[TraumaJimRN]

Hello all! Right now I'm riding a Yamaha Stratoliner, but looking at a '08 'Wing. My wife refuses to ride the 'Strat as it make her "butt hurt".
I'm 6-4 and right now 300 lbs. I have a 34 inch inseam. How comfortable will the Wing be? On the Strat I have room to move my feet around. I'm really liking the creature comforts of the Wing, but want to be comfortable while I'm riding. Any info would be appreciated.


Sent from my Motorcycle iPhone app

 

[redwing53]

Jim- the wing is a great bike but can be a challenge for us tall
guys to get comfortable riding. I am 6'4 with a 34 inseam also
and struggled getting it right. My advice would be ride it as is for awhile to get used to the upright seating position as opposed to the cruiser position you are used to. I rode HD's way too long. LOL
Hwy pegs are great for stretching out and giving the legs a break.
Go slow and get used to the bike before spending money on risers,
seats, etc. If I can help feel free to PM me.

Your wife will love the wing!

 

[Tatanka]

Hey Jim,

I'm not a fan of highway pegs and actually took off the very nice ones that were on Tatanka when I got him. If I need to stretch my legs, I just sit in the passenger's seat for awhile, but then I ride solo 95% of the time. You'll figure it out for yourself. It's definitely not a deal killer. The Wing is simply too excellent a ride to let being a bit cramped get in the way.

A friend with metal fabrication skills is designing and fabbing something for me, to move the stock seat up 3" and back 5". If he finishes it and it works, I'll let the tall boys in the Forum know.

 

[trike lady]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Well, there is something out there to help taller riders of the GL1800.
Have a look at this: http://trikeshop.com/news/4192012/

 

[willmax]

I'm 6'2" and 220 and haven't had any problems with my legs cramping on long rides. I have highway pegs and use 'em and I also make it a habit to take a break every hour or so on trips over 200 miles. Went to Colorado and back last summer 2-up and had zero problems.

 

[Tatanka]

Once again Val steps up to help her friends on the Forum! Thanks!

I'll show this to my metal fab guy, but our thought was to move the seat up and back on a "nested set of lockable rails" (his words, I don't know squat about metal fab,) and move the foot pegs back 1-2" (I can't shift with the toe of my boot, have to use the side edge). As Doc mentioned in an earlier thread, this requires the '85 Aspy trunk to be able to slide back too. My wife is 6'0", so she'll like more than stock passenger legroom anyway.

This site shows a good approach, but I don't want my feet moving TOWARD the heat of the exhaust. Think I'll let Tom (for those who've been here for awhile, yes, THAT Tom) see what he can come up with. Should be done by 2014-15!

 

[RAM 54]

I don't know how the Wing wil be for you but your wife will love it.

 

[Eric]

Welcome to the forum from Down Under. Eric

 

[fossil92]

Jim, 1st things 1st. Welcome to the GWOF from PA.

Now as some have alluded to, the Wing is "Different" to ride. I have a friend who struggled a bit to get comfy he's 6'3" & about 285lbs. His one comment to me was this "It feels like I'm sitting in a Kitchen Chair not riding a Motorcycle". Got him fixed up with Highway pegs, a tweak here/there with his riding style & he's a happy camper. There are many options out there to Modify things.

What I would suggest you do is find a Wing to ride somewhere so that you can evaluate it yourself. The best scenario would be a rental but that could be a tall order to find.

One final thing is this. As the others have said Your Wife Will Love It! So if you want her to ride with you give it serious consideration.

 

[golddragon1329]

Welcome from another Pa. boy and all of the above info is the best and when the wife is happy you are a happy biker.

 

[detdrbuzzard]

hello jim, welcome to GWOF. seeing that you carry a passenger there is going to have to be a compromise made to keep the wife happy also. my friend kenny had a road king for the five years that i've known him but made the mistake of taking the wife with him when he test rode an 1800 wing last year. it was her last rideon the hd and kenny is the proud owner of an 1800 wing now

 

[WingnutGordo]

Welcome to GWOF
From Maryland , I'm short and fat so I can't give you advise on this

 

[Eric]

Welcome to GWOF from Down Under
Some say I am 6'3
Some say I am a Hoon
Some say I will see you in August
But I am not 6'3 and can't offer any advice
Eric

 

[budoka]

Welcome Trauma. Hopefully no trauma for you getting a Wing set up for your frame. I have a few tall, big customers on Wings and they are all very happy campers. There's a couple I haven't seen in a while so I don't know exactly what they've done, but the one fellow is 6'5" and all he did was put boards and Ergo Pegs on his and he's grinning.

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

Welcome to the forum from PA. I'm shaped like Gordo, so I'm not much help except to say that the Wing is he most comfortable long distance bike you can ride in my opinion..

 

[crownfire]

Welcome TraumaJim. I’m guessing you are a nurse as is my wife.

Well I have the same bike, a 2006 Stratoliner, that my wife also did not like the ride. I got her on a couple short trips but nothing more than a day or two at a time. A “friend” gave her a ride on his Gold Wing and that was all she wrote. I am 6’ 1” and 235 which is not as big as you but close. The Wing has a different ride with the seating position upright instead of your feet forward. Also it took me a while to get used to the front faring being fixed to the frame and not seeing the front wheel turn. Overall it rides great. The Yamaha I have taken on a few long trips but anything over 400 miles I start to feel uncomfortable. The Honda I have had 600 mile days and feel just a little but weary but still good. I think you will like it. I have a buddy who is just a little bigger than me and he had a custom seat built (forgot the company but can find out if you want – just let me know) that puts him back a couple inches and up a little. I’ve sat on it and that would help, but then I would need handlebar risers. Which may help even with the stock seat as I feel that I am reaching for the bars on a long day. I have been looking at these from Wingstuff but haven’t decided yet;
http://wingstuff.com/products/2361-...ion?context=gold_wing_gl1800-handlebar_risers
I also think the Roadsmith controls that Trikelady suggested look interesting. I’m pretty cautious about changing things so will wait until someone has these for a while before jumping off that bridge. I'm glad I bought this bike and have no regrets.

 

[TraumaJimRN]

Welcome TraumaJim. I’m guessing you are a nurse as is my wife..

Yes sir, I work the level one trauma center in Memphis. I've done trauma for the last seven years. What type of work does the wife do? And what part of Mississippi are y'all in? I live in Southaven. NW corner of the state.



?? Ride your own ride. ??

 

[blk93wing]

Gordo your not short, just consider yourself vertically challenged.

 

[trike lady]

I'm 5'4" and I found that the 1500 seems more spacious and the 1800 a bit cramped.
I know what you're thinking, it shouldn't matter to those of us who came up 'Short in life', but you do notice the small change in both. I was told it is a 1" change in the seat design that makes the difference.
So basically all you tall guys that may mean a lot to you. A custom seat that moves you back a bit and possibly up.

 

[crownfire]

Yes sir, I work the level one trauma center in Memphis. I've done trauma for the last seven years. What type of work does the wife do? And what part of Mississippi are y'all in? I live in Southaven. NW corner of the state.

My wife, Martena, currently works for a medical clinic company in the Jackson area. She used to work the emergency room and ride the ambulance a lot. We live three hours south of you between Madison and Canton.