Just as Honda is in prospect catching up with the ingenuity of after-market suppliers by providing connectivity for digital music players,  the after-market is jumping ahead again by providing improved bike-to-bike communication options.

BikeMP3, a Florida-based Company, has released a new black box gadget which will allow an alternative (and cheaper) CB radio to be installed on to GL1800s.  It uses the same plug-in connections as the OEM CB radio and makes the bike think that an OEM CB radio is present, allowing the bike’s display and controls to behave accordingly.

But there’s more to it.  This black box (pictured) adds very useful additional functionality by allowing alternative radios to be connected to the bike, such as a PMR radio or indeed any of a wide range of hand held radios, either as well as or instead of a CB radio module, which they also supply.   You can connect both the CB and your PMR (or other hand held) radio at the same time and have both of them working at at the same time if you wish.  The bike’s PTT switch will trigger both and reception from both will be heard over the intercom too.

You can also connect the audio output from a sat-nav set to your bike’s intercom into the same black box, to listen to the navigational guidance.  And if your sat-nav has Bluetooth, for example Garmin Street Pilot 2820 or the Zumo, you can connect for speech as well as listening, which will allow you to take and make calls on your Bluetooth mobile phone without taking your helmet off.  You can take calls on the move if you want to.

If your hand held radio will take this type of plug, you're in business

This new product does not solve all bike-to-bike communications for UK Wingers because of course it’s not designed to be used on UK Spec GoldWings, which lack the requisite connectors and controls.

And the CB radio module which compliments the GL2WAY (and comes with if you buy the system package) is an AM Band CB.  These are illegal for use in UK although AM CBs are nevertheless commonly used by UK Wingers and Italian truckers even use illegally boosted AM CBs – and they don’t get caught either because no one enforces this law.

The brains behind BikeMP3 is an expatriate Brit called Pete and I rang him about his clever new device to talk through the problems which UK Wingers have installing CB on their bikes and he came across as both well-informed and helpful.  He’s even prepared to look at developing an adaptation of his device which will connect to a European spec GL1800.  The UK market for GL1800s is of course pitifully small but such a device would be saleable across the whole of Europe, which does perhaps have a GL1800 market big enough to be worth bothering with.

BikeMP3 was the Company which first developed a digital music player to replace the Hondaline CD continues………

Discordant or what?

As a very committed GoldWing fan (I’ve got three of them) it’s almost heartbreaking to have to write this report.

The developments in the 2012 Model GoldWing are not entirely without merit but the response from Wingers and motorcyclists generally on the internet forums to the release of the first pictures and information has been almost entirely unfavourable.  In many cases it’s been damning.

The new saddlebags are widely seen as a discordant mismatch with the trunk.

Although some see beauty in the re-shaped front fairing, the majority view is that it does little or nothing to improve the bike’s appearance and it looks almost like like a lift from BMW’s styling manual.  Likewise the new saddlebags look to many like a patched on set from the Victory or Harley parts department. 

A GL1500 trunk would match the new saddlebags better?

At least everyone seems to like the re-shaped windshield garnish, which shows that re-styling of an existing model can compliment the original styling approach. What a pity that quality of design effort comes across only in this minor element of the 2012 GoldWing’s features.

Electronically the “new” Model is widely seen as disappointing too, with the changes boiling down to sorting (hopefully) the serious design weaknesses of the original GL1800 sat-nav system and provision for a digital music player, the latter being something of a catch-up exercise, after-market accessory suppliers having beaten Honda to it by a couple of years or so.

What on earth have Honda’s designers been doing over the ten years since the GL1800 was launched, while BMW’s designers were working on a genuinely innovative replacement for their K12ooLT? continues………

Attractive Check In Staff

Having surrendered my Tax Disc at the end of November and (eventually) got a refund, I now need to tax my bike again from the start of next month, March, so I can get back on the road.

So I went along to my local DVLA Office again to buy myself a new tax disc.  I went there well before the end of the month, eight days before it in fact, although only six working days, to avoid what I knew would be DVLA’s busy period.  With luck the Office would be fairly quiet.

I also timed my arrival to be late in the day (they close at 5pm) to try out my theory that even if it was busy, they would be pulling out all the stops to clear the queue in order to avoid delaying their own commute home.

There was no queue at all for “Check In” and hardly anyone in there at all apart from staff.  The glass door which had suffered the ram raid during my previous visit had been given some new glass but the door was fixed in the fully open position; either they hadn’t had that part fixed or they weren’t going to risk another attack.

Much to my pleasant surprise there was a free Check In desk and it was being attended by an absolutely beautiful young lady with a lovely welcoming smile and long blonde hair.  As I walked straight up to her at the desk I thought I was dreaming and, since I haven’t tried to use anything remotely like a chat up line for several decades, resorted instead to jocular comment on the absence of a queue.

“Have you been bribing people to stay away?” I asked cheerily.  ‘Silly old fart thinks he’s being funny’ she probably thought, but she kept her lovely smile in place anyway, for which I was grateful. continues………

Devices known as Digital CD Players are available as accessories for GL1800 GoldWings as a substitute for the CD Changer which is a Hondaline accessory.

They plug into a connector under the bike’s seat and the bike thinks they are a CD Changer.  The bike’s CD controls can be used to operate it and the bike displays the CD and track number which is being played.

Instead of paying £600 plus for a Hondaline CD Changer (which does not have a good reputation for reliability anyway) you can buy a more modern substitute which will store a lot more music and cost under £100.  The device I bought is available (at the time of writing) by clicking here.

I know these things have been available for some time but my recent experience fitting one could help other Wingers because there have been problems, especially getting the music loaded correctly on to the memory card or stick.

By restricting the folders to 5 and the music files to 54 per folder (which is the most my bike will take) I continues………

2012 Model GoldWing

The waiting is over.  Honda North America have unveiled the 2012 Model GoldWing on their website and it will make its first public appearance at the International Motorcycle Show at Greenville in South Carolina, which takes place between February 25th and 27th.

The new model will be available to US Dealers in May and it is reported that the European version will be available in time for the 2012 biking season.

The bike has styling changes in the form of some new body panels and some new electronic features but there appear to be no substantial changes to the engine or frame.

Among the new electronics is a new sat-nav which allows routes to be downloaded and therefore to be continues………

Sunshine and a clear sky in Suffolk

I’ve been in deepest Suffolk for the past week or so, with only occasional internet access, hence I’ve not been posting much.  Nor of course have I done any riding recently because my bike has been laid up for the winter.

Since the turn of the year I’ve been fairly heavily engaged in refurbishment of a bungalow which has been our holiday home for the past eleven years, since shortly after our first grandchild materialised nearly 300 miles from our home in Lancashire.

Families are relatively scattered these days, or at least ours is, so this was a way of having better contact without imposing too much on their family home.  Since then we’ve acquired another eight grandchildren, located in four well separated geographical clusters so we couldn’t keep buying extra homes to get close to them, but we did keep this one and it has been a great place to go for a break from a busy working life.  Suffolk people seem to live life at their own pace and are rumoured, although I’ve yet to see one myself, to have bumper stickers saying “Don’t rush me I’m from Suffolk”.

And the bungalow more or less looked after itself; we could go and go without even having to worry continues………

This bike has a special place in my affections because it was my own first GL1800 and it always ran very sweetly for me.  I know that it’s been in good hands and has been well looked after ever since.  It’s now being sold for its current owner by Ian Cardwell.

Its a UK model, 1st reg January 2003 and its done 50,300miles.

The bike can be viewed in Rotherham South Yorks.  Price £8995

Accessories include:

• Rear spoiler
• Trunk rack
• Front lower spot lights
• Rear lower tail/brake lights
• Ssaddlebag & trunk trim lights
• Utopia rider backrest
• Red piping to seat & backrests
• Goldwing Gadgets CB radio.

If anyone is interested please call Ian Cardwell on 07973 836624 or email: ian©winginit•org

More photos  …………………..

continues………

GoldWings North West Members with Freddie and Eric

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGEMENT

There was an excellent turnout at last nights ‘do’ at Knutsford Honda, when World Champion “Fast Freddie” Spencer made a personal appearance and owner Eric Warburton laid on not only an excellent buffet but a bevy of beauties to make everyone welcome.

We arrived very early and had a chance to take some clear photos but the place soon filled up nicely so there was quite a party atmosphere.  Celebrity Freddie turned out to be a really nice, friendly guy with a wonderful Southern drawl and he wandered around and chatted amiably to all comers throughout the evening.

Mixing socially in that way with someone who has won two motorcycle World Championships (250 and 500cc) in the same year doesn’t happen every day.  Mind you Eric’s wife Bridget and his niece Victoria  were quite an attraction too.  And then of course there were the bikes, including Eric’s own immaculate Honda 1978 CB750 and a stunning Honda Rune. continues………

GL1800 A6 US Specification in gold, first registered in UK  (new) 27/01/2006.

This is a genuine US Specification bike with Navi sat-nav, comfort pack, ABS and capable of accepting a Hondaline CB radio (not fitted).

It’s always been garaged.  Serviced since new by Ian Cardwell and shod with the best ‘Ultrasealed’ rubber (Avon Cobra tyres front and back) it benefits from an auxiliary iPod connection, 12v power socket and powered clothing connections, all professionally installed.

Full, documented and meticulous service history (thanks Ian), last major done at 40k.   It is tastefully dressed, as photos, and comes with complimentary full set of Goldwing GL1800 luggage bags (never used) and the latest ‘Optimate’ battery management system. continues………

The Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs is revising it’s ideas for catering for individual Wingers and in doing so is contemplating the somewhat revolutionary step of abandoning subscriptions.

The idea is that once you have joined as an Associate (which is what the Federation calls individual membership) you will apparently have nothing else to pay in the way of personal subscriptions, ever.

And although there is a joining fee it’s not going to be a big one and you will get it all back straight away in the form of a joining pack of regalia anyway – so joining is effectively free!

Compared with GWOCGB’s policy over the last few years, of asking fewer and fewer members to pay more and more to cover the Club’s heavy burden of central costs, with virtually nothing of the subscription money passing back to the Regions, this is pretty radical thinking.

The Federation has been doing rather well getting sponsorship from the motorcycle trade.  It’s already in funds and it was dishing out grants to its affiliated Clubs within the first year of its existence. Indeed during its first two years no Affiliated Club failed to get more money back from the Federation than it chipped in and this pattern may very well continue. continues………