2018 Gold Wing butt test drive - observations & commentary - Page 2
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Thread: 2018 Gold Wing butt test drive - observations & commentary

  1. #11
    Senior Member Sonny's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackmetoc View Post
    I hear Brookhaven, MS has some in stock. That is a few hours away. I don't know if they are on the coast yet.
    I was able to test ride one in Covington. That's a fair bit closer than brookhaven
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  2. #12
    Senior Member blackmetoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sonny View Post
    I was able to test ride one in Covington. That's a fair bit closer than brookhaven
    I need to see if either of the shops here have one and if not, ride over to Covington. Depends on the rain this weekend.
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  3. #13
    Junior Member Flat6Fool's Avatar
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    Well I must say I am very impressed with the new Gold Wing (Tour) after getting to test ride today. They didn't have any F6B equivalent Wings today, so the Tour had to do and I had no problem with the "want" of throwing a leg over. This was the first time I've ever ridden a Gold Wing with the third bag on the back, as I've only ridden / owned a '14 Valkyrie and my current '13 F6B.

    There's no way my little review will kick as much ass as VStarRider had written up above. But I'll give it a go nonetheless.

    * One of the first things I noticed right away was the subtle difference with the added weight of the top bag and it's affect on handling at very slow speeds. Not a big deal and really no different (outside of the weight being less) than riding an F6B with a passenger. I believe the rear bag weights about 60 lbs. But once I got moving over 5 mph I couldn't even tell I was riding the full Tour model.

    * The riding position I thought felt a bit better than that of the F6B. I'm 6'2" / 260 and the leg room / position definitely felt better and my legs didn't want to bow out while the feet are on the pegs like they tend to do on the F6B (for me anyway). I personally liked the seat on the new wing better than the F6B. It felt more like I was "planted" in the seat and I noticed a bit more support on the lower back when accellerating in "Sport" mode. And holy crap more on that in a bit.

    * The new double wishbone suspension is definitely worth all the pub it's been given with all the initial reviews on the web / YouTube. It really does absorb whatever the road is delving out much better than the conventional front telescopic forks we're all accustomed to on the F6B (and most other motos). For a brief period during some in-town riding, I was purposefully trying to run over metal covers, city titties, grooves in the road, etc. to get a good feel for the front suspension. Very impressed with it to say the least. The last little bit regarding the new front suspension is the utter fascination I had just staring at the tie rods that connect the handle bars to the main suspension unit. The are constantly bouncing up in down (mostly in about 1/2" iterations) really fast as the front end is lapping up every little bump in the road. It was just very mesmerizing to me. When you first ride one you'll see what I'm referring to.

    * The new instrument panel / LED gauges were "very" easy to see when direct sunlight was hitting it. I'm not sure if it actually has "auto dimming" like a smart phone has for different lighting conditions, but it seemed it was adjusting itself when the sun was hitting it. Anyway very well laid out in my opinion and really just looks bad-ass. In the 30 minutes I was on it, I didn't get to tinker with all the controls on the left handle grip (where most are), but for what I was able to play around with I thought they were very easy to access and laid out well.

    * The F6B horn is loud as hell and the new Wing horn is even louder. LOL!

    * I noticed what seemed to be just a bit less space between the left head/valve cover/plastic housing in front of the gear shift. Not a big deal, but occasionally I would hit the back of that area with the tip of my boot when shifting. Again definitely feel this is something that would just take some getting used to as I'm 32,000 miles of "used to" on my F6B.

    * Okay now on to the different ride modes. I left the dealer ship in the "Tour" mode and I thought it had plenty of power. Really smooth delivery like we're all used to, just not as much as we're used to with the F6B. After riding for a few miles I decided to switch into "Sport" mode and man you can really feel it in the seat of your pants and shoulders. We all know that the F6B by no means is slow or laggy, but this new Wing delivers the power and acceleration with awesome authority. I have a Yamaha FZ-09 that has 3 different modes and in the "A" mode it doesn't restrict fuel, etc. just like the "Sport" mode on the new Wing. The FZ-09 will rip your shoulders out of socket if you're not "ready" when you open the throttle. I kid you not the new Wing gave me an almost identical sensation when twisting the throttle open in "Sport" mode. Just like the FZ-09's throttle by wire, I noticed a little (not a lot) of some jerky-ness while in "Sport" mode. Not bad, but again I believe this will just take some getting used to and don't feel it will be any issue once one has ridden it for a bit over time. I've no doubt that the full Gold Wing Tour I rode today would smoke an F6B. It really seemed to be quicker than what I already think it quick in the F6B.

    * I really like the exhaust note on the new Wing. For those who like the quiet and virtual non existent exhaust note like that of the previous gen, have no fear as it's not "loud", it just has more of a lower rumble that you can definitely hear through the RPM range. I've got RUSH Big Louie's on the F6B and it's not close to being that loud. It's just a nice touch that I think most everyone will appreciate. I personally would definitely get some more RUSH pipes for the new Wing as I like more audible / louder exhausts personally.

    * Overall I'm really impressed after the short time I got to spend on it. There's no doubt that I'll be looking to part ways with the F6B and get on one sometime in the near future if I'm able. If you're fortunate to be near a Powerhouse / Tier 5 dealer, get up their and give one a test ride. Most other dealerships should start receiving shipments in the coming weeks. Will all be thoroughly impressed and want to trade in / sell their F6B to get one? Absolutely not. But I still think you'll appreciate greatly all the features and performance that Honda put into the next Gen Wing over the last 4 years of development.
    Last edited by Flat6Fool; 02-12-2018 at 09:41 AM.

  4. #14
    Senior Member willtill's Avatar
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    I got an email from a local Honda dealer that they have one on the floor. Going to check it out at noon.



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  5. #15
    Senior Member willtill's Avatar
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    Well I went and checked it out today. Surprisingly it didn't "wow" me in person, maybe because of all of the online analysis and pictures I have seen previously.

    Still a nice bike but I do not have any yearnings to own one at this time. My F6B is still perfect for me; and for what I have done and invested in it. Maybe several years down the road I'll contemplate a new series Wing... but for the intermediate future my F6B stays.


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  6. #16
    Senior Member F6Bster's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by willtill View Post
    Still a nice bike but I do not have any yearnings to own one at this time. My F6B is still perfect for me; and for what I have done and invested in it. Maybe several years down the road I'll contemplate a new series Wing... but for the intermediate future my F6B stays.
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  7. #17
    Senior Member willtill's Avatar
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    Bee watching another review on it... seems that there is drone from the exhaust from around 1900 - 2700 rpms.... starting at 9:24 in the below video...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHN3iQ6BZo

    He summarizes about it again at 22:30 in the video above.
    Last edited by willtill; 02-12-2018 at 07:39 AM.


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  8. #18
    Senior Member blackmetoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sonny View Post
    I was able to test ride one in Covington. That's a fair bit closer than brookhaven
    They have one at the show room in Picayune. It is white. I like that paint job.
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  9. #19
    Senior Member keller123's Avatar
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    test rode the 2018 dct. Waiting for some other comments on radio. notch 30 under full face, 85mph, could not come close to hearing the radio. to make matters worse, local channel that comes in clear on f6b full of static. The radio sounded loud sitting still. Could not even hear the back speakers at hwy speeds. I did not adjust the settings before ride so just went with whatever the dealer had set up....any other radio volume complaints???
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  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by keller123 View Post
    test rode the 2018 dct. Waiting for some other comments on radio. notch 30 under full face, 85mph, could not come close to hearing the radio. to make matters worse, local channel that comes in clear on f6b full of static. The radio sounded loud sitting still. Could not even hear the back speakers at hwy speeds. I did not adjust the settings before ride so just went with whatever the dealer had set up....any other radio volume complaints???
    Any specifics in comparison to the F6B as far as ride, performance, handling, comfort? Also, how was the DTC trans? Although I've never rode a motorcycle with this type of trans, I doubt I would care for it.
    Thanks

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