Hi, I have a 2020 Goldwing B and live near Inverness after watching your video i went to check my wheels but found they were in perfect condition! I don't really clean it as much as I probably should but maybe I am lucky. Very pleased with it having owned a K1600gt before it. Anyway thanks for letting us know!
Mate lives near a coast and the salt in the air damaged his bike. Honda replaced his wheels under warranty and he uses acf50 now on it during the winter. Hasn’t had the same issues.
Hi James Thanks for the honest review. One of the reasons why I swapped out my RT for a 23 Bagger last year was because of the similarities and passion and you had shown toward the Goldwing at the time. I love my bike, it's a keeper and I believe I made the right choice for me. I don't live in a particularly hostile part of the country weatherwise, but I did invest in having Ceramic Coating Protection all over including the wheels, which by the way made the bike look even better than when it was in the showroom. It has made maintaining the bike in top condition very easy, not a lot of time spent washing and keeps the bike protected and clean. Thanks for your vids, I do hope it's not really The End of your interesting videos. Cheers
Hi Chris. Ceramic coating is the way to go, and with hindsight, it is what I should have done. I loved the Goldwing, and would not hesitate to recommend it, with the caveats I have stated. Thanks for your comment, and hopefully, yes, the end of the interesting vids!
I'm surprised that it is corroded this much for such a new bike. On the other hand, it does bring to mind about your previous bike (BMW R1250RT) which also had a corrosion issue; albeit, it was with the braking system. Is it something that is on your local roads, the salinity levels or some chemicals that are prevalent in your local roads? The question is that BOTH bikes had corrosion issues. I live in the NW USA, and our climate here is very similar to the British Isles, wet and cool. I do not see this kind of corrosions on my '22 Goldwing.
Only issue i do have with my 2019 wing is im not 100% happy with the paint or clearcoat thickness as it feels soft, but my paint has held up and still looks new(thank you honda polish) My wheels still look new ,seems like your powder coating and rust might be due to heavey exposure to salt air and water but thats just a guess. Im 100% still happy with my bike, also there is a guy who hasca goldwing he calls war horse that he has over 100k miles and does not have these issue as well like you stated..well good luch with your next bike.
My experience doesn't define the brand, but it is still my experience. In the same place, and garaged in the same way, no rust on my car, no rust on my lawn mower, and previous bikes had no rust problems. So yes, heavy salt/cold air and water, but the level of care these bikes need means they are just not suitable for climates other than the kindest.
The gold wing is the most superior machine ever made by Honda, I own a 1986 Honda gold wing interstate GL1200. I bought it with original 28,000 miles. I absolutely love it, it is the best motorcycle I have ever owned. I used to own a Honda VTX 1800, another amazing machine. However,the gold wing is way smoother, in fact it is the smoothest machine I have ever owned, you could literally travel the world and have no issues at all, as long as you are ontop of your basic maintenance, you could see 400,000 miles easily on a gold wing before it needs a rebuild, then after you rebuild the entire engine, its good for another 400,000 miles. That is how good the mathematics and engineering that went into the gold wing.
@@Johnclark300 Have you tried the modern ones, like mine? I know many wing enthusiasts were not best pleased with the new design, and also, like me there have been way more problems than the old ones. I had a CBR100F in the ninetees, and a Fireblade in 2000, both bullet proof but the CRF1000 I had in 2028 was rubbish, and the Goldwing is very falwed when it comes to quality
Hi, i enjoyed that informative vid, on recommends from yt, thanks. I've just bought an older wing from a friend for an upcoming two up spain tour with my wife. I did briefly consider buying a brand new tour model, but having priced it at 35k with the extras i wanted, i just didn't think it was worth the money.
One of my other subscribers had his bike ceramic coated and has had no problems. I have invested in an ABBA Skylift as I am not taking any chances with the GSA and I can get it off the ground and into the nooks and crannies. You will enjoy the ride.
Hi Jim. Just came across your video . I , like you returned my GW bagger 3 weeks ago . I was the guy who bought the riders back rest off you. It’s my second bagger and to be honest didn’t use it a great deal. I went to France on it 3 weeks ago but decided to chop it in upon my return. I was a little disappointed with certain aspects of the bike . Saying that it’s still a great bike . Would I buy another?? No definitely not . I’ve gone back to a Kawasaki ZZR 1400 . It’s my 5th one and a great bike . I hear what you say about accessing the rear wheel to clean . There’s quite a few places hard to get to, to clean on that bike . Best wishes
Good to hear from you Phil. AS much as I loved the GW, I am finding life on the GSA easier, especially with the weight moving it around the garage and in and out. I wouldn't buy a Honda again, mainly because of the customer service and how poor it was. They were only interested in protecting themselves and not looking after me. I also had lots of other little niggles that I didn't mention, but truth told, I am gald its gone.
Hope you have more luck with yours than I had with mine. Got a first service and the engine started making a tapping sound. Had it in with the dealer multiple times and they couldn’t sort it out. In the end I sold it as it was really such a concerning problem for me. I looked this up online and it’s unfortunately happened to some people as well.
@@theonlyredspecial Yes i am under no illusion had the k16 over 5 years 7k miles ! everything modern as its probs . Ive got a 5 other bikes so miles get spread .
Think your review is very balanced. Having considered a gold wing a few times and quite liked the test ride we personally have decided on the last three times to go with BMW. While I know you didn't do well with BMW we took delivery of our third RT with the TFT in March. Think as always your review is both valid and insightful. All the best.
@@HighlandRider I find the GS / GSA far too tall, for me with my little (short) legs and as always ride two up I prefer the lower hieght, my wife also finds the RT comfortable. Hope you enjoy the GSA and have better luck than the RT and Goldwing. For us the RT has proven the perfect bike, hence on our third. Intresting your comments on the Goldwing as its a bike that I'm drawn to, but never took the plunge. Good that the Honda Dealer has taken it back, my understanding is few dealers want them as they are hard to sell.... All the best.
Dealers not wanting Goldwing is a fact, in the first recording of the review I mentioned that but decided to take it out and stick to fact. In my first video about the rust I mentioned that and it was only because I bought the bike from them, and had threatened legal action for misleading me on the warranty that I got the cooperation I was after. GSA is big but I couldn’t afford an RT so GS it is. Writing this in a cafe in The Cairngorms in the middle of a cheeky ride out and am enjoying the GSA so far
@@HighlandRiderwho would want that neglected rust bucket. If I lived next door to you I would guarantee my wing would still be immaculate.Did some one use an aggressive acid cleaner on your bike? You must be pissed off with me by now😂 feel free to tell me to …k off , Richard
WTF, given how old the bike is and the state of the wheels/exhaust, 100% unacceptable. Honda (like Toyota) knows the market it is selling to. E.G Toyota panels are made thicker for UK market as they know about rock salt - Shame on you Honda, you should know better and on a premium motorcycle. FFS👹👹👹🤬🤬. Great honest review, take note Honda👹👹👹🤬👹🤬🤡👹👹🤬
I ride both the BMW K1600GTL and the latest Goldwing Tour DCT (not the bagger). They both have their fors and againsts. The K1600GTL has more power, sounds awesome and goes like stink. Handles quite well but is slightly top heavy. Also, both me and my wife get a lot of buffeting regardless of how high I put the screen up. Neither me or my wife find it particularly comfortable. The Wing is not as fast (acceleration or top speed) as the BMW but handles equally as well (grinding the pegs is a regular occurrence), if not better than the BMW as the centre of gravity is very low. I have the standard screen and neither myself or my wife suffer any buffeting what so ever on the Wing. (6ft 3”) The comfort of the Wing is far superior to the BMW and the DCT is awesome, especially if you use it using the paddles, even when in automatic mode. By the way, there are more modes on the Tour version of the Wing. Eco, Rain, Tour and Sport. Most of the time we use Tour, but Sport DOES make a difference and the Wing comes alive for some huge fun. Rain is useful for..well, when it’s raining. Eco is a waste of space and pointless. Fuel consumption for us on the Wing is 45-47 mpg..range about 200+ miles. As mentioned, depends on driving habits. The most I have got has been 50mpg when following a mate on his Honda Deauville. Ref the storage. The BMW wins hands down! The Wing is disappointingly small, especially on the 2018-2019 models. Slightly improved on the 2020 onwards. Have to agree with the corrosion..Honda have always been bad and the Wing needs a lot of cleaning after getting wet. The BMW on the other hand is a LOT better and you can drive in any weather and just tuck it away until you get round to cleaning it. I enjoy both for different reasons. Despite them both being in direct competition, they are completely different animals and both in need of an “update” soon as they are getting “old” now.
Thank you for your comments and an interesting comparison. I am enjoying life with my BMW GSA and one big factor is that it is so much easier to clean.
I had a 2020 Bagger in matt black. Lovely bike to ride. However, i dont ride my bikes in the wet, because they are so difficult to clean, and more importantly DRY, in all the nooks and crannies. Once, when riding on a high road in Derbyshire towards the end of the riding season, i did get caught out on a damp road that had had its first application of salt. When i got the bike home i cleaned and dried it and sprayed WD40. However when i looked at it a few weeks later I was really quite shocked to see that there was quite a lot of corrosion under the bike, including the exhaust fasters, the black paint on the exhausts exhausts themselves was flaking off and they were rusty where the paint had come off, the rear brake line fasteners were all corroded and had lost their black paint and the shock absorberbody and piston were also rusty. I couldn't believe how much corrosion there was...the bike was new and had done less than 1000 miles and had never got so much as damp before. I did complain to the dealership and got the exhausts replaced under warranty. The dealer principle hinted that GWs were not very good in salty conditions and great care had to be taken to clean and dry the bikes. The other issue with my bike was the matt paint, which i found marked extremely easily and, once marked it is impossible to polish out the mark. I had to be extremely careful and basically avoid touching the matt black paintwork. However, I did buy the bike with 3 free services provided by Honda and the dealership i took it too were not careful with the paintwork. As such it came back with loads of marks to the paintwork. After a long battle I got them to replace the affected panels at no cost to me. After those experiences, i part exchanged the matt bagger for a gloss bagger, but even the gloss ones have matt areas e.g. the cubby lid, which i have had to cover with 3m tape for peace of mind. All in all, i love the bagger but they definitely do require a high level of care and i am very careful to check the weather forecast before i go out on it. I may have to swap the bike for something more robust because of this. I had a BMW GS, but that also suffered corrosion / paint problems....so are there any makes that dont suffer these issues?
Hello David, you and I seem to have had a similar experience. I had a 2015 GS and that suffered from flaking paint o the engine covers, and BMW gave me a new engine. The GSA I have just got, I know suffered the same problem and it has new cylinder head covers done before I got the bike. The difference I have found, is that Honda were difficult to deal with and denied everything, whereas BMW just replaced everything without any hassle. I was talking to my dealer on Friday who told me the new GS 1300 has covers made from some new metal, could be some sort of Titanium mix, to overcome this as it seems a problem they cannot solve. I accept all bikes will suffer problems now, but the test is how the dealer/manufacturers respond.
Hi,does your dct really average 59/63? Cruiseman on RUclips averaged 46 over 30000 miles.He’s really slow riding around Texas on flat roads.Some dct road tests have been in high thirties..Richard Cottingham
Hi if I could add a photo of it I would. Economy is sublime. Thought it may be wrong so do manual calculation too. Don’t forget the American gallon is smaller his is the your also.
I agree with you that the finish quality should be better. Any motorcycle should be made to ride and not pampered whenever it rains in order to keep the finish intact.
Honda don't need 100% customer satisfaction, so they don't need to build bullet proof bikes anymore. The same is probably true of all manufacturers, but as far as Honda are concerned, they can live on a reputation and save money building bikes that for most people, will be ridden a couple of times a year on sunny days.
I had an R1200GS and after 700 miles I had flaking black paint on the engine, corrosion starting to show on the wheels and the front shock absorber body was starting to rust.....and I look after my bikes!
Paint has got to be a Warranty issue no ? I have a 21 model and have no problems at all, and as for the size of the panniers I was well aware of it before I bought it .
Not according to Honda. As for the panniers, I too was aware but one of things that started to irritate the longer I owned it, especially not being able to get my laptop in.
Paint flaking on a 2year old 24k bike that to me is a not fit for purpose case, sorry to labour the point but the dealer is the one you have the contract with so they need to put it right .
For Apple CarPlay You can plug a Bluetooth dongle into the usb port in the pannier. Fools the bike into thinking you have a headset connected. If you don’t want to have a headset on.
I did use a dongle but I found the connection would break. I returned the first one thinking the dongle was at fault, but I had the same problem with the second. It wasn't too bad and I did use it a few times.
@@HighlandRider Maybe I got lucky, ive had one in my pannier for a year, just a bluetooth dongle I got from Amazon for like £8, and the bike always sees it immediately and its never lost any connection - its just hard wired, so I dont see how it could break connection - its not actually transmitting bluetooth to any device. It just fools the bike into thinking there is a headset there. Just means if I dont want a headset attached in a helmet I can always have carplay working. I use the Carlin airplay device in the other USB port which was on cruisemans channel with a 30 second delay, as the goldwing likes the bluetooth (fake headset) starting up first. So they both start and sync to the bike. been faultless now for 10k miles.
If I was you, especially living where you do, the first thing I would have done after purchase was to figure out how to get to and clean those rear components around and including the rear wheel. I'm sure at can't be that difficult. Scanning google for 30 seconds brought up a vid on how to remove the wheels. I suspect in your case salt was deposited after a ride and was not washed off on return home due to the difficult access. PS I would have also bought a Tesla rather than the i4...
It isn't difficulty, it is time. If after every ride I have to raise the bike and remove the wheels to clean the bike, then biking is dead to me. I have a full time job, full time wife and sometimes I just want to go out and ride. I have had bikes for 40 years and I think I care for them in an adequate way, and my bikes have always ben garaged. Others have told me they had their bike ceramic coated, a good move I think, but when you are spending £25k + on a bike, should you really have to do this? Shouldn't the bike be good enough to cope with the climate it is sold in? And if not, should that not be in the sales blurb? Not suitable for salty areas? Don't buy if you live in Scotland? Of course not, it is 'buyer beware' because actually, Honda don't need my business.
Hi Alan. All of his problems were because of neglect.Not having time is an excuse and it cost him an extra 4500 in depreciation,I hose any salt off which takes five minutes . You clean the back wheel lying on your side and spinning the wheel.My bike has no issues Richard
I find this comment insulting. You clearly have all the time in the world to lavish care on what is a fragile and poorly built bike. I have owned bikes for over 40 years and my Royal Enfield Himalayan had a harder life, did more winter miles and had very little corrosion. My bikes are washed, treated with ACF 50 and this bike only had one winter ride. You may have had great experiences but judging me by the standards of your easy life displays an astounding level of arrogance.
I wouldn't argue with that but I am guessing you ride it in a different way to me. Even with the most cautious riding the best i got was 55mpg, but I think had I kept it the mpg would have improved.
I have had my 2018 tour for 5 years and don't have any issues with the wheels HOWEVER I know you have the blacked out model which has painted wheels which does seem to suffer from thin paint. You say you have invested in an ABBA lift to get into the nooks and crannies on your replacement bike, do you think had you done this with the Goldwing the wheels could have been saved before they got into such a state as you did say you are not one to clean your bikes after a ride me neither btw. Reading between the lines I feel the major gripe with your ownership is the poor customer service from Honda UK which has put a damper on your experience which is a real shame.
Bikes go wrong, as do cars so the fact the bike had problems is one of those things. My complaint is with Honda and so I will not buy from them again. They won't even notice. I have never needed a bike lift before and if I had known before how bad these bikes can be, I would probably not bought one, but if I had, I would have had it ceramic coated.
I’ve watched your previous video and the corrosion was awful. I do sympathise. But if you had been fastidious you would still have an immaculate Goldwing.worth 18500.My 22 bagger bought with 1200 miles cost me 19000 and is still immaculate.Cleaning the wheel isn’t difficult but you need to lie on your back an spin the wheel.Simple. The matt paint should be avoided being much more sensitive than matt on Harley or Indian.Triumph lacquered wheels on Rocket 3,loads of claims so removed it and told owners to clean them. End of claims.Good luck Richard
If the Goldwing is so good, and Honda quality so good, why is it necessary to lie on my back to clean the back wheel? So I am going to stick to my view; only buy this bike if you are prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect it. That means when you ride come back and spend two hours cleaning it. Otherwise buy something else that is a lot more robust
I don’t think it’s only Honda that has poor build quality. I think many manufacturers have cut costs but for a 25k bike I would expect more. If a two year old Honda car had the same problems with its wheels then I think they would fix the problem. What bike are you getting next ?
Totally agree that quality has dropped across all manufacturers. Next bike is alreadt purchased and covered nearly 1500 miles since collecting it on 9th May. It is a 2020 BMW GSA, not my dream bike, but affordable with a 2 year BMW warranty.
Hi,I’ve owned three new wings and covered 30k . My bike is manual and despite being a quick rider I have never seen less than 50mpg !! All have averaged 53-56. You obviously bought the wrong after market screen. I had the first Matt silver one and hated the the fragile finish ,my shiny mud grey is perfect.Don’t buy Matt. I’ve had no wheel corrosion at all. Richard Cottingham
Hello Richard. I think I have annoyed you with my review, however, this is my experience and I did not spend £25k to be disappointed. I have tried to keep the review balanced, but my bike suffered severe rust on every painted part, and the wheel corrosion was awful. Honda did not care, and had it not been for the dealer stepping in I would be faced with very expensive repairs to wheels and painted parts.
Honda customer service hasn’t had much practice, having owned fifty wings and done 200000 miles (I was a dealer until 2012)I had one issue on one) . BMW had lots and lots and lots of practice .Tee Hee 😂 Richard Cottingham
How many k1600 have had new engines because of corrosion,lots.I’ve watched lots of owners tip toeing around car parks frightened of falling over.Very easy to stall,terrible resale value. Early ones are very cheap compared with wings because of reliability. Piece of crap ? Read 99% of other reviews. Richard Cottingham
Not just K16s but all BMW models suffer from corrosion. I have never owned a K16 as I never liked them and I think the Goldwing is superior, but I have gone back to BMW (a GS) because I can get to all the exposed parts, and bought an Abba Skylift to get the bike off the ground so I can comfortably get into the nooks and crannies. My other reason for buying BMW again is whenever I have had problems with a BMW they have always sorted it, including a new engine when I got corrosion on the head cases, and never comae across the Honda attitude of 'it's not our problem'. If you have never had a problem with your Goldwings then you will not have experienced Honda CS.
Sorry, the K1600 comments were for the K1600 rider that called the Wing a piece of crap.I think if you gave the wing a good covering of anti corrosion spray on the vulnerable parts and cleaned the salt off ,some of the problems could have been avoided.Triumph had trouble with the lacquer on Rocket wheels so they sold the bikes without the lacquer and told owners to clean the wheels ! End of claims. Good luck with the BM ( not sarcastic)😂 Richard Cottingham
@@HighlandRidermy comment was directed to the other person…but I do agree, it’s good to be unique. I have just never heard someone say a GW is trash, ever. There is a solid reason the bike has been around for 50 years now.
I sincerely hope you have better luck with your next bike ,after the last 2 bikes have been so disappointing, good luck and thanks for sharing ❤
No new bikes now, too expensive to risk
Hi, I have a 2020 Goldwing B and live near Inverness after watching your video i went to check my wheels but found they were in perfect condition! I don't really clean it as much as I probably should but maybe I am lucky.
Very pleased with it having owned a K1600gt before it.
Anyway thanks for letting us know!
Makes my experience all the more baffling
Mate lives near a coast and the salt in the air damaged his bike. Honda replaced his wheels under warranty and he uses acf50 now on it during the winter. Hasn’t had the same issues.
Hi James
Thanks for the honest review. One of the reasons why I swapped out my RT for a 23 Bagger last year was because of the similarities and passion and you had shown toward the Goldwing at the time. I love my bike, it's a keeper and I believe I made the right choice for me. I don't live in a particularly hostile part of the country weatherwise, but I did invest in having Ceramic Coating Protection all over including the wheels, which by the way made the bike look even better than when it was in the showroom. It has made maintaining the bike in top condition very easy, not a lot of time spent washing and keeps the bike protected and clean. Thanks for your vids, I do hope it's not really The End of your interesting videos. Cheers
Hi Chris. Ceramic coating is the way to go, and with hindsight, it is what I should have done. I loved the Goldwing, and would not hesitate to recommend it, with the caveats I have stated. Thanks for your comment, and hopefully, yes, the end of the interesting vids!
I'm surprised that it is corroded this much for such a new bike.
On the other hand, it does bring to mind about your previous bike (BMW R1250RT) which also had a corrosion issue; albeit, it was with the braking system.
Is it something that is on your local roads, the salinity levels or some chemicals that are prevalent in your local roads?
The question is that BOTH bikes had corrosion issues.
I live in the NW USA, and our climate here is very similar to the British Isles, wet and cool. I do not see this kind of corrosions on my '22 Goldwing.
I have wondered what is in my garage, so it has been cleaned out and I have bought a Skylift to help me get it off the ground and detail clean it.
Only issue i do have with my 2019 wing is im not 100% happy with the paint or clearcoat thickness as it feels soft, but my paint has held up and still looks new(thank you honda polish)
My wheels still look new ,seems like your powder coating and rust might be due to heavey exposure to salt air and water but thats just a guess. Im 100% still happy with my bike, also there is a guy who hasca goldwing he calls war horse that he has over 100k miles and does not have these issue as well like you stated..well good luch with your next bike.
My experience doesn't define the brand, but it is still my experience. In the same place, and garaged in the same way, no rust on my car, no rust on my lawn mower, and previous bikes had no rust problems. So yes, heavy salt/cold air and water, but the level of care these bikes need means they are just not suitable for climates other than the kindest.
The gold wing is the most superior machine ever made by Honda, I own a 1986 Honda gold wing interstate GL1200. I bought it with original 28,000 miles. I absolutely love it, it is the best motorcycle I have ever owned. I used to own a Honda VTX 1800, another amazing machine. However,the gold wing is way smoother, in fact it is the smoothest machine I have ever owned, you could literally travel the world and have no issues at all, as long as you are ontop of your basic maintenance, you could see 400,000 miles easily on a gold wing before it needs a rebuild, then after you rebuild the entire engine, its good for another 400,000 miles. That is how good the mathematics and engineering that went into the gold wing.
You like it then.
@@HighlandRider yes
@@Johnclark300 Have you tried the modern ones, like mine? I know many wing enthusiasts were not best pleased with the new design, and also, like me there have been way more problems than the old ones. I had a CBR100F in the ninetees, and a Fireblade in 2000, both bullet proof but the CRF1000 I had in 2028 was rubbish, and the Goldwing is very falwed when it comes to quality
Hi, i enjoyed that informative vid, on recommends from yt, thanks. I've just bought an older wing from a friend for an upcoming two up spain tour with my wife. I did briefly consider buying a brand new tour model, but having priced it at 35k with the extras i wanted, i just didn't think it was worth the money.
One of my other subscribers had his bike ceramic coated and has had no problems. I have invested in an ABBA Skylift as I am not taking any chances with the GSA and I can get it off the ground and into the nooks and crannies. You will enjoy the ride.
Hi Jim. Just came across your video . I , like you returned my GW bagger 3 weeks ago . I was the guy who bought the riders back rest off you.
It’s my second bagger and to be honest didn’t use it a great deal. I went to France on it 3 weeks ago but decided to chop it in upon my return.
I was a little disappointed with certain aspects of the bike . Saying that it’s still a great bike . Would I buy another?? No definitely not . I’ve gone back to a Kawasaki ZZR 1400 . It’s my 5th one and a great bike . I hear what you say about accessing the rear wheel to clean . There’s quite a few places hard to get to, to clean on that bike .
Best wishes
Good to hear from you Phil. AS much as I loved the GW, I am finding life on the GSA easier, especially with the weight moving it around the garage and in and out. I wouldn't buy a Honda again, mainly because of the customer service and how poor it was. They were only interested in protecting themselves and not looking after me. I also had lots of other little niggles that I didn't mention, but truth told, I am gald its gone.
I considered a goldwing im glad i went for a k1600gt having watched your vid thanks !
Hope you have more luck with yours than I had with mine. Got a first service and the engine started making a tapping sound. Had it in with the dealer multiple times and they couldn’t sort it out. In the end I sold it as it was really such a concerning problem for me.
I looked this up online and it’s unfortunately happened to some people as well.
@@theonlyredspecial Yes i am under no illusion had the k16 over 5 years 7k miles ! everything modern as its probs . Ive got a 5 other bikes so miles get spread .
Good luck when you try to sell it.They drop like a stone.
@@joycecottingham9432 yes I know I lost a fortune on my k16. Hate even thinking about it a year later
@@joycecottingham9432 Not selling thanks its a keeper 👍.
Think your review is very balanced. Having considered a gold wing a few times and quite liked the test ride we personally have decided on the last three times to go with BMW. While I know you didn't do well with BMW we took delivery of our third RT with the TFT in March. Think as always your review is both valid and insightful. All the best.
RT is a great bike. While I have had problems with BMW,my replacement bike is a 2020 GSA
@@HighlandRider I find the GS / GSA far too tall, for me with my little (short) legs and as always ride two up I prefer the lower hieght, my wife also finds the RT comfortable. Hope you enjoy the GSA and have better luck than the RT and Goldwing. For us the RT has proven the perfect bike, hence on our third. Intresting your comments on the Goldwing as its a bike that I'm drawn to, but never took the plunge. Good that the Honda Dealer has taken it back, my understanding is few dealers want them as they are hard to sell.... All the best.
Dealers not wanting Goldwing is a fact, in the first recording of the review I mentioned that but decided to take it out and stick to fact. In my first video about the rust I mentioned that and it was only because I bought the bike from them, and had threatened legal action for misleading me on the warranty that I got the cooperation I was after. GSA is big but I couldn’t afford an RT so GS it is. Writing this in a cafe in The Cairngorms in the middle of a cheeky ride out and am enjoying the GSA so far
Noted, enjoy the GS all the best.
@@HighlandRiderwho would want that neglected rust bucket. If I lived next door to you I would guarantee my wing would still be immaculate.Did some one use an aggressive acid cleaner on your bike? You must be pissed off with me by now😂 feel free to tell me to …k off , Richard
WTF, given how old the bike is and the state of the wheels/exhaust, 100% unacceptable. Honda (like Toyota) knows the market it is selling to. E.G Toyota panels are made thicker for UK market as they know about rock salt - Shame on you Honda, you should know better and on a premium motorcycle. FFS👹👹👹🤬🤬. Great honest review, take note Honda👹👹👹🤬👹🤬🤡👹👹🤬
I ride both the BMW K1600GTL and the latest Goldwing Tour DCT (not the bagger). They both have their fors and againsts. The K1600GTL has more power, sounds awesome and goes like stink. Handles quite well but is slightly top heavy. Also, both me and my wife get a lot of buffeting regardless of how high I put the screen up. Neither me or my wife find it particularly comfortable. The Wing is not as fast (acceleration or top speed) as the BMW but handles equally as well (grinding the pegs is a regular occurrence), if not better than the BMW as the centre of gravity is very low. I have the standard screen and neither myself or my wife suffer any buffeting what so ever on the Wing. (6ft 3”) The comfort of the Wing is far superior to the BMW and the DCT is awesome, especially if you use it using the paddles, even when in automatic mode. By the way, there are more modes on the Tour version of the Wing. Eco, Rain, Tour and Sport. Most of the time we use Tour, but Sport DOES make a difference and the Wing comes alive for some huge fun. Rain is useful for..well, when it’s raining. Eco is a waste of space and pointless. Fuel consumption for us on the Wing is 45-47 mpg..range about 200+ miles. As mentioned, depends on driving habits. The most I have got has been 50mpg when following a mate on his Honda Deauville. Ref the storage. The BMW wins hands down! The Wing is disappointingly small, especially on the 2018-2019 models. Slightly improved on the 2020 onwards. Have to agree with the corrosion..Honda have always been bad and the Wing needs a lot of cleaning after getting wet. The BMW on the other hand is a LOT better and you can drive in any weather and just tuck it away until you get round to cleaning it. I enjoy both for different reasons. Despite them both being in direct competition, they are completely different animals and both in need of an “update” soon as they are getting “old” now.
Thank you for your comments and an interesting comparison. I am enjoying life with my BMW GSA and one big factor is that it is so much easier to clean.
I had a 2020 Bagger in matt black. Lovely bike to ride. However, i dont ride my bikes in the wet, because they are so difficult to clean, and more importantly DRY, in all the nooks and crannies. Once, when riding on a high road in Derbyshire towards the end of the riding season, i did get caught out on a damp road that had had its first application of salt. When i got the bike home i cleaned and dried it and sprayed WD40. However when i looked at it a few weeks later I was really quite shocked to see that there was quite a lot of corrosion under the bike, including the exhaust fasters, the black paint on the exhausts exhausts themselves was flaking off and they were rusty where the paint had come off, the rear brake line fasteners were all corroded and had lost their black paint and the shock absorberbody and piston were also rusty. I couldn't believe how much corrosion there was...the bike was new and had done less than 1000 miles and had never got so much as damp before. I did complain to the dealership and got the exhausts replaced under warranty. The dealer principle hinted that GWs were not very good in salty conditions and great care had to be taken to clean and dry the bikes. The other issue with my bike was the matt paint, which i found marked extremely easily and, once marked it is impossible to polish out the mark. I had to be extremely careful and basically avoid touching the matt black paintwork. However, I did buy the bike with 3 free services provided by Honda and the dealership i took it too were not careful with the paintwork. As such it came back with loads of marks to the paintwork. After a long battle I got them to replace the affected panels at no cost to me.
After those experiences, i part exchanged the matt bagger for a gloss bagger, but even the gloss ones have matt areas e.g. the cubby lid, which i have had to cover with 3m tape for peace of mind.
All in all, i love the bagger but they definitely do require a high level of care and i am very careful to check the weather forecast before i go out on it. I may have to swap the bike for something more robust because of this. I had a BMW GS, but that also suffered corrosion / paint problems....so are there any makes that dont suffer these issues?
Hello David, you and I seem to have had a similar experience. I had a 2015 GS and that suffered from flaking paint o the engine covers, and BMW gave me a new engine. The GSA I have just got, I know suffered the same problem and it has new cylinder head covers done before I got the bike. The difference I have found, is that Honda were difficult to deal with and denied everything, whereas BMW just replaced everything without any hassle. I was talking to my dealer on Friday who told me the new GS 1300 has covers made from some new metal, could be some sort of Titanium mix, to overcome this as it seems a problem they cannot solve. I accept all bikes will suffer problems now, but the test is how the dealer/manufacturers respond.
Shame that you parted with it... I have over 6500 miles on mine, use it in tour mode most of the time and always get 59/63 mpg. Enjoy the new ride.
Had it not rotted like a 1970's Italian car, I would have kept it forever.
Hi,does your dct really average 59/63? Cruiseman on RUclips averaged 46 over 30000 miles.He’s really slow riding around Texas on flat roads.Some dct road tests have been in high thirties..Richard Cottingham
Hi if I could add a photo of it I would. Economy is sublime.
Thought it may be wrong so do manual calculation too.
Don’t forget the American gallon is smaller his is the your also.
I agree with you that the finish quality should be better. Any motorcycle should be made to ride and not pampered whenever it rains in order to keep the finish intact.
Honda don't need 100% customer satisfaction, so they don't need to build bullet proof bikes anymore. The same is probably true of all manufacturers, but as far as Honda are concerned, they can live on a reputation and save money building bikes that for most people, will be ridden a couple of times a year on sunny days.
Rain isn’t the problem is it ,salt and neglect is. Richard
Well said, but what is your next bike going to be? (K1600?)
2020 GSA, took delivery on 9th May and done 1200 miles, and heading out this afternoon.
I had an R1200GS and after 700 miles I had flaking black paint on the engine, corrosion starting to show on the wheels and the front shock absorber body was starting to rust.....and I look after my bikes!
Paint has got to be a
Warranty issue no ? I have a 21 model and have no problems at all, and as for the size of the panniers I was well aware of it before I bought it .
Not according to Honda. As for the panniers, I too was aware but one of things that started to irritate the longer I owned it, especially not being able to get my laptop in.
Paint flaking on a 2year old 24k bike that to me is a not fit for purpose case, sorry to labour the point but the dealer is the one you have the contract with so they need to put it right .
The dealer bought it back of me for a fair price, so in the end they did look after me. As for Honda, nothing byt contempt
For Apple CarPlay You can plug a Bluetooth dongle into the usb port in the pannier. Fools the bike into thinking you have a headset connected. If you don’t want to have a headset on.
I did use a dongle but I found the connection would break. I returned the first one thinking the dongle was at fault, but I had the same problem with the second. It wasn't too bad and I did use it a few times.
@@HighlandRider Maybe I got lucky, ive had one in my pannier for a year, just a bluetooth dongle I got from Amazon for like £8, and the bike always sees it immediately and its never lost any connection - its just hard wired, so I dont see how it could break connection - its not actually transmitting bluetooth to any device. It just fools the bike into thinking there is a headset there. Just means if I dont want a headset attached in a helmet I can always have carplay working.
I use the Carlin airplay device in the other USB port which was on cruisemans channel with a 30 second delay, as the goldwing likes the bluetooth (fake headset) starting up first. So they both start and sync to the bike. been faultless now for 10k miles.
@@theonlyredspecial I think I am getting my wires crossed here, as I was using a bluetooth device that meant my phone stayed in my pocket. My mistake.
Doea your goldwing have ticking sound on the right side when idle?
Not that I noticed
If I was you, especially living where you do, the first thing I would have done after purchase was to figure out how to get to and clean those rear components around and including the rear wheel. I'm sure at can't be that difficult. Scanning google for 30 seconds brought up a vid on how to remove the wheels. I suspect in your case salt was deposited after a ride and was not washed off on return home due to the difficult access. PS I would have also bought a Tesla rather than the i4...
It isn't difficulty, it is time. If after every ride I have to raise the bike and remove the wheels to clean the bike, then biking is dead to me. I have a full time job, full time wife and sometimes I just want to go out and ride. I have had bikes for 40 years and I think I care for them in an adequate way, and my bikes have always ben garaged. Others have told me they had their bike ceramic coated, a good move I think, but when you are spending £25k + on a bike, should you really have to do this? Shouldn't the bike be good enough to cope with the climate it is sold in? And if not, should that not be in the sales blurb? Not suitable for salty areas? Don't buy if you live in Scotland? Of course not, it is 'buyer beware' because actually, Honda don't need my business.
Hi Alan. All of his problems were because of neglect.Not having time is an excuse and it cost him an extra 4500 in depreciation,I hose any salt off which takes five minutes . You clean the back wheel lying on your side and spinning the wheel.My bike has no issues Richard
I find this comment insulting. You clearly have all the time in the world to lavish care on what is a fragile and poorly built bike. I have owned bikes for over 40 years and my Royal Enfield Himalayan had a harder life, did more winter miles and had very little corrosion. My bikes are washed, treated with ACF 50 and this bike only had one winter ride. You may have had great experiences but judging me by the standards of your easy life displays an astounding level of arrogance.
My 2019 has never done less than 48mpg and that spirited mode on a tour then there are days when I see 60+ mpg
I wouldn't argue with that but I am guessing you ride it in a different way to me. Even with the most cautious riding the best i got was 55mpg, but I think had I kept it the mpg would have improved.
Can you say what the depreciation was please?
Yes, I got £14k, so around 40% depreciation. In a dealer a used one of this age sells for around £18k.
@@HighlandRider Thank you.
Ouch..
I have had my 2018 tour for 5 years and don't have any issues with the wheels HOWEVER I know you have the blacked out model which has painted wheels which does seem to suffer from thin paint. You say you have invested in an ABBA lift to get into the nooks and crannies on your replacement bike, do you think had you done this with the Goldwing the wheels could have been saved before they got into such a state as you did say you are not one to clean your bikes after a ride me neither btw. Reading between the lines I feel the major gripe with your ownership is the poor customer service from Honda UK which has put a damper on your experience which is a real shame.
Bikes go wrong, as do cars so the fact the bike had problems is one of those things. My complaint is with Honda and so I will not buy from them again. They won't even notice. I have never needed a bike lift before and if I had known before how bad these bikes can be, I would probably not bought one, but if I had, I would have had it ceramic coated.
I’m like you I ride them not clean them. Obviously I do clean them but not after every ride. Not the bike for me.
Way too busy to be that detailed
2:28
I’ve watched your previous video and the corrosion was awful. I do sympathise. But if you had been fastidious you would still have an immaculate Goldwing.worth 18500.My 22 bagger bought with 1200 miles cost me 19000 and is still immaculate.Cleaning the wheel isn’t difficult but you need to lie on your back an spin the wheel.Simple. The matt paint should be avoided being much more sensitive than matt on Harley or Indian.Triumph lacquered wheels on Rocket 3,loads of claims so removed it and told owners to clean them. End of claims.Good luck Richard
If the Goldwing is so good, and Honda quality so good, why is it necessary to lie on my back to clean the back wheel? So I am going to stick to my view; only buy this bike if you are prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect it. That means when you ride come back and spend two hours cleaning it. Otherwise buy something else that is a lot more robust
I don’t think it’s only Honda that has poor build quality. I think many manufacturers have cut costs but for a 25k bike I would expect more. If a two year old Honda car had the same problems with its wheels then I think they would fix the problem.
What bike are you getting next ?
Totally agree that quality has dropped across all manufacturers. Next bike is alreadt purchased and covered nearly 1500 miles since collecting it on 9th May. It is a 2020 BMW GSA, not my dream bike, but affordable with a 2 year BMW warranty.
Hi,I’ve owned three new wings and covered 30k . My bike is manual and despite being a quick rider I have never seen less than 50mpg !! All have averaged 53-56. You obviously bought the wrong after market screen. I had the first Matt silver one and hated the the fragile finish ,my shiny mud grey is perfect.Don’t buy Matt. I’ve had no wheel corrosion at all. Richard Cottingham
Hello Richard. I think I have annoyed you with my review, however, this is my experience and I did not spend £25k to be disappointed. I have tried to keep the review balanced, but my bike suffered severe rust on every painted part, and the wheel corrosion was awful. Honda did not care, and had it not been for the dealer stepping in I would be faced with very expensive repairs to wheels and painted parts.
Honda customer service hasn’t had much practice, having owned fifty wings and done 200000 miles (I was a dealer until 2012)I had one issue on one) . BMW had lots and lots and lots of practice .Tee Hee 😂 Richard Cottingham
Well that is a good excuse, 'we haven't had much practice so lets just ignore any problems and pretend we are good'. Works for them I suppose
Brilliant bike but 16 months in my back wheel is falling apart paint wise
How many k1600 have had new engines because of corrosion,lots.I’ve watched lots of owners tip toeing around car parks frightened of falling over.Very easy to stall,terrible resale value. Early ones are very cheap compared with wings because of reliability. Piece of crap ? Read 99% of other reviews. Richard Cottingham
Not just K16s but all BMW models suffer from corrosion. I have never owned a K16 as I never liked them and I think the Goldwing is superior, but I have gone back to BMW (a GS) because I can get to all the exposed parts, and bought an Abba Skylift to get the bike off the ground so I can comfortably get into the nooks and crannies. My other reason for buying BMW again is whenever I have had problems with a BMW they have always sorted it, including a new engine when I got corrosion on the head cases, and never comae across the Honda attitude of 'it's not our problem'. If you have never had a problem with your Goldwings then you will not have experienced Honda CS.
Sorry, the K1600 comments were for the K1600 rider that called the Wing a piece of crap.I think if you gave the wing a good covering of anti corrosion spray on the vulnerable parts and cleaned the salt off ,some of the problems could have been avoided.Triumph had trouble with the lacquer on Rocket wheels so they sold the bikes without the lacquer and told owners to clean the wheels ! End of claims. Good luck with the BM ( not sarcastic)😂 Richard Cottingham
Piece of crap, a k1600 is a superior cycle. Gold wing does not come close
Each to their own. Prefer the RT to the K16
Viperrc535.I’ve replied to your comment in the general replies.Richard Cottinham UK
You’re the only person on earth to say a Goldwing is a piece of crap.
@@LulaPlays nice to be unique eh
@@HighlandRidermy comment was directed to the other person…but I do agree, it’s good to be unique. I have just never heard someone say a GW is trash, ever. There is a solid reason the bike has been around for 50 years now.