Monthly Newsletter
GoldwingDocs sends out a newsletter on the first day of each month to all of our members via email. This newsletter contains the announcement of the previous months' contest winner as well as details on the current month's contest. In addition, it includes news, reviews, information about new additions to the site, and other relevant information.
GoldwingDocs.com June 2014 Newsletter
Information Overload For most people, one of the major attraction of motorcycles is the opportunity to get away from it all, to focus solely on a demanding task, clearing the detritus of daily life from one's mind. For others, it is the challenge of mastering the machine and constantly improving their skill set. For whatever reason, a large majority of Goldwing owners want to be surrounded by as much information as possible. Perhaps it's because our machines are known as the ultimate luxury touring bikes, and we want that luxury to include information - gadgets. I profess to landing squarely in this group. Others like to turn their bikes into rolling communication centers - with onboard HAM radios and even satellite weather receivers. Certainly the advent of GPS navigation has revolutionized road travel, and while some would never consider GPS on a motorcycle to be acceptable, even Honda has included it, at least as an option, on the GL1800. I consider the GPS to be a safety item, and along with the ability to have the GPS "speak" instructions in my headset, thanks to the GPS Input Device I installed, I can concentrate on maneuvering my bike safely, instead of trying to figure out where I am supposed to be going. At what point do all these gadgets and purveyors of information become so much of a distraction that they are hazardous? Honda recognizes that the distraction of operating a GPS while riding is potentially dangerous, and disables the GPS while the bike is in motion. Of course, Goldwing owners love to modify their bikes, and there are quite a few different ways to override this restriction. For me, the limit is telephones. I am tethered to work, to home, to the world by my telephone. I'm always available. I have more than once considered integrating my phone into my bike's intercom system, so that I could answer calls while riding. I do this when driving my car, as my phone connects to the car's infotainment system. However, each time I consider it, I decide it is a bad idea - riding a motorcycle simply takes too much concentration, there isn't enough left over to talk on the phone. Like texting while driving, it can wait: if I need to communicate that badly, I can pull over and make a call. Previous Owner Nightmares A new-to-you motorcycle is a wonderful thing. You searched for the perfect bike, saved your money, made your decision and bought the bike that you've been wanting all these years. Of course, the first thing to do is to check it out from top to bottom and make sure everything is as it should be. That's when the problems start. Hidden inside, where your pre-buy inspection couldn't see, are incompetent repairs carried out by previous owners. Wiring added using speaker wire and electrician's wire nuts. Unfused wiring run directly to the battery. Failed thermostatic switches shorted out with a paper clip. Abandoned wiring connected to nothing. Oil Leaks fixed with epoxy and RTV. Leaky fork seals fixed with Stop-Leak. Stripped bolts, broken frame tabs, missing hoses, missing body grommets. A trailer hitch held on to the bike with a nylon wire tie (I kid you not - that was MY GL1500 I found that on!). Squirrel nests (and hundreds of nuts!) in the air filter box. Bodywork held in place with duct tape. All of these and many more have been reported by users on the site over the past few years. To make a little light of this, I thought I would ask others what nightmare "previous owner" work they had found on their bikes, and to contribute their stories (and pictures!). Quite a few people have done so, and it makes for some interesting reading. If you've come across some questionable work on your bike done by a previous owner, share your story: Nightmare work by previous owner Just a Quick Ride Around the Corner I am guilty of this. I am an ATTGATT (All the Gear, All the Time) guy. I've had my experience tangling with traffic, sliding down the road and leaving skin behind. I really don't want to do that again - and my helmet saved my life. So if I go out riding, I've got armored jacket & pants, boots helmet and gloves on. Every time. Except... My "except" is maintenance rides. After long hours (sometimes days, weeks, even months) of work on a bike, it's finally back together. It needs a quick test ride just to make sure things are right. Is the throttle cable too tight? That rattle in the exhaust gone? A simple, quick trip around the block will tell me. No need for gear, I'll just hop on, maybe up and down the road a couple of times. And then I read this posting, from user Lahue. He had been having a problem getting the transmission on his 1986 GL1200 to engage after putting a new tire on his bike. As always, a few people jumped in to help with suggestions and ideas. We didn't hear anything back from Lahue for a week, then a short message: he had fixed his problem, and went out on a quick test ride. He didn't bother with his helmet or leather, because it was just a short test ride to make sure the transmission shifted correctly, right? Only the deer that ran out in front of him didn't get the message. Read what happened: Transmission won't engage. Lahue is OK, some lost skin, jammed hand, bumps and bruises. But it sure made me think twice about my little non-geared test rides. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the last half of ATTGATT: ALL the time. That's it for May! We've been doing some great rides over the last few weeks, thanks to fantastic weather. Hope you're enjoying it as well. See you out on the roads - stay safe! |
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Looking to buy a new (to you) bike, or parts and accessories? We've optimized our Classified Ads page to streamline its operation, and ensure the results are fast and accurate. There are thousands of Goldwing and Goldwing-related ads, from all over the world. If you're looking for a new bike, or maybe parts for your old bike, check us out first! |
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Featured This Month on GoldwingDocs.com: | ||
ScrewGrab I read about this stuff in my favorite magazine, Motorcycle Consumer News. It's a little bottle of gritty gel "friction enhancer" intended to help in the removal of stripped or damaged fasteners. When I first read about it, I thought it was going to be another mildly-useful snake oil product that didn't come anywhere near to meeting the giant claims it was making. I decided I would do a quantitative test, actually measuring the amount of torque that could be applied to various intentionally damaged and stripped fasteners - both with and without the ScrewGrab product. I was quite surprised - it lived up to the claims they were making! And when working with damaged screws, it worked just as well as an impact driver for extraction. Take a look at the tests I did, and view the results for yourself: ScrewGrab Review |
Around the World on a GL1100 User figdog is planning a round-the-world trip on his 1983 GL1100 Aspencade. He came looking for opinions on the longest lasting tires, so that he could make his trip with the least amount of tire changes possible. Lots of people had helpful ideas, concerns, and things to think about for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. It made for some interesting reading. Think you have some advice to offer figdog on his trip, or just want to ask a question? Join the conversation: Longest Lasting Tires for Global Trip |
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Goldwing GPS Input Device The Goldwing GPS Audio Input Device continues to be far and away the most popular product we have ever offered, and the tons of positive feedback we continue to receive really makes us happy that we're making something that people really like - and use. What is the GPS Audio Input Device? It's an American-made plug-and-play device that lets you hear the audio output of your GPS, cell phone or radar detector over your GL1500 or GL1800 intercom - so that you can hear the spoken instructions from your GPS or cell phone in your headset. It's a simple plug-and-play device that can be installed in minutes, and does not permanently modify any bike wiring. It's been receiving rave reviews - check it out today! Do you already have one of our GPS Input Devices? We've had quite a few people who want to buy a GPS with audio output that they know will work with the GPS Input Device. Take a couple minutes to help out your fellow Goldwingers by posting your GPS make and model on this forum thread. GPS manufacturers don't commonly specify audio output jacks as features, so it can be hard to decide which model of GPS to buy, unless you know beforehand what you're looking for. |
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7 Volt Regulator for Four Cylinder Wings If you have a GL1000, GL1100 or GL1200 Standard Goldwing with mechanical (not electronic LCD) temperature and fuel gauges, you've had this problem. Or...you will. It's only a matter of time. You'll start noticing that your temperature and fuel gauges are reading off the scale - the temperature is in the red, and the fuel shows full. The only thing is, the bike isn't overheating, and you know you've only got a quarter tank left. Or...even worse: your bike is operating normally, and suddenly your temperature and fuel gauges just turn off, and look like the picture to the right. How much fuel have you got left? You'll have to guess! What's causing it? A faulty, worn-out 7 volt voltage regulator. Behind the fuel and temperature gauges is a special voltage regulator that turns your motorcycle's normal 12 volts into the 7 volts on which these two gauges run. When it starts to fail, it typically starts doing so intermittently. Left in a failed state, it can cause damage - allowing a full 12 volts into your temperature and fuel gauges, destroying the delicate coils inside! That gets expensive, requiring the replacement of the entire center gauge cluster! What's the solution? For almost five years, we've been manufacturing a modern, solid-state 7 volt regulator to fix this problem once and for all. Hundreds and hundreds of Goldwing owners all over the world now have operating fuel and temperature gauges thanks to our 7 volt regulator. If you've got this problem - or you know someone who does - check out our 7 Volt Regulator and get it fixed! |
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Product Reviews A fantastic product for anyone who uses screwdrivers - and if you've got a bike, that means you! ScrewGrab is a friction enhancer that allows you to easily remove stripped fasteners. Battery Tender has brought out a neat USB Charger that plugs right into the Battery Tender connector, to charge your phone and electronics while you ride. The Dynaplug Tire Repair Tool lets you fix your flat tire on the side of the road, and is small enough to fit in your pocket. A user reviews the Gear Position Indicator that he added to his GL1800. A very interesting looking product, the Helinox Travel Chair and Table, a tiny fold-up table and chair that easilt fits into your saddlebag. Adjustable Luxury Sport Touring Handlebars for your GL1800 make your bike's handlebars infinitely adjustable to fit you perfectly. You can never have enough cleaning products, and Master Formula Metall Gloss and Sealer/Polish gets two thumbs up. Just what every Gold Wing owners needs, a set of Vessel JIS Motorcycle Repair Screwdrivers. You'll never use a different screwdriver again. The DeWalt DC020 Worklight for lighting up your bike when working on the dark recesses. I love this thing! A glowing review of Dry Heat Embroidery - for your shirt embroidery needs, club patches, etc. A review of the GL1500 Shifter Brace - an excellent high quality aftermarket device that fixes the sloppy shifter problem inherent in all GL1500's. Definitely recommended! |
Pictures? We Love Pictures! Do you have pictures of your bike you want to share? Of course you do! And we want to see them! We have one of the largest collection of Goldwing-themed images on the Internet, with over 7,700 images, and it grows every day. Visit the Member Picture Gallery, view some of the great pictures, and add yours to the collection! The newest pictures uploaded each day are compiled into a single page, and if you like, you can have these pictures sent to your inbox waiting to greet you every morning. Check it out: Image Update Email |
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Regular GoldwingDocs.com Features: | ||
How To Articles Want to do some of your own maintenance but scared to take your bike apart? You're going to like this: We have tons of world-reknowned How-To Articles articles - the largest collection of Goldwing How-To Articles on the Internet! Even if you think you might not be capable of working on your bike yourself, our illustrated, step-by-step instructions make it easy - even for the beginner. Check them out today! We've added lots of new ones, and more are being added all the time. - GL1000 Starter clutch and stator removal and replacement - How to install the GL1500 Shifter Brace - How to replace your GL1500 shifter oil seal - Poorboy alternator conversion on GL1200 - Improving spark plug performance - How to replace your dash lights with LEDs - How to rebuild your front forks - How to prevent cross-threading fasteners GoldwingDocs Classifieds Looking for a deal on a Goldwing, parts or accessories? Have you checked out our Goldwing Classifieds section? We have literally thousands of Goldwings and Goldwing-related accessories listed, primarily by private sellers from around the world, updated twice a day. If you're looking for a new-to-you bike, or something to add to your existing Goldwing, you should check us out first! GoldwingDocs Message Forum If you haven't visited our Goldwing Message Forum lately, you owe it to yourself to check it out. With tens of thousands of messages posted by thousands of helpful and friendly people, you can just about guarantee that you will find the information you're looking for, or find an interesting topic to chat about. Stop by and just say hello, we'd love to hear from you! GoldwingDocs Vendor Database The GoldwingDocs Vendor Database is a great place to search for sellers of Goldwings, parts and accessories. Not only do we have a huge, user-maintained database of vendors, but each of those vendors is rated in several categories, with written reviews from other Goldwing owners. Both traditional bricks-and-mortar vendors and Internet vendors are represented. If you want to check up on the reputation of an online vendor, or simply look for a Goldwing-friendly shop nearby, the GoldwingDocs Vendor Database has got what you need! GoldwingDocs Member Pictures The GoldwingDocs Member Picture Area has over 7,500 pictures, all uploaded by GoldwingDocs members. There's nothing that Goldwing owners love more than to show off their bikes - so take a few minutes and upload a few pictures of your pride and joy, to share with the world! You can search through all of the existing pictures, or just browse to your heart's content! |
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