I want to learn how to ride and I want to do it on a goldwing everybody keep telling me to start with something smaller I have yieled to a older wing but a goldwing it will be any help would be greatly appreciated.

hello and welcome to GWOF coltrane, i would get something smaller than a wing as a first bike. if i could afford them both i would get a wing and something smaller to learn on and ride the other bike for a season before taking on a wing. can you ride already ? how about a mfs course?

If you don't want to be totally embarrassed and want to live through the experience get something smaller to learn on.

I have been riding bikes for 40 years and here is my experience with the Gold Wing. It is difficult for me to stop at stoplights etc. because the bike is wider and it is awkward for me to put my feet down. It is heavier than most bikes so I need to make sure I start braking sooner and leave more distance between me and the vehicle ahead of me. I feel more noticeable and protected on the wing, which gives me a false sense of security. It is hard for me to remember that I am invisible on the wing.

Remember this:
The vast majority of people who die on a bike have ridden less than 5 months. You are invisible.

In fact, you have an equal chance of dying on a bike as in a car if you follow the following criteria:
Have more than 5 months experience riding
Have no alcohol in your system
Do not speed
Have taken a safety course or 2
Wear protective and not black clothing

What you want and what is safe are 2 different things. An investment of one season on a smaller bike may save your life.

seems he is going on every wing forum and asking the same question and not getting the answer he wants. like i stated on another forum ( that he hasn't replied on ) if you want a wing go get one and hopefully it won't bite you where it hurts

Hi, I am new but I will share my one accident story... I was on a GL1100, an 81 if I remember correctly... I was cranking the frampton live (The on 8-Track I had) :) and traffic started to slow ahead....

Well... inexperience is the cause of what happened next... A car about 3 cars ahead of me, traveling east (Same Direction as myself....) was taking a right hand turn. As is SOP (Yet illegal) for cars they were all going to the left of the turning car and passing the car as he turned. I followed suit... Being invisible and all the car taking a left hand turn to head west bound did not see me. I t-boned her car, totaled the wing, and her convertible (Thank God she did not drive a suburban.....)

If I had been on my other bike I owned at the time, I probably could have avoided her as I did hit rear of her mid point but being on the wing I did not have that ability.

Also, since then... I forget about the invisible part and assume that they are AIMING for me :)

coltrane,

I will say this & that's all.

Learning to ride & starting on a Wing would be the equivalent of wanting to learn how to fly & climbing in the Cockpit of DC10, wanting to learn how to sail & Wheeling a Tall Ship, learning to race cars & hopping in an F1 car. I hope I'm making my point.

Be smart take a Motorcycle safety course. Learn on their 250's at the end you get your license. Your Happy & ride something smaller to get experience or Do what you would like & hope for the best.

Good Luck either way.

Take the motorcycle safty course and you will know why you start small.. Ride safe.

Coltrane

I would say to start off small. I went to the Motorcycle safety course and rode an 800 for two years before I bought mine. And when I first rode off it did feel funny at first but the riding on the smaller bike I was able to learn the hone in on my skills.

At the risk of being repetitious and sounding like a broken record do the right thing Coltrane. A large MC like a GoldWing can do you a lot of physical harm and you don't want that I'm sure.
If you have never ridden (you say you are wanting to learn)you are a beginner and I guarantee you that you are not ready for the power,weight,balance, and shear size of
a Goldwing. There is nothing wrong with wanting to own and ride one,good for you,they are an awesome machine but "Please" start with something small. A MC is not a big bicycle with a motor okay, the dynamics are totally different.There is'nt one rider on this site that I know would steer you wrong and we want you to succeed at riding...but the
right way without getting hurt and that means a smaller MC and someone that knows what they're doing with experience to teach you,"then" graduate to the bigger MC.
You're going to fall down when learning,do it on a machine thats light, not 800 + pounds.

-Robert-

OK I will tell you what you want to hear! Buy a Wing and learn to ride on it.
Just remember the following; Gear up with protective jacket gloves good skid-lid boots and gloves. FIND SOMEONE TO GO WITH YOU AND GO TO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. Ride slow and practice turns stopping and stopping. Practice clutch control and shifting. Do this until you feel at ease on the bike.
Now, you will need ome good medical ins, and some deep pockets for repairs.
I am 62 years old and have ridden all my life. I grew up in a motorcycle shop. I have sold bikes to people that had never ridden and watched some ride into a wall the first time they got on it.
Now, if this thread is a joke, IT'S NOT FUNNY. If you are for real PLEASE AT LEAST TAKE A RIDER SAFETY COURSE.

seems everyone ( even on other forums ) been discouraging him, haven't seen him on any forum. if he is sooo determined to learn to ride on a wing why ask for anyones approval? just go do it

Well maybe we can open a Memorial page. Coltrane can be our first. If he does not want to listen to good, honest advise. So be it.

I remember Coltrane, Hmmmmm That is about all I can remember of him. He was not around long enough to develop memories

I assume Coltrane is/was:p in the US. Is it even legal to learn on over 1000cc bikes? I know it is the land of the free but :eek: Here is Australia until a couple of years ago 250cc was the maximum to learn on. Now we have a system which calculates power to weight ratio with a maximum of 650cc. I think they changed the system here due to the fact that under the original law a 250cc two stroke was legal! Also they started allowing exemptions to the 250cc rule if you were over a certain height and weight. Once exempted the sky was the limit! Hence problems.

Personally I learnt on a 250 and then jumped onto a GSXR 1000. I still have the photo my wife took of me kissing the ground after my first ride on the new beast.

V8

Couldn't agree more. Start on a 250cc and you'll probably be able to get your money back for it as it's such a popular learning bike. You're going to regret learning on a bike that size.
Sure, everyone talks about how good they handle but that is when you know how to ride. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Hope you take the advice though.

I teach riding classes and in my experienced opinion, i would NOT start on a goldwing... there is a LOT involved in riding a motorcycle, a goldwing WILL take a lot of skill to ride well, it is NOT a beginner bike.

buy something like an old honda shadow for a couple hundred bucks and learn on that.

When I started, i bought a 82 magna for 200 bucks, running, then when i was done. sold it for 800. not everyone can be that lucky but situations like this are definately possible


go take an MSF course, then when your done, take their advanced course. it will pay for itself for the rest of your life everytime you get on a motorcycle.