[ktownne]

my steed is a 2009 gl1800 navi comfort,it has 5600 miles,I bought it jan 23 2010,I love it!!Here is the fly in the ointment,it idles up to 1200rpm bouncing to 400 rpm occassionally dying,the dealer installed cb can be heard,not understood(I think I'm transmitting because people respond when I do,I just can't make out what they say),my mechanic(honda certified,not able to do warranty work)agrees that the steering head bearings need retorqued(I have a 35-40 mph handlebar shake with light pressure on the bars wich quickly tries to be a tank slapper!)I have an app. with my dealer,I previously complained of the idle problem&it's documented @the dealer,they told me to keep an eye on it,now they'll take another look.Also I was told when I made the app. that the headshake may not be a warranty problem!!WHAT!!!that's right,a problem from the factory may not be warrantied!!!BFNS!!!!I paid 25 grand for top o the line honda and THEY say I may have to pay!!!How in the hell can they not know if that particular prob.is under warranty?!!any help is greatly appreciated!SIGNED DAZED & PISSED IN INDIANA

 

[RKP000]

As to your idle issue: My 2010, hunts a bit when I come to a stop and pull in the clutch. It does this a couple times (up and down), then settles down to a steady idle RPM, but has yet to die. It is annoying to me. There are others on this forum who have the exact same complaint. Some say this will go away after the 1st oil change (makes no sense) or when the bike hits 2,000 miles - obviously yours didn't and mine only has 1,900 on it so I am curious if mine will stop hunting. Bet it does not. I think it's a programming issue in the ECU. I've never had any fuel injected vehicle (including other late model bikes) do this or that required X amount of miles to learn what the idle RPM is.
I agree with you on the handlebar shaking. THEY SHOULD FIX THIS UNDER WARRANTY or replace the bike! I'd be ripped also.
If the dealer checks the front tire, brakes, bearings etc. and tells you there is no problem or they won't fix the issue, call Honda of America in California and give them an earful.
Rob

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Do an ECM reset to see if it cures your idle problem. Start the bike, let it idle til the fans come on. Shut it off.
CB recieve can be several issues:
Are you listening through a headset? If so, the position of the speakers need to be "in line" w/your ear channels. You should have the /SWR set. SWR is not as important for incoming signals as it is for transmitting but, needs to be set. If your CB was dealer installed, I would be absolutely amazed if they even know what SWR means, let alone have a meter and cables to actually check and tune the antenna.
http://www.wingman26.com/swr.html
Make sure the antenna is grounded properly.

 

[joe in calif]

Did your bike have the wobble from the first day? Most of the time it is caused by tire wear, check air pressure and check for cupping. Most of us are installing all balls tapered bearings in the neck and that cures the problem. I would try the ECM reset for the idle problem, start the bike with a cold motor, DO NOT TOUCH the throttle, let the bike run until the fans kick on, turn the bike off and then restart it, the ECM is now reset. If you switch the CB to outside speakers can you understand what the other people are saying? If so than it's your helmet speakers that are the problem. Some people swear by SWR setting but I have installed to many CB's to count and never did that and have never had a problem with receiving or transmitting, the stock Honda antenna is close to the correct SWR setting not to worry about it. make sure you have a proper ground in the trunk where the bracket is mounted. Good luck, Here is the phone number of American Honda if you run into problems with your dealer fixing something. 866-784-1870

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

Sounds like the issues with your bike are compounded by your dealers failure to properly respond. I would let them know that you are going to be in contact with Honda and see if that perks their ears. If not, give Mother Honda a call. You might also want to check for another dealer in your area. Good luck and let us know how you make out....

 

[stevemaloy]

me too

My 2010 does the hunting a steady RPM too. Never has died though, and it levels out after 5-6 surges. Mine is a 2010 and I turned over 4300 miles last weekend. It still does it, but it isn't bad enough that it bothers me. If it is doing it less since it was new, I can't tell. The only time I have had steering shake on my last 2 bikes (FJR1300), it was tire related. I notice on this wing, if I am off the throttle and don't have my hands firmly on the handlebars, it shakes a little. I think it is the tire because it just started doing it. I don't have a CB so no help there, but the suggestions in the other posts should fix it. SWR by the way stands for Standing Wave Ratio.

UPDATE!!! I just rode 2700 miles in the last 5 days, and now have over 7000 miles on it. It is doing that surging a lot less. I have to try to catch it doing it, and then the RPM Gauge barely moves if at all.... Amazing..... Don't you love computers?

 

[tfdeputydawg]

SWR is very critical on Wings mostly due to the lack of a good ground plane for the antenna.
The closer to 1:1 you can get it, the farther you will be able to transmit.
My "stock" Honda antenna checked almost 1:3, which is a long way from being close to correct. My talk distance was barely over 1 mile.
After properly tuning the antenna, I got it down to 1:1.25 on channel 1(my most used channel). My talk distance was then as much as 6 miles!
When you are checking the SWR on a Wing knell down beside the bike so you body does not influence the reading. Yes, the mere fact you and also a passenger sit on the bike will change the SWR! That's another reason to tune it as close to 1:1 as possible.

 

[marcsvette]

SWR is very critical on Wings mostly due to the lack of a good ground plane for the antenna.
The closer to 1:1 you can get it, the farther you will be able to transmit.
My "stock" Honda antenna checked almost 1:3, which is a long way from being close to correct. My talk distance was barely over 1 mile.
After properly tuning the antenna, I got it down to 1:1.25 on channel 1(my most used channel). My talk distance was then as much as 6 miles!
When you are checking the SWR on a Wing knell down beside the bike so you body does not influence the reading. Yes, the mere fact you and also a passenger sit on the bike will change the SWR! That's another reason to tune it as close to 1:1 as possible.

Thank you very much. My CB transmit/receive is also barely a mile. Was told it was the lousy Honda CB. Once again, THANKS

 

[budoka]

I don't have the CB on my '09 (yet) but my 1500 came with it already installed and it was fine easily pushing 10 miles in decent terrain. All my audio on the 1500 was very good (I miss the ambience feature on the new one and the auto volume). Good advice on dealing with your warranty(?) issue. Talk to Honda direct if you have to, just give the dealer a heads up to try and resolve your problem, there are ways he can talk direct to the tech people and go from there. If he won't, then drop the hammer and use the customer service line. I'm betting on tyre wear/trouble though rather than head bearings. If the bike is that new, and the bearings were under-torqued from the factory or during PDI, the dealer, Honda, or both should eat that one not you. We would at our shop.
btw, SWR can be an issue on CB's, but is usally not as hard to ge a decent match on a single antenna; my old boogie van had twin whips on it, and they were a real pain. I finally took them off and used a power wing antenna on the roof. Just had to be careful of parking lots after that, but man, what a signal!

 

[tfdeputydawg]

For those that need the meter and jumpers:
http://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp?prod=VAN-SWR-2
If you know several w/CB's-all chip in, makes it pretty cheap.
Most radio shops will charge at least $40 to set it for you.
A lot will claim they don't know how to do a Wing!

 

[billcarr_]

handlebarshake

Hi Ktownne,

Regarding the handlebar shake. Call and write the DOT in Washington DC. Tell them in no uncertain terms this is a new bike, full warranty, and a life threatening problem. The tank slapper at 40 is a safety issue that may harm you and your passenger and DOT needs need to know this. This has been a potential recall item for many years and never addressed.

I don't know any one who has gotten a fix to the Wing Wobble. Some say changing the bearing to after market helps but frankly the parts to fix this should come from Honda and under warranty.

 

[oldtimer]

My Harley had the same wobble, the dealer said that Harleys response was "keep both hands on the handlebars"........figures,huh.

 

[ktownne]

thanks,but what is SWR?

SWR is very critical on Wings mostly due to the lack of a good ground plane for the antenna.
The closer to 1:1 you can get it, the farther you will be able to transmit.
My "stock" Honda antenna checked almost 1:3, which is a long way from being close to correct. My talk distance was barely over 1 mile.
After properly tuning the antenna, I got it down to 1:1.25 on channel 1(my most used channel). My talk distance was then as much as 6 miles!
When you are checking the SWR on a Wing knell down beside the bike so you body does not influence the reading. Yes, the mere fact you and also a passenger sit on the bike will change the SWR! That's another reason to tune it as close to 1:1 as possible.

okay,I'm handy with a wrench and not completely ignorant to cb usage(after this question you all will think I am!)but,what is SWR and how do I adjust it!!

 

[tfdeputydawg]

okay,I'm handy with a wrench and not completely ignorant to cb usage(after this question you all will think I am!)but,what is SWR and how do I adjust it!!

http://www.wingman26.com/swr.html

 

[ktownne]

oh sh#$

http://www.wingman26.com/swr.html

Oh sh&% this looks beyond my capabilities and also exspensive!Is there another option,like can I pay you to do it for me?!!!

 

[tfdeputydawg]

No, you can not pay me to do it!
I would do it in a heart beat for you but, my meter and jumpers are missing in action.
They were loaned to a friend of a friend who let his 4th cousin's uncle use them................. You get the idea-They are no where to be found and I have not replaced them yet!
You can get what you need here:http://www.sierra-mc.com/proddetail.asp?prod=VAN-SWR-2
I'm sure you can tune it w/the instructions I gave you. However, if not, My daughter lives in Wabash. If you get the meter/jumpers maybe we could get together somewhere near that area so I could assist you. We will need, most likely, a bench grinder available to shorten the antenna tip.

 

[ktownne]

thanks to everyone for your responses,and 2 u joe

Did your bike have the wobble from the first day? Most of the time it is caused by tire wear, check air pressure and check for cupping. Most of us are installing all balls tapered bearings in the neck and that cures the problem. I would try the ECM reset for the idle problem, start the bike with a cold motor, DO NOT TOUCH the throttle, let the bike run until the fans kick on, turn the bike off and then restart it, the ECM is now reset. If you switch the CB to outside speakers can you understand what the other people are saying? If so than it's your helmet speakers that are the problem. Some people swear by SWR setting but I have installed to many CB's to count and never did that and have never had a problem with receiving or transmitting, the stock Honda antenna is close to the correct SWR setting not to worry about it. make sure you have a proper ground in the trunk where the bracket is mounted. Good luck, Here is the phone number of American Honda if you run into problems with your dealer fixing something. 866-784-1870

okay,"my"dealer, where I spent 25k on what is to be considered honda's "flagship"(I read as best of the best),dicked me,I think!They seem to think I'm an idiot,checked all three issues and cb seems to work okay now.As for the headshake it WAS from day 1 I've been told A)front tire is cupping a little,checked psi yes I mantain at 36psi as prescribed in the owners manual,and posted in the trunk,was told should ignore manufacturers rating and run 42psi,b)also told me tire would'nt be cupped if I would have been running 42 as dunlop told all dealers long before I bought it!!!!!!Why was'nt I told day 1,they knew it then but did'nt tell me!!!I asked for consideration on new tire dollar-wise was told it's a problem between honda and dunlop and I have to eat the cost for replacement!!!Also even though my cert. honda mechanic checked the head at standstill said there is too much movement!Dealer also said once I buy a new tire to replace head bearings w/tapered @ my cost!!!As far as the idle the dealer did what I did 4x to reset ecm as instructed here,it even died on them!!!The service mngr even had the balls to tell me THEY(the little guy)ate the cost for today's checkup when I argued that I should'nt eat the tire or the cost of new bearings!!!Yes,she actually said that!!!Where to from here,my butt is getting more sore every time I go back over and over.....She seems to handle better,and ride better @42psi in the front,but even though the front and rear both have good tread now the front is wasted!!!And I know the next ? from you guys is do I moniter psi regularly?A:yes @ least every other day even when I don't ride,I used to work in a tire store and truly believe in psi monitoring because I know first hand the difference in tire life caused by improper tire mantainance!!!!Sorry to vent here but you guys have been great!!!!Signed still don't like being raped and pushed out the door for 25k!!!!!....told me to KEEP AN EYE ON EVERYTHING AND COME BACK IF I STILL WANT MORE [email protected]#$%^!!man,my butt is sore and I'm sure they're laghing every time I leave!aLL MY BIKES IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN USED AND NEVER HAVE I FELT SO ABUSED IN ANY PRICE RANGE OR HAD THIS MUCH TROUBLE,my last wing(84 gl1200a)had 66000 on when I bought it,never any trouble like this,I bought new to avoid this sh$%!!!!Please help me find sanity before i go all postal there!By the by,my dealer is lake city honda in Warsaw IN!!

 

[RKP000]

ktownne,
I feel for you! I get pissed just reading what has happened to you. Baffles me how some Honda dealers can remain in business? There is one local to me that I will not step foot into any more because of the same type of bussiness ethics I experienced on a previous bike. They are more than happy to sell you a bike, but after that the service is horrible. I drove 250 miles one way to get my new wing to avoid the local shop.

Your dealer said they "ate the cost" for the checkup? I call BS. It's not a checkup - it's warranty work and I bet they submitted an inflated bill to Mother Honda for their time.

Was Honda's headquarters in California any help? Can they give you a regional service manager contact? Someone has to be monitoring the dealers in your area. Maybe you could call another dealer in your state and ask them for the regional manager's contact info?

Like you, I went the new route this time, hoping to avoid any issues and to have 3 yrs of warranty coverage. Not that I ever hope I need it.

My 2010 does not do the head shake (yet), but the idle still hunts after 2300 miles. It is very annoying. Honda needs to wake up - there is a definite programming issue here. This is NOT a case where the bike needs to "learn" how to idle. I've never had a fuel injected vehicle (bike or car) that had to learn what the idle RPM is or had to reset the ECM. I've done the ECM reset twice, no help at all.

Keep us posted on what happens.
Rob

 

[tfdeputydawg]

For customer or product related questions or comments you can contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Support by telephone at 866-784-1870, Monday - Friday 8:30 - 4:30 PST. Please have your Vehicle Identification Number or Hull Identification Number ready when calling. Or by mail at: Honda Motorcycle Customer Support, P.O. Box 2200, Torrance, CA 90501.

 

[ktownne]

still upset!!!

For customer or product related questions or comments you can contact Honda Motorcycle Customer Support by telephone at 866-784-1870, Monday - Friday 8:30 - 4:30 PST. Please have your Vehicle Identification Number or Hull Identification Number ready when calling. Or by mail at: Honda Motorcycle Customer Support, P.O. Box 2200, Torrance, CA 90501.

called em,I'm screwed for the tire and was actually accused of riding wrong!!They could'nt tell me what to run as far as psi,told me everyone rides different!!(no shit?!!I've been riding over 23 years and I thought everyone rode exactly the same!!!)As I previously stated I worked 10 years in a tire shop,I KNOW the only thing causing cupping is LOW AIR PRESSURE!!!!They also had the nerve to say that cupping is a naturally occuring process in tire wear,all tires do it!Also they told me that there is no other problems on any hondas like mine!!Mine is the only 2009 gl1800 with these problems!Also said go to another dealer because I've created a controversy at Lake city Honda in Warsaw IN on US 30!But mother honda would also not recommend wich one to go to!They said pick one and have the head shake looked at,and also said it does'nt sound like a warranty issue so I have to pay the dealer 2.5 to 3 hours labor....SHIIIIIIT!!!!Thinking of making a rather large gl1800 boat anchor.....also discovered 42 psi that my dealer told me to run exceeds max psi on the tire!!!!What the hell is wrong here,me?What ever happened to customer service!I guess the old saying that the customer is always right,has been changed to;You already bought it [email protected]#$ you!!We got your money already,now give us more you effin rube or go elsewhere!!!