[leexnguyen]

Coming from a ST1100 to a 2010 GW and the Goldwing transmission clunk makes for a poor ownership experience. I tried dino oil, synthetic oil, 10w30, 10w40; nothing helps the clunk when shifting from 1st to 2nd.

I don't have any issue with ghost shifting or anything like that, just the loud sound. If only i can get the shifting of the ST onto the GW, I will be one happy owner.

Sorry for venting frustration...

 

[DreamWeaver]

If its only clunking between 1st and 2nd, start off in 2nd gear. I do it all the time cause 1st is too jumpy and goosey for me. As far as the clunk is concerned, I guess all GW's have it and I don't even hear it any more unless I listen for it.

 

[Chopin]

Coming from a ST1100 to a 2010 GW and the Goldwing transmission clunk makes for a poor ownership experience. I tried dino oil, synthetic oil, 10w30, 10w40; nothing helps the clunk when shifting from 1st to 2nd.

I don't have any issue with ghost shifting or anything like that, just the loud sound. If only i can get the shifting of the ST onto the GW, I will be one happy owner.

Sorry for venting frustration...

Sounds like your Wing is running fine! Be glad you don't have any transmission troubles based on what you said here.

 

[JK McDonald]

Pre-Loading

Has anyone tried the Pre-Loading technique to quieten the transmission gear shift ? It was recommend to me years ago and seems to help decrease the clunk on all of the Goldwings I've owned.

If in neutral you simply press lightly down on the shift lever for a moment just before pulling in the clutch lever. This takes the slack out of the shift fork and shift drum. With a slight Pre-Load prior to the clutch being pulled, first gear is then engaged nice and quiet. To shift into second - the process is repeated. A light pressure upward on the shift lever again takes out the slack in the shift mechanism. Pull the clutch lever and shift into second....etc.

Pre-Loading works for down shifting as well. I have also found that my transmission has always operated best when I hit neutral just before I roll to a stop.

I had initially mentioned this to a Honda tech after I bought my 1st Goldwing back in 1987. He said that it was a common technique he'd used for years. Hopefully nothing has changed over the years to make Pre-Loading a problem. Has anyone heard any different ? My current 93 Aspencade has been quiet with no transmission issues for years.

Michael

 

[cpwomer]

I guess its all in who is doing the shifting. I don't have a clunking problem at all but than again no two people shift the same. Try changing your technique in shifting by matching the rpms a lil closer to the gear your going up to or down to...Going down you rev up going up give it a second to drop a bit...Something you have to learn on your own. I drove truck for 30 years and only used clutch to stop and start. And it was a 13 speed. Speed and torque matching the gears just right is an art but it takes the willingness to change the way you approach shifting down the road without damaging your gear. Good Luck with it...My secret is not to get so much in a hurry with a Wing. Shifting like your racing a sportbike will cost you much more in the end....Craig "Crayons"

 

[Tatanka]

Another benefit of riding Classic Wings: No clunks on my '85 GL1200 while shifting.

 

[Cantankerous]

Leexnguyen, did you buy the Wing new?

 

[Cantankerous]

Have you checked the clutch fluid condition and level? It needs to be replaced if it isn't clear.

 

[santini1953]

I don't have any problem with mine. I get a little clunk now and then but it is when I shift wrong ( which ticks me off ) , totally my fault and not Honda's. I have a 1996 SE and can't complain, never had a quieter bike, my V-Star is more noisy than the wing by far.

 

[Chopin]

Best oil I used in the Wing to smooth out the shifting was 20w-50w. The downside to that higher viscosity was when the temps cooled the starter would spin but not engage the motor. During the heat of summer, no problem.

 

[kikker]

Does it make you feel like there is something mechanically wrong with the transmission or you just don't like the way it sounds?

 

[budoka]

First off, let me say that I'm not going to apologise for Honda and the clunk. It's been present to some degree in every GL since 1975. It's the nature of the beast as it were. I'm also a former ST1300 owner as well as two prior GLs (1200 and 1500), several other Hondas, not to mention my RC51 and a VF500 on the sport side, plus I'm also a dealer as most here know. The transmission on the Wings has been developed to be practically bullet-proof and they took many years to make it so. The shift from first to second will never be buttery smooth as are Honda's sport and sport-touring offerings but it can be done very smoothly with practice. I still make the odd clunky shift but they are actually quite rare. Harley Ultras (in fact the entire FL line) and the Victory Visions are not what I'd call slick shifting either. The rpm matching helps, and it also makes a difference how ham fisted you are with the throttle and how briskly you are accelerating. I use a heel/toe shifter and actually practice drag-strip style take offs and shifts anywhere from 500 rpm below and right up to redline. It helped me get the feel of my bike's shift points and made me better with my technique. Give it some time and dedicated effort on your part, just never expect that slick ST gearbox, it isn't one.

 

[Chopin]

I feel that there is a potential for something to go wrong due to the sound. However, it's shifting fine and I am planning on doing a long trip this summer. I am a little uneasy about going on such a long trip since I haven't owned the bike long.
I have owned my 92 ST1100 for over ten years and it has 155K miles on it, and i wouldn't hesitate to take it, but my wife wants to come along this summer. I am trying to research/diagnose/ride as much as I can to build up trust with the GW.
I will flush and bleed the clutch to see if it will make a difference. The previous owner has taken good care of it, and farkel the heck out of it, so it's setup for long distance touring in comfort.

You're covered until somewhere in 2013, depending on the month the bike was originally purchased in. You can buy an additional four year Honda Warranty Coverage for about $500. Run the piss out of it and shift it like a bat out of hell, I doubt that you can destroy it. Your complaints have been echoed by others for years and they are still riding on the same trannie.

 

[Tatanka]

I own an '85 Aspencade, too. When I brought it back to life and for the first year of riding it, it clunked and crunched plenty while shifting. Not any more.

First, make sure your clutch is working properly so that it fully disengages/releases the clutch, otherwise clutch drag will make clunking and crunching worse. It should feel firm at the lever, no sponginess.

What made the biggest difference was running 6oz. of Seafoam in the crankcase for 100-150 miles of road riding. The oil was pretty clear before, and black as pitch afterward. Sludge and varnish from inside the engine! I drained that stuff, installed a good new oil filter and filled the Wing with Amsoil 10W-40. Within 75-100 miles of riding is when I noticed the transmission was much smoother, no clunking or crunching, just a nice, clean "click" between gears, up or down. Honestly, I'd try the same thing with yours, after you verify that the clutch is working really well. Good luck!

 

[Tobo]

I'm a whiny crybaby that shouldn't even own a Wing.

 

[bikrbob]

I have found that a little more rpm from 1st to 2nd and a quick clutch does away with the clunk.

 

[Midnight Express]

My 2010 seemed to go into 5th not as easy as the other gears, and so even though I almost never believed all the oil posts about differences in shifting, I tried Honda's full synthetic 10w30, and it seems to snip right into 5th now 95% of the time. I have not had ghost shifting yet...... I know, if we spend enough, all is well in the world in our mind....

Riding the 1200 after getting the 1800, it seems to shift like an old half million mile cement truck. 4th gear on it has always been cantankerous. 50,000+ miles. I never realized how crude the shifting was until getting the newer one.

"And the offer still stands. John 3:16"