2015 F6B

[srt8-in-largo]

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.

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?

[Injun Joe]

To me, paint's just paint. I guess knowing I can change it (like folks change the exhaust pipes and all) is what leads me to say, "meh" to blue or silver. That is such a base coat.....

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.

[Injun Joe]

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.

According to the Honda America rep I talked to, neither of the original two colors have a clear coat overlay. If the Valkyrie does, it's a departure from what was done on the original F6B.

[Phantom]

According to the Honda America rep I talked to, neither of the original two colors have a clear coat overlay. If the Valkyrie does, it's a departure from what was done on the original F6B.

My understanding is that Honda is applying a clear coat to Metallic, Pearl and Candied Paints

[Injun Joe]

As for installation... why would you not enjoy the satisfaction of doing the work yourself?

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.

[Steve 0080]

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?

[Reedman71]

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?)

Attachment 8241

[Injun Joe]

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?

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...

[myob]

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.

[srt8-in-largo]

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?)

Attachment 8241

The hazard button should be there... but no reverse button; this ain't a full GW.