Eck

This is so true Freebird. I remember at Vogel one year we all met at a restaurant for breakfast. A bunch of VR members showed up. It began pouring. Lewis made an announcement to cancel that days ride for safety reasons and because the majority voted not to go riding in the rain. Redneck wanted to ride the dragon since he rode all the way from TX., so I told him lets go, I'll take you.. Off we went and a few others joined us but I forgot who they were. We got about 3 miles out of town and the rain stopped. We rode all day and didn't see any rain until we got back about 3 miles from Vogel. Everyone was at Vogel under the picnic canopy as we came riding up. They thought we were nuts.That was a beautiful ride that day.

Patches....

Rode to work at 4am... real cool then, and rode back home around 3:30pm and it was HOT....Luckily I lived on Daniel Island which was like 12 miles from the Boeing plant. What I hated more in Charleston was all the smoke when they burn the overgrowth in the forests .. Man that smoke about killed me with my emphysema. I held my breath as long as I could and then would take a slow long intake breath as I held my shirt to my mouth, and then hold it again... And in response to being glad I don't live in FL... HECK NO..I wont ever live in FL. I cant stand that hot heat. When I go down to Sarasota to see my mom (once a year) I stay inside and we argue over the inside temp. My mom likes it around 80 degrees inside. I want it like 73/74 degrees inside. So we settled it by setting it at 77. For years I would leave and stay in a motel while down there because I could not stand the heat inside her place or outside.

I don't like riding when its anywhere over 85 / 87 degrees. I dont find it enjoyable..

(Quote) I ordered one of these cars, ........... Wont get it till next Summer. Hey Eddie, Next summer is here. I see your thread was posted on 08/12/2013 last year Think you will have this in your driveway within the next two months? Truthfully now, I sure would like to hear what you have to say about this thing after riding in it for a week. Would like to know all the good and bad things about it based on your personal opinion.

I wish I could go with you Joe, but I can't at this time, plus, (no offence please), but I dont eat or like crabs or anything out of the ocean for that matter. All I can say is that your intentions are so very nice of you to do what you are going to do, in remembering someone who has touched your life so deep in the past. I had a friend (Fred) who touched my life and my heart deeply but he has gone to the other side. I hope someday I find him again. You have a very kind and soft heart Joe. :thumbsup2::thumbsup2:

Years ago I was with a guy who was on a Goldwing and we parked our bikes together. I put my helmet in the trunk. He just hung his on handle bar. When we came back someone poured their drink into the guys helmet.. He was no slouch either and I'm glad he didn't catch the guy who did it.. Notice I did not say anything about a Harley rider... all I said was someone poured the drink in the helmet. Could have been a female for all we knew.

(Quote) the biker was not a fault the other guy was charged! Police say Smith did not have the required motorcycle endorsement on his driver's license. You can bet the biker was charged for no endorsement on his license. My opinion is, he should not have been riding the bike!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike, This is what you need............. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Seat-Vibrator-Motor-Panasonic-6-to-12-V-DC-3000-RPM-Powerful-/280851509924

They probably use the same type system that On-Star uses to unlock your car, just a hand held unit..

Seen this video last year when I was in MS. I don't think they found out yet what it is that they use...

Now that's a thought Randy, but in my case I still am not sure it would work.... If I gave my body to science, they could remove those parts they are interested in which would give me that look of where I lost a bunch of weight, and THEN go for the cremation effect, I just might have that hot body look... Truthfully though, I really don't think I will give a hoot what I look like after I'm gone.

I am a member on a lawn Mower forum. The below article is not related to motorcycles, but the article does not eliminate same effects on motorcycles or 4 wheelers, or any other gas powered machine when using ethanol fuel. I just thought this may be some great information to help those of you who have problems starting gas powered equipment.. Lawn Care News: On Lawn Mower Forum, we hear regularly about engines that won't start or are having trouble starting. Many lawn equipment professionals are attributing such startup issues to the use of ethanol-blended fuels in small engine equipment. So we thought we'd dig in and find out more about ethanol so we can make the best decision when it comes to what kind of fuel we use in our equipment. What is Ethanol? Ethanol is pure alcohol, but is typically blended with gasoline at a 10% rate or sometimes up to 15%. If you go for an ethanol-blended fuel, anything above 10% is not recommended for small engines. Ethanol-free gas is available if you'd like to be on the safe side or you can choose to add a fuel stabilizer to your fuel. If you plan to let your equipment sit for a while between uses, a stabilizer is encouraged. Without a stabilizer, ethanol can cause your fuel to "go bad" in 30-60 days by drawing excess water into the fuel. This may begin to cause startup problems and damage to your engine parts. Another option is to go electric or battery-powered with your mower or power tools to avoid the concern altogether. Click here to get more information about electric and battery powered equipment. We hope this information about the potentially harmful effects of ethanol will help you make wiser fuel choices this year with your equipment. To learn how to test your fuel to see what your current ethanol blend is: click here. To read stories about how members believe ethanol damaged their equipment: click here. Well, take care! We hope you enjoy the summer weather. And we hope your mower is happy and your lawn is green. If they're not, then I guess you have some work to do, and a visit with us in the forums is probably overdue! Hope to see you soon.

Copied from another site:... Here are a few things to consider or look out for when buying a 1200. I have listed the common areas worth checking out (based on years of feedback from other Goldwing owners) and will add to these as the need arises or more information comes in. 1. Exhausts usually rot around the area where the main silencer joins the narrow section under the panniers. The collector boxes rot under at the collar joints and the clamps usually fall apart when you try to undo the bolts. Honda OEM silencers are very expensive, but fortunately there are many good systems available at reasonable prices. Motad make a stainless system for around one-third the cost of the Honda unit. 2. Engines last for huge mileages, each reincarnation of the flat four cylinder lump has proved to be more reliable and smoother than the previous version, Honda no doubt are determined to improve the King of tourers as much as possible over the years. I know of one GL1200 that has covered over 250,000 (and many more with between 150-200,000) miles that have never needed a major overhaul during that time. A puff of grey smoke on start-up when cold usually indicates worn valve stem seals. If the smoke disappears after a few minutes then don't worry. This can happen even on low mileage engines and is more a case of age rather than mileage. The valve adjustment is hydraulic and needs no maintenance, but really high mileage units have been known to get a bit noisy and may require attention. The clunky gears are unfortunately quite normal. The pickup coils can fail and the symptoms are when the engine dies suddenly (usually when on the move) with no warning and even with the throttle open full. The coils require radiator & timing belt cover removal for access on the later models but the 1984 1200's have the coils located at the rear of the engine and the engine has to be removed for this. You can replace your alternator stator while you are at it! Starter motors can give trouble on all the four-cylinder Goldwings and what usually happens is that the starter operates fine when the engine is cold but when warm the starter turns slowly and the owner thinks his battery is going flat. What happens is that the bushes (usually the one in the starter end plate) that support the armature wear out and allow the armature coils (which expand slightly with the heat from the engine) to short off the motor housing. If you run a multi-meter from the housing to earth, sometimes you will find the housing is live! If you get the bushes sorted out sooner rather than later, you will save the expense of a new motor. The brushes mounting plate can come loose too because it is held in place with tabs and these can eventually develop play, which leads to a bad connection, overheating and sometimes the plate welds itself to the tabs! Twisting the tabs for a better connection will delay disaster in this area. None of the electrical specialists in Ireland that I know (and believe me I know plenty of them) can repair the armatures because of the way they are made. 3. Brakes are linked on this model and require a bit of work to keep them up to the job of stopping all that weight. Wings left lying up can suffer from seized calipers and will require stripping and cleaning to restore them to their previous efficiency. 4. Fork seals take a pounding from all the weight being thrown around and when replacing them, at least 20 weight fork oil is is preferred. The slider bushes are usually shot on more neglected machines when the oil has been allowed to turn to mush, so replace them too as the extra cost is quite small and may save you doing it all again. 5. Alternators are a common problem area on all of the early Wings, the GL1200 being the worst offender in this department. The connector block behind the left side cover in front of the battery suffers most because it collects all the muck from the road and needs to be cleaned and stuffed with dialectric grease regularly. The other connections involving the charging system that need checking include the connector just to the rear of the battery at the starter solenoid/main fuse connection and the one under the dummy tank to the left of the air filter which is the regulator/rectifier connector block. This one is the least likely to give trouble as it is protected from the elements, just as well too because the shelter assembly usually has to be removed for access to the connector block. The problems are compounded by owners who love to add lots of light bars and other power hungry accessories without bothering to check if they exceed the alternators capacity. The alternator itself can break down eventually on an old bike and requires engine removal to replace it. Honda never really got to grips with this problem (in spite of early recalls and uprating the alternators) and when replacing the alternator rotor, buy an aftermarket heavy duty item and dump the connector block and solder the wires together. When doing a quick check on an alternator, run a meter across the battery terminals with the engine running. Get someone to bring the revs up to about 2000 revs and if the reading is under 13 volts, prepare your self for a long weekend! 6. Swing arm bearings tend to be neglected by the time a Goldwing is on it's third or tenth owner and this can lead to some interesting and heartstopping moments when travelling at speed or on the twisties. Get this sorted asap, unless you are a lover of tight chests and pains in your left arm! Grabbing the rear wheel and pulling sideways and back and forth is not so easy with the weight of the differential, swingarm, wheel etc. in spite of what all the manuals say. Riding the bike is the real test (make sure the rear tyre has lots of meat left). 7. Steering head bearings are under a lot of stress with all the weight pushing against them and they are easily checked by slamming on the anchors at low speed. Worn bearings will make the front end clunk. Owners who neglect this area must love the hairy moments that such folly induces. Cheap to fix, so do it now and buy the chrome bits later on. 8. Rear drive can be a bit whiny on the 1200. Some earlier ones emitted a clicking sound from the rear of the bike and Honda did a recall. Some may have slipped through the net and it is worth listening out. The differential bearings can sound rough and Honda used to recommend that the diff was not serviceable and to buy a new unit. I checked the price of a new unit some years ago and almost collapsed with fright, so I stripped the diff and replaced the worn bearings (a fairly easy job) and it worked fine, not to mention saving a lot of dough. 1987 1200's were a lot quieter than previous versions. Some wheels have been known to strip the drive splines, all for the want of a little grease. 9. Plastics are generally quite robust. The trunk lid usually cracks at the corners and around the hinge mount. Plastic welding works for a while, the heavy lid usually puts paid to the weld after a few months. The panels are quite expensive and so are the stripe kits, so a cosmetically good and well looked after Goldwing with a high mileage can often work out a better buy than a low mileage one with tatty panels. It's worth noting that the "Plain Jane" unfaired GL1200 standard model (discontinued after 1985) went and stopped a lot better than it's overweight big brother. 10. Frames suffer on the GL1200 as well as the 1100, in certain areas. The side stand mounting point usually rusts away quietly from the road salt and the weight of the Wing means the beast eventually ends up on the engine guards. The main stand mounts also corrode on the GL1200 (more so than on the GL1100) and if the rear wheel is touching the ground with the bike on the main stand you are looking at problems. The swingarm housing can rot from the inside out and if it's allowed to rot away without being attended to you can probably expect some interesting effects on the bikes handling. Electrics are something to be wary of on the LTD (1985) and Sei (1986) models. The added complications of computer controlled fuel injection can be a worry on a bike this old and electronic parts for these machines don't come cheap. This is a case where the condition of the bike is really important

That would be my luck for sure...

Looks like a strong side wind could possibly put a hurting on the driver.........

My thoughts exactly... not being to safe loading that bike up like that...

Yep, that sure is a nice looking red ford van.. Thanks for sharing Skid...................................

There are many that are stupid and they are not just up there, they are EVEYWHERE.. Last week a loud crotch rocket flew past my house well over 100 MPH and as soon as he got past my house he was down shifting and hitting his brakes had because the road ends at the stop sign. He MUST turn left or right or go off into the woods.. I know it sounds bad, but I was silently wishing he couldn't stop to teach him a lesson... but he somehow managed to slow it down enough to make a left hand turn and then I could hear his bike winding out and hitting the gears.. He must have caught a green light at the next intersection for he never let off the throttle..