[LarryinSeattle]

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

I read through this. This guy has some valid points. I have not heard much of this discussed. I have heard of some outlandish repair bills though.

I have a friend who bought an 08 Harley and headed out to Sturgis a month later. Almost got there before smoke started rolling out from behind him. His bike had no oil in the transmission. HD in Rapid City fixed it under warranty, but did not replace the transmission, only rebuilt it. His transmission went out again at 35,000 miles and out of warranty. He just traded it in, for.... you guessed it, another Harley.

Only one thought came to mind: Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience every time.

 

[budoka]

Sorry to say I have no comparative braking distances of the Ultra and the Wing. I can say that the Ultra that I rode did not have the braking power that my 1800 does. Neither did my Roadking and certainly my Dyna had likely the worst brakes of anything made in the las 20 years. I do agree that the wind effect on the i/c is at times intrusive with the audio, but the volume level is more than ample on speakers or via headsets. There is however a huge reduction in volume if you use another device with the supplied aux cable, something I am not fond of. I recently spoke at length with a rep from Honda Canada and he was quick to tell me he has addressed this and several other issues (the front suspension included) with the m/c design team in Japan. How soon and how much gets into the pipeline is anyone's guess. What I would do in your position is write in detail your concerns to American Honda and at least you will have voiced your thoughts where it will do the most good. Honda is a huge company, but they are also very concerned with the consumer public's acceptance of their products. We here are all Wing enthusiasts, and there are always some very helpful tips and suggestions that are free to those that care to listen.

 

[Chopin]

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.....

Dr. For the most part the 2012 has many aspects in common with all Goldwings back to 2001. However, having the latest model there is still some lack of info from us who ride the " earlier " models. The posture, engine and overall riders comfort we all share , but the latest electronics on the 20012 we can't know as we don't have it. There is a sub forum on the gl1800 site devoted to the 20012 exclusively. Check it out :http://gl1800riders.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=98

 

[LarryinSeattle]

I hope they get all of this figured out before 2022. As that is when I will be able to afford a 2012.

 

[apopj]

Ray N.,
Yes, we got the bike on Friday, and left Saturday for a 1200 mile round trip on it. We like to listen to audio books on the road and the FLASHDRIVE player is so damn cool. And, the iPod player works just as it should. Even thought they are the same headphones we had on the Harley, they sound so much better on the 'wing... not sure why, but sound great. I will get the intercom thingie worked out and then all will be well in Mudville....

 

[DooKoo's Friend]

A Harley having better brakes than a Goldwing?...
I'll be sure to post up a video of my 09 GW out-braking every police bike on the 40-decel pattern. Hopefully the Harleys, RTs and STs will all be present on my next leisurely outing to the "pad"

 

[DreamWeaver]

When I am riding with passenger on my 07, and have intercom selected, I do hear a lot of wind noise through my headsets. However, I have discovered that the wind noise is not coming from the passengers mic, but rather mine. How do I prove that, well, I have put rags, foam, all sorts of stuff under my helmet in the chin area while hearing the noise and low and behold the noise is reduced to a whisper. I have asked the passenger while I was hearing all this wind noise if they heard any noise and they tell me no. So, in my case, the intercom wind noise that I hear is from my own mic. I haven't found a solution to it except to tell the passenger I am going to cut the intercom off and if they want to say something, tap me on the shoulder. This noise is really only bothersome at good highway speeds. In town its not even noticeable. So, make that test and if it lowers the volume of the noise you hear you might try re-positioning your mic, using more wind socks or a helmet chin wind guard. I am of course assuming you are using either a full face helmet,or a flip face helmet. Open face helmet may have no solution. There's my 2 cents.

 

[Tony747]

Gw 2010 vox

Goldwing does not have a VOX. We bought a new 2004 Ultra and enjoyed it very much for 6 years then decided to go to the GW as it was the ultimate touring machine. Well not really. Yes it is a very good riding machine but not the ultimate. Interestingly, the electronics are not as good on the 2010 GW as the 2004 Ultra. I ride 2 up and have over 100K miles with the same passenger on these 2 touring MC's. The intercom is an engineering defect and Honda has not seen fit to fix it. I guess the passenger is considered 2nd class. Once you have had a VOX as on the Harley its a real let down to discover it doesn't exist on the Honda. True you don't get a lot of road noise on a Harley because of the pipes but you get a lot of ROAD NOISE on the GW. If Honda had the Ultimate Touring Motorcycle then you would think that they would insure a good communication system between the front and back seat.

 

[budoka]

First off, welcome to the site Tony. I hope you realize that you have responded to the thread that's been inactive for 4 years LOL. Not that that's a bad thing. Many of the interference issues with the GL i/c system can be alleviated with the control settings in the system itself: squelch, sensitivity and volume adjustments.
By VOX I'm assuming you mean a Voice Operated Transmission system, which the GL has had since it was first made available rider to co-rider i/com on the first Interstate followed by being standard equipment on the '82 Aspencade model and ever since then up to present day with the exception of the 1500 Interstate for a couple years in the early 90's.
Honda has never considered the passenger as "second class" and in the full dress Goldwing world they never will. In fact the passenger comfort is one of the priorities of the Goldwing design team and has been since the inception of the 1500 in 1988. If for any reason you would feel more comfortable and at home (along with your passenger) on the Ultra,for goodness sake go back to one. Do we want to hear that somebody is not satisfied with their Wing, no... but no one bike is the perfect match for everyone, that's why there are so many to choose from. Some bikes just have some things they do better for some owners/riders than others.

 

[Tony747]

The Wing is a great riding platform. Its comfort and amenities are about the same as the Ultra. I have taken the Ultra from the West coast to the East twice and the Wing twice. We took the Wing to Alaska last year so I know quite a bit about both. Not many riders have that comprehension. That being said, Honda has continued to use the HOT mike/OPEN mike system for far to long. Riders should be aware of that defect and tell Honda to fix it. I have had communication with Honda and no response. Whats the point of being competitive if you don't have to. People have a tendency to stick to what they know and think that its the best. I think The GoldWing is a good product but needs improvement.
1. Intercom
2. Cruze control
3. GPS, no fault of Honda.

 

[budoka]

Oh, there's more niggles than you can shake a stick at, but it's just not Honda that has them, believe me. I could list them relative to my feelings on the Wing but I've done it more than once already so I won't beat that horse anymore here. I actually didn't realize it was an 'open mic' system so my apologies there. I do agree that my 1800 seems to be more road noise sensitive than my 1500 was though. The 2 Harleys I owned were not Ultras so I have no first hand experience with that intercom system. Plenty of other HD time/experience though.
Like said above, life's too short to "settle" for something you're not happy with. If change is warranted, go for it!

 

[Tony747]

I am running out of time as a motorcycle rider but have had a great time on both the 2004 Ultra we bought new and the 2010 GW we bought new. The intercom is the biggest problem with the wing. When Harley drivers come over and discover the intercom problem they have a let down. Most others wouldn't know and just live with the defect. Having to turn off the intercom because of noise is a nuance that should be addressed by Honda. When this issue is dealt with it might assume the title of "Ultimate Touring Motorcycle".
Thanks for replying, even on this old link. Just needed to say more, and know someone was listing.
Tony

 

[budoka]

Tony, I could write you a book on Honda seemingly "not listening" and I've only been in the dealership for ten years. Some things they get on right away, but others they get stuck on one way of doing things and refuse to get away from it.
From what used to be the benchmark of the racing world and the street product that came as a result of that incredible success, what we see now is a plethora of lame, uninspiring, non-cutting edge also runs.
As far as the Goldwing goes, an entire team was formed to build the 1500 into what did become the benchmark of the touring world and when the time finally came for the 1800 to eclipse that mark, there were a few "glitches" and recalls that took a few years to sort. Then in '06 when the updates came into the production line, everything kind of stopped. Since the '12s and newer came out, very little of the nits and picks that the ridership begged for happened at all. After 40 years many of us (OK pretty well all of us) expected more than paint and logos on the Anniversary bike. Need I say more?
Having ranted on that, I wouldn't trade my Wing for any other bike in the world. It just pi$$es me off that it could be sooooo much better than it is without costing significantly more.

 

[Apatz]

I sure wish it had PTT for the intercom. My biggest bitch about the audio system.

 

[Slygrin]

I sure wish it had PTT for the intercom. My biggest bitch about the audio system.

http://www.mic-mutes.com/

 

[Catbird]

I ride a 2012 GW and love it. Radio and the other things you mentioned are no problem for me. My biggest problem is the uncomfortable seat (or maybe it's just MY seat's inability to properly "interface" with it), and the short lived heated seat/grips.

 

[NREMTP]

I ride a 2012 GW and love it. Radio and the other things you mentioned are no problem for me. My biggest problem is the uncomfortable seat (or maybe it's just MY seat's inability to properly "interface" with it), and the short lived heated seat/grips.

http://wingstuff.com/products/34542-air-hawk-r-air-seat-cushion?context=airhawk

I also bypass the bike's intercom by using a SENA Bluetooth system. I can still listen to the radio/GPS and even answer my phone. It is nice not being tethered by wires to the bike.

 

[Apatz]

http://wingstuff.com/products/34542-air-hawk-r-air-seat-cushion?context=airhawk

I also bypass the bike's intercom by using a SENA Bluetooth system. I can still listen to the radio/GPS and even answer my phone. It is nice not being tethered by wires to the bike.

Same here. Hate cords. Got the Sierra wiring harness allowing me to transmit on my CB also. Still working out some kinks but so far working!

 

[bob2002]

I've never been happy with the com's on the Wing or any of my three Ultra's for some of the same reasons. I have it working as well as can be expected on my 2012 so maybe it is just in your setup skills right now.
Brakes and shifting has been superior on all four of my 1800's.
I don't know how the radio volume isn't loud enough, 19 or 20 is too loud for me.