F6B or Full Wing...?

[pilotguy299]

As much as the full wing is a nice 'ship', I found that the seating on the full wing sat me to far forward onto the tank. I found that at 6', with a 34" inseam and an arm length to match, the seating position of the F6B was farther back and more relaxing.

I gotta say the white wing is pretty nice, but I can't say enough about how the black one I have gets lots of love from the Harley riders I go out with. I also test rode a white wing, and a white Victory Vision to help me with decision process.

I decided to go with the 'discounted' used 2013, with many of the 'first owner' options I wanted already installed on it. Mine came with an adjustable backrest & rack, Madstad shield, a home-grown version of baker hand wings & mini driver boards. Have to admit I have also installed a couple other items to make it mine though. (A Breakaway Throttle lock arrived yesterday!) Couldn't be happier.

The decision to go with a new bike means you are staring from scratch though, so in addition to the instant depreciation hit, but you (as most do) will be quite likely looking at a shield, a seat, and a back rest & (more importantly) a luggage rack on top of the new bike price. The photo of the above white bike pretty much makes my point.

This will be my last bike, hopefully, and I can't say enough how pleased I am with my choice. Really, in your above options, there isn't a bad choice in the bunch....

Good luck with your decision!

C

I understand your point about having to start from scratch, but every time i've tried to save few dollars i've ended up less than thrilled. I ended up spending extra money trying to get where I really wanted to be, and then still not been that happy.

On previous bikes i tried saving a few dollars on buying accessories based on price, instead of what I really wanted to get. I always felt a little disappointed, and in a few instances replaced the item later on with what i really wanted to begin with. Too many extra parts sat in my garage until I could resell them at a loss.

Sure it cost a bit more, but i have exactly what i want on the bike, (well, except for the woman I REALLY WANT - G67), and couldn't be happier. I'd rather wait a bit and buy exactly what I want, and i've been a lot happier that way, and saved space in my garage from storing used stuff.

This is most definitely going to be my last bike ever, and I'll be damned if she won't be exactly how I want her.

And the dead don't worry about depreciation that much...



YMMV

[Redlinez]

If you can afford both, I'd say ride both. The discounts on F6B's are so much greater though, I believe it was at least $4k more for the full wing for me. That made the decision easy.I bought a 15 Blue F6B last spring, got rid of it this spring, bought a Ninja 1000. Wife hated it and me. Traded it on another 15 B a couple months back, this time matte silver. Now they have a blue and black full wing that really looks awesome for 16 or 17....

[JMartin]

Alright guys... thank you so much for your input and opinions. At the moment, I'm leaning heavily toward the F6B again. White, of course... which pretty much forces me to the 2016. PilotGuy, your pictures are awesome... I just love that White/Black look. White over Black has been a trademark look for me most of my life and with several vehicles. Even my current ride is an ex-Pasadena Police bike.

For the stock F6b however, these items are a must:

Touring Rack
The stock rear rack is pitiful. Plus I already bought a TourMaster Tail Bag, where my Tent and several other items will reside, so I'll need a larger rack to handle this bag. The bike I rented had this rack on it. I like the design and looks of it over the other tubular type racks available.

Saddlebag Liners
Already bought these too. Have one of them packed with goodies already (Tool Kit, Tire Kit, Stove, Propane, Tarp, First Aid Kit, Hammock, and other necessities). The other will be for clothing and the likes. I want to be able to pull into a hotel/motel and just grab the one bag and go.

Madstad Windscreen
Although I don't really care for the bracketry hanging off it... it does work very well. This was also on the bike I spent a day on. Very effective. I may look at, and try, others that are more sleek and look better... I just don't want to go through 5 or 6 windshields just to settle on one.

Lighting
Filling in the factory lighting location seems a requirement for me. Something in LED's would be my preference. I also like the idea of the Badge accent lights, but don't know if I like the "brighter than the headlights" look or the "white/yellow" turn signal functionality. And if I do end up with White... then switching out to the clear turn signal lenses with switchback LED's is likely also. (I tried to link to some, but the URL gets squashed by the forum software... apparently they have to be supporting vendors).

Other than those specific items, I'm sure I would consider the F6B a perfect bike. Especially if it already has Cruise Control. I want Cruise more to keep my speeds under control than I am worried about hand fatigue or anything like that. Most of my street bikes have had some form of throttle lock, but I've never experienced a true electronic cruise control on a bike. I love the torque and thrust that the 1800cc Flat Six puts out, but I'm afraid it will constantly creep up on me over distance, and I've kept my driving record clean since giving up my 1978 Black TransAm back in my teen years.

Just thinkin' out loud.

Jim


[Holy Smokes... just got off the scale this morning... 215.8... less than a pound to go!!! Wooohoooooo!!!]

[opas ride]

Alright guys... thank you so much for your input and opinions. At the moment, I'm leaning heavily toward the F6B again. White, of course... which pretty much forces me to the 2016. PilotGuy, your pictures are awesome... I just love that White/Black look. White over Black has been a trademark look for me most of my life and with several vehicles. Even my current ride is an ex-Pasadena Police bike.

For the stock F6b however, these items are a must:

Touring Rack
The stock rear rack is pitiful. Plus I already bought a TourMaster Tail Bag, where my Tent and several other items will reside, so I'll need a larger rack to handle this bag. The bike I rented had this rack on it. I like the design and looks of it over the other tubular type racks available.

Saddlebag Liners
Already bought these too. Have one of them packed with goodies already (Tool Kit, Tire Kit, Stove, Propane, Tarp, First Aid Kit, Hammock, and other necessities). The other will be for clothing and the likes. I want to be able to pull into a hotel/motel and just grab the one bag and go.

Madstad Windscreen
Although I don't really care for the bracketry hanging off it... it does work very well. This was also on the bike I spent a day on. Very effective. I may look at, and try, others that are more sleek and look better... I just don't want to go through 5 or 6 windshields just to settle on one.

Lighting
Filling in the factory lighting location seems a requirement for me. Something in LED's would be my preference. I also like the idea of the Badge accent lights, but don't know if I like the "brighter than the headlights" look or the "white/yellow" turn signal functionality. And if I do end up with White... then switching out to the clear turn signal lenses with switchback LED's is likely also. (I tried to link to some, but the URL gets squashed by the forum software... apparently they have to be supporting vendors).

Other than those specific items, I'm sure I would consider the F6B a perfect bike. Especially if it already has Cruise Control. I want Cruise more to keep my speeds under control than I am worried about hand fatigue or anything like that. Most of my street bikes have had some form of throttle lock, but I've never experienced a true electronic cruise control on a bike. I love the torque and thrust that the 1800cc Flat Six puts out, but I'm afraid it will constantly creep up on me over distance, and I've kept my driving record clean since giving up my 1978 Black TransAm back in my teen years.

Just thinkin' out loud.

Jim


[Holy Smokes... just got off the scale this morning... 215.8... less than a pound to go!!! Wooohoooooo!!!]

Good luck with your decision my friend and hope it works out for you..but, be very careful about thinking there is such a thing as the "perfect bike" because I doubt you will be totally happy with that mind-set....I love my F6B and have no plans to sell it at this point, but after several bikes over the years, I am still looking for that "perfect bike"....Regards and ride safe

[Old Ryder]

Good luck with your decision my friend and hope it works out for you..but, be very careful about thinking there is such a thing as the "perfect bike" because I doubt you will be totally happy with that mind-set....I love my F6B and have no plans to sell it at this point, but after several bikes over the years, I am still looking for that "perfect bike"....Regards and ride safe

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!!! And my wife will tell you that it is a very expensive search! The B is my 12th bike in 16 years (to be truthful some of the bikes were tempory "flips" to make a few bucks) and another trade is on the way, but I am not leaving the Goldwing family. All bikes have there strong and weak points and for some of us--as my wife says--"You just can't be happy with a single bike, can you?" It is a sickness. I have buddies that ride the same bike for a decade and are happy as can be. And then you have guys like us.................

[JMartin]

... as my wife says--"You just can't be happy with a single bike, can you?"

And yet we are expected to be happy with a single wife, huh?
Double standard.

(Just kidding hun... )

[JMartin]

Good luck with your decision my friend and hope it works out for you..but, be very careful about thinking there is such a thing as the "perfect bike" because I doubt you will be totally happy with that mind-set....I love my F6B and have no plans to sell it at this point, but after several bikes over the years, I am still looking for that "perfect bike"....Regards and ride safe

Thank you.

Perhaps "perfect" might have been a little overstated. To me, perfect means that it meets my needs, satisfies my desires, and suppresses my yearnings.

Much like my wife. She's perfect too.

[opas ride]

Thank you.

Perhaps "perfect" might have been a little overstated. To me, perfect means that it meets my needs, satisfies my desires, and suppresses my yearnings.

Much like my wife. She's perfect too.

Well said my friend..That is exactly how I feel about my 2013 F6B with Cobra pipes, Mustang seat, Baggershield windscreen, custom paint (Brandywine Candy Red) and extra chrome goodies....A keeper for me for a long while....Regards and ride safe.....Been married to my wife for almost 52 years and would not trade her for anything!!!

[Milkmaster]

I had some of the same choices mentioned in the original thread. After owning many bikes and adding doo dads that would make them have features much like the wing, I too was faced the choice of full wing or F6B. Money was a contributing factor as well. I first fell in love with the F6B, but I ended up choosing a new 2015 FGoldwing over the 2016 F6B just this past October. The pricing discounts offered for the still new 40th anniversary 2015 GW were hard to pass up. One other thing contributed a great deal for me. I am a shiny paint, shiny wheels, and a bit of chrome type of bike guy. I don't much care for the blacked out look so popular these days. The end differences amounted to $362 after I would have spent the money to buy a taller windshield for the F6B. $362 bucks got me all the extras that were offered on the full wing including my now well appreciated rear trunk. The only thing I have added to the 2015 GW was a set of Baker Wings for cold weather riding. OH!... and a cup holder DO what makes you happy when you go down the road. Most likely this will be my last bike for years to come, and it is a bike I admire when I see it parked and waiting. I just got tired of trying to make every other bike I owned into a GW. Good Luck!

[JMartin]

... I just got tired of trying to make every other bike I owned into a GW. Good Luck!

This is where I don't want to find myself in a couple years. I'm already thinking this will be my final bike... and I really don't want to be ditching a two or three year old F6B and taking the depreciation hit I'm seeing others take right now... and then finding myself shopping for a full wing. I don't particularly need the latest model... design wise... to be happy. So I'm not going to hold out for the next generation Gold Wing (since nothing changed for 2017).

Now it does leave me wondering when is the best time to deal. The current Honda incentives expire on December 31st... does that mean that the end of December is the best time to buy? I know that dealers often want to close their year with last minute sales to get their numbers up (I got a couple great deals on new cars this way). Or does that mean that larger incentives may happen after the first of the year? Especially on what is now last years bike.

I'm not in any hurry, and the weather for riding is only getting colder now, so this should be a great time to deal.
We'll see.