Temporary moment of insanity.....

[1BigDog]

For a little while I have been entertaining the thought of getting a Gold Wing. Well, after sitting on one today my brief visit with insanity came and gone and I think I found some new love for my RSV. As big as the wings are I felt cramped on it and the leg position, or lack of it really brought me to my senses. Just sitting on it with my feet flat on the floorboards (this one had floorboards) caused my knees to scream in pain. So, after mounting my RSV I felt like I was slipping into a comfy recliner again. For the life of me I just dont see how you all who have wings can get comfortable on one. But thats just me...........

[ediddy]

I know exactly what you mean. When I was going to trade my vstar for a touring bike I just knew I wanted a wing. My brother-in-law has a 2000 wing and let my wife and me take it for a ride for as long as we wanted. After about a mile I realized this wasn't the bike for me. My wife also wasn't happy and said she felt cramped. I didn't like the position of my feet on the pegs. Another friend has an 04 venture and let us take it for a ride. After about 5 miles my wife leaned up to my ear and said this is the bike for us. Another friend of mine who is on this site had a wing before he got a venture will tell you that he could never get comfortable on his wing. I'm not bashing the wing, it is a good bike, but it just isn't for me.

[Whitlow]

I had a wing and did not like the position of the feet and I also felt cramped. That is why I now own a RSV!

[Patrick46]

Been there, done that!! Had my Wing for 2 1/2 MONTHS!!!! (and it was a beaut too!)

My sister and her husband came out from Wisconsin fer a visit, so I put insurance back on the Venture so they could ride the Wing, and we'd ride the old Venture.

We (literally) went about 1 MILE on the old rat Venture, looked at each other and said "the heck with that Wing...this Venture is not only more comfortable to ride, it's also alot FUNNER!!"

2 weeks later, the Wing was sold, and a week after that we packed up the '83, and headed out to Bonneville Speed Week....whadda blast!!!

here's the Wing...

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/61/l_1669727c18708841cdc8eb8cdeaed014.jpg

 

and here we are out on the road coming home through Sun Valley, Idaho...

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/58/l_a52b6065157734c3d0990f1d36d34870.jpg

 

Now I've got 4 of 'em!!!

[a1bummer]

The last wing I rode was an 85. I didn't have any problems with the thing except for how it handled. When I wanted to make a lane change or take a corner, I really had to work at it. My venture makes it feel so natural to do all that. I don't have to even think about maneuvering it. It just does it! Kind of like I'm not riding it, but I'm a part of it.

 

I haven't ridden any wings any newer, so I can't comment on them. But I think that if I had no choice and had to give up the VR for a wing, I'd feel as though I had been neutered.

[1sttenor]

I had a wing and did not like the position of the feet and I also felt cramped. That is why I now own a RSV!

 

Me too...and I'm only 5'9"

[cbmel]

I've had two of the GoldWing 1100s, rode a buddy's 1200, had a 1500 and test drove the 1800. After having owned a few 1st Gens (88, 89 and now 86), I felt that the 1200 and 1500 had very cramped and upright seating positions. However the ride on the 1800 felt extremely similar to the Venture, in seating position and even in handling. It is an extreme improvement over the 1500, and to me was more "familiar" and comfortable than a 2nd Gen. Of course, that's just one man's opinion. Oops, better say two persons' opinions, since my wife liked it better too.

 

If the day ever comes that I can't come up with a decent 1st Gen, I think it will be the GL1800 for me, unless something better comes out between now and then. C'mon Yamaha, where's that 3rd Gen. with its return to touring (rather than cruiser) style?

[bongobobny]

Yup! When I went bike shopping this spring, looked at a wing and did not like the riding polsition at all! Also didn't like the creaky plastic sounds...

[OldBear]

Before I bought my Venture last spring we looked HARD at the touring bikes out there. I was coming off an FJR and we wanted COMFORT. Wife has always talked about liking the look of a 'wing and that was the first thing we looked at. She climbed on and got right back off. Said it felt like the FJR (not comfy) to her. I checked out the riding position and thought it felt a little "tight". Anyhow, 20 miles further down the rode we got on an RSV. Wife's first comment "Oh, I like this..I didn't think you could BE comfortable on a motorcycle".. I climbed on, liked it, and the rest is history!

[Yammer Dan]

1st Gen just fits me. I'm 6ft tall with short legs for a 6 footer. I have all kinds of room. Now if I could just figure out how to swing that 86 my stable would be FULL!!

[OB-1]

We test rode a fully deck-out Wing in 2006 and our 2006 Midnight Venture. The dealer let us ride out on the Wing and followed on the Venture. Halfway up Spearfish canyon we stopped and traded bikes and it’s been OUR Midnight Venture ever since.

 

The Wing is a great bike, but we like the Venture more and the substantial price difference didn’t hurt the bank account near as much!

[saddlebum]

I rode my body's wing a couple of times and I found the same thing a) not enough leg room and b) I did not like the way it handled. I found the steering felt heavy and awkward. not at all like the venture were you seem to just think turn and it does.

[footsie]

I like both, but there is one thing, My brothers 1800 Wing, he can walk off from me at will, the only problem to me with the wing is the riding position, but that's why I am on the venture.

I have slowed down too, really don't need the power of the wing anymore.

 

Gregg

[Hummingbird]

I like both, but there is one thing, My brothers 1800 Wing, he can walk off from me at will, the only problem to me with the wing is the riding position, but that's why I am on the venture.

I have slowed down too, really don't need the power of the wing anymore.

 

Gregg

 

I agree 100% - I've had 7 goldwings, all of them 1500's and 2 were trikes. None of them had the comfort level of our 2007 Venture and none of them were as easy to work on. My son has a 2005 Black Cherry 1800 and it's fast and for him comfortable.

here's the '98' trike at Weeki Wachee

[craigatcsi]

I like both, but there is one thing, My brothers 1800 Wing, he can walk off from me at will, the only problem to me with the wing is the riding position, but that's why I am on the venture.

I have slowed down too, really don't need the power of the wing anymore.

 

Gregg

 

So will a 1500 Wing also 'walk away' from a Venture?

craigr

[CrazyHorse]

The engine sticking out on a the 1800 Wing bothered me and my feet. Its an awesome machine but the foot position bothered me with the way the motor is laid out.

 

I dont like Harley looking bikes,forward foot controls and dont like floor boards never rode with my feet on them only off the back edge of them. Rode a friends Vrod lots of power but felt that way forward foot position translated to a lack of control for me. I like feet somewhat under me but unobstructed in front of me. Gives me a sense of control. Gold wing couldnt do that for me. The GW felt almost to low to the ground for me. I dont mind top heavy, helps you lean that bike over.

 

Hard time finding a sport touring bike like this and then I found the 1st Gen V4 even though its old the motor it has decent power and unobstructed foot position. My biggest complaint would be the handle bar position. Now if they would only make a modern version of one. If the next Venture looks the same as the current one I'm done with Yamaha and probably get a BMW and I'll look at the new GW too. Only thing that holds me back from getting a BMW is lack of dealers and waiting to see if Yamaha ever decides to make a 3rd Gen.

[Patrick46]

So will a 1500 Wing also 'walk away' from a Venture?

 

craigr

 

Hahaha....funny you should ask this...

 

My riding partner rides a 1500 EXACTALLY like the one I used to have (in the pic). He was one of the big reasons I bought my Wing in the first place. He couldn't say enough, about how it rode, the power, the awesome engineering...

 

So when I first got my Venture, we went out for a ride. He was alone on his Wing, and I had my teenage son on the back of my V. There's a big long grade heading South outta town here on 101 called 'Radar Hill' (can you guess why??)

So my bud starts to act like he wants to race me UP this hill...and I absolutely WALKED away from him! (and I had a passenger on too!) He was quite bothered about it, and said "well, you down-shifted"........but NOPE...I didn't!

 

This 1st Gen has so much power. I can have my wife on the back, a weeks worth of traveling gear loaded up, with our camper hooked on back...and I can drop a gear or two and pass just about everything on the road. These engines are the most awesome engines I've ever had the pleasure of owning.

 

My only complaint about my 1st Gen V's, is that the front end rides hard when I'm alone on the bike...even after doing all the adjustments, and with progressive suspension springs. But, that's it!

[footsie]

So will a 1500 Wing also 'walk away' from a Venture?

 

craigr

 

I don't know, I know a 1500 Valkyrie, will walk all over a RSV, and a first gen. It is basically the same engine, but the Valk has six carbs, is lighter and has more HP than the 1500 Wing, the next time me and David are riding we will try it.

 

Gregg