I am 5'6" and can put both feet flat on the ground and the bike's centre of gravity is much lower than my previous bike which makes it way easier to maneuver at low speed. The two side cases offer plenty of space for me. It's the first bike where I feel no need to raise the bars or get an aftermarket seat. You don't have to look far to find service and parts wherever you travel...this was a major issue with BMW.

[grendl]

I am 66 this year (WOW) about 5'11. I 've been riding over 40 years and my other bike is a 96 1000F which I love. Since I've had the F6 I havent ridden my Hurricane much. Taken a few long runs on it and for my money this bike is it ! Finally went with a Klockweks sheild which enhanced the sounds and keeps the bugs off so I can ride with my helmet open,thinking about a Mustang just for looks.
I have parked downhill ONCE and was able to back it out but wont do that again, so reverse could be nice but I wouldn't trade for a Wing just for that.
I will regularly leave the house and ride 300 miles just for the joy of it
All in all this is an amazing bike. I absolutely love mine.

[JohnnyB]

Welcome Oldman. Glad to see guys my age or older riding. I am 66. I ride my F6B as much as I can instead of driving my truck. I have had several different bikes, Buell 1125 CR, Harley Super Glide, Harley Road King, and now my F6B. I didn't keep the Buell or the two Harleys long (bought all new), because I guess I get bored easily, or was still "looking". I have added a lot of stuff to my F6B and have it "just right" now. Sometimes I think well about time to get something else like Ducati, or KTM super duke R, and then I think, buddy you are going to screw up, don't do it. Really I don't think I could improve on the F6B, it just does everything well, comfort, reliability, mileage, speed, braking, and looks. It is an outstanding machine and I do plan to keep it a long, long, time......unless I hit the lotto, will still keep the F6B though. I love to explore on it and it is just a well designed motorcycle that to me checks all of the boxes. Ride safe!

[CopperMike]

oldman!

All you guys in your 70's inspire me

[Riknchar]

I bought a new 2015 F6B Deluxe for the same reasons cited by pretty much everyone on the forum. After a couple of months, though, I did decide to switch back to a full Goldwing, and was lucky enough to work a very favorable trade on a new 2015 GL1800.

I will in no way bash the F6B -- it is an amazing bike in virtually every way, and far superior to any of the other bagger style bikes on the road. For me, though, the full Goldwing ended up being a better fit for two main reasons:

1. At 5'9", 170 lbs, 32 inch inseam, the full Goldwing seat fits me to a T. It must have been purposefully designed for a person of exactly my size, because it just feels perfect to me. For anyone over 6' tall, though, it's clearly cramped, and the larger saddle on the F6B works much better.

2. I have a 7-year old son who loves to ride with me every chance he gets, including some fairly long interstate trips. The comfort and security of the full Goldwing seat trumps the F6B significantly, even with the backrest. Again, no knock on the F6B, the back seat is very spacious and for many people would probably be a better fit, but with a young child on the back, the wraparound seat is a must.

I also did find that I prefer the quieter tone of the full Goldwing exhaust to the slightly louder/edgier exhaust note of the 2015 F6B. When I first got the F6B, I actually loved the growly tone. But over time, and with longer trips, the constant drone wore on me more than I thought it would. When I fired up the 2015 full Goldwing, I just realized that I preferred the quieter exhaust.

So if you happen to be 5'9" with a need for a secure, wraparound back seat and a preference for a quieter exhaust, go for the GL1800! Otherwise, you'd probably enjoy the F6B more...