[apopj]

Okay, guys... a little help
Traded my '09 Ultra in on this "wonderful" 2012 Goldwing and am becoming more and more disenchanted with it. I hear all the 'wingers talk about the antique Harley and now I find that for all it's "age" it is very far ahead of the Goldwing in many areas (see Hard Shifting) of design. I won't mention that the brakes totally suck.... the real problem is.....
My spouse and I love to travel on the motorcycle. We also listen to audio books on the road. We like to talk to each other through the intercom. On the OLD Harley, when you wanted to talk, you just pushed a button. Until then, NO wind noise. And, if you didn't like the button, the VOX could be used that muted the mike until you talked. Sooooo, we get the new advanced Honda. Guess what? We got a slightly larger storage area, but there is no PTT on the intercom. Going down the road, you can't hear the radio because of the wind noise. And, following the directions in the manual, the VOX, or intercom mute as Honda calls it, has NO EFFECT whatsoever. Whether you set it at zero or 20, the mike is always on. And when you talk, you are talking over the radio because it doesn't mute.... YES, I KNOW YOU CAN BUY THIS THING OR THAT THING TO MAKE IT WORK, BUT WHY? FOR $25,000.OO I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BUY A THING TO FIX A DESIGN FLAW. But, we do have the "opening ceremony" on the dash, but wait, it doesn't work either.... I am beginning to think I should have kept the Harley, but there is still time.... can someone tell my where the manual is wrong? I am following it step by step and nothing changes. This is the 2012 Comfort model, no airbag. No ABS. and no intercom..... Motor is great, a little busy in the grips, but plenty of power. Surely there is more to the bike than the motor....
Thanks, Dr. J Popa

 

[Chopin]

You got mail !

 

[GWTrike]

I hope you find answers to the problems you mentioned. i agree, $25K is enough to spend; you shouldn't have to spend too much more more, except for things like cup holders and other like creature comforts.

I have an older Wing (1989) that is triked (kit) and for that purpose, she's fine. It has an over-sized windscreen that cuts out wind noise; same for my Ultra Classic.

The radio on my GW is plenty loud; my wife on the back has no problem hearing it at any speed. I have no CB/intercom on my model though we can hear each other pretty good as we ride. Plus, my wife is very comfortable and feels safer on the back, which is a huge plus!

That said, I also have an Ultra Classic (2000) that rides smooth as glass at any speed. I keep that as a 2-wheeler, but do not use it for 2-up as my wife has problems mounting/dismounting with me on the bike. We're not as young and flexible as we once were

On a trike, however, I do not have to be present for her to get on and off, which is another big plus for the GW trike.

 

[Dookoo]

Apopj, things just don't sound right. All I can do is compare them to my 2008 airbag model:

1. The brakes on the Wing are amazing for the weight of the vehicle. I hauled that thing down at track speeds wth just one finger an entire day at the racetrack. I was amazed at how they functioned, even when I could smell them cooking.

2. The radio is loud. I wear a full face helmet always and I only have it at about 19-20. Any louder and it hurts my ears.

3. Grip vibration? I didn't even know my Wing had a vibration. I get cramped from being in the same position for any length of time, but this happens on any bike I own. With the Wing, it takes a very long ride for me to become uncomfortable with the grips, especially on those rides I cannot use the Cruise control.

It bothers me to hear a fellow Wing owner being dissatisfied. I never use the intercom because I prefer the bluetooth Scala G4 powerset to talk with my passenger. I also answer phones, listen to GPS, talk to other riders, and can listen to my iPhone,iPod for music (or audio book) through the headset. I like this because it doesn't matter which bike I ride to have intercom/bluetooth capability. The stock intercom is an area I am not familiar with.

My transmission was an area of contention until I put about 5k on it. The transmission smoothed out with more mileage. I hope the problems sort themselves out. Otherwise, I hope Honda has not dropped the ball. Of all the platforms to interface passenger and rider, the Wing is at the top of the heap and news like yours is not what I want to hear.

 

[apopj]

Thanks for all the help

 

[Dookoo]

Ok, maybe we are getting somewhere on the brakes. I never use my rear brake and just use the front. I will try using the rear brake and see if it feels spongy. Are you combination braking or just using rear brake? There is no way that the HD should stop quicker at maximum threshold braking. Honda's ABS and linked braking is the industry standard. I realize this is contrary to what you are feeling right now and I am offering the only information I have. The brakes were so great that even on the track I didn't have to worry about closure rate (over 1200 lbs with rider) on slower bikes in front of me which were 500 lbs lighter! The brakes should be nothing but amazing. The ABS is so transparent that sometimes I have to brake hard on a slippery surface just to make sure it is working. You can barely hear it and rarely feel it. It just sounds like an older electric fuel pump cycling for a few seconds.

Yes, I agree that for $20k+ you shouldn't have complaints with what I consider a basic feature (intercom). Hopefully someone chimes in with help on this one.

As far as wind noise, my Wing is the quietest bike ever as far as wind noise goes. However, once I am past 65 or so, I do notice wind noise which grows exponentially as I go faster. Most likely due to the fact that I drive my Wing past the speed envelope it was designed for. At normal speeds, it is very nice. I drove without a helmet (I'll get flamed for saying this again) the entire time I was in Arizona and Utah for summer vacation. I cannot tell you how pleasant and quiet this was. Nothing you can do about cross winds though.

Is there any way you can ride another Wing to see how yours compares? I ride with a group of Wings so this is pretty easy.

 

[crisco2]

I bought a 2010 wing in june and quite honestly I haven't been totally happy with it for other reasons than you mention. I even went so far as to try and sell it however it has really started to grow on me and am starting to really like it. As for the wind noise and intercom problems I also had those issues but I set the ambient noise level to high and it seems to work pretty well. of course when I am talking with my wife on the intercom system we can hear the music but its in the back ground as the music volume lowers once we start talking and then returns to normal level. I would talk with another wing owner or the dealership to get the volume settings set to your liking.
I know your not feeling to good about the wing right now but I do hope it works out well for you.

 

[OkieDoc]

I have no problem with my 2012. Works pretty much as crisco2 described.

 

[Dookoo]

I think a nice long ride, 400+ miles, will surely convince you and your passenger why you bought the Wing in the first place. Now I remember reading about setting the ambient sound levels for your radio and intercom system. Perhaps changing the settng here will help? Remember, your Wing will never replace your HD. Likewise, an HD can never replace a Wing.

 

[Ray N.]

apopj,

I have to agree that the 2012 Radio is not as good as the radios on previous year GL1800's. The intercom volume is much lower and the intercom mute doesn't work as well as previous models. The radio volume for XM, FM, and the AUX input is also lower. We ride with earplugs using headsets and this may be why others have no problems, but I know that my 2012 Goldwing radio has less volume than previous years.

I have also noticed that the radio volume will not not increase above a 22 setting when using headsets. The external speakers do increase in volume above 22, at least on my bike.

I feel that the radio is very close to inadequate. I've complained to my dealer, but so far no fix from Honda. My dealer will be getting another new 2012 in October and we will try its radio when it arrives.

I share your frustations We've ridden more than 265,000 miles on 5 Gl1800's and are disappointed in their latest models radio. We do love the USB interface.

 

[apopj]

DisEnchanted....

Thanks for all the help

 

[Ridefree]

While I agree totally with what your saying, I would rather put up with adding electronics,that should have already come standard from the factory, than have the problems of the HD. I don't knock HD's, I have had them, but one must be fully informed on them also. I know the current issues of HD's and know people that have had these issues happen to them at very low mileage. I could go on, but here is a link to an article that says it all. The author HAD ridden HD's and wrote books on them, so I assume he knows what he is talking about. A little long and a good read.

http://www.jamesrussellpublishing.biz/beforeyoubuyharley.html

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

A friend once told me.... "It's a motorcycle.... not a Lexus". You are going to have wind blowing you around, noise in your ears and rain in your face. Sometimes I think we forget what we are riding and expect all the creature comforts of a cage. Try riding down the highway at 75 mph with all the windows down and the radio blasting in your car and see what it sounds like. I'll bet the Wing is quieter. Yes it has a radio, intercom and cruse control, but it is still a motorcycle and as such is subject to the elements around it. I ride a Wing because I find it trouble free, comfortable (for me) and I get to experience the great outdoors as I go down the road.

Ride safe and enjoy the trip.

 

[apopj]

Wind Noise

Thank you for all the help

 

[fossil92]

apopj, I'm slightly cofused by all your posts. I understand that you have experiance (63 motorcycles, 11 Goldwings) but at every stage of advice or point given, you seem to already have the answer you want. If that is the case I guess I'm wondering what the point of the whole topic is? The bike is new, take it to the dealer & demand a fix for your issue would be what I would think is in order. Now I'm sure you have done that but that would be all I could add.

If all you wish to do is complain then I would think we would all be better served if you just told us that. Good Luck.

 

[apopj]

Complaining?

Thanks for the comments, it made me stop and think about what I was trying to say....
If not being satisfied about a $25,000 motorcycle not operating properly, then, yes, I guess I am complaining. What I was hoping for was someone who could tell me if I was doing something wrong and that it wasn't a problem or oversight on the part of the motorcycle, but in my understanding it. That has not happened. What I have gotten is good advice on how to "make do" with what it is. Which, in itself is not bad, but it is off track of the post.
For example, Riding down the road, I cannot hear the radio due to the wind noise from the passengers intercom microphone. I was hoping someone would let me know that there is an adjustment to eliminate this. Instead, I am told where to find AND BUY items that might help. Or, worse yet, telling me that wind noise in the ears is part of motorcycling, which I understand, but that is not what the post was about....
I asked the dealer if I were doing something wrong, listing my concerns to him. He basically said that is how the system works, most "wingers" find ways around them. Further, if people would start COMPLAINING about these issues instead of learning to live with them, maybe Honda Motor Company would step up and try to resolve them. But, he continued, as it is, no one complains so nothing is done.
But you are certainly right. I will learn to live with the problems, the short comings, the inconvenience and leave it to the next fellow to complain, I sure wouldn't want to ruffle anyones feathers by being dissatisfied with my wonderful new Goldwing.....

 

[Stratman]

Thanks Ridefree...interesting read, for sure. Have you heard of any rebuttals from our HD friends?
Strat

 

[Dookoo]

I realize its late in the game, but have you tried some type of covering on the mic to see if it helps? (I.E. finger from a latex glove). I don't think noise reduction technology is incorporated into the stock intercom system. PM sent.

 

[WingnutGordo]

really don't hear to many people complaining about Goldwing's , you hear this about harleys a lot but not much of the gold wing, hope things work out for you

 

[Ridefree]

Thanks Ridefree...interesting read, for sure. Have you heard of any rebuttals from our HD friends?
Strat

Not to steal the thread, but my HD buddies trade every year or two, depending on mileage, and let the next guy pay the price. One this year had the problems at 3500 miles. On the way to the dealer hit a dog. HD problem solved. Totaled. He was only bruised.