Tail modification
 

So after riding like 5 yrs on my "temporary" tail build, I am redoing it. I cut the tail fairing to allow my givi rack to be super snug to the frame. This allows me to lanesplit with sidebags as they are no wider than the mirrors.

I cut the new tail and fill in ABS pieces so far. Also painted and clearcoated the pieces.

I now have to plastic weld them in. Then of course unbolt the givi rack, install the tail, then rebolt it.

Bike with 22liter bags on my last trip.

Pool player, huh? And a Superhawk, too! We "walk" in similar worlds.

Yeah, spent a few years playing 6-8hrs/ day.

Smokin, you are at a cross roads in your life...I believe. You need a Gold Wing, not a Hawk. ;)

Split lanes in something with a CAR engine in it? Sounds scary...

Ha. a wing? No way man. I race 12 events a year + instruct on the track. I mt bike 15-20 miles a day to train except the days I do P90X.

I love the hawk but want to carry more than a sandwich. I only put on the sides when the wife and I go to church & she likes to foodshop in Brooklyn (trader joes).

I dont know how you wackos live without at least a topcase. Oh yeah, you only ride on the 3rd sunny sunday a month for 3 months.

Year round every day for me.

Psh I just had to bust out the jacket liner to commute... I "rough" it in the the Phoenix year round as well ;). Although I just throw on a backpack and use a mesh backed chair for the back sweat in the summer. What's the (mountain bike) riding like out in NY?

Man Phoenix is beautiful. My sister lives there. The bike riding is pretty sketchy. I have to yell 'heads up' real loud alot. Takes me @ 5 miles to get to Flushing park (US open home). Pretty nice there then battle my way back home

If you can talk to mother 'bitch' nature for me, go right ahead.

As for the wing, 7moore's right, they are scary. I'm 5'11, and sitting on one is like sitting in a school chair. Not only that, they have a steering stem problem that wobbles between 60-80km/h....:eek:
If you let go of the steering, chances are your in the ditch.

In the ditch is such a nice way of saying "dead or maimed".

I can carry over 100lbs of cargo & barely notice it in handling. My last trip I carried that much for 9hrs straight thru no prob maintaining 90mph.

You're such a scaredy cat... ;) This summer I proved to a bunch of disbelieveing busdrivers (aka Goldwing owners) that not only is it not dangerous to hit the feeler pegs, you can infact play tag with a sportsbike on a gocart track with a "bus"... They are quite nimble for their size if you know what you are doing... I kept pace with most of the students on sportsbikes on the bus that day, to their googely eyed disbelief...

Note that I was loaned the "bus" though, with the explicit permission from the owner to "go nuts", and that he didn't mind at all that I wore down the feelers... In fact, he took a ride with me, going "Whee!" most of the lap... ;)

And I can safely say that none of the GoldWings I have ridden have had any kind of wobble, at any speed... I wouldn't let go of the steering on any bike at any time... That's beyond stupid...

Looks nice so far... I love functional mods... It might not be apparent from the images I have shown of my bike, but it's rarely washed, always ridden hard, and with function over form in any mod I do...

Coming from you Tweety...I'll accept the comment ;)

Back in the day, had a few customers with GW's around 2001-08.
Two or three of them had complained about this problem. One
customer had been told by a Honda mecanic they were aware of
the problem. However, not every bike showed symptoms since this
gang of GW (aka bus as per you're saying :rotf:) were about 12-15
in all.

Well, all in good fun... ;)

Judging by how most GW owners ride, I wouldn't be too surprised if it were caused by a flat spot on the middle of the tires... Not that uncommon on other bikes either after a lot of highway miles...

I haven't met many GW owners that lean their bikes over unless they absolutely have too... Me on the other hand, I would probablt lean the car over if I could figure out how too... ;) (and if it wouldn't result in my other half slapping me silly...)

Your right about the tires. After dealing with both GW customers, one thing I've noticed is 1. Sorry to say, but most are very cheap. 2. They
will spend 300$ on a usless piece of plastic chrome on the dash, but, will
push back the purchase of new rubber, even if you can't see thread any longer on them.

To me, that's completely rediculous. The only thing keeping you safe on the roads is the few cm's of rubber touching it. That usless piece of plastic chrome won't keep you out of the hospital....if you make it there.

:(

I often let go of the bars, not for long though; usually to check alignment issues, or to check if the bars wobble.

One issue I've noticed with my 45L Givi. - When its loaded up, the bars do tend to wander since most of the weight is on the back end. On a ride up north this summer, as I was railing my way through some sweepers, I could really feel the back end squat and want to wander, and how light the front end is with the box loaded.

The front end gets pretty light with the weight of the box being behind the rear axle...

I think its rated for what? 22kg in the box? I've had it at least at that... probably more.

Yeah, OK... It was probably a bit too black and white... I will sometimes do that as well, but then I will only just let go, holding my hands above the bars for a short while...

It's funny, but true, I had similar experience with GL clients years back when I was working at a shop in NYC.
But I also agree with Tweety, that these GL's are actually very nimble to size ratio and very capable bikes.
I had a chance to kick some butt on a very resent GL of a friend of mine with a white GL that we call "The Refrigerator" between friends ;) and I must attest that it was a fun ride, though I would still keep it for my older days if I will ever get tired of riding sportier bikes :)
One of our forum member had a very funny comment to the same friend with the Goldwing last year that made me laugh for a while after that, the GL owner offered him to try out the GL when he answered back, "no thanks, I already drove my VW station wagon Passat today" :)

So I guess if you look up "Thread Jack" in the dictionary you would find this thread.

I didnt realize that goldwing quirks were that interesting a topic. Maybe someone should start a thread, or maybe a whole forum about them.

Joe, I don't think that was intentional diversion from the main subject and I don't think a new thread on a GL will go anywhere further then couple comments on this forum, lets stick with the tail ;)

VW bus...I like that one. Both of you are quite right, they are nimble. I have had the pleasure of driving these GW and the HD Electra Glides.
For power bar none, the GW is better, but for riding pleasure, IMHO, I
have to go with the HD.

My opinion is also tainted since I've mechanic'ed....wow, bad wording...
both of these bikes. HD is much, much easier to work on, and well thought out.

So, when the day comes when the gray hairs come out much more then they do now. And my lower back can't take the Chicken's ride anylonger from playing too much Hockey in my life, when I have too chose the Zeppelin I will ride on....HD dealer is where I'm heading.

:cry:

The welding has begun. I just melt some metal screen into both pieces then use ABS rod to weld the joint. This is only the rough weld in. Still gotta do body filler and repaint.

So far so good though. Then to fit it on & remount the givi rack.

As for the GW head shake, we work on a lot of these and it is always the steering head bearings. We go in and tighten them and it takes care of the problem.

As for the GW handling, we have a customer with over 100k miles on a GL1800 from the mid 2000's who had "a problem" with an electrical problem when doing a u turn. He was doing a u turn in the size of a parking space at considerable speed and setting off the roll over sensor. Needless to say, they handle.

Answer: backpack.


I also ride year round, weather permitting.

Aw Jamie, you can only carry your books in a backpack. I can go grocery shopping. Where do you put you helmet when it rains?

Well, I decided to make a quick ride to the grocery to get some last minute things for Thanksgiving dinner. I was able to fit two cans of green beans, two loaves of bread, a gallon of ice cream (vanilla, of course) and two tubs of Cool Whip in the backpack. Not too shabby, I didn't think.

Beat this effort
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...mc/BBQbike.jpg

the man likes his bbq

I bought a mountain bike in chinatown and rode it home over my shoulder over the Manhattan bridge. Cant imagine what a get-off would've felt like.

Ok, you guys win!