It handles as well as your bike...

[FJRMGM]

so, I'm in the company parking lot last night and under the covered motorcycle parking where there are about six bikes other than mine parked.

I'm on the bike and getting ready to leave and out walks the proud owner of a spanking new Gold Wing.

I pull up to him and start talking to him.

Me: nice burgandy color on the 'Wing - how do you like it?

Him: oh, it's great. You know, it handles as well as your bike..

Me: What?

Him: (proudly) yup, this Wing handles and corners just as well as your FJR..

Me: ummm, no - the FRJ weighs 620 pounds and your Wing weighs aroung 980. No way a bike that is 50 percent heavier and wider can handle as well. Besides, look at the ground clearance I have on the sides versus the Wing.

Him: well, my friend has a BMW bike and he says the 'Wing handles as well as the Beemer. I think you'd be surprised at how well the Wing corners.

Me: Maybe so - for a big bike but it's still a BIG bike and I really don't believe it handles and rides like the FJR. Don't get me wrong, the Wing is a great bike but it's also a great big, heavy bike. Have a nice ride.

Him: You too.

So, it looks like I have to sell the FJR and get a Wing-a-Bago....

 

[teerex51]

Fjrmgm

I think the guy was full of crap. If you'd rolled up to him in an F-16 he'd have offered to race you on the quarter mile.

Some of our buds here are current or ex-Wing owners and they'll tell it like it is, I'm sure

Stef

 

[FJRMGM]

TeeRex - I think he is a victim of Honda advertising.

Last week I was at a Honda dealer and one of the salesman tried his best to convince me the new Wing only weighed a little over 800 pounds.

I told him I didn't want to just come out and say he was full of $hit but he was.. I said you are right - it does weigh a little over 800 pounds - about 180 pounds over 800 but yes, it is over 800 pounds.

I also told him this: let's put the Wing on some scales and if it weighs closer to 800 pounds rather than 1,000 pounds I would buy it on the spot - otherwise he pays me $100. He shut up.

 

[19dave35]

Have an '04 Wing.......yep, the guy with the 'handles as good'

is full of it. Don't get me wrong, the Wing is a great handler

(for a 900# m/c), but let's face it......no comparo to FJR!! IMO.

Dave

 

[petey]

I'm on the bike and getting ready to leave and out walks the proud owner of a spanking new Gold Wing.
I pull up to him and start talking to him.

Him:  well, my friend has a BMW bike and he says the 'Wing handles as well as the Beemer.  I think you'd be surprised at how well the Wing corners.

Well, I rode the Gold Wing, and yes, it's a great ( big touring ) bike. I also owned a K1200LT beemer( also a big touring bike ) From my experience the beemer is faster in the twisties, and as far as the wing staying with the FJR :haha: c'mon, let's get real. B)

 

[Groo]

He's delusional Mike, but that's probably from some chemical he was breathing down at the plant....

The Wing is a great bike, for what it is, but with I'd find it hard to believe that an experienced rider taking both bikes through the same twisty road couldn't make the FJR run rings around the Wing.

 

[skyway]

I'm not trying to bash the wing for what it is, I think it's great bike. But last summer I met a guy on one who had ridden multiple track days and thought the same as the guy you met. He even went so far as to invite himself along to show me on Hwy49 between Mariposa and Coulterville. Now I'm not the fastest guy on the highway, and don't try to be either, but damn If there was word that could up 'smoked him' I would have wrote it here.

Just in case some peeps haven't seen it, here's what a part of the highway looks like.

 

[Shane Stump]

I will have an FJR1300AE next month (hopefully) and I will compare it to my GL1800! I am sure the FJR1300AE will handle better as I am sure the GL1800 will have better element protection, storage, etc.

Best Regards,

Shane

www.StumpWare.com

 

[Geezer]

You have covered motorcycle parking??/ The only motorcycle parking on my work campus is a long walk from my building and it is just a pmarked spot at the end of one of the car parking rows. No cover. I usually hog up a car space near the door.

 

[Bounce]

Fjrmgm
I think the guy was full of crap. If you'd rolled up to him in an F-16 he'd have offered to race you on the quarter mile.

Some of our buds here are current or ex-Wing owners and they'll tell it like it is, I'm sure 

Stef

He's just enthusiastic about his choice of bikes. We all are. It does handle well for a bike of its size. MCNews says it's under 900# so I'll take their word for it[1]. It's lighter than the GL1500[2] and that was only "a little over" 900#. But that's before all the chrome, lights and other things that the typical Wingster installs from the aftermarket[3].

Will it handle "better" than an FJR? All things being equal, the Feejer should handle better in the hands of an equally skilled rider than the GL1800. Weight, lean angle, and power-to-weight ratios are all in favor of the Feejer. Physics makes it self evident when emotional investments in brands and models are set aside[5]. There are a lot of Wingsters who outride the "best" of the sport bikes out there on a pretty frequent basis. The difference is that it's usually a very good Wingster and a very poor sport rider.

[1] 881# [4]

https://www.mcnews.com/mcn/technical/JAN06Pindx2.pdf

[2] 910# (ibid)

[3] Like no Feejer has aftermarket add ons

[4] It's a good thing the sales guy didn't take you up on your offer or you'd have a Wing in your garage right about now, FJRMGM

[5] Mass, inertia, velocity

 

[Toecutter]

You know, it hasn't happened yet but I'm sure the day will come when I'm out by myself and a motorcycle will overtake me on some twisty road. I seriously doubt it will be a bike that has floorboards or weighs over 200 pounds more than mine. I do know a guy who could run off and leave me on his wing, but guys like that are few and far between.

but damn If there was word that could up 'smoked him' I would have wrote it here.

Spanked?

Just in case some peeps haven't seen it, here's what a part of the highway looks like.

The best part about that road is that I will never have to hold back on it, as I will be alone on the bike any time I run it, guaranteed. Too many scary dropoffs without guardrails for the hotter half's comfort. Another good thing- I'm sick as hell today which will make missing this weekend's ride easier to take. Hopefully I'll make it to work Saturday which will save me $200. Hey, when life hands you lemons....

Anybody who can make this Saturday's Calif. ride should. I'm sure all the selected roads are good, and 49 is excellent, as the picture attests! Without sounding too morbid, I can't figure out how to say the risk of 49 is worth the reward! It can be thoroughly enjoyed safely. The last time WE went on it, Eve said my pace was fine, but it was the geography that had her terrified. And my pace was fun for me at the time. She's got a point in that in several places, there is absolutely no room for error. Leave the roadway, and you either eat rock or discover terminal velocity, then eat rock. Get the picture?

 

[FJRMGM]

Toecutter - Wow, parts of me are getting hard just looking at the picture of that road!!

And before some of you get excited - it's my right wrist..

Man, you are right about no run-off margin for error though. I envy you being able to ride on roads like that all the time.

As for the comments about the true weight of a Wing - let's put it on the scales and then the talk with stop.. No glossy sales brochure weights for me.

I'm not dissing the Wing - I told the guy it was the ultimate touring bike in many opinions.

And yes, we do have covered motorcycle parking at work. The car parking is just a parking lot.

 

[ionbeam]

Caps Lock key challenged Yellow Wolf say:

FOR MY NEW JOB I WILL BE FILMING FOLKS RUNS THROUGH DEALS GAP!!!.....i will be on the gold wing for this yr
i can run 12:45 at the gap and have no problem keeping up with 90% of most bikes!!.....never been out run YET by a fjr but im sure i will!!!!

Owner, rider and experience speaks. FWIW. :lol:

 

[skyway]

Spanked?

I'll take spanked and add well and truly.

 

[C&C]

These numbers are from an '06 Goldwing brochure: Dry weight 822 to 838. So wet it going to easily be over 900 lbs. As far as handling, yes it handles great, but doesn't come too close to the FJR. Though they share some characteristics, in regards to riding, they are different styles, have different missions, different bikes.

p.s. My buddy gave me the brochure; he has an 1800 and thinks that he's going to convince me I need a "Wing" and all his suble hints will lead me to an epiphany; yeah, right.

 

[Toecutter]

As for the comments about the true weight of a Wing - let's put it on the scales and then the talk with stop..  No glossy sales brochure weights for me.

Very rare to find a salesperson that knows his shit. Found one last night when I took Eve to drive the FJ Cruiser. I think his knowlege was based on the fact that he wanted one himself. He knew more than I did about it, and I've been studying!

 

[bobby]

I wouldn't hold it against him. As already stated, he's just enthusiastic about his bike. Besides maybe his Beemer buddy has 2" chicken strips to explain his handling comparison. :haha:

BTW if anyone has a software design position for me in Mariposa I can start as soon as I find a place to stay in Coulterville.

 

[FJRMGM]

I forgot to mention when he walked up to his Wing and opened up the top trunk to put something in it I asked "hey buddy, can I store my FJR in there?"

He laughed and said "well, if it won't fit in the top I'm sure it will fit in one of the other cases on this baby".

I sure did like that rich burgandy color - it was sweet.

He was a cool guy - said both our bikes are top notch but with different purposes.

He rides, I ride, so he is a brother.

 

[SkooterG]

I'm not trying to bash the wing for what it is, I think it's great bike. But last summer I met a guy on one who had ridden multiple track days and thought the same as the guy you met. He even went so far as to invite himself along to show me on Hwy49 between Mariposa and Coulterville. Now I'm not the fastest guy on the highway, and don't try to be either, but damn If there was word that could up 'smoked him' I would have wrote it here.
Just in case some peeps haven't seen it, here's what a part of the highway looks like.

Mmmmmm........yummy.

Didn't we ride that road during last year's Cal24 rally?

I think I remember that view. If so, I was taking that road at a fairly good clip, at least for me, and was spanked by a fellow rally rider on a BMW 1150RT. He caught up fairly quickly, I let him by, and could not match his pace.

Now I don't profess to be the best rider out there at all, but still, humbling experience.