Wish list for next gen Gold Wing/F6B

[VStarRider]

Transportation industry trends seem to be geared towards higher efficiency / lower displacement power plants. I believe that Honda may follow suit in motorcycle production as well, possibly offering a DCT into the GL family of bikes along with a lower displacement engine option. You can wish all you like for a lot of design improvements but Honda's marketing decisions are based in large part on federal laws / national standards in the various countries they marked their bikes in. For example, that's why you see the F6B in AUS with both reverse and ABS, while in Canada ABS only and here in the U.S., neither option. Personally, I'd like to have all the above but mother Honda had decided, for profitability reasons and no federal mandates, not to market this stuff in the U.S., but until something significantly better appears on the horizon, I'm staying with my six.

Agree 90%.

As mentioned in the previous post, I am not sure that Honda is willing to invest in a new engine for the limited GW market. Engine development, as you know, is the most expensive part of developing a vehicle. They could probably do a DCT but I bet they would stick with the flat-6...if they could make that work. I know I would be interested.

By adding ABS, reverse, air bags, etc. they would probably have to add $4000 to the price tag of the F6B. Now they are at nearly $25,000 in the cruiser market, probably a market as fiercely loyal to their brand (mostly H-D) as pickup truck drivers.

[xltsport]

I would like to see a sportier version of the f6b with a upgrade to the suspension and more power. A convertible version of the Goldwing would be able to consolidate the line by using one model to cover both configurations

[opas ride]

All the wants and desires on a new GW line up are nice to think about, but as said above, the 2017 models are all ready developed and most likely in production by now....So dream on and wish for, but Ma Honda has already made it's choices for the future....Nothing wrong with the current F6B for me, I don't need or care for all the "whistles and bells"..JMHO

[stevenolts]

What ever they do they need to keep the power and handling the way it is now. A few added options to make the bike current is all that is needed. This is still the best bike on the road today the way it is configured now.

Cruise Control
Modern Stereo
ABS
LED Lighting
Power windshield
removable tour pack

These added features should be easy to add without much additional redesign cost to Honda.

(we will have to pay for these added features) It will be worth the added cost to have these features custom designed specific for the F6B. Most of us already spend $3000 or more to add them the best we can now.

The bike could get much worse if redesigned. The engine, frame, and suspension is the heart of the bike and is what gives the F6B its soul and is why we all love it.
Steve

[Sorcerer]

Back lit handle bar and dash controls. If you need something that handles better than a F6B, you may have chosen the wrong ride. The F6B is the most complicated motorcycle I've owned. I realized this the first time I pulled the seat. Actually when the parts guy handed me the Honda shop manual 😮💩.

[Bighutch14]

What ever they do they need to keep the power and handling the way it is now. A few added options to make the bike current is all that is needed. This is still the best bike on the road today the way it is configured now.

Cruise Control
Modern Stereo
ABS
LED Lighting
Power windshield
removable tour pack

These added features should be easy to add without much additional redesign cost to Honda.

(we will have to pay for these added features) It will be worth the added cost to have these features custom designed specific for the F6B. Most of us already spend $3000 or more to add them the best we can now.

The bike could get much worse if redesigned. The engine, frame, and suspension is the heart of the bike and is what gives the F6B its soul and is why we all love it.
Steve

This is similar to my opinion.

[Jimmytee]

I'm extremely pleased with my stereo. Just sayn'

[shooter]

Jimmy , you're all about the tunes. Me I like more power. Everyone has their thing. In order to satisfy the masses Honda should make this like a car. A large option list would suffice. Audiophile system , SS option , custom paint. I would wait 6 to 8 weeks for a custom order. Maybe a little longer. Then I could just order me one with the Jimmytee sound system and the Shooter performance package.

[2015F6B]

What ever they do they need to keep the power and handling the way it is now. A few added options to make the bike current is all that is needed. This is still the best bike on the road today the way it is configured now.

Cruise Control
Modern Stereo
ABS
LED Lighting
Power windshield
removable tour pack

These added features should be easy to add without much additional redesign cost to Honda.

(we will have to pay for these added features) It will be worth the added cost to have these features custom designed specific for the F6B. Most of us already spend $3000 or more to add them the best we can now.

The bike could get much worse if redesigned. The engine, frame, and suspension is the heart of the bike and is what gives the F6B its soul and is why we all love it.
Steve

Steve,

I agree to a point, but what you're talking about is just adding "do-dads" to an old design. Product development over the years is more concerned with making things like frame geometry, steering systems, power systems, metallurgy, vehicle electrics, etc. better than the previous generations. This is how the "next generations" are born. Upgrading to newer technology is absolutely necessary if Honda is to remain competitive in a world market. I truly believe that the next generation GL series will be much better than current production. Imagine if Honda had just kept on perfecting the old 1500 series Gold Wings to the point where they were bullet proof and the 1800s had never been born. They'd be light years behind where they are today.

Years ago, Danny DeVito made a movie called "Other Peoples Money" in which he described that once upon a time there must have been numerous companies in this country making buggy whips. So good in fact that (along with a dwindling market) they put all other buggy whip manufacturers out of business. He went on to say that if you had owned stock in that company you would have eventually lost your ass because technology was moving past the point of even needing buggy whips anymore - a perfect example of not keeping up with technology. The current GL series Hondas were given a facelift for the 2012 model year but still basically used the same frame, drivetrain, suspension, etc. since 2001 I believe. When I view the products being offered by other manufacturers like BMW or Kawasaki for example, it makes me wonder why Honda has waited so long to develop new technologies in a technology driven market place. Marketing a carry-over design for fifteen years is absurd and makes me wonder have they've even survived.

So, I for one am anxiously awaiting the 2017 models to see what Honda has actually done, if anything, and if by chance an entirely new model is unveiled, I'd wait until the third model year to even think about buying one however. Any engineering issues that appear during the first production year won't be resolved until late second year or possibly third year production. Like I said in a previous post, until they come up with something better than my 2015 six, I'm sticking with it.

[stevenolts]

I would love to see a better F6B as long as it has better power and handling while maintaining similar riding position, comfort, and wind protection. I think it is all about the ergonomics of the F6B that I love. No other bike feels so good!!!
Steve