Successful people build each other up. They motivate, inspire and push each other. Unsuccessful people just hate, blame and complain.
Sometimes change just for saying you changed it isn't good. Who has anything that compares? Technology isn't always good. Gizmos don't make a bike run better. I'm good like it is. The more electronics the more problems. KISS works most of the time.
+1.
I like my 6 cylinders, manual transmission, and enough buttons - but not too many - to get the job done.
Hybrid? No thanks.
Load bearing engine? No thanks.
More gizmos? No thanks.
If true, the 2017s will make the 2016s priceless.
Cheers,
Steve
My girls:
Isleen - 2014 F6BD
Saorla - 1995 FLSTN Heritage Special
"Politeness, n: The most acceptable hypocrisy."
Ambrose Bierce
No mention of any 6.5" or 7.1" speaker support.
Funny, when this posted I had opened a Reply to Thread getting ready to say something along the lines of "I'll keep my F6B til I die, don't want all of this stuff on a motorcycle, we don't need all of the complexity!"
I closed the Reply page without posting because I figured nobody wants to hear my bullsh1t. Judging from your responses, maybe I was wrong about that.
I'm fully immersed in technology in many aspects of my life but could easily toggle back to analog or less automated ways of doing things. A little technology is great, fuel injection is the bomb, but all of this other stuff just sounds like more things to break down, service, or have replaced.
Wonder if they'll try to halfassedly shoehorn motorcycles into the driverless vehicle future by taking over the throttle and brakes?
My current scoot is a Honda CTX700. I test rode the DCT - and liked it enough I took a chance on it. A year later, I don't think I'd want to have a bike without it, at least for a daily driver. NOT having to operate the clutch a few hundred times an hour is kind of a nice thing for a commuter. Add that option to the F6B, I'd get it. After all - I can always manually shift if I like.
Not sure about the other options, though!
Being new to the Goldwing, when I read this the only thoughts I had were about the transmission and what they would be doing by going hybrid on the engine. I've ridden on a DCT bike the last year and a half and I'm a huge fan of it, if they do it correct on the goldwing. The NM4, NC700X and Africa Twin DCT bikes are crazy fun. The biggest problem with the DCT bikes thus far has been the manual shift system being paddle shifters...which, frankly, suck.
Those bikes in Sport mode are very quick to shift and generally perform the shifts at more typical RPMs that a human would anyway. Standard drive mode is more of a lazy "lets get to sixth gear quickly" mode. The manual shifting turns off the ECMs control of shifting but with paddle shift it takes too much to get used to from foot shifting. Even though, in process, the shift is telling the ECM to go ahead and change gears, it's a microsecond reaction from the change on the finger to the DCT shifting. I never over-revved using it, but one of the other NM4 owners did and had to get repairs handled on the motor. The ECM in Drive and Sport mode handles the downshifting pretty well too, and it makes banked stoplights a no-brainer.
If they took the DCT, dumped the paddleshift and left the footshifter on, I would take it on the goldwing. For someone that commutes alot through heavy traffic for at least an hour both ways, not having to deal with the clutch is a win. On long trips, I could see it coming in handy to have an auto mode handling the shift, especially with cruise control activated. For the twisties and riding on new roads, going "manual" with a foot shifter would be alot nicer than dealing with clutch and shifter. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the clutch/shifter approach...hell, I've been doing it long enough, but after having experienced the DCT at work, I'm a fan of it. It's been around going on 7 years now and is a far cry better than CVT style transmissions on bikes. The clutch is/can be a distraction. Take that away and one only needs to concentrate on the rpm they want to shift at, not having to worry about how long it takes to engage and disengage the clutch, how much time is wasted on the shift (sorry, drag racing persona coming out), what to do if the clutch cable suddenly breaks/snaps...(have had this happen and it sucked...before cell phones were popular). Perhaps provide two options, a manual and a DCT version. The option path is a no brainer as well since they've been doing that on the NC700 line and CTX700 since they launched the DCT option. Leave it an option.
As to the engine...going from a Six to a Four with a hybrid, it makes sense when you look at what Honda has accomplished with the Accord Hybrid model. Better fuel economy, high horsepower and likely even more torque. I could see the GW going from it's typical 30-40 mpg averages to 50 plus with that move. Not sure I would care much for the electronic engines drone hum that would likely induce, however.
KISS works. I get that. The wiring, all the damn sensors, touch something or try to retro in a modification and you could end up with a nightmare repair. More food for the technicians when things break down. People tend to adapt to technology the longer it's around. I hated losing carburetors back in the 80's to those fuel injection systems and all that smog control crap on cars, until the technology got better and better. Now I run EFI on my 72 Plymouth because I don't have to sit there and smell gas as I pump the pedal and try to start the car...now it just starts and I can get out and take corners or launch like a bat outta hell without worrying about starving the cylinders. My dirt bikes used to all be carbureted up until 2011 when everyone jumped on the FI bandwagon. I adjusted to that as well. Now tabletops at 20 feet up don't choke the engine like they used to. As much as change happens, we can always keep/buy our older, simpler tech for a time, or get the newest gadget/toy/vehicle and adjust to the new.
Just my thoughts on it. I'll certainly test ride one if/when it comes out, and if it beckons, I might give in, but I'm quite happy with the 2013 I just bought and don't see that changing for a long time.
Keeping it simple is fine, but...from 74 to today required a lot of changes and upgrades. All I'm saying is, I've been narrow minded all my life and have missed out on a lot. Sometimes change is good. I'm in the tire business. Look how they've evolved. There's still talk and experiments about airless tires. Give them a chance and see what they come up with. As long as it doesn't look funky, the new stuff might be awesome. Looks go a long way. They could blow it up with that alone.
I'm just trying to open my horizons in my "old" age.
“Gibraltar” 2016 white deluxe has been sold.
Bring it on. Look forward to see what comes. Hopefully the F6B will continue to be a part of the Gold Wing Line up.
"Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up"
At 69, I'm just looking forward to enjoying my F6B, and will let the youngsters deal with any future changes and newly developed technology.
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