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 November 2014 Newsletter
Has Honda Lost Its Way? I've heard this grumbling more than a few times over the past few years. Goldwing owners, paying as much as $30,000 - a premium price, for a premium product, to purchase the flagship of Honda's motorcycle offerings, only to look at other bikes with far more advanced technology and features. Some of these bikes are sold for far less, and some are being sold by Honda! So what gives? I mentioned this myself when I did a review on the Cleveland Motorcycle Show last February. It seemed like there were competitors to the mighty Goldwing popping up left and right, and all of them were bristling with the newest technology: Bluetooth, MP3 music capability, advanced ABS, electrically adjustable windshields, on-the-fly adjustable suspension, advanced HID and adaptive LED lighting, adjustable handlebars, throttle-by-wire, handlebar-mounted system controls, the list goes on and on. All of these things were featured on competitors bikes as well as some other Honda motorcycles, yet not a single one of them is available on the GL1800. Honda has done very little to the GL1800 for quite a few years now - apart from creating derivatives of the platform (F6B, Valkyrie), the extent of the changes made to the Goldwing have been mostly minor styling and new paint colors. Great things were expected however for the 2015 model year of Honda's flagship, as it is the 40th anniversary for the Goldwing. Rumors abounded: a complete redesign, new engine, new cockpit, advanced technology. Honda, secretive and tight-lipped as ever, offered no clues. So when they finally released the details of the much-vaunted 40th Anniversary Goldwing, it was a bit tough to be anything but underwhelmed: A new paint scheme, a "40th Anniversary" badge, and a special key. That's it. That said, the GL1800 obviously does have quite a bit going for it, and at the top of the list is the legendary Honda reliability. There are people riding Goldwings of every type as daily drivers with literally hundreds of thousands of miles on them. Most of the new competitors haven't been around long enough to have racked up that kind of mileage. The grumbling has grown a bit louder, and I have heard from several people who simply refuse to spend $30,000 on a new Goldwing based on, essentially, 1990's technology. Instead of moving from their older Goldwing to a newer Goldwing, they're moving to other bikes entirely. Unlike the situation 20 years ago, where there were no real competitors to the Goldwing, today there are quite a few alternatives, and some of them are excellent bikes. Member Paulcf voiced this opinion very strongly and succinctly, venting his frustration at Honda, and voicing his intent to move from his 2003 GL1800 to a different, non-Honda bike. His intention is to replace his Goldwing with a BMW K1600GTL - the bike I featured at the top of my Cleveland show review. Quite a few people have joined in the discussion and voiced similar opinions. What do you think? Has Honda been resting on its laurels for too long with the GL1800? Would you spend your hard-earned money on today's GL1800? Read what people have to say, and add to the conversation: 2015 Goldwing (40th Anniversary) disappointment The Season That Shall Not Be Named For some riders in the more northerly latitudes, this time of year has already arrived. In Ohio, where I live, it's only a matter of days, I'm sure. Just last weekend my wife and I were out for a lovely fall ride, through colorful leaves falling like twirling raindrops. But snow is now in our forecast. Of course, those in more southerly climes just laugh at our misfortune. For those of us who must face this time of year by putting our bikes away for the season, it's tough to decide just when. Will it warm up again? Is this the final decent weekend for riding, or is this just a temporary cold snap? For me, I leave that decision to our local road crews: As soon as we get salt on the roads, my bike is inside for the winter. Our bikes do not have the benefit of modern automotive rustproofing, and salt will eat them alive. When it is time for the winter sleep, have a quick read through our Winter Storage Guide. It's got a good list of things to do and check when putting your bike away for the season, along with ideas and suggestions from other people. If you have a suggestion yourself, please feel free to add it! Short People Got No Reason To...Ride? There's a problem with motorcycles. If you have less than a 30 inch inseam, you're basically going to be on your tiptoes on a large percentage of production bikes. If you are of shorter stature, you're pretty much relegated to Harley/Cruiser style bikes, where the seat is extremely low and your feet are out in front of you. Goldwings, particularly the GL1500 and GL1800 have fairly low seats, but you really need to have enough height to plant your feet solidly on the ground - they are big bikes! People who want to ride with their feet underneath them, not out in front, are left with riding miniature bikes, or buying a bike and modifying it by lowering the suspension, cutting the seat down, and other modifications. This is the route we took with my wife when she moved up from her starter bike - and it's not been a huge success. We may be looking at different options for her in terms of a bike in the new year - more on this to come in springtime. The problem is, lowering a bike means you lose ground clearance - things start dragging on the ground in corners, and steering geometry can suffer. Suspension must be stiffened up to account for the lack of travel. Everything is a trade-off. The four-cylinder Wings are tall bikes. I have a 34 inch inseam, and my GL1100 was about as tall as I would want my bike to be, considering the weight involved. We have a shorter female member who rode a GL1100, but she is an exceptionally skilled and experienced rider. So what is the solution? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, unfortunately. Every bike and every rider is different. If you are one of the vertically-challenged folk, and have experience with what worked for you, or want to read about what worked for others, have a read through an interesting discussion on the topic: Opinions on rear shocks for us short folk. Tinnitus in Motorcycle Riders Some people describe it as a roaring sound, like the ocean. Others call it a ringing. For me, tinnitus is a constant, high-frequency tone, somewhat like the noise made by an old tube-style television. It's loud, and it's 24/7. It's the last thing I hear at night and the first thing I hear in the morning. I'm listening to it right now as I type this. It never goes away. It's commonly caused by loud noises - damage to the nerve endings inside the inner ear. In my case, it was years of loud music in my youth. Sometimes the cause is medical, or pharmaceutical. Riding for hours on top of an engine, with wind noise beating against your head and helmet can, and over time will, cause hearing damage. I now protect my prized hearing (what's left of it) judiciously, with the best hearing protection I can find, and I wear it when riding - all the time. There's no cure, but some people say vitamin supplements and other drugs help somewhat. Read more about tinnitus, what riders experience, and how we deal with the issue: Bike/medical question (tinnitus) What's the Name of Your Bike? Does your bike have a name? I've owned seven motorcycles and fifteen cars in my life, and only one of them had a name. I was 19 years old, it was a terrible, 4-cylinder, 4-speed manual 1979 Ford Mustang that I got for free, and the last time I saw it, it was on fire (again) on the side of the road. I left it there, burning. I did not miss owning it. The name I had for that car is not printable in a family publication. But some people have endearing names for their vehicles. My wife has owned two white Buicks in a row, and both of them she lovingly named "Pearl." (note: after reading this, she corrected me, saying that they were NOT white, they were PEARL, which is why she named them that. Apparently Pearl is different than White. Note taken.) If you've got a name for your bike, add to the fun - post a picture and tells us what you named it: Did you name your bike? Omron G8MS-H30 Relays for GL1500's Goldwings, particularly GL1500's and GL1800's, are filled to the brim with relays. These electromagnetically-actuated switches are used to switch all kinds of circuits, from headlights to radios to even the starter. However, they are a mechanical device, and after some time they will fail. I had one of these relays fail in my GL1500 - fortunately the relay was for my headlight, and not one that would have left me stranded. Because I buy a lot of electronic parts in bulk from wholesalers for production purposes, I had a look to see if any of my suppliers carried this particular relay. They did...however the minimum order was 100 pieces, but at a substantial discount from retail prices. I thought it might be a good idea to not only replace my failed relay, but also carry a few extra onboard, so that if one failed far from home, it didn't leave me stranded. I had no idea if people would be interested in these relays at a discount, but I bit the bullet and bought a hundred of them. Without fanfare or even announcing it, I added it to my online store: Goldwing GL1500 Omron G8MS-H30 Relay. I added a link in last month's newsletter, and figured if I sold the box of 100 relays in the next year or so, I'd be happy. I sold the entire box of 100 relays in six days. I quickly ordered a bunch more to keep up with demand. So if you have a GL1500, and think you might want a spare relay or two for your bike, just in case - at half the going retail price - check out the GoldwingDocs Store! Brand New GL1000 Exhaust Systems Exhaust systems for the GL1000 have not been available for many, many years. They do rust over time, particularly the collectors. Finding a good quality GL1000 exhaust in good shape is like winning the lottery. A lot of owners resort to homebrew replacement exhaust systems, combining old Harley take-offs with welded up bits. But not anymore! A company in the UK is beginning to manufacture replacement GL1000 exhaust systems, and they look to be better than new. Made of pressed CR1 steel and powder coated to prevent rust, they are a definite upgrade from even new OEM for the GL1000 owner whose bike is a bit...loud. Check it out: GL1000 Complete Exhaust System Trans-Canada Trip User Seattleboatguy embarked on a fantastic trip this past summer. Last winter he left his 1997 GL1500SE in Oregon, then spent this summer riding it home from Oregon to Virginia via southern Canada - camping in his tent along the way. He took lots of pictures and videos of his trip. When I first added the Trip Info, Reports & Gatherings section on the forum, I hoped that people would do exactly this - document their fantastic trips across amazing parts of the country, for others to read and live through vicariously. Seattleboatguy posted several times as he made his way across the continent, with lots of gorgeous video (and great music!) included. Here are his posts, in order: Trans-Canada motorcycle trip: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba Trans-Canada motorcycle trip: British Columbia Trans-Canada motorcycle trip: Ontario Trans-Canada motorcycle trip: breaking camp Suggestions I've received a few really great suggestions from members in the past month, ideas for making the site better as well as things they'd like to see in the forum. We'll be looking at implementing some of those ideas over the next few months. I wanted to thank those members, as well as all of the members that contribute so much of their time and friendship to others on the site. It's the members that really make GoldwingDocs what it is - the best, friendliest and most informative Goldwing site on the Internet. That's it for November! Stay warm and watch for wet leaves! |
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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: | ||
How to Predict Catastrophic GL1200 Stator Failure The stator is the component inside the engine of four-cylinder Goldwings (and most other motorcycles) that generates electrical power from the rotation of the engine. This power is used to charge the battery and run the electrical items, including lights, engine and accessories. The GL1200 is known for having a stator that is prone to failure. If you own a GL1200, it's not if your stator will fail, it's when. The same is true, to a lesser degree for the GL1100 and GL1000. Stator failure can leave you stranded with a dead battery, and most people don't have any idea when their stator is about to give up the ghost. User SlowTyper wrote a fantastic How-To article that analyzes the failure modes of the GL1200 stator, and exactly what symptoms to look for that may indicate that your stator is on its way out. If you have a four-cylinder wing, this article is definitely worth a look: How to Predict Catastrophic GL1200 Stator Failure |
Retrofitting a Heated Seat Onto a GL1800 A great feature for those cold fall days, a heated seat can make the difference between a pleasant ride and an unpleasant one. User DonW found a fantastic deal on a new Mustang heated seat intended for 2006 and later GL1800's. He wanted it for his 2002 GL1800 - but his bike didn't have heated seat (or grip) functionality. He decided to retrofit the seat to fit his bike. First, he needed a heat controller. He details how he found a cheap PWM heat controller on eBay, and with lots of pictures, shows how he fitted the controller to his bike, and hooked it up to his new, heated seat. It looks like a fairly simple job, and he's done all the figuring out for you. A great How-To article from yet another of our fantastic members: Installing a 2006+ heated set in a pre-2006 GL1800 |
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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 (including F6B) 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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Goldwing GL1500 Omron G8MS-H30 Relay The Goldwing GL1500 Omron G8MS-H30 Relay is a relay used for quite a few different functions in the GL1500. The GL1500 is filled with relays - there is a box full of them, next to the fuse box! These relays are mechanical devices, and have a limited life. When they do fail, critical systems can be affected, leaving you stranded! It's always a good idea to carry one or two spare relays with you. Honda sells replacement relays, Honda part number 38380-MN5-003, for over $25 each! These are the exact same relays, brand new, from the original manufacturer. Thanks to a quantity buy from the original manufacturer, we are able to offer them at a much reduced price. Stock up now and make sure you never end up stranded because of a failed relay! |
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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 thkat 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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Newest Product Reviews I'm in love with my new all-weather/cold-weather jacket from Olympia: Olympia Ranger Jacket Everyday protective over pants that work great in wet and cold weather: Olympia Ranger 3 Over Pants Great gloves for cold and wet riding conditions: Alpinestars Valparaiso Drystar Gloves I revisit the condition of my Spidi Jab-R gloves after two years of use: Spidi Jab-R leather/textile summer gloves I'm very impressed with the quality and functionality of Olympia's Horizon Rain Gear Never buy another fuel filter, replacing it instead with a reusable, Randakk's High Performance Fuel Filter A slick plastic repair kit that sets up in ten minutes and works perfectly for repairing fairing cracks, and even replacing broken tabs! Plast-aid Plastic Repair Solution Keep yourself cool in the hot summer sun while riding, while keeping your protective riding gear: Polar Vest Phase Change Cooling Vest Want to replace those always-burning-out cornering lights with bright LEDs that never fail? Here's a product that fits the bill: GL1500 Cornering LED You ride motorcycles, you need sunglasses. These are perfect, and at less than $5 a pair, you can't beat the price: The Best (and cheapest) Riding Sunglasses |
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 8,100 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. - Installing a 2006+ heated seat in a pre-2006 GL1800 - How to Predict Catastrophic GL1200 Stator Failure - Retrofitting LED Brake, tail and turn signals to GL1500 - GL1200 Poorboy Alternator Conversion Video - How to keep from losing your side covers - GL1200 Ignition Switch Overhaul - How to replace your steering head bearings - GL1500 Projector HID Headlight Install - How to open a GL1500 trunk when keys are locked inside of it - How to upgrade GL1500 horn to FIAMM Freeway Blaster - How To Clean and Repair Your GL1000 Fuel Tank Sending Unit 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 8,100 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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