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 October 2017 Newsletter
The 2017 GoldwingDocs Gathering By all measures, the first ever 2017 GoldwingDocs Gathering was a resounding success! With nonstop blue skies and sunshine, warm (ok, hot) weather, hundreds of miles of twisty, hilly roads, and a group of like-minded people on their Goldwings, everything about the weekend was perfect! We had no accidents or incidents, lots of safe, fun riding, good food and good times. We had every era of Goldwing represented - from GL1000 to GL1800, and a few other bikes as well. We had attendees from all over Canada and the US - from only a couple of hours away to a couple of days away (Arizona!). We had some great group rides, and from time to time some people peeled off to do their own thing. While we were primarily based at the Christopher Inn in Chillicothe, Ohio, several attendees stayed at a nearby campground. What I really enjoyed was seeing the number of diverse people that came to ride together as a group. It was great to finally meet some of the people behind the screen names, as well as hook up with a couple of old friends. The spirit of GoldwingDocs - friendliness, helpfulness and camaraderie - was well represented. We have lots (and lots) of pictures, videos and stories online to look through. If you have some of your own, please contribute! You can see the videos and pictures in the GoldwingDocs Gathering 2017 forum thread. There's already talk of the second annual GoldwingDocs Gathering in 2018 - you can weigh in on possibilities for it here: 2018 GoldwingDocs Gathering The New 2018 Goldwing (Again) Nothing has been as consistently wrong as the predictions of what form next year's all-new Goldwing model will take. Year after year, people will authoritatively state what the all-new 2015 (2016, 2017, etc) Goldwing will look like, what features it will have, and so on, based on this leak, or that patent filing. Honda has told us to expect a "major 2018 motorcycle introduction" on October 24, and accompanied it with a "teaser" video on YouTube.. The Internet descended on this and decided that this means an all-new Goldwing is about to be released. To add to the furor, a batch of pictures, supposedly from a dealer brochure, has "leaked" onto the Internet. These pictures, some of them clearly photoshopped, purport to show the all-new 2018 Goldwing. That said, if it is yet another hoax, it is an elaborate one, as some of the pictures, such as the one here showing the new cockpit, are quite elaborate and detailed. Along with the pictures are some descriptions of the "new Goldwing" - a 10-speed automated dual-clutch transmission, center-hub steering accompanied by trailing link front suspension (finally doing away with telescopic forks), and carryover of an 1800cc horizontally-opposed six. Whether or not this is the new Goldwing, we'll find out for sure in 24 days from now. If you want to have a look at the teaser video and the "leaked pictures," you can check them out on GoldwingDocs: Leaked Photos of the 2018 Goldwing High-Tech Helmets Every couple of months we hear about the latest innovation in helmets. No, not a helmet that provides infallible protection against head injury, but instead a helmet packed with electronics and technology. Heads-up displays, integrated GPS, Bluetooth, speakers, telephone display and more are crammed into these wonders of technology. Some of these helmets make it to market, most do not. All have exorbitant prices. To me, too much of the marketing behind them is about the fabulous whizz-bang gadgetry, with little or zero mention of the helmet's primary purpose - its protective qualities in a crash. To me, a helmet has one purpose only: to protect my head should it hit the ground (or other hard object). Being someone who would not be here today if I had not been wearing my helmet, I am a huge proponent of them for exactly that purpose - and I wear my Arai every time I ride for that reason. Having speakers mounted in my helmet is a luxury that helps pass the time on long rides, and eases communication, which in itself is a safety issue. What do you think? Would you pay a $500 premium for the added distraction of heads-up digital gadgetry? Or is it just another excuse to take your eyes and attention away from the road? Check out the latest example of these high-tech helmets, the Cross Helmet, and weigh in with your opinion: Cross High-Tech Helmet Backrest Options Most motorcycle riders don't think about a backrest. You rarely see a backrest on a Harley, and almost never on a sportbike. You also don't often see a sportbike rider attempting a nineteen-hour ride crouched over their GSX-R1000. Providing back support for long rides, or for those whose physical or medical condition demands it, the backrest is a common feature on Goldwings. Many aftermarket seats, such as the Corbin in this picture, come with them. Other companies, such as Utopia, manufacture aftermarket add-on backrests for many different bikes. There are many different styles and types of backrests, from many manufacturers. Someone who may be considering adding one to his Goldwing could end up bewildered with the many available options. That's where we come in. A couple different members, MiWinger51 and fred1diver were recently inquiring about backrests for their GL1800 and GL1200 respectively. Quite a few members gave them their opinions and experiences with various different types and options in backrests. If you're looking for a backrest, or are just considering one, you should check out these threads: Alleviating Passenger Buffeting Many motorcycle riders ride with no fairing, no windshield, face in the wind. That's a great feeling of openness, but after a few hours of a long trip, it is exhausting. As well, when temperatures dip, the cold wind can suck the heat from your body. That's why Goldwings have fairings, and windshields - to protect the rider from the blast and cold of the wind over long-distance trips. However, the passengers don't fare as well. The windshield pushes the air up over the top of the rider, but the sudden vacuum left in the cockpit by the push of air upwards sucks that air right back down again, and it hits the passenger - usually from behind, as the wind curls around and tries to fill the void in the cockpit. This can be very tiring - and loud - for the passenger, whose helmet gets tossed around in the turbulence. Suprisingly, there are relatively few solutions on the market to alleviate this passenger wind buffeting. Some companies have tried to sell plastic barriers that mount vertically on the trunk behind the passenger, with the intention that this will stop the wind from hitting them from behind. The concepts works well in convertibles - on motorcycles, not so much. So we're left with our windshields. What shape and size give the best protection for the passenger? And does the size/height of passenger make a difference? User goldco recently upgraded from a Vulcan 900 to a 2008 GL1800. His wife complains that she receives more buffeting on the Wing than she did from the Vulcan, and he's looking for help. Are you encountering the same problem? Or perhaps have some wisdom to share? Check out: Passenger Buffeting Also along the same lines: Is Your Windshield High or Low? Instantly Destroying Your Bodywork There's a very quick and easy way you can irreperably destroy the bodywork on your Goldwing. And I'm not talking about the exciting way utilized by the unfortunate gentleman whose bike is shown here (the rider was fine, his bike not so much). This destruction is caused by something that you carry on your bike every single day, and it takes only a moment's inattention or carelessness to cause permanent damage that will result in you having to replace expensive body parts. Unfortunately, member lyleapgmc1992 caused exactly this type of damage to his GL1200's trunk, and as a result he is having to look for a replacement trunk, or attempt extensive repairs on his own, cutting out the damaged portion and replacing it with hand-formed plastic. What is this dangerous thing carried in our bikes that can cause so much damage? Read on, and don't suffer Lyle's fate: Destroying your ABS Bodywork Rear Tire Blowout at Highway Speeds New member anthonybeaver and his wife spent six days in Phoenix on his GL1500 in 120 degree heat, and Las Vegas at 114 degrees. While on highway 101 heading home to Washington State, his rear tire blew out at 65 mph. He managed to hold it up until around 45-50 mph, when they went down. Fortunately they walked away - he and his wife are still sore, but getting around. What was the cause? His tire went from 70% tread life remaining to bare cord showing all the way around in only six days of riding. Checking tire condition daily might have averted this disaster, but hindsight is 20/20. He wants to make public the knowledge that tires can wear extremely quickly in extremely hot weather, to perhaps prevent the same tragedy from happening to another motorcycle owner. Tires wear faster the hotter they are, and the more load you put on them, the faster yet they wear. Heat is the tire's enemy, and it is in your best interest to make sure that you keep your tire as cool as possible, as often as possible. Too low tire pressure heats them up. Too much load heats them up. If you don't have one, invest in an aftermarket TPMS system like this one, that not only gives you advance warning about air pressure loss and impending failure, but lets you keep track of tire temperatures in real time. Read anthonybeaver's story, as well as similar stories posted by other users. If you've had a similar experience, please join in and share it for everyone's benefit: Rear Tire Blowout GL1500 Relays Back in Stock! At the beginning of the year, my supply of G8MS-H30 relays dried up - every distributor went out of stock at once. Contacting the relay manufacturer, I found out that they were no longer selling the relays outside of the OEM channel. I started hunting for a quality replacement, talking to factories around the world. Twice I ordered samples from a factory, and when I put the samples through a battery of tests, they failed miserably. Finally, I found a manufacturer that made a quality relay. Rated at 40 amps (the original OEM Omron was rated at only 20 amps), it passed every test I threw at it with flying colors. The internals of these heavy-duty relays are solid copper, vibration resistant, and have a rated capacity of twice the original Honda relay. These relays should last for many, many years. I ordered a large quantity of these new relays, which have now arrived and are available in the GoldwingDocs Store. Hundreds of Goldwing Parts for Sale The huge number of used (mostly GL1500 and GL1800) parts that I bought a couple of years ago continue to be added to the site for sale. I split my time between photographing and adding new products, and filling the orders that people place. There are still literally hundreds (probably thousands - I haven't even opened all of the boxes yet) more parts that have yet to be added to the site, and I'm working my way through them as I can. So if you are looking for some parts for your Goldwing, check back regularly to see what's been added. You can see the store here: GoldwingDocs New and Used Goldwing Parts Replacement 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. If one of the many relays in your GL1500 has failed, or if you'd like to have a few on hand to carry around just in case one does (to avoid being stranded!) - and you'd like to take advantage of our quantity purchase, now is the time to buy them for less than half the retail price you'll pay from Honda. Check out our GL1500 relay store page: G8MS-H30 Relays Of course, we still have our other products as well: GL1000/GL1100/GL1200 7 volt regulators, and our ever-popular GL1500/GL1800 GPS Input Devices.
That's it for the October edition! It's fall, watch out for slippery 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. Also check out our New and Used Goldwing Parts Store! If you're looking for a new bike, or Octoberbe parts for your old bike, check us out first! |
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Featured This Month on GoldwingDocs.com: | ||
Broken Cubby Door You swing your leg over the seat, your boot catches the cubby, and whack, that tiny little hinge holding it in place is a distant memory. Probably one of the poorest design elements of the Goldwing, this fragile hinge is the bane of many owners. Read how member DarthJ, after managing to kick his cubby door off in exactly this manner, made a permanent and almost invisible fix to his cubby door that should last for many years to come: Broken Cubby Door |
Reinserting the Drive Shaft I hate doing this - after removing the rear wheel, you have to reinsert the driveshaft into the U-joint, way up inside the swingarm. Sometimes I get it the first try, sometimes it has taken me over an hour of sweating and cursing. Read our members' tricks of the trade in getting that shaft into the coupler in seconds, and add it to your repertoire for the next time you have to perform this maintenance: Driveshaft Line Up |
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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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Replacement Goldwing GL1500 G8MS-H30 Relay The Goldwing GL1500 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. We have these high-quality relays in stock, at less than half the price that you can buy the equivalent OEM relay from Honda! |
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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 Keep them clean, easily: Motorcycle Wheel Cleaning Stand Protect your GL1800's soft underbelly with a Macgyver Belly Pan No more rat's nest wiring: Show Chrome's Universal Electronic Fuse Block The long-awaited Innovv C5 Motorcycle Camera - with video review! No more carb syncs: GL1000 Single Carb Conversion Fix that faded vinyl: GL1200 Passenger Backrest Cover Replacement An inexpensive audio option: Tork Xpro Helmet Speakers A Pre-Review: The Perfect Ride Handguards A key safety accessory: Brake Light Flasher Simple and effective: The Motion Pro Tire Bead Breaker & Lever Quick-Glo Chrome Cleaner and Rust Remover works like magic! I absolutely love the new Rev'It Sand 3 Summer Gloves I'm very impressed with the updated features on the new Arai Signet-X helmet And you of course need a headset for the new helmet. We go over the installation of the J&M Elite 787 Headset The MotoBatt MBTX24U Motorcycle Battery for GL1500 starts out life with a positive review Some cheap and easy Hand Wings from eBay work well Some good words for the Pittsburgh 1500 pound Motorcycle Lift Lots of options for Warm Winter Gloves are given. |
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 11,200 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. - 1983 GL1100 Motor Removal - Video - 1985 GL1200 LTD PB Sensor Replacement - GL1200 Aftermarket Voltmeter Install - 1985 LTD Fuel Pump Replacement - How to strip and rebuild your air compressor - Homemade iPhone controlled garage door opener - J&M Elite 787 Headset Review - and Installation How To - How to replace your GL1500 Battery - How to rebuild your GL1500 front fork anti-dive unit - How to make your own fork cap spring removal tool - How to make your own steering yoke bottom bearing pulling tool - How to make your own steering head bearing removal tool - Wes's GL1100 Alternator or Poor Boy Conversion - Wes's GL1100 Rear Shock Seal Replacement Video - How to rebuild your GL1500 Petcock - GL1500 In-Dash Voltmeter Installation - How to build your own Hippo Hands standoffs - How to replace the battery in a Cardo Scala Q2 Intercom - How to repair your GL1200's Fuel light and Travel Navigator/computer - GL1200 LTD LED Headlight Install - How to bleed the front right & left rear calipers on GL1200 - Operating your GL1800 GPS without stopping! - Installing LED Eyebrows/Halo Lighting on a GL1800 - Installing Mirror Bucket Lighting on a GL1800 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! And don't forget to check the GoldwingDocs New and Used Goldwing Parts Store, where you will find hundreds of parts and accessories for your bike! 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 11,200 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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