Aftermarket heads

[red menace]

Seems to me an 1800 cc six should bring the front up with a twist of the wrist. After readinf up on my new purchase a learned the heads are two valve. Come on Honda! This beast should have 4 valve heads like every other rice rocket out there. My queation is....arw ther after market 4 valve heads out there?

[red menace]

Seems to me an 1800 cc six should bring the front up with a twist of the wrist. After reading up on my new purchase I learned the heads are two valve. Come on Honda! This beast should have 4 valve heads like every other rice rocket out there. My queation is....are ther after market 4 valve heads out there?

[chads920]

i asked a similar question.. i've heard that you can improve performance by replacing stock heads with Valkyire heads (although there is an issue with valve setting maintenance as these heads are not hydrolic). There doesn't seem to be much interest in "performance" enhancement with GW engines. I would like to build up a 1500 to replace my ageing engine and have gotten as far as 'you can use a yr. 2000 1500cc' as they, Honda, have incorporated much of the desirable Valkyire performance features.

[harvey01]

Red Menace, The GL1800 was not designed as a hot rod nor as a bike to be hopped up. It will cruise all day in excess of 80MPH and still run smooth and quiet in town.

Yes, it is surprising that Honda was able to get so much power from this engine with 2 valve heads. And yes there is room to really reengineer the engine to make it better but don't ever forget that this engine debuted in 2000, actually the first models were 2001's. Sao that means it is some 16 years old and has been used in the Wing, F6B, the Rune, and probably something else I can't remember. And Honda has made very few internal changes!

I think we have to also realize this engine was designed to go across the country in comfort and not race between stoplights.
And that performance demands reliability over extreme power and it certainly delivers quite well as many riders have more than 200,000 miles on the engine.

There is no doubt in my mind that someone with the time and a lot of money could transform this engine into something truly awesome, but it is going to be very costly and the result may not be good for a real touring bike. Besides there are plenty of different sport bikes available if you really want power and speed.

[red menace]

[

Red Menace, The GL1800 was not designed as a hot rod nor as a bike to be hopped up. It will cruise all day in excess of 80MPH and still run smooth and quiet in town.

Yes, it is surprising that Honda was able to get so much power from this engine with 2 valve heads. And yes there is room to really reengineer the engine to make it better but don't ever forget that this engine debuted in 2000, actually the first models were 2001's. Sao that means it is some 16 years old and has been used in the Wing, F6B, the Rune, and probably something else I can't remember. And Honda has made very few internal changes!

I think we have to also realize this engine was designed to go across the country in comfort and not race between stoplights.
And that performance demands reliability over extreme power and it certainly delivers quite well as many riders have more than 200,000 miles on the engine.

There is no doubt in my mind that someone with the time and a lot of money could transform this engine into something truly awesome, but it is going to be very costly and the result may not be good for a real touring bike. Besides there are plenty of different sport bikes available if you really want power and speed.

[/b]

Red Menace, The GL1800 was not designed as a hot rod nor as a bike to be hopped up. It will cruise all day in excess of 80MPH and still run smooth and quiet in town.

Yes, it is surprising that Honda was able to get so much power from this engine with 2 valve heads. And yes there is room to really reengineer the engine to make it better but don't ever forget that this engine debuted in 2000, actually the first models were 2001's. Sao that means it is some 16 years old and has been used in the Wing, F6B, the Rune, and probably something else I can't remember. And Honda has made very few internal changes!

I think we have to also realize this engine was designed to go across the country in comfort and not race between stoplights.
And that performance demands reliability over extreme power and it certainly delivers quite well as many riders have more than 200,000 miles on the engine.

There is no doubt in my mind that someone with the time and a lot of money could transform this engine into something truly awesome, but it is going to be very costly and the result may not be good for a real touring bike. Besides there are plenty of different sport bikes available if you really want power and speed.

Thank you for the response Harvey1. I am going from a Yamaha Raider that I tweeked to do what I needed it to do which is cruz at 85 without staining. The Valkarie does this and more . I had a Suzuki m109 befor the Raider and put 70k mi riding at 90+ every day before it spun a main bearing. By putting a smaller rear drive pulley on the Raider RPMs were lower at those speeds but it took longer to get there. The Valkarie bursts to these speeds effortlessly and gets 40+ mpg. I love it! Just woundered if there were any nuts out there that make aftermarket heads to take it up yet another notch. I LOOK FOR WARD TO 200K mi at 90 mph.

[Old Fogey]

Far less costly, although still very expensive, than bespoke heads, cams, exhaust, carbs (or injection) all to give 16 valves would be to supercharge or turbo it. I remember seeing that done on 1500s, can't say that I've ever seen an 1800 done.
Personally I can't see the need. A bike weighing well over a ton with rider is not something I fancy wheelying; but there are plenty of pictures out there of guy's doing with standard bikes. Technique, not power.

[red menace]

This 2015 Valkarie has injection, tuned exhaust and from what Ive read here, a better gear ratio than that of old. So all and all I think Honda is moving in the right direction. Heads would be my next move if I were an engineer with them. That would move this bike into a class all its own. IT WOULD RULE!

[Old Fogey]

This 2015 Valkarie has injection, tuned exhaust and from what Ive read here, a better gear ratio than that of old. So all and all I think Honda is moving in the right direction. Heads would be my next move if I were an engineer with them. That would move this bike into a class all its own. IT WOULD RULE!

My guess is that Honda has done all it's going to do with the 'sporty' Wings.
I have heard that the next Wing to replace the 1800 will be:
a) 2000cc
b) Heavier
c) Multiple power modes: Dry tour, wet tour, sport, snooze
d) Fully automatic gearbox
e) Hossack type front forks to cope with the weight
f) Air conditioning since the fairing is so good at keeping the wind off.
G) Computer controlled active suspension
h) Rear suspension will have vibration mode to relax your passenger.

You can guess which ones I made up!

[thrasherg]

The only people that I have seen wheelie a standard goldwing, where not really standard!! as per Old Fogey's statement, they put a lot of weight in the top box (usually bags of cement/plaster) and panniers to help the front come up, they even had passengers in several cases!! basically the wing is a very heavy old girl and does not willingly lift her front wheel, but as with all problems there are solutions, but I like my 1800 the way she is!! I have other bikes for wheeling and playing the fool on!! They cost a lot less to repair when I drop them (which I inevitably do!! ), the wing is for comfort and long distance riding..

Gary

[Old Fogey]

Since nobody has risen to the challenge, the only ones that I know are made up are highlighted. Honda, as usual, are being extremely secretive about it, but the other specs are what those in the know expect it to have.

My guess is that Honda has done all it's going to do with the 'sporty' Wings.
I have heard that the next Wing to replace the 1800 will be:
a) 2000cc
b) Heavier
c) Multiple power modes: Dry tour, wet tour, sport, snooze (These modes could be called something else but it will have them.)
d) Fully automatic gearbox
e) Hossack type front forks to cope with the weight
f) Air conditioning since the fairing is so good at keeping the wind off.
G) Computer controlled active suspension
h) Rear suspension will have vibration mode to relax your passenger.

You can guess which ones I made up! [/quote]

[raven41951]

If you want to "smarten' er up", Goldwings plus in Fremont NH has successfully built a supercharger for an 1800. Ron, the owner, uses this daily. A twist of the wrist turns heads. Be prepared to double what you have already invested in the bike. Ron's shop is right near New England Dragway and he also specializes in drag bikes, having great success in the past with his now deceased brother Dave.