2018 GoldWing

[tabasco]

The reality is ... the first time I saw a pic of the new Wing in Rider Magazine, I thought ... "there ya go, my retirement bike". I am still really tempted. It's all about the ride now.

I have a year to go til retirement, when I'll be 64.5.

So far, this new Wing is the only thing I feel a "pull me in" on. I still love my 2008 C90T. But, I'm hoping there will be at least one more, and that Wing is something to look at, and imagine riding.

The front end is not conventional. Neither are inverted forks on other bikes. But, I'm not looking to become a "wrencher" in retirement, and if these things deliver the ride ... great.

I do like the 90 less lbs. One more concern I'd have is that the C90 ... I feel "spread out". Would miss that.

[Gradona]

The reality is ... the first time I saw a pic of the new Wing in Rider Magazine, I thought ... "there ya go, my retirement bike". I am still really tempted. It's all about the ride now.

I have a year to go til retirement, when I'll be 64.5.

So far, this new Wing is the only thing I feel a "pull me in" on. I still love my 2008 C90T. But, I'm hoping there will be at least one more, and that Wing is something to look at, and imagine riding.

The front end is not conventional. Neither are inverted forks on other bikes. But, I'm not looking to become a "wrencher" in retirement, and if these things deliver the ride ... great.

I do like the 90 less lbs. One more concern I'd have is that the C90 ... I feel "spread out". Would miss that.

Tabasco, About the only thing I can reply to is the weight. My K1600GTL was roughly 760 pounds. The new Wing is roughly 830 pounds. The Wing literally feels 100 pounds lighter than the BMW. I could never, without straining my back, get my K16 up on the center stand. The Wing pops right up on the center stand with almost no effort. Everything on the Wing seems much more balanced than any bike I've ridden previous.

I'll keep things updated as I run across them.

[old time rider]

Six cly and a reverse! Its a DAM car! That's what I tell my Gold Wing friends when we ride each other.

[Gradona]

Six cly and a reverse! Its a DAM car! That's what I tell my Gold Wing friends when we ride each other.

How can they hear you when you're way back there??

[old time rider]

Never behind one at the drag strip! O the old guys in the stands watching real motorcycles never ran them.

[Tbeck]

Grant, just got back from riding about 100 miles on the new wing (DCT). Very nice bike.
My take from the shake down ride and remember that I already put a few miles on the clutch version.
Bike is a typical goldwing with regards to bells and whistles, actually a bit overwhelming with all the buttons, but the layout is pretty easy to get your head around quickly.
Weight is carried low as usual but the turn in is much better compliments of the new front. You don't get the flex feel I am accustomed to on the old wing.
I found that I liked tour mode for the ride conditions today. Still lot's of grit on the road and tour shifted two gears higher than sport mode which brought throttle response on a lot softer. Obviously on twisties and without the road grit, sport would be better for more spirited riding. The bike shifts better than I do in manual mode.
Windshield, audio, and nav all worked flawlessly, but I can see a need for deflectors to keep the cold and likely rain off the hands. Grip heaters and seat worked well.
The only thing that I can say for sure that I don't like is the new exhaust. It was fine in tour mode but really droned in sport. I can see it getting on my last nerve if riding in sport mode for any length of time.
Overall I like it, needs a luggage rack but other than some leads for heated gear and a coffee cup holder it wouldn't need much more.

[DevilsFan]

Grant, just got back from riding about 100 miles on the new wing (DCT). Very nice bike.
My take from the shake down ride and remember that I already put a few miles on the clutch version.
Bike is a typical goldwing with regards to bells and whistles, actually a bit overwhelming with all the buttons, but the layout is pretty easy to get your head around quickly.
Weight is carried low as usual but the turn in is much better compliments of the new front. You don't get the flex feel I am accustomed to on the old wing.
I found that I liked tour mode for the ride conditions today. Still lot's of grit on the road and tour shifted two gears higher than sport mode which brought throttle response on a lot softer. Obviously on twisties and without the road grit, sport would be better for more spirited riding. The bike shifts better than I do in manual mode.
Windshield, audio, and nav all worked flawlessly, but I can see a need for deflectors to keep the cold and likely rain off the hands. Grip heaters and seat worked well.
The only thing that I can say for sure that I don't like is the new exhaust. It was fine in tour mode but really droned in sport. I can see it getting on my last nerve if riding in sport mode for any length of time.
Overall I like it, needs a luggage rack but other than some leads for heated gear and a coffee cup holder it wouldn't need much more.

So, your overall take on the DCT??? Would you buy one?

[Tbeck]

DF, if you recall I rode a good number of miles on an African twin and Vfr both DCT last year. The DCT was less than underwhelming on both. They were ok at best and I recall thinking rather clunky. I liked the DCT but not enough to buy either of those bikes.

Now the DCT on the wing is what I would expect from a Honda, it was flawless, smooth, and geared appropriate. The transition from gear to gear on the goldwing is perfect and almost unnoticeable.
So if I was wanting to drop that amount of cash on a new bike I would definitely buy the wing with DCT.
Very light smooth takeoff in tour, strong enough to snap your head back in sport mode. Nice set-up!

[DevilsFan]

DF, if you recall I rode a good number of miles on an African twin and Vfr both DCT last year. The DCT was less than underwhelming on both. They were ok at best and I recall thinking rather clunky. I liked the DCT but not enough to buy either of those bikes.

Now the DCT on the wing is what I would expect from a Honda, it was flawless, smooth, and geared appropriate. The transition from gear to gear on the goldwing is perfect and almost unnoticeable.
So if I was wanting to drop that amount of cash on a new bike I would definitely buy the wing with DCT.
Very light smooth takeoff in tour, strong enough to snap your head back in sport mode. Nice set-up!

Cool. What about the luggage? Ya think it's less than adequate enough where people will go elsewhere? Because that's what I'm hearing the most of in the complaints dept...that the smaller luggage is enough to wait until next year to see if they rectify this.

[Tbeck]

The side bags are smaller, but I would guess they hold as much as the versys bags. They are a little less in depth, but still rather long. The trunk is large enough to take any overflow.
Now mind you I never use my top box/trunk for helmets, and I wear full face modular, my wife uses a 3/4, both fit.
For me the luggage rack would be necessary BUT I have one on every bike and use it with a dry bag.
If someone is waiting for next year to see if Honda will change the bags, they're wasting their time, this is the new wing. Now some aftermarket company might make some money by offering a deeper saddlebag door. However the bags on the bike are more than adequate imo.