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 August 2021 Newsletter
Goldwing as a First Bike? For most of us, the Goldwing is the motorcyle that you graduate to after many years experience riding other bikes. It's big, it's heavy, it takes some planning and effort to ride, and it's less forgiving of beginner mistakes - sometimes leading to expensive disasters. That said, there are those who, entering the world of motorcycles for the first time, decide that the Goldwing is the bike for them and start out on one of our magnificent chariots. What's your opinion? And for those who do choose this route, what advice would you give to them? That was the question raised by a GoldwingDocs member who at the young age of 24, wanted to keep his uncle's Goldwing as his first bike. Our members had lots to say. Check out their thoughts and suggestions: Goldwing as a First Bike?!? Dunlop E4's - Holding Up? It's been five years since Dunlop introduced their Elite 4 tire, their flagship offering for heavy cruisers. It's long enough that most owners have gone through a set of tires; some owners multiple sets. So how have they held up? This was the question of member ron203, who has 7,000 miles on his first set. He's wondering what the personal experiences are of other owners who are also running E4's on their Goldwing - particularly in terms of wear and tire life. And of course, quite a few of our members who have been running this very popular tire responded. Do you have a set of Dunlop Elite 4's on your Goldwing? Or perhaps you're considering them as your next tire? Either way, we'd like to hear from you: Feedback on Dunlop Elite 4's On Timing Belts Timing belts are an important maintenance item on Goldwings - ignore them at your peril, as a failed timing belt usually means a ruined engine. It's generally a good idea to replace the timing belts on a new-to-you Goldwing. That's why we have articles like our famous How To Remove and Replace Your Timing Belts. Some shops overquote the job because they're scared of it, like our member Drop a Gear discovered when he was quoted 10 hours shop time to change his timing belts - something a competent mechanic should be able to do in an absolute maximum of three hours. Member PegasusRider recently changed his timing belts, and documented the experience for us. But it's member mito57 that really makes the news, with his new Timing Pulley Locks, shown in the picture here, that help make the task so much easier and safer. Check out his new product, which he's selling - I would highly recommend them for the next time you have to change your timing belts: Painless Timing Belt Replacement Footboards vs Footpegs It's an age-old debate - many Goldwing riders pull the factory footpegs off their bikes and replace them with aftermarket footboards, like the ones shown here. There's no question they can be an added comfort on long-distance rides, but what about the disadvantages? There are several: Limited lean angle, potential tipover damage, potential transmission damage...to name a few. Member glrider recently helped a fellow Goldwing rider who had tipped his bike over, and they got into a discussion of the relative merits between boards vs pegs. Our members definitely had some thoughts to add to the discussion as well. Are you thinking of switching from one to the other? Check out what our members have to say: Pegs vs Boards Filling Holes in Bodywork That fancy racing chrome that looked so great 15 years ago isn't looking so great anymore, so you remove it - but you're left with ugly holes in your plastic bodywork where the chrome rack or other accessory had been mounted. What do you do about it? This was the problem faced by member Rambozo recently when working on his 1992 GL1500. He decided he didn't want that trunk rack anymore, but had holes left in his trunk lid once he removed it. Our members had ideas, and Rambozo showed some pictures that demonstrated the method he used to fill the holes. Think you have an idea to share, or perhaps considering removing some accessories from your bodywork? Check out: Filling holes drilled in the bodywork Strange Noise After Oil Change Member mrjay62 has a problem. He changed the oil and filter on his 1994 GL1500 the other day. Ever since, he's started to hear a new noise coming from his engine: a growling sound, from deep within it. The sound goes away when he pulls the clutch lever in. He changed the clutch fluid just to be sure, and the clutch itself is only five years old, so that's not the problem. The bike definitely did not make the noise before the oil change, and now he's worried that there may be something seriously wrong. He came to our GoldwingDocs experts to try to make a diagnosis...and in the end, we managed to figure out the problem. Curious as to what was the cause of his mystery noise? Or perhaps you've got the same noise in your Goldwing? Check out: Problem after oil and filter change GL1800 Handlebar Control Lights Member Lickity Split is annoyed, as he noticed the other day that some of the lights in his handlebar switch controls are burned out - the CB volume and Cruise Resume for sure. He's wondering if there is a way to replace these lights so that everything lights up evenly again. Of course there is, but as you might suspect, there's an even better way of dealing with the problem than replacing the burned-out bulbs with the same bulbs that will just burn out again - and that better way is of course, LEDs. Our members give him help and direction for both options. Have you got burned out lights on your GL1800 handlebars? Check out: GL1800 Illuminated Handlebar Switches And if you've got a GL1500, check out: How to replace your handlebar control lights with LEDs Renewing Vacuum Lines The GL1500 and GL1800 are filled with vacuum lines, and a leak in any of them can affect performance, cause the cruise control to stop working, or any of a number of other problems. Over time, age and heat cause the vacuum lines to become brittle and hard, and they begin to develop holes and leaks. Member wingdings had a problem with the vacuum lines on the cruise accumulator on his GL1500, so he knew those old rubber lines had to go. He took the time to write up a very detailed tutorial on the process, and shared it with everyone at Goldwingdocs, so that they can approach this process with some knowledge on their side. Thinking about doing this job to your Goldwing? Check out: How to renew the vacuum lines on the auto cruise valve to the accumulator Brittle Plastic Bodywork Normally, the plastic bodywork on our bikes is quite tough and resilient, and doesn't fracture or break (apart from impact or severe vibration damage, of course). The polymer chains in the ABS plastic are tough, and can survive heat and mechanical vibration for decades. Member bohdan discovered that the bodywork on the front of his 2013 GL1800 was brittle and cracked, as shown in the picture here, with failed broken tabs on both sides. He wondered if this is a common problem. It actually is...but not for the reason you might suspect. It's not because of a defect in design or manufacturing...but user error. Check out what caused the problem, and how to avoid it on your own bike: Brittle Plastic Which Year is the Best GL1800? Member Skeldog has a riding buddy who is thinking about moving up (is there any other direction) to a Goldwing, and he wants a fuel-injected GL1800. He's wondering if there is a difference in the GL1800's from model year to model year, in terms of trouble spots and reliability. This is actually a question that gets asked reasonably often, and our members are ready with the answers. Is newer always better? Not necessarily. There are some compromises in later years. Read more: Better GL1800 Model Years Died and Came Back to Life Member agedbikeman was getting ready to go for a ride on his 1995 GL1500. The bike was idling as he put on his helmet. Suddenly, the bike died and all the lights went out - display, lights everything electrical was dead. He moved the kill switch, and suddenly everything came back to life as if nothing was wrong. It turns out the kill switch had nothing to do with the problem, and the real problem was a relatively common one that could actually leave you stranded! And it's common on ALL Goldwings. Find out what caused his bike to die (and luckily come back to life right away), how he fixed the problem, and how you might prevent the same problem from happening to you on your bike: Died then came back to life Sticky Throttle Cables Throttle cables are a safety item - they must work smoothly and without binding. Member robdot1964 changed the throttle cables on his GL1000 over the winter, and after about 2,000 miles of riding, they have become very sticky and binding up. He sprayed them with PB Blaster which worked for a bit, but now the stickiness has returned. He's come to GoldwingDocs for help in diagnosing his problem. Of course our experts know just what to do to fix this problem, and keep your throttle cables moving smoothly for many years. Wondering what you need to do to maintain healthy throttle cables, or how to get rid of binding cables? Check out: GL1000 Sticky Throttle Cables Won't Start After Running Another GL1000 issue, member ChuckSeders has a problem with his 1975 GL1000, which hadn't been started in five years. He rebuilt the carburetor, adjusted valves, replaced fuel lines and filter, and lots more work. Seems it would be ready to go. He started it up from its deep slumber, and to his surprise, it started right up! However, it idled roughly at between 1,000 and 3,000 RPM. After shutting it down, he was unable to get it to start again. Looking for assistance, he definitely got it from our helpful members. He's found and fixed the problem, and looks forward to many miles on his GL1000. Check out his story, and find out what caused the problem - and how he fixed it: 1975 GL1000 Won't Start After Running For a Minute Roads/Parks that Require Fees Member C-dub recently returned from a trip to Colorado. He discovered that the road that leads up to Mount Evans requires a reservation - no fee, but you needed a reservation if you wanted to stop at various locations along the road to park and walk around. Other roads, such as Trail Ridge Road, going through Rocky Mountain National Park, requires an actual reservation in advance (obtained over the Internet) in order to actually access the road at all! If you arrive without a reservation, they might let you in - but they might not. He's set up a thread for other people to list roads such as these around the country that may have limited (or pay) access, but don't have any notification about it ahead of time: Roads/Parks that require reservation or fee for entrance Charging System Problem Member rb20035 in Indiana replaced the battery, alternator and pulse generator on his 1990 GL1500. He can go about 60 miles at 65 mph before the battery goes dead and the bike dies. Clearly, the battery is not being charged. So what is the problem? The alternator? The battery? The installation? He wasn't quite sure, so he came to our experts for help. Believe it or not, the problem was neither of these - it was the small relay that actuates the alternator field circuit. Unfortunately, he didn't figure this out until he had replaced the alternator AGAIN - and after the dealer charged him $35 for a replacement relay. Of course, had he come to the GoldwingDocs Store first, he could have bought that same exact relay for a third of that ripoff price! Read about his problem, his diagnostic process, and how he got his bike back onto the road: Charging System Problem GoldwingDocs Gathering Update The fifth annual GoldwingDocs Gathering is scheduled for August 25 through August 29, and this year is being held in Wise, VA. The hotel information has just been posted, and we have a block of rooms reserved at a special group rate. If you're planning to attend, I would suggest making your reservation now. Several members are getting together to share rooms and costs. Check out the Gathering thread for the latest details, hotel contact information and to have any questions you might have answered: Fifth Annual GoldwingDocs Gathering 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 product as well: GL1000/GL1100/GL1200 7 volt regulators. We are now sold out of our discontinued GPS Inputs, however there are a few still available from other vendors.
Stay cool! Don't forget to check out the GoldwingDocs YouTube Channel! See you next month... |
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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 Augustbe parts for your old bike, check us out first! |
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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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Brand New 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 Be Prepared with a MyMedic First Aid Kit A super wide-angle review mirror! The Handy Motorcycle Lift Table SAM 1200 works great! Fabulous Resolution: The new Innovv K2 Dual Camera System Review Hook up your trailer: Trailer Wiring Harness and Adapter Start it up: Hulkman Alpha A85S Jump Starter Unboxing and In-Depth Review (VIDEO) Back it up: Reverse Lights for your Wing Shine on: Cerakote and Vapor Blasting Replacement fuel hose: 5mm Cloth Braided Fuel Hose Strap your cargo - a video review of Rokstraps Stay visible: a review of the Feniex T3 Flasher A video on: Rivco Air Horns Shine on: The Last Coat Ceramic Coating Tool Porn: Knipex Adjustable Wrench Our very own GoldwingDocs 7-Volt Regulator gets a review! Tie down your bike with Canyon Dancer Handlebar Cup Tiedowns Adventure with Tiffani with her fantastic new motorcycle book Get rid of bungee cords forever: ROK Straps Move your bike around with Center Stand Dollies? Be heard, wirelessly with the LEXIN 2pcs LX-B4FM Motorcycle Bluetooth Intercom |
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 11,900 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. - How to renew the vacuum lines on the auto cruise valve to the accumulator - How to Remove, Rebuild and Reinstall your Clutch Slave Cylinder (VIDEO) - How to make your gloves work with touchscreens (VIDEO) - How to Quickly Clear Clogged Carburetor Jet Nozzles - How to mount a GPS RAM mount to your GL1500 - Installing GL1500 Braided Front Brake Lines - How to Add LEDs to a GL1800 Radio and Handlegrips - How to Add LEDs to a GL1800 Navigation Panel - GL1500 Rear Brake Master Cylinder Out in 30 Minutes, Easy - How to Open a GL1500 Trunk with a Jammed Latch - GL1200 MPH to KM/H Quick Fix - How To Install an Electric Solenoid Fuel Shutoff Valve - How To Install a Fused Power Distribution Block - How to Fasten Cargo to your Bike (with VIDEO) - GL1000 Custom 3D Printed Cockpit - Torque Wrenches: How to use them, when, and why! (with VIDEO) - How to remove the GL1500 lenses from light housing - How to Restore old hard rubber parts - Cleaning up GL1500 Turn Switches - How to Make Your Own GL1500 Digital Gear Indicator - Adding Aftermarket CB Radio to GL1200 - How to Replace GL1500 Relays (with VIDEO) - How to Solve your Intermittent Engine Not Starting - How to fix broken plastic bodywork (with VIDEO) - Installing 4 Inch Replacement Front Speakers in GL1500 - How to replace discontinued GL1000 Carb Intake Boots with GL1500 parts 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 hundreds of thousands of messages posted by tens of 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 11,900 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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