Just called...waiting for price......as a side note...just road 2059 miles and used the "go cruise" about 5 miles of that!!!
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Just called...waiting for price......as a side note...just road 2059 miles and used the "go cruise" about 5 miles of that!!!
It looks nice. I like the blue a lot. I think it is my favorite color so far. Flat grey doesn't really speak to me, though. Wonder if they will do a white one in 2016.
But I like my chrome pipes. Red is more visible on the highway. I've never had a bike with cruise control anyway, and I got a really good deal on my 2013 3 weeks ago partially based on the assertion that the 2015s were bound to be coming out any time now.
We all realized this was coming, right? I don't feel bad at all.
I am glad that Honda is offering cruise control on the F6B for 2015 so those poor souls that bought one without can quit the moaning and groaning and enjoy this great bike as it is...I have had cruise on a couple of bikes and seldom, if ever, used it..My choice and I knew going in that cruise was not available and it was in no way a deal breaker for me...Ride safe...
I think that the fact that Honda listened to the masses and offered cruise and reverse speaks volumes about the company.
A real cruise control, based on speed sensors and run by electronics, is difficult to install and expensive. Honda's existing cruise on the current Wing is a mechanical cruise that moves the throttle plates via the throttle cables, not a drive-by-wire type that Triumph, H-D, and many others now employ. I really doubt if Honda will offer a retrofit kit for '13 and '14 FB6's, as the ECU is involved as well as the brake and clutch microswitches. Don't hold your breath on this one.
...and the fast red ones become even more collectible!
I'm one of those "POOR SOULS" that has refused to sell his Goldwing with Cruise for a F6B without cruise. Unlike you, I use my cruise control ALL OF THE TIME !
Voicing my desires of a cruise control on a F6B is NOT moaning or groaning as you so eloquently have posted. I already have other bikes without cruise, not interested in adding another to my stable without cruise.
You DO NOT know the riding style nor NEEDS of other riders that prefer to have a cruise control on longer trips, especially those of us that may have carpal tunnel or circulation issues on our hands. Cruise control allows us to remove our right hand and stretch it.
Try posting a little bit on the positive side and stop being so critical or cynical, it's getting old. If you had attended the Rally, you would have experienced the opposite of your negativity. EVERYONE was so positive and HELPFUL not critical or negative. I'm not slamming you just getting a bit tired of the un-necessary crap that you post that contributes nothing and is intended to piss someone else off.
Ride Safe
I saw a blue Valkyrie in the flesh a few weeks ago. The paint looked great and appeared to have a nice thick clear coat. There were no fine scratches to be found on the Valkyrie as opposed to the red and black F6Bs that were on the floor. If the blue paint on the 2015 F6B is the same as the blue on the 2014 Valkyrie, paint problems might be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, there have been so few Valkyries sold that there is no real world information I can find to verify that the blue is really as good as it appeared to be on the showroom floor.
Easy big fella, I kinda agree with Opas. It's disappointing hearing so many prospective new riders say no cruise is a deal breaker... disappointing because they're missing out on one helluva bike... but you're darn tootin' that there's no replacement for a proper electronic cruise system. My Go-Cruise hasn't been cuttin' it.
I've got a close eye on the 2015 model with the hope that the cruise will be retrofittable... and affordable.
Well I called Honda this afternoon to ask the same question. They said there is no way they will have a retrofit kit available cuz there are lot of things involved the way Honda has cruise on their bikes.
Considering that I'm might go with --------. I know it is expensive but in the long run it will be much cheaper than trade in on a new bike. I also might reach out to one of the forum member who has -------- to help me put it. Obviously I'll pay for the Job. Once I get the installation steps printed, I might take it to one of the local mechanic and see how much he charges for the job in winter. I hope with the slow business he might be inclined to help me out. He has already told me that I will get a discount cuz he has not done one yet and he might learn something from of it.
For some the cruise control is a must, just like heated grips is a must for others.
You didn't need cruise to pull the trigger, however you are interested to see if you can retrofit it on to your bike. Obviously the Go-Cruise has not lived up to your expectations. Hopefully the retrofit will use the existing wiring harness, I presume/guess that the right side handlebar knuckle will need to be replaced.
I need a cruise for long distance, hence owning the "grandpa" couch rocket as my friends call it. I'm not missing out on this helluva a bike, my standard Goldwing rides just as well, is equipped with the cruise and fits my needs.
Look at many of the older posts since the day the F6B came out...Many, many owners were bad mouthing Honda for not offering cruise control on the F6B..I am only saying that if you wanted or needed it that much, why not buy something else or a GW...We are all supposedly mature adults here and all knew going in that no F6B cruise was offered so why complain about it all the time!!!..."Poor souls" was perhaps a bad choice of words on my part,but I am sorry I just got a little tired of people "whinning" about the lack of cruise control when they new it going in.....Now I am sure many will start again about ABS brakes or something else...Maybe that is the way Honda makes changes to their products, maybe not....Again, I am not finding fault with those that need or want cruise control as we are different in our riding styles....I love my F6B, as do most on this board, or they would not be or reading this info.....Regards and ride safe....
It would be ideal if Honda made a plug-n-play OEM kit but the reason they're balking is, I'm sure, the same reason why it's so difficult to retrofit a GW cruise system. Regardless of what folks may say, a GW system CAN be retrofitted but the difficulty in doing that is so prohibitive that it's almost equivalent to saying it can't be done.
Plan B is to go with an aftermarket electronic cruise and purchase the 2015 F6B bar-buttons to operate it. Nobody would be the wiser about it not being an OEM setup. Several on the GW forums have gone this route with apparently good success; now us F6B'ers get to do it.
As for installation... why would you not enjoy the satisfaction of doing the work yourself?
I hear ya. I'm different from most folks around here though -- for me, the visual is VERY high on my list of priorities as the bike I ride is a personal statement. I appreciate all the technical stuff that has one guy going 125mph and others going 1,000+ miles in a day routinely. Or the guy that brags about going twice the speed limit in the twisties. But that ain't me.
Honestly, if I didn't love the look of the stock F6B so much from the first time I saw it, I'd never have even considered it. There are only three -- maybe four bikes that really do it for me in current production: The Indian (apart from the Roadmaster and Scout), the Triumph Rocket III, the Suzuki M109R (if it's still in production in it's original styling -- not sure), and the Honda F6B. There are many sweet bikes out there and a few that I wouldn't own if you paid me all based on looks alone -- but only those REALLY do it for me visually.
Now can I repaint? Sure. And I guess I'll eventually be forced to thanks to Honda's crap stock paint. But I didn't buy the FB6 with repainting in mind. Also, I happen to like either the original black or red better than I do the new colors. I'm undecided on whether I like black or chrome pipes better but my original comment was that it's nice to know there will be black ones soon on the used market should I choose to go black.
Because of the petrifying fear before doing it in my case. I'm trying to get over that aspect, but then another in my case is that I owned almost zero tools before I determined that I wanted to start doing SOME work myself. I've found several times that I spend as much if not more in buying tools as I would have paying someone to do the job.
Finally, there is the issue of time. My best friend and I go round and round about this all the time: He is the consummate tinkerer and loves all his vintage bikes and the constant tinkering involved. Honestly, I think he enjoys that a lot more than riding these days for whatever reason. But for me, I love riding and going places. Since I still work and have a close family that demands lots of time and other interests/hobbies besides motorcycles, the time I spend wrenching even simple things is time spent away from riding.
To each their own. I get why some people do all their own work and admire them greatly. I also know first hand a few reasons others do not do their own work.
Cabby...The Indian (apart from the Roadmaster and Scout), the Triumph Rocket III, the Suzuki M109R (if it's still in production in it's original styling -- not sure), and the Honda F6B. There are many sweet bikes out there and a few that I wouldn't own if you paid me all based on looks alone -- but only those REALLY do it for me visually.
I see we agree as far as the Roadmaster goes...absolutely butt ugly...is it just me or is Indian trying to convince people it is the greatest ever built?
Where did the four-way hazard lights button go? And shouldn't there be a reverse on/off button right beside the starter button? (Pre-Production photos?)
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I think the Roadmaster is an atrocity and yes, they were pushing it really hard at Sturgis. The most compelling argument I heard though is you could buy it and a Scout for just about the same money as an Ultra Glide. /lol
The Scout on the other hand is an incredible bike. I'm not super stoked on the looks, but I like it well enough. If I wasn't afraid of looking like a circus bear on a tricycle riding it...
Honda is slowly realizing that it cannot protect its precious GoldWing by making it the only bike in its line with cruise. It may have worked in the past, but the competition is heating up. Cruise is no longer a luxury feature, but expected in any touring capable bike. I ride the ST1300 and it took me about $130 in parts and some labor to get a full cruise working. It maintains speed on hilly terrain and responds properly to brake activation and declutching. Honda could have done the same in the many years they have had this essentially unchanged model. In their desire to protect the GoldWing, Honda has lost many riders to competitors like FJR and BMW R1200RT. I guess they have figured out it is better to have a rider buy a Honda bike with smaller margins than lose them entirely to competition. When we read that BMW was offering a bagger version of their K1600 bike, I knew Honda cannot sit idle and had to come with cruise, ABS and adjustable shield. It looks like their strategy is to trickle these features down across model years to make upgrade compelling.
The editing of the website leaves a lot to be desired. In the overview, they indicate the F6B has "adjustable air suspension". Isn't that only on the full Goldwing? Also, does the F6B really have surround sound with no rear speakers?
I still think there is a good chance the cruise control really is standard. Curb weight is up two pounds from 2014. I doubt they use the deluxe model when they list the curb weight. The only difference I can think of that would add two pounds is the cruise control.
:agree:I WAS LOOKING FOR A BETTER DISPLAY UNIT LIKE THE GOLD WING NAV COLOR AND BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY TO MY PHONE
i can live without all that new stuff no problem . don't need cruise control , don't care about the color , and black pipes they still stock .
i have now black cobras 626 and baggershield adjustable on the way a back rest and led light all around my bike i don't think I'm changing her anytime soon .
maybe in 2017 they make the way i wanted and maybe i will be done adding accessory
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I just test rode the Roadmaster this morning as the Indian dealership is having a Demo weekend. Not really that bad lookin IMO but quite a slug compared to our F6B's. Seating was cramped and shifting was clunky. I was happy to get back on my Wing on the way home.
As in inflatable bags? No. Those systems are very few and very far between in an OEM sense for cars. For bikes, I'm not aware of an air suspension for any bike, anywhere, OEM or aftermarket.
Did the marketing folks get a little exuberant in their wording... or maybe the wording is a language translation nuance... who knows. I would much prefer technically precise and accurate descriptions too.
Well, IMHO the Roadmaster is butt ugly. Besides that, it's gunked up with the very features I detest in a motorcycle. I didn't even demo it because there was no point. If I got an Indian, it would be one of last year's models, but quite possibly in this year's two tone paint scheme because I'm excited about that. If I were to be offered either a Roadmaster or a Scout for free and I wasn't allowed to sell it, I'd choose the Scout.
I totally agree! That paint scheme really should have gone on the F6B being how the F6B is a sportier bike. I don't like the blue, it looks like a WRX or BRZ....to kiddish (no offense) looking for me. Maybe it is better in person? The matte Gray is nice but it would have been much better in gloss. Matte finishes are a swift pain in the butt to deal with and take care of. Besides I think the trend is over!!! All of this is just my opinion though.
Its nice that there is room on the Forum header...........2 more colors to be added :icon_cool: