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Handling Versus Other Bikes?

4K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  knelson1969 
#1 ·
I really want to buy a 1500. I just keep reading that the handling is not great in the twisties. I will say that I am not very spirited most of the time and just love to putt along. BUt I would be riding it pretty much every day whether for fun or for commuting so once in a while I get a wild hair up my butt and take a bike to the limit. I also do a yearly trip with lifelong friends and some of them are very spirited when it comes to the mountain roads.

So my question is to anybody that might have a similar bike to my 2 current bikes and how well the 1500 compares to them handling wise. I won't have a problem at low speeds. I am more concerned about cornering at speed such as mountainous roads. I currently have a Vstar 1100 and a C10 Concours.
 
#3 ·
the vstar will still handle like crap compaired to the 1500 wing. the wing is heavy compaired to the connie but the wing does handle it self well
 
#5 ·
A lot depends on your stature (crazy as it may sound) I'm 5'11" 180lb.

I had my Wing & also still have my Nighthawk 700S so that I too could play around. Honestly I can't answer for you.

I can tell you that I have to very tall friends that worked hard to get themselves comfortable on the Wing. The one equated his riding position to sitting on a Kitchen chair. Which in fact it's not unlike, a very upright position. Never ridden a Concours or a Vstar. Have ridden Ninjas, Buells, GS1000, & Vulcan. A 1500 doesn't handle any worse than the Vulcan (again just different). Low speed manuevers take some getting used to, once you're rolling you can enjoy the ride believe me.

One final thing if your wife rides with you beware, because for sure if one of the bikes has to go it WILL NOT be the Wing. That I can almost guarantee.:D
 
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#7 ·
The 1500 is an amazing machine. It does so many things so well as I find it to be a do all bike. It can tour long distance in great comfort and can be ridden aggressively in the twisties. Of course this is contingent upon one's skill level as a Wing in the proper hands can perform with the best of them. There are some that say the 1500 is perhaps Honda's greatest motorcycle ever built. To date, it has the longest run of any of the GW's manufactured from 1988-2000 at 13 years. Of course I am slightly biased here but from the sounds of it am not alone. :D
 
#8 ·
I agree with what Dan says above, I have also had other scoots but once I got my 1500 Wing I knew I had found the bike for me. I had a Suzuki Volusia and found that the Wing handles much better than it in the twisties.

You will need to add Hwy pegs for long distance rides and there are numerous other modifications that can be made to them just like any other bike.

My wife would not allow me to sell the Wing even if I wanted to because of the comfort level for her, not that I would want to.

Be careful with slow speed maneuvers with the Wing if your not used to the weight because they are heavy but once you get used to it at slow speeds in parking lots etc. they are fine, just takes some getting used to.

Ride a 1500 if possible but you will not be disappointed.
 
#10 ·
There are still some great deals on low mileage 1500's. I had a 2000SE and loved it.
How does one handle the corners? I will say this-I had mine at Deal's Gap several times.
Had several on cruisers and connie type bikes run w/me at times.
I was a very aggressive rider in those days! No one was able to stay w/me for very long in those corners! I'm sure there were sport bikes that could chew me alive but, none of my friends has those kind of bikes at the time.
The 2000 SE came w/all the goodies as OEM. I went from it to an Ultra, then to a 1800, which has now been triked. Wish I still had the 1500! It was the most comfortable long distance bike I have had!
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?...ing&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p4506.m270.l1313
 
#11 ·
I have a Yamaha Venture Royal before getting my 1500, the Wing is light years ahead of the Venture when it comes to handling. The bike has very good corning capabilities however it depends on the ability of the rider.

As far as the 1500's go, I do think they are the best GW built and they will last you many years providing you do the service on the bike. My 1500 has over 100K and still runs like a well oiled machine. No complaints at all, my wife loves riding as the passenger, she hated riding on the Venture.
 
#12 ·
I too have am old Yamaha Venture, we loved it when we got it, bought the 1500 and love it even more. Had to run the Venture last year for a couple weeks and the wife was a crying for her wing back. Both handle well for me though. Wife said no way she'd let me trade our wing for a H-D Electraglide. The 1500 will hold it's own in the twisties. Check out the youtube videos of Goldwings running Deals Gap if you doubt how a wing handles.
 
#13 ·
You will not be disappointed with the handling of the 1500 or 1800 Wings. For most of us they are both more than adaquate for any type of riding...
 
#14 ·
I rode a 1995 1500A on the twisted sister ride in TX and it handled great. The Wing nis a touring bike with a lot of design of a sport bike. If you look at your exit point in a corner or curve and keep your head abd eyes up it will feel like a spotr bike. Not bad for a 1000 lb bagger.
Now if you really want to feel a great ride and handeling, test an 1800.
 
#15 ·
I can't comment on how the 1500 rides..mine is still in pieces :(
As mentioned though, there are u-tube videos of wings doing deals gap.
One in particular is a guy who I think is called "Yellow Wolf". He is riding a Yellow ( of coarse) 1800 wing, you really have to see this guy ride to believe it!
Just when you think..oh crap!..he's going down..he just keeps getting faster..the camera guy behind him has a hard time keeping up & you can clearly hear the camera bike scraping parts as he tries to stay with the 1800!!
Well worth watching!:)
 
#16 ·
If you end up with a well maintained Wing 1500 or 1800 you will not regret the purchase.
I know my 2012 is not the same as the older Wings but my Experiance is that my Wing is light years ahead of my riding skills. My wing so far has done everything I have asked of it without the limit in sight. If you buy one today for a reasonable price and you do not like it you can just sell it to someone else who would enjoy it and probably not lose much in driving it for awhile.
I will admit coming from my st1300 to a Wing I miss the light feeling and the ability of tossing the bike from side to side without effort. But the design features that allow you to ride like a pro are replaced with things that are built for comfort and fun.
To get the most out of a gold wing you could buy a second seat and cut away at the foam till it is shaped better to move around on the seat.
I am sure there are many things one could do to improve the Wings handling and have it where for long rides you could return it to stock easily.
 
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