[xhdrider]

Trying to figure out what the thing is under the bike just behind the engine/trans pan. It looks like a narrow box wrapped in tough tin foil attached crossways--its length is about the width of the bike down there, and maybe 3" wide. It seems to be real light, and attached on one side, so the other side can move up and down about a half inch against the bottom of the bike. Once in a while I hear something bump or maybe rattle under the bike when I hit a bump. Last month I went over a speed bump in a McDonalds lot in Colorado very slowly, but the asphalt bump was extra high and the bike came down hard on it. Was riding 2 up, and loaded. Checking it out at the time it seemed that the hinge points on the center stand took the bump, but I wonder if this thing I described got knocked loose. Don't have any idea what it is or what its purpose is. Any ideas out there in Wing Land? Its a 2008 GL1800. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cantankerous]

I wish I could help, but my knowledge is limited to the 1200 and 1500s. It sounds like part of the exhaust, but.......

 

[Radarsdad]

The only thing I remember seeing under mine that had thick tin foil attached is the coolant reservoir, or am I not looking deep enough?

 

[Chopin]

Coolant overflow reservoir. It is only fastened to the frame with one bolt so of course it can wiggle a bit. You will come to know it better when you change your anti-freeze fluid.

 

[Cantankerous]

OK, I see that I know nothing about an 1800, but that has got to be the dumbest location ever for a coolant tank!

 

[joe in calif]

Wait until you get a hole in it from a rock or something, than you will really think it's a dumb location. Some people are installing belly pans to protect it.

 

[budoka]

Mother Hond'a reminder to us that Wings are "on-road" bikes

 

[LarryinSeattle]

The Honda engineer must of had the 4 hour prolonged erection from Viagra when he diagrammed that.

 

[willmax]

Just ordered a belly-pan myself. Would hate to be stuck somewhere with a hole in the coolant overflow reservoir.

 

[xhdrider]

OK guys, appreciate the info. Since this overflow res sits just ahead of the centerstand pivots, I looked at the thing again. Appears that the reservoir took a scrape along with the center stand pivots taking the brunt of the hit. Regarding the belly pan, I can't help but wonder if there had been one on at the time, it could have easily gotten pushed up into the reservoir and made bad matters worse. Yeah, that has got to be the dumbest place to put the coolant res. And yep, Budoka your point is well made, they are not off road machines, but who woulda thought that a paved McDonalds parking lot would require an off road bike?? The Wing does set low, and I keep the preload on 5 to assist my short inseam, then you add another rider and all their luggage, it gets even lower. Well I haven't seen any moisture around the thing, so I will check coolant level and go on.

 

[Chopin]

You ain't seen nothing until you have seen my local riding bud's belly pan. He commutes into Washington D.C. over parking lot speed humps. Mike has the ugliest bent belly pan hands down.

 

[xhdrider]

Went by my dealer today to look at other coolant res tanks. The new bikes have solid tanks, but of the 4 used wings on hand, 2 had solid tanks and 2 were loose, one worse than mine. They told me some people have broken the tanks in the dealer's parking lot, by loading them on ramps, at the top of the ramp the bike can easily high center and break open the res tank. The tanks are held on by one screw on the right side, and by a tab on the left that should slide into a matching slot on the bike frame. I think the tabs are either getting broken off or they are getting forced out of their slots when the tanks get hit. Not a good design at all.