grip on the handle bars is suppose to be relaxed not firm. Road encumbrances are best negotiated with a relaxed grip so the front wheel can motor through deviations. Additionally, tightened grip will fatigue your wrist muscles much quicker. The less the bend at the wrist the more ergonomic it is.
John (Jay) Bettua
2014 F6b Red- sold 2016
2020 Goldwing Matte Black
Retired U.S. Air Force MSgt
I ride alot on secondary roads. Up here in Wi. that means bumpy cracked pavement,gravel spots deer and all that fun stuff. Hard to ride relaxed in that situation.
Bike has risers on it now. Was not aware that some risers have more adjustments than others. Mine don't change angle or setback will have to check it out
Rocky Risers and HeliBars are the only 2 that are adjustable to my knowledge.Originally Posted by xltsport
Just a thought, I found that my grip position changed for the better when i installed a Mustang seat, dropped me down a touch, I guess the equivalent of adding risers. I also have a fork brace and the combination of these mods have pretty well eliminated the vibration. I'm also considering changing the fork oil to a lighter Vis in winter although i haven't spoken with a tech about it yet.
Chris
I've seen a few posts/threads like this here and elsewhere.
I'm really surprised that folks are complaining of "vibration" with the F6B ... which is basically a Goldwing without the trunk. A very smooth motorcycle.
Having ridden Harleys for 30+ years, I can talk to you about vibration. If the motor's running on my 2013 Street Glide, you can not see out of the rear view mirrors. With the Wing, new Valk, F6B ? Not a problemo !
I wonder if there is something else going on here. The bars and grip position are pretty neutral for me, but everyone's constructed differently.
I think Grip Puppies/Grab Ons are required for sure. Then try some adjustable risers to reposition the angle of the bars before opting for Helibar's conversion. Helibars are terrific, but pricey to start with. Much less expensive alternatives are available.
YMMV
The thing I noticed was that on less than perfect roads, the handlebars are more twitchy than the HD's. If this makes sense, it feels like higher frequencies are being transmitted thru the handlebars than what I've grown used to riding Milwaukee's products. I've wondered if the box construction and extent of the F6B's bars are the main contributor to this phenomenon. Tried a fork brace with little to no improvement. It's certainly not a major issue for me, I was just surprised that it wasn't as well behaved as I had assumed a "Gold Wing" would be...and now I'm curious about why. I read in a recent MC mag comparo of touring rigs that the Gold Wings front suspension was described as "harsh", maybe this is what they were referring to.
'88 FLST
'95 Ducati 916
'04 Moto Guzzi V11 LeMans
'06 FLHX
'09 Buell 1125R
'13 F6B
'17 BMW R Nine T Racer
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Many bikes have rubber or polyurethane bushing mounted handlebars, the F6B/Wing does not. A sticky ADV will also add to the harshness.
Honda specs 36psi in the front tire which indicates they are trying to use the lower tire inflation to soften the suspension.
I still don't understand the "harsh" feel of the F6B. The Wing and the F6B are some of the smoothest bikes I've tossed a leg over in more than 30 years.
I run 36 front psi and 38-40 rear normally. This seems to make the bike feel comfy and still handle the harder cornering.
Maybe ride another's bike ... or a Wing ... and see if it feels same/same as you describe. Harsh is not a term I'd give to the big bikes suspension.
I've only 225 miles on my F6B, but it feels as planted and pleasant as my full on Traxxion Wing.
I put a washer in as a shim on the anti-dive and put one of those cheap throttle boss things on the grip also lowered the air pressure to 38 psi in front tire. This seems to help BUT the bike seems to not be as sharp handling as it used to be like following grooves in the road and such. Maybe it is just me cause its different. 😕
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