2008 Honda Goldwing Airbag
This bike was purchased new from a dealer in March 2011 and was a leftover
2008 bike. I purchased it from Don and Ray's Powersports in Milwaulkee
Wisconsin. Honda was having a promotion in March, so I got $1000 worth
of accessories and the 7 year warranty for no extra cost.
The following will be a running log related to the bike. (small images
are thumbnails, click for larger image)
I ordered the following options:
Honda 7 year Warranty
Chrome trunk rack, 08L42-MCA-100
Trunk Net, 08L63-MCA-100
Deluxe Saddlebag / Trunk Liner Set, 08L56-MCA-101
Trunk Lid Organizer, 08L63-MCA-100B
Saddlebag Lid Organizer, 08L63-MCA-100A
Trunk Inner Light, 08E75-MCA-100H
Trunk Inner Light Harness, 08E75-MCA-100K
Accessory Socket Set, 08U55-MCA-101
LED Foglight Kit - Airbag Model, 08V31-MCA-100E |
States visited to date, 2013 (all bikes)
from http://www.defocus.net/visitedstates/us-canada.html
Picking up the Bike
I flew out on a Friday in early April and drove it 1000 miles back
home. I left mid afternoon Friday and rode to South Bend. Saturday I rode to
Warren PA. Sunday I took my time through the mountains of northwestern
PA.
Mounting EZ-pass Transponder
I mounted the EZ-Pass transponder under the front faring. This keeps
it out of sight and avoids the need for an after market mount. There is a
small gap between the front fairing cover and the windshield where the tag
can be placed. I attached it using the standard windshield
adhesive/velcro strips. The arrow indicates the location.
First pull back the rubber around the mirrors and push the mirrors forward
to gain access to the bolts holding the cover on. Remove them with a
10 mm wrench along with the washer and the rubber grommet. Clean the inside
of the cover and attach the strips. The transponder was placed 1.5
inches from the lower edge and from the edge of the vent.
Reassemble and you are ready to go.
Goldwing Bike Covers
I ordered a Primoshield half cover from Kuriakin. It is sturdy and
well made but I was very disappointed by the bulk. My primary criteria is
minimum packing size. I do not care how sturdy it is. If I have to
replace it each year that is fine, just so long as it is small. This
thing is twice the size of the Dowco Ulralight Plus I used for my BMW RT.
For now I am using the full size Dowco as a half cover. I just found
out that Dowco makes a half cover for the Goldwing and have ordered it.
It is not Ripstop nylon so we will see how small it really is. I
wish vendors would publish the weight and packing size of these things.
Update: The Dowco
Guardian Half cover is the one to go with. Works Fine. $35
Centech Fuse panel
The Goldwing has only a single switched circuit available in the fuse panel
and no un-switched circuits. This is an obvious design failure on an
otherwise well designed bike. In spite of the size of the bike, there
is very little room to ad a fuse panel in an easily accessible location. I
was able to fit the centec AP-2 to the left of the standard panel, but it is
a very tight fit.
I used the Centech CG-Harness-AP2 relay wiring kit with the fuse block/
This allows 3 switched circuits and two that are always hot.
I fabricated a mounting bracket out of two pieces of 18 gauge steel. The
first was a curved piece that goes around the frame member and is attached
using a standard hose clamp. A hole was cut through the center of the
bracket to pass the clamp through. The second was a rectangular flat
plate for mounting the fuse panel. They were riveted together and I
coated them with Dip-It rubber coating, in order to avoid any rough edges
damaging the nearby wiring harness.
Rubber coated bracket,
Hose clamp attached
Panel mounted on bracket
Mounted on bike, cork pad to protect wires
Routing or relay and retaining straps
Doran 360M Tire pressure monitor, May 2011
Since I have a poor record of checking tire pressures, I decided to get a
Doran tire pressure monitor system. I chose this one because It can be
mounted inside the tire, is hard wired to the bike and has a fairly small
display readout for mounting. Also, if you want to mount the readout
in a hidden location, it has a simple warning light to indicate a
problem. I will mount the senders outside on the valve stem and put
them inside next time the tires are changed.
The bracket was made from 18 gauge steel and mounts under the bottom screws
that hold the navigation system. The wire was routed under the left side of
the fairing and back to the Centech fuse block, to an always hot circuit.
The unit draws very little current so this should not be a problem.
Putting the key cover on was very difficult and it may have been better to
make a two piece bracket, with the top part bolting on after the cover is in
place.
The sender codes are front - 014, rear - 039
4000 mile Oil change
Used Honda filter and Motorex Synt4T oil, 5W/40. The oil change was done at
4500 miles
Kickstand foot! July 2011
Seriously Honda, WTF were you thinking when
you designed the foot for this thing! Why would you put such a
small footprint on a kickstand for a 1000 pound motorcycle!!!! Look at a H-D
to see how to design a proper kickstand.
Ordered a Goldwing Sidestand pad from GoldwingOnline.com, $40. Much
better. Note: fell of after about 2 years. Purchased the same foot.
Check screws occasionally!
Air Wings, July 2011
Ordered a fill set of Baker Air wings. These allow you to direct air on you
in hot weather or away from you in wet or cold weather. Make sure you
order the special extension to the mounting hardware if you have an airbag.
There are 5 panels: under the side mirror, above the side radiator
vent, at the radiator vent, by your shins and at your feet. They are very
effective in hot weather.
Honda organizers, July 2011
I ordered the following accessories with the bike. Very nice at first glance
but crap designs in practice. They attach with adhesive strips. GUESS
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE FIRST HOT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!! (see December below for fix)
Trunk Lid Organizer, 08L63-MCA-100B
Saddlebag Lid Organizer, 08L63-MCA-100A
I will try to fabricate a metal mounting bracket. There are attachment
points that could be used. HELLO HONDA! I will post it here if it works out.
Bridgestone Tires, 9500 miles, Aug 2011
The bike came with Dunlop 250 tires. My conclusion after riding 9000
miles is that these are very dangerous in the rain. Although there
appears to be quite a few miles left on them, newer tires are much better in
the rain.
I ordered The following tires from CycleGiant:
TR300768 Bridgestone Tires for GL1800 Front GL1800 Bridgestone G709
130/70R18 $139.99
TR300769 Bridgestone Tires for GL1800 Rear GL1800 Bridgestone G704 180/60R16
$179.99
One surprise I got was that I could not get the new rear tire on the rim and
had to bring it to the local Honda dealer. I probably could have done the
front tire easily but since I was going there anyway, I had both installed
and balanced. I also had the Doran tire pressure monitors placed inside the
tires.
The new tires make the Goldwing feel like a new bike. These are much more
responsive than the Dunlop tires, which is a good thing. However when
I went for my first test drive, I nearly fell on my ass turning around in
the driveway :)
Oil Change, 12,400 miles, Oct 2011
Hit 12,000 miles after 6 months! Used Honda filter and Motorex Synt4T
oil, 5W/40.
Radar detector, Oct 2011
I installed an Adaptiv Technologies TPX detector. This is made for
motorcycles and is water resistant, has large buttons for operation with
gloves and has a visual alert. I ran the wires so that they were
hidden as much as possible.
I removed the top cover from the dash, the left hand storage box and removed
the fairing screws from the left side.
- Connected the power from a switched circuit at the fuse box.
- Ran the main wire harness up under the fairing, under the left side
storage box, around the fork assembly to the right side handlebar. The
wire was routed and tied to existing hydraulic lines so it does not
appear to be an add-on.
- Ran the visual alert from the storage box, up to the right side of the
dash, just above the Tachometer.
- Bundled the extra wire under the under the storage box with a plastic
tie to avoid cutting the extra wire length
FireCreek Windbender Windscreen, 14,400 miles, Nov 2011
The stock Honda windscreen has a lot of head buffeting when it is low enough
to look over. When it is al the way up, it gives good coverage but
results in poor visibility at night, particularly in the rain. I
wanted to find something that gave good coverage and was low enough to
always be looking over the top.
I got the Windbender HPS shield. This is a two piece setup, with a gap
between the two parts. The theory is that the air flows between the two
layers to give a more laminar flow to give effective wind protection with a
shorter shield. I also ordered the rake kit which helps it work more
effectively at high speed. Also got the spring loaded locating pin
option for easier adjustment. $500 total.
Overall, it is an improvement over the stock shield. The wind protection is
not as good as the stock shield all the way up but the air bleed is minimal
and not at all uncomfortable. Works well in the rain. This is with is
low enough to be always looking over the top. This does not have an air vent
like the factory shield, however with the increased air flow available from
the added Air Wings on the bike, that should not be a problem. In
addition, although it has improved airflow compared to the stock shield,
there does seem to be a bit more airflow on the rider. With the jackets I
have, this should not be a problem in winter.
(The following thumbnails link to larger
images)
Detail showing the spring loaded locking pin on the left and the stock pin
on the right.
Installation problem: The screws holding the adjusters to the rake kit were
a bit too long and prevented the assembly from sliding. A light touch
with a cutoff wheel on an air grinder was a quick fix.
Trailer hitch, Nov 2011
I purchased the Kuryakin
trailer hitch. It is a vertical receiver hitch so is completely
hidden when the tongue is removed. I also got the large
cooler rack attachment and the Kuryakin
plug and play wiring harness. One other thing I got was a
mounting bracket for the plug, however the plug set that came with it
appears to be a non standard setup. At the moment, I have just the
standard flat 4 prong connector. I added the chrome
turn down exhaust tips because the exhaust would be coming straight
back on anything that was placed on the shelf.
I installed the hitch and dis a test run to Home Depot to get two floor
lamps with a total weight of about 65 pounds. The steel toungue could
not tale the weight and gradually bent during the 5 mile ride back. When I
got home, the corners would drag on every corner. I decided to beef up
the ball mount
Original chrome tongue with the
shelf adapter under the ball. The flat steel does not hold up with weight on
a 2 ft lever arm
I sand blasted the chrome off and MIG welded a box reinforcement channel
underneath. It is way over-engineered (Leo would be proud) and now the weak
link is the 1 1/4 receiver tube. It still should be a net gain in
strength.
Comparison of the stock (left) and after market tips (right)
Final setup
16,000 Mile Service, Garage Door Opener, Audio repair, Dec 2011
Made it to 16,000 miles in 9 months, which is when the local dealer
recommends dong the 12,000 mile service. This includes:
Air filter (major surgery to replace)
Drive shaft oil
Plugs
Coolant Change
Valve adjust
Oil
I also had them fix the audio system (warranty), which had stopped working
after a major rain storm.
Flash 2 Pass Door opener, Dec 2011
This accessory from f2ptechnologies
allows you to open the garage door by flashing your high beams
twice. VERY Convenient! I could not figure out how to get at the
high beam circuit so had the dealer install it during the 16,000 mile
service.
Luggage organizer, Dec 2011
As mentioned in the July 2010 entry, the luggage organizer for the top of
the trunk has an appallingly bad design for the attachment points. It uses
adhesive, which melts and fails on the first hot day. Thew following is a
fairly simple fix.
The top has a hard liner that hides several electrical items and can be
removed (1). The organizer is made from nylon so I melted 6 holes in
the edge using a hot nail (2). I positioned it on the case, drilled
matching holes and attached the organizer using pan head sheet metal screws
with nylon lock nuts on the inside (3, 4). The inner liner is then put
back in place.
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Running Lights, Jan 2012, 16,200 miles
The Goldwing has great lights to make it visible from the rear.
However there is not much light from the side view. I added The following
Kuryakin items, ordered from WingSuff.com.
This adds lights above the cylinder heads and is tied to the turn signal. It
also includes a turn indicator that attaches to the mirror
KU7315: LED Stealth & Mirror Combo
KU7300: Adapter for LED Mirror, Front Reflector, Stealth
Lights
These add lights on the trunk and saddle bags that are visible from the
sides and back.
KU3221: Chrome Lens LED Lighted Moldings
KU3222: Chrome Lens LED Lighted Moldings
Tires, Front Brakes, Oil Change, Jan 2012, 24000 miles
I waited for too long to replace the Bridgestone Pilot 3 tires. The
front tire still had some life on it but the rear was way past the safe
tread wear. The rear tire on the Goldwing is almost completely hidden so is
not visible unless you really make an effort. I had to get them changed on
short notice so went to the dealer.
TR300768 Bridgestone Tires for GL1800 Front GL1800 Bridgestone G709
130/70R18 $150
TR300769 Bridgestone Tires for GL1800 Rear GL1800 Bridgestone G704 180/60R16
$200
labor $92
Old
New
The Front Brake pads were also almost down to metal on metal so they were
done as well
$114 parts, $74 labor
Changed oil and fitter. used Mobile 1, 3 quarts W5-40+1 qt 15-50 that I had
left over from the BMW
Oil Change, Nov 2012, 28,500 miles
Oil and filter - 3 quarts of 5-40 Mobile 1 and 1 quart of 5w-30 Auto pride
synthetic.
Helmet, Summer Jacket, over pants, May 2013, 32,500 miles
I decided to upgrade my riding gear, which is now several years old. I took
a 2 hour ride to RevZilla
in Philadelphia so I could try on everything before purchase.
HELMET - I got the Shoei
Neotec Modular helmet. It is the next generation up from the Shoei
Multitech I have had for several years. I like the one I have but it is
getting fairly beat. The new one has several upgrades, removable liner,
built in sun shield, pinlock sheld standard, better ventilation and lower
noise. The replacement pinlock inserts are CW-1/CNS-1
Summer Jacket - I wanted a summer
jacket with better protection than my current one. the Purchased the Olympia
Switchback Jacket. I went with the neon yellow and black for high
visibility.
I upgraded the back armor to the Rukka
D3O back protector. It should give better protection and be more
comfortable.
Over Pants - My old riding pants are getting a bit tired so I got a
pair of Olympia
Renegade Mesh Tech Pants.
In order to have a spare pare of pants I upgraded the old pants with SAS-TEC
hip armor and Klim
knee pads.
Oil Change, May 2013, 34,500 miles
Oil and filter - 3 quarts of 5-40 Mobile 1 and 1 quart of 5w-30 Auto pride
synthetic.
Tires, June 2013, 34,700 miles
I waited for too long again, with one layer of steel belt showing, replaced
the Bridgestone Pilot 3 tires with Avon Venom tires.
130/70HR18 Avon Cobra AV71, $170
180/60HR16 Avon Cobra AV72, $215
labor $99
J&S Jacks, July 2013
I ordered a J&S
Jack with the air lift option. It works perfectly on the Goldwing with
an adapter. If you have a smooth clean floor, you can move it around easily,
in spite of the 1000 lb weight. You need to adjust the pre-load all the way
up to get it under the bike easily
34,500 mile service, Oil change, July 2013
Major service interval, done by dealer.
Powder coat Wheels, 42,500 miles, December 2013
I had my Wheels powder coated by Bobby Edgar at Prism
Metal Works. They came ot very nice and Bobby was a pleasure to deal
with. Highly recommended. I wanted them to look close to stock so they are
a clear coated chrome color (powder on powder). I forgot to taka a before
picture but here is the after.
The stock wheels come factory clear coated but are very difficult to keep
clean. Also, I got bad info that said the wheels were not coated,
therefore I had cleaned them several times with 800 wet-dry sandpaper,
which messed up the clear.
Motorcycle Cover, 42,000 miles, Dec 2013
I got the Geza Gear Pro-Stretch
Extra Light 3/4 motorcycle cover. $300. The Dowco I was using had
developed several tears. The other problem is that it usually developed
puddles in the rain as it sagged. The Dowco is a better value and is a bit
smaller (15% of the Geza price) but the Geza works quite a bit better,
should be more durable and is towable. One issue is that, although it
prevents condensation, it is not waterproof.
Reservoir Ram mounts, 43,000 miles, April 2014
I ordered RAM mounts for the brake and clutch reservoir covers. These are
replacement covers from motorcyclelarry.com
and are part numbers 6000
HONDARC and Ram balls RAM-B-236U.
Oil Change and filter, 43,000 miles, April 2014
Used Mobile 1, 0-40
Air wings and Back Rest, 43,000 miles, April 2014
The chrome on the Kurakyn back rest that I ordered with the bike and the
chrome hardware on the Baker Air wings I ordered in July 2011 is typical
after market crap and both started to rust. I looked for alternatives but
could not find anything as good, in terms of function.
I ended up getting a new version of both:
The Kurakyn back rest,
the Revolution Driver Backrest, KU8930,
$329.99. This is more adjustable than the firsst one but is chrome hardware,
so I assume I will have to replace it in another 3 years.
New Generation Dual Air Wings w/Lowers for GL1800 Dark Tint, Black, BAH18AWLBNGDT,
$157.99. These have painted mounting hardware so we will see how they hold
up.
Here are the old ones after 3 years.
Ventilated Summer Gloves, 43,500 May 2014
Picked up a pair of Cortech
DX2 summer weight gloves, Size XL
Rear Brakes, 43,500, May 2014
This is the second set of rear brake pads. Waited too long and the rotors
are scored. However the new rotor is $5-600 so I just did the pads. Will
wee how long they last.
Tires, June 2014, 45,304 miles
I waited for too long AGAIN, The third layer of cord is showing and there is
a bubble. I really need to check more often.
Trying another tire this time. The Metzlers come highly rated for both wear
and performance.
Did just the rear for now. The front still has plenty of tread but is a bit
uneven. I will order the front to have it is on hand
Metzeler ME 880 Marathon Touring Rear Tire, 180/60HR-16, about $220 + $40
installation by dealer
July update: Metzeler ME 880 Marathon Touring Front Tire (46,100),
130/70HR-18 GL SKU#103244, $154 plus $38 mount and balance at
the Honda dealer.
I think I found a new favorite tire. The turns feel really nice on these.
Skull cap/Helmet liner, June 2014
Stopped at Revzilla on the way home from Baltimore and pocked up an Alpinstars
Balacava Skull cap, 475827. Best
summer weight cap I have found.
Highway Foot Pegs
I had purchased a set of Kuryakyn
foot pegs about a year ago but never use them. The engine is so
wide, it is not really comfortable with my feet on the pegs. They are also
a pain to keep clean.
There are a few scrapes on the mount brackets, so I may consider keeping
just the mounting clamps to protect the engine bars from ground scrapes.
When I ride with the local sport bike group, things get pretty low in the
turns.
Oil Change and filter, 49,500 miles
Used Mobile 1, 0-40
Front Brake pads, Oil Change and filter, 54,200 miles, April 2015
Used Mobile 1, 0-40 oil. Honda front pads. Missing the rubber plug that
covers the pad retaining rod. Also discovered a bent front rim at the
outer lip. Wheel still feels round.
Wheels and tires, 54,400 miles, May 2, 2015
I hit a pothole and bent both wheels. Also, my Metzler tires are done
after 10,000 miles. There is one layer of cord showing in the back. The
total cost was $1822 and Progressive will cover $1322 of that because of
the pothole. One plus is the new replacement wheels are now clear
coated, unlike the originals.
Front Wheel, 4465-MCA-D30,
$367
Front Tire, Metzler ME880 Marathon, 130/70HR-18 GL SKU#103244,
$268
Rear Wheel, 42650-MCA-A00,
$600
Rear Tire, Metzeler ME 880 Marathon Touring Rear Tire, 180/60HR-16,
$260
Stems, mount and balance,
$90
Labor (Mine and Honda)
$153
Front tire and brakes, 63700 miles, April 22, 2016
Replaced the front tire. The rear tire had a puncture and was replaced a
few thousand miles after the tire change in May so only the front needs
replacing at the moment. Changed brake fluid and flushed. Could not flush
the left caliper
Front Tire, Dunlop Elite-3 130/70R18
$185
Stem, mount and balance,
$45
Front brake pads
$100
Pad retainer pins and o-rings
Rear brakes, 64,700 miles, May 21, 2016
Sill using the old scored rotor. Seems to work fine.
Centramatic Wheel balancers
These are supposed to dynamically balance the wheels to give a smoother
ride and extend tire life. Has good reviews but we will see.
Wingstuff
link
Update; Removed the balancer from the rear wheel. Does not sem to be
needed. Will remove the from wheel one on the next tire change.
Airbag Vest
Purchased a Helite airbag vest. $630. There is a tether that attaches
under the seat and clips to the vest.
Vendor Web Link
YouTube Video 1
YouTube video 2
GripBuddies
Noprene grip wraps - These give a larger diameter, softer grip that seems
more comfortable and should dampen vibrations. The version for the
Goldwing is Model # OGB-BE-SS
Web
Link
UPDATE: removed them. They gove a softer feel but make the grips
significantly larger. The interfere with the heaters and also limit the
trave of the clutch lever. The clutch works fie but the ignition interlock
does not work. Since the Goldwing has essentially no vibration, They do
not make sense.
Oil, 67,000 miles, July 24, 2016
Oil only. Re-used filter.
LD Comfort Clothing, July 31, 2016
Interesting clothing that stays dry on the inside even if the garment is
wet. Great for hot weather. You can wet it and the evaporation will keep
you cool without you feeling wet.
http://ldcomfort.com , also on Facebook
Rear Tire, 70,300 miles, Sep 29, 2016
Replaced the rear tire with a Dunlop Elite 4
Service, recall, warranty repair, 73,000 miles, March 11, 2017
Link
to Detailed service report
Recall items
Replace secondary master cylinder for rear brake and flush line
Replace airbag
Warranty items
Rebuild Front Forks
Clutch lever switch - problem was actually the adjustment of the lever
plus the foam grip wrap: Warranty
"64,000" mile service items: $950
Oil, Air filter, coolant flush and replace, front brakes, spark plugs,
cylinder head gasket, oil and filter, Shaft oil, repair wire to trunk lid
switch.
INNOVV K1 Camera system, 80,000 miles, Sep 2017
Document
link
Rear Tire, 80,900 miles, Sep 29, 2017
Replaced the rear tire with a Dunlop Elite 4
$214 from Revzilla
$40 mounting at Standard cycle, Berkeley Heights
Tread depth at warning dot-0.158". At center of tread, 0.26
Oil and filter, 80,900 miles, Oct 6, 2017
Mobile 1, 10-30
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