Fire Sale on New Goldwings?

[ff73148]

We have all purchased Goldwings because we knew that it was a long term bike we could put miles on. Honda is looking for a new Goldwing rider. They are not relying on the current Goldwing owners to buy new model Goldwings. Look at BMW and how they market their bikes. BMW riders start with sportier bikes and move up to larger touring bikes. Honda is looking for that rider.

[Frye]

Problem is, how can you sell it as "sportier" when it has a 112 mph top speed and roughly the same HP as the old ones? I see them as a step down in performance from our F6Bs. On top end, they are a step down from all previous GL 1800s I think and also a step down from the 1520 Valks. And they don't even offer a performance upgrade for them?

So, you have a slower bike with less room for passenger, rider and luggage. With an untested engine and drivetrain. What's the point?

[Verismo]

Problem is, how can you sell it as "sportier" when it has a 112 mph top speed and roughly the same HP as the old ones? I see them as a step down in performance from our F6Bs. On top end, they are a step down from all previous GL 1800s I think and also a step down from the 1520 Valks. And they don't even offer a performance upgrade for them?

So, you have a slower bike with less room for passenger, rider and luggage. With an untested engine and drivetrain. What's the point?

Have you ridden one, Frye? On my test ride with a new DCT, the dealership had a young man on the previous wing as my escort, and I easily walked away from him at will, no matter how hard he tried to keep up. Between the weight loss, and the non-existent drop in torque as it grabs the next gear, it is most definitely sportier. It's not as sporty as the new BMW, but hasn't that been the general case with previous K1600's?

I wish they had fattened the bags up. And I REALLY wish they would make more of a cruiser/tourer based on that platform, something along the lines of the original valk. More dropped in seat, more pullback and wider on the bars. Same engine and transmission. That would be right up my alley. But as it stands, I thought it was amazing to ride. I also think the B is amazing, and I love mine. But I think the new one is beautiful and impressive. We'll see concerning longevity, but if it holds up, it seems like an amazing next step in motorcycling.

Jason

[Frye]

I haven't ridden the 2018s. I wouldn't buy a full size bike with a 112 mph top speed unless there was an affordable fix to remove the training wheels so there isn't any reason for me to test drive one. I waited years to buy my f6b hoping Honda would finally hot rod that 1800 motor like they did the 1520s they put in the Valks. When they brought out the 2018s with the reduced top speed and same HP it was obvious they were going further away from building a bike I was interested in so I started looking for a dealer new 2016.

When I found the best price I could on a new 2016 I bought it without even test riding it and rode it home from the dealer this past January. I consider my B to be a touring oriented sport touring bike and that's how i ride it. Same with the Valk it replaced. No matter how fast the new ones get to 112 mph I still couldn't live with a bike a sportster could outrun on top end. I don't blame anyone who could, motorcycles are as individual as it gets but that built in governor on the 18s is a show stopper for me.

I'm damn disappointed the Bs don't make 25 more HP than they do. No doubt Honda could have done so and probably would have done so if Joe Boyd was still alive and designing GLs for the American public, but he's not, sadly. So the 2016s appeared to be the best effort Honda was going to make. If I rode solo all the time I would have bought a new FJR or perhaps a Rocket, but the B seemed to offer the best mix of two-up all day comfort, cornering ability, power and dependability out there.

I literally waited over a decade with money in my pocket for Honda to make a 130-170 rear wheel HP, naked, no-governor, 6 speed two-up touring Valk that would pass everything except a gas pump and still be good for 900 mile days, 20 years and 300,000 miles. Sadly, today's Honda, like HD seems more interested in appearing fast than being fast. Of course I considered the Beamers but I needed a bike that would last the rest of my life, had local dealer support and wouldn't break down. That dropped the Beamer out of the running and made the Rocket seem a bit sketchy too.

Concerning sales of the 2018s.
If Honda removed the speed governor, bumped up the HP and made all the power available in any gear, at any speed and started a "No Limits" advertising campaign I think they'd sell better than any GL ever built.

[VStarRider]

I haven't ridden the 2018s. I wouldn't buy a full size bike with a 112 mph top speed unless there was an affordable fix to remove the training wheels so there isn't any reason for me to test drive one. I waited years to buy my f6b hoping Honda would finally hot rod that 1800 motor like they did the 1520s they put in the Valks. When they brought out the 2018s with the reduced top speed and same HP it was obvious they were going further away from building a bike I was interested in so I started looking for a dealer new 2016.

When I found the best price I could on a new 2016 I bought it without even test riding it and rode it home from the dealer this past January. I consider my B to be a touring oriented sport touring bike and that's how i ride it. Same with the Valk it replaced. No matter how fast the new ones get to 112 mph I still couldn't live with a bike a sportster could outrun on top end. I don't blame anyone who could, motorcycles are as individual as it gets but that built in governor on the 18s is a show stopper for me.

I'm damn disappointed the Bs don't make 25 more HP than they do. No doubt Honda could have done so and probably would have done so if Joe Boyd was still alive and designing GLs for the American public, but he's not, sadly. So the 2016s appeared to be the best effort Honda was going to make. If I rode solo all the time I would have bought a new FJR or perhaps a Rocket, but the B seemed to offer the best mix of two-up all day comfort, cornering ability, power and dependability out there.

I literally waited over a decade with money in my pocket for Honda to make a 130-170 rear wheel HP, naked, no-governor, 6 speed two-up touring Valk that would pass everything except a gas pump and still be good for 900 mile days, 20 years and 300,000 miles. Sadly, today's Honda, like HD seems more interested in appearing fast than being fast. Of course I considered the Beamers but I needed a bike that would last the rest of my life, had local dealer support and wouldn't break down. That dropped the Beamer out of the running and made the Rocket seem a bit sketchy too.

Concerning sales of the 2018s.
If Honda removed the speed governor, bumped up the HP and made all the power available in any gear, at any speed and started a "No Limits" advertising campaign I think they'd sell better than any GL ever built.

We lost our one BMW motorcycle dealer in the area. I think the next closest dealer is in Troy, NY, near Albany ... a 200 mile drive from Rochester.

[F6Dave]

We lost our one BMW motorcycle dealer in the area. I think the next closest dealer is in Troy, NY, near Albany ... a 200 mile drive from Rochester.

In my personal experience, a BMW needs to have a dealer nearby. But an F6B can go for years without seeing a dealer as long as UPS or FedEx can find your house.

[opas ride]

In reality....If I had the desire for another bike at this point in my life it would most likely be the F6B version of the GW....But the BMW does make a great couple of bikes for touring types...But at my age, I will most likely just give up the sport and stick to cars in the future.....Regards