Goldwings are NOT sportbikes

[Guest tx2sturgis]

This story appeared in Baggers Magazine. Its part 2 of a series called:

 

Sturgis. Hellride. Is it worth it?

 

Sofar they have posted 3 parts.

 

The jist is that these guys, all professionals, left LA for Sturgis SD, riding long lonely stretches of road in the heat of summer, dodging heat, cows, rain, and traffic. When they got a bit spirited in the mountains of Colorado, something terrible happened.

 

We've all seen videos of riders on the Goldwings, flipping from side to side in the twisties, and dragging pegs all the way. It makes me cringe when I hear that.

 

I never scrape the floorboards...if necessary, I hang-in, decreasing the active lean angle of the bike, but I spent way too many years riding dirtbikes to feel comfortable dragging hard parts on the hard pavement. The bike can lever up, losing traction, or worse, in a blind turn, you might have to chop throttle, and then shaft-drive bikes can rear-dive, and/or increase lean angle and drag MORE metal.

 

So no thanks. MY footboard plates are like new, no scrape marks.

 

No matter what you ride, be careful guys and gals!

 

 

 

http://www.baggersmag.com/features/1007_hrbp_baggers_3000_mile_hell_ride_part_2/index.html

 

 

http://image.baggersmag.com/f/features/1007_hrbp_baggers_3000_mile_hell_ride_part_2/29187343+pheader_460x1000/1007_hrbp_01_z+baggers_3000_mile_hell_ride_part_2+2009_honda_goldwing_crash.jpg

Edited July 20, 2010 by tx2sturgis

[LilBeaver]

Oh boy.

 

Lots of good lessons in here. Hopefully this gent will be able to recover quickly and manage to live as normal of life as possible.

 

Thanks for posting this Brian.

 

Everyone stay safe out there, know and respect your limitations.

[Eck]

When one thinks they have no fear of the ride they are on.. It is time they get off it..

 

GW's have more power then most bikes and in a curve you can lose it fast..

I will not drag my pegs on my GW either.... unless done accidentally....

[elmicko]

If there is an ironic or somewhat amusing part of this story is that the guy that crashed was working with one of the motorcycle magazines doing a review of touring bikes. I've got the mag, I think it's Cruiser or Roadbike, but I can't remember. They reviewed an RSV, Ultra Glide, Victory and a Voyager. Theres been a few other threads on here about the review the magazine did. They didn't give details about the crash other than mentioning they crashed the Goldwing in Colorado. It looks like it was a helluva wreck, though.

[KiteSquid]

I try to grind my boards in parking lots, not on the highways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[flb_78]

I disagree. I like grinding parts. I like knowing where the bike's limitations are in regards to handling.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I disagree. I like grinding parts. I like knowing where the bike's limitations are in regards to handling.

 

Apparently, so did Chad, the (now) one armed Goldwinger.

 

[flb_78]

He's riding an unfamiliar bike in unfamiliar territory. I don't ride like to the bike's abilities on unfamiliar ground. I at least make 1 pass through before I tear it up!!

[Mariner Fan]

Good article. I'm amazed how lucky that guy was. He should have bled out after a trauma like that.

[mrich12000]

\\\\he had to have jumped 7 or more feet!!!A GS Goldwing; Who knew!!

:mo money::mo money::bang head:

[Snarley Bill]

i can tell you guys never rode with swifty, muffin man, or wing man. i got the corners of my highway boards on my wing ground off following swifty in arkansas last year at the international. them boys don't baby them

[Eck]

i can tell you guys never rode with swifty, muffin man, or wing man. i got the corners of my highway boards on my wing ground off following swifty in arkansas last year at the international. them boys don't baby them

 

 

I know well about riding with Swifty, wingman and muffinman.

I remember chasing a UPS truck that I could not catch in some sharp curves north of Helen Ga. that wore my highway boards down on my venture. Been teased about it for a few years now, but after the bad accident I had, I realized it is just a gamble and the road does win ...when you least expect it.

[Hummingbird]

I used to enjoy scraping the pegs on my Wing until a friend was doing it and evidently caught his peg in a chuckhole in a curve.

 

He was in the hospital for a week, took months to heal his broken ribs and his wife was beat up as well.

 

I find it more comfortable to just clean the bugs and tar off the bottom by hand.

[Snarley Bill]

I know well about riding with Swifty, wingman and muffinman.

I remember chasing a UPS truck that I could not catch in some sharp curves north of Helen Ga. that wore my highway boards down on my venture. Been teased about it for a few years now, but after the bad accident I had, I realized it is just a gamble and the road does win ...when you least expect it.

eck, i remember that well. you know that you can't ride with this group without it starting to get competitive in the twisties. a good part of the venture riders can't hit the twisties with out turning it on and getting carried away, including me. i could probably list hundreds of names. the first time i went to vogel, i got a lesson in how to hook it through the curves. and yes i have seen venture riders break more than one speed limit. not safe but a good part of us do it. now that i'm getting older i want to slow down and look at the scenery, but the competition still goes on, and it's hard not to get caught up in it. about the ups truck. i did the same with a gal in a taurus. i could'nt stay with her. a bike can't corner as fast and turn as sharp as a car.

[Venturous Randy]

I remember chasing a UPS truck that I could not catch in some sharp curves north of Helen Ga. that wore my highway boards down on my venture.

 

Yes, I do still remember that UPS truck as I was behind you and I must say, that guy must have know every inch of that road as he was definately hauling, in more ways than one.

RandyA

[royalstarjac]

Yes, I do still remember that UPS truck as I was behind you and I must say, that guy must have know every inch of that road as he was definately hauling, in more ways than one.

RandyA

 

Those UPS trucks run that road twice a day to and from their terminal in Gainesville.

Familiararity with the road means a lot. If you're riding to the limits of traction on an unfamiliar road there is no room for error or the unexpected like a wind gust. The article mentioned 30 mph winds.

The GW has a large fairing and side profile and an unexpected cross gust in the midst of a sharp curve can get hairy.

[Snarley Bill]

Those UPS trucks run that road twice a day to and from their terminal in Gainesville.

Familiararity with the road means a lot. If you're riding to the limits of traction on an unfamiliar road there is no room for error or the unexpected like a wind gust. The article mentioned 30 mph winds.

 

The GW has a large fairing and side profile and an unexpected cross gust in the midst of a sharp curve can get hairy.

your right there. it's hard to believe wind could affect a bike that big. it will move a wing around.

[Sleeperhawk]

your right there. it's hard to believe wind could affect a bike that big. it will move a wing around.

 

Well, if winds can flip semi's, I would think with a bike, no problem. Just love those side winds.

[CrazyHorse]

The Goldwing was designed to have performance/sportiness in mind by its designer.

 

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/escape/motorcycles/122_0102_honda_gl1800_gold_wing_icon/index.html

 

http://www.nextautos.com/issue-7/honda-gl-1800-gold-wing-luxury-touring-motorcycle

[91nwl]

Question is; What's a guy from bagger magazine doing on a Wing? He probably didn't know what to expect when he twisted the throttle.

[CrazyHorse]

Question is; What's a guy from bagger magazine doing on a Wing? He probably didn't know what to expect when he twisted the throttle.

 

Vastly different bikes. Darn near crashed on a Roadking because I was used to leaning over on my 1st Gen. Scraping parts real quick.