[jriddle]

I am wanting to buy a cruiser. My last bike was a Kaw 750 many years ago. I was told that a goldwing would be to top heavy for me. Im 54 5'11" 225 lbs He was thinking that a road king being lower to the ground would be easier for me to get use to riding in town as well as highway with my wife. I figure it will take a while to get use to driving something like wing before I haul my wife. I want to everyone's input. The 750 was 28 years ago.

 

[trike lady]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
You're tall enough for a Goldwing.
Try one for yourself.

 

[Scooter1]

A cruiser is definitely lower but you are not a short man like me at 5'7". I ride a 95 GL 1500 and can flat foot at red lights and the center of gravity is low. Just look at that massive boxer engine sitting low in the frame. I've only ridden an 1800 once so perhaps others can comment but as I recall it was well balanced and I could flat foot it too. The Goldwing is an amazingly well balanced machine and easy to handle, even with a passenger. My wife rides with me too. Didn't mean to leave out the GL 1200 but I had one with a Corbin seat and could not flat foot. However, I think the stock seat is lower than a Corbin on a 1200.

 

[jriddle]

Ok I will

Did a goldwing ever come in a root beer

 

[Tooth]

THere are very few things I have strong opinions about but in my experience I would say that the Honda GOldwing is one of the most if not the most stable motorcycles around. I say this in reference to NOT being top heavy. I have owned 2 Ultra Classics, a Road Glide, KTM 990 and a BMW 1200 GSA in the past 5 years and the wing is far above all for balance and stablity. Yes it is heavy but weight distribution is exceptional. I dont believe it is the seat height but the weight distribution that makes the difference. \
the WIng may present some manueverability problems due to size which is a different issue all together. Worse synario....put a fork brace on for low speed turning to give you some feel of security.

Not bashing any of those other bikes just saying I have ridden afew different types to form my opinion

 

[detdrbuzzard]

the rootbeer color is in reference to the '84 1200 wing

 

[Eric]

Welcome to the forum from Down Under.
I think Tooth has said it well. Just give yourself the best chance by riding in a quite area to get use to it. When on the move the weight is a non issue, so practice the slow stuff. And when you are happy with that take your wife on a small ride (something like an hour). Don't go longer you want her to enjoy that first ride. Best of luck with it.

 

[Chopin]

A Goldwing , at least as far as a GL1800 , is bottom heavy, not top heavy. Compared to a Road King it is light from the driver's point of reference. As far as stock, it is the best passenger comfort ride available to date.

 

[bikrbob]

As chopin said it is bottom heavy, the flat six is low in the frame as is the fuel tank. It handles like a much lighter bike, and you don't have to worry about hot pipes any more either. I can come in from a ride, put on the half cover and call it a day.

 

[Tatanka]

A Goldwing , at least as far as a GL1800 , is bottom heavy, not top heavy. Compared to a Road King it is light from the driver's point of reference. As far as stock, it is the best passenger comfort ride available to date.

+1

The single most amazing think about the Wing to me, even my older ones, is the handling at low speed. The second most amazing is its handling at high speed!

 

[trourke]

I came from a FLHT that I rode for 10 years and at 62 and 5'11'' 180 lbs I have no problem handling my Wing. Low speed handling is easy and high speed crusing is smooth as glass. The Harley is in my rear view mirror. Its quieter that way.

 

[Nohandles]

I'm 6' feet at 195 and have no trouble with it being top heavy.

 

[Dandy Dave]

I'm 5'6" on a tall day. My inseam is short enough that I sometimes blow sand in my sneakers when I fart...

I came to the wing from a Honda CB750 back in the mid 70's, about 35 years of no riding. I went to a local dealer, put my wife on the back, and off we went. No problems, easy to handle, and Goldilocks thought this one was Juuuuust Right.. we bought it on the spot.

I assume that when you say "cruiser" you are looking for a bike to take long trips on. ride all day, take your honey, etc? A Goldwing is more like a Harley Ultra than a Fat Boy or Road King. If you want to go from bar to bar, and look cool, a Harley or metric cruiser would be a good choice. If you want power, handling, comfort and passenger comfort, silky smoothness, and legendary reliability, go fro the wing.

A wing is actually designed to fit a rider from 5'6 to 6' comfortably. You should have no problem what so ever. Every time I ride another bike, I get back on my wing and the first thought through my head is "I am so spoiled.. this bike is so much better than... (Victory, Harley, etc) This doesn't apply to sport tourers like the FJR, or the Boss Hoss... They are a lot of fun, but don't fill the same needs for me, such as passenger comfort, long distance riding, luggage space, smoothness, and so on. I was looking at sport tourers when I was getting back into riding until I sat on a wing. Once I rode one, the choice was easy. So go ride one, see what you think.

=Dave=

 

[Badrider]

I'm 5'6" on a tall day. My inseam is short enough that I sometimes blow sand in my sneakers when I fart...

I came to the wing from a Honda CB750 back in the mid 70's, about 35 years of no riding. I went to a local dealer, put my wife on the back, and off we went. No problems, easy to handle, and Goldilocks thought this one was Juuuuust Right.. we bought it on the spot.

I assume that when you say "cruiser" you are looking for a bike to take long trips on. ride all day, take your honey, etc? A Goldwing is more like a Harley Ultra than a Fat Boy or Road King. If you want to go from bar to bar, and look cool, a Harley or metric cruiser would be a good choice. If you want power, handling, comfort and passenger comfort, silky smoothness, and legendary reliability, go fro the wing.

A wing is actually designed to fit a rider from 5'6 to 6' comfortably. You should have no problem what so ever. Every time I ride another bike, I get back on my wing and the first thought through my head is "I am so spoiled.. this bike is so much better than... (Victory, Harley, etc) This doesn't apply to sport tourers like the FJR, or the Boss Hoss... They are a lot of fun, but don't fill the same needs for me, such as passenger comfort, long distance riding, luggage space, smoothness, and so on. I was looking at sport tourers when I was getting back into riding until I sat on a wing. Once I rode one, the choice was easy. So go ride one, see what you think.

=Dave=

At 6.1 210 lb the Wing is a breeze. We do have a couple of people below average in the club that are under 5.4 and stand tippy toes at a stop. Ironically they have dumped the bike more than once.

 

[flyinelvis]

I'm 5'07 and ride an 1800. No problems at all. 1800 handles like a sport bike once you are riding. Slow speeds just take a little getting used to but nothing that can't be overcome.

 

[willmax]

I'm 6'2" so I can't comment directly on how an 1800 would feel to you, but I can tell you the seat height is only 29.1 inches, and that's pretty darn low to the ground. I came off a VTX 1300 and found the wing to be much more responsive than the cruiser at all speeds. At 900 lbs you have to make sure you don't go over the center balance line when you stop, unless you can bench 700 or 800 lbs. I got in the habit early on of always putting down both feet when I come to a stop, and making sure the front wheel is straight. Damn thing pretty much drives itself. My only warning would be to make sure you don't test ride one unless you're ready to buy.

 

[George Henderson]

Welcome from GA. Same advise as above; test ride and you'll be hooked. I'm 6'3", weigh 240 and my 1800 handles well at slow speeds and glides like a glider at fast speeds but so did my 1500. Great bikes.

 

[Rusty Wing]

I am 6' and 31" inseam, 64 years young, and 175 lbs.
I ride a 93 Wing, it is my third Wing, I also have an 02 ST-1100.
I have no trouble with the Wing, she is not top heavy at all, my wife is short and loves the wing, but does not realy care to ride the ST.
Slow speed manuvering is harder on the ST, the Wing is easy in comparison.
Go find a Wing to ride and you won't be disapointed.

 

[jriddle]

thanks so much for all your input I've got more confidence now I can do it . I'm glad I found this forum .

 

[budoka]

Howdy jriddle, sorry to be a bit tardy on this. You and I are very close to identicle size, so the physical thing compares well. I have a 32" inseam and weight 210 at just under 5' 10". I used to rodeo with my Wings (1200 and 1500) at all the GWRRA rallies and other gatherings and always managed to bring home a dust collector for my efforts, they are very easy to control at low speeds and around obstacles once you're accustomed to them.
I'd been away from Wings for over 10 years when I came to work at the dealership, but I had to take our demo down for fuel to take a guy on a test ride and I wasn't even in 3rd gear and I kept asking myself "what was I thinking for not still riding a Wing?" (I was on an ST1300 at the time). For the previous 12 years I'd been riding moderate to large displacement cruisers: a Virago 1100, 2 Harleys (one Road King) and a Vulcan 1500. Big wake-up call it was. Rode the ST1300 for another 2 seasons and bought our store Demo in '09, at my wife's insistance.
Not to blow Honda's horn really, but there is a definite build quality difference getting back on a Honda after a fair long hiatus. I'd have ended up back on one eventually, but coming here just made the decision quicker for me.