Phone Contacts viewable on Garmin SatNav screen in order to make a call

Relatively few riders want to use their phone while riding – apart from anything else linking a mobile phone into a GoldWing’s intercom system is not straightforward and nor is it cheap.

As well as technical obstacles there are also important road safety issues – is it sensible to be using a phone at all while riding, even completely hands-free?

I first looked at hooking up my mobile phone to my GoldWing system six or seven years ago after a friend had done it successfully on his bike, which he used for a lot of business travel and since he was self-employed he needed to be able to take calls while making a journey to avoid losing work.

By connecting a car-type Bluetooth hands-free unit to the bike’s intercom via a purpose-made interface unit and then relying on a Bluetooth connection to the phone, which could therefore stay in his pocket, he had succeeded in establishing a reliable, working system.  This approach was possible because unlike most such hand-held devices, he had found one which had external microphone and speaker sockets, to which he was able to connect the interface unit which would then connect to the bike.

I went as far as buying one of these hands-free devices to follow suit but never quite got around to getting the necessary interface unit made; the car hands-free unit is still around somewhere, still in its packaging.  I suppose at the time I didn’t have a pressing reason to have the phone available while riding and another friend, with whom I discussed the idea, felt very strongly that phones and motorcycling didn’t mix.  Much better, said he, to leave the phone switched off in your pocket so you can concentrate entirely on your riding. continues………

We’ve probably all experienced the frustrations and obstruction to other road users which elderly drivers cause.  They drive unnecessarily slowly or they proceed with such elaborate and excessive caution through a hazard that they get us grinding our teeth and shouting to them to get on with it.  And of course lots of them wear flat caps, so that the sight of a cap on the driver of the car ahead becomes a harbinger or doom and delay.

How can anyone want to bumble along at only 50 mph on a busy motorway, oblivious or careless of the backing up of traffic behind them, as lorries queue to overtake them, holding up faster traffic for hundreds of yards back, as they are either funnelled into the single remaining lorry-free lane.  And all because some selfish or insensitive idiot wants to bumble along slowly in lane one at an indicated 55 mph or so, slightly less than the 56 mph (true speed) to which lorries are governed these days.

They are content to leave the lorry drivers to worry about overtaking them, oblivious to any difficulties a lorry might have with gradients when heavily loaded, which will make for see-sawing progress, almost making the overtake but then dropping back again, as the gradient steepens of the driver of the little car accelerates to maintain his speed up the slope.

Same with the Middle Lane Owners Club; they feel entitled to be lazy and stay in the same continues………

Merry Christmas to all Blog Readers

Today is Christmas Eve and apparently yesterday, the day before Christmas Eve, is the busiest shopping day of the season – but between 12 noon and 1 pm today will be the busiest shopping hour, as lots of blokes rush out to get their ladies something at the last minute.

This has sometimes been my style in the past and I have also had a fall back system when short of ideas involving a friendly local jeweller, who is always willing to exchange whatever I’ve chosen for something she would actualy like to wear – a bit like buying a gift voucher but you get something in a box, all properly wrapped up in Christmas paper with ribon and a fancy bow. Only takes about 10 minutes start to finish and it probably doesn’t matter what you pick as long as the money is about right for her to choose something nice.

I’ve seemed to be able to get into the right ball park by picking earrings or braclets or necklacey type things by turns so it’s not the same thing each year. And she always seems to say she likes what I’ve chosen for her – although of course I don’t really remember what I did buy her, so I wouldn’t know if she’s gone back to change it or not anyway.  As a fallback plan it’s always seemed to be a fairly safe bet.

This year however I’ve taken a bit of a risk and steered clear of the jewellers altogether in favour of armchair shopping with Amazon. Too late to do this on Christmas Eve of course, unless you can think of a credible excuse for having nothing wrapped up to hand over on the actual day and a printed off copy of an Amozon Order propably wouldn’t cut the mustard.  But with a bit of forward planning I’ve saved myself having to go anywhere near an actual shop this year – except when on escort duty, when I can usually contrive to escape to the coffee shop while she does the browsing. continues………

Dave Partridge is selling his purpose-made trailer which he has used to transport both solo GoldWings and trikes in the course of his AwingAway business but is now surplus to requirements.

This is a one-off single axle design with a payload of 540 kg, so enough to transport a GoldWing Trike yet light and manoeuvrable enough to tow behind a family car.

It has a purpose made loading skid and a fitted winch which makes loading a safe and controlled one-man operation.

Enclosed trailers which will carry a trike are very uncommon and trike owners usually have to resort to using a flatbed open trailer.  This one will keep your trike clean and dry in transit as well as providing a temporary garage when you get there.

By the way this doesn’t mean that Dave is giving up his servicing nad repair business, quite the oppoesite, he’s going from strength to strength.

BMF Show Peterborough - a big, big event

The BMF (British Motorcyclists Federation) to which both the Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs and GWOCGB are affialated, are currently offering Three for Two on all 2012 BMF Show Tickets, so if youwill be going to any of their Shows next year you can make worthwhile savings.

The offer only runs until December 23rd, so you will have to be quick.

The offer is for BMF Members only but this includes all Wingers who are members of Federation Clubs or of GWOCGB, since they are, by virtue of their Club’s affiliation, BMF Associate Members.

As an Associate Member you will need to use your Club’s BMF 2011 Discount Code to get the special deal.   This Discount Code was distributed to Federation Clubs late last year and should have been passed on to all Members but in case you’ve lost it it’s FED11M449.  (The 2012 Code has already been distributed to Federation Clubs as well so make sure you use the 2011 Code for this special offer, it’s still 2011 remember!)

I don’t have the equivalent GWOCGB Code of course but you should be able to get it either from your Regional Rep or from the Club’s General Secretary if necessary.

BMF Show Dates for 2012 are:

BMF Peterborough – 19th – 20th May 2012

Bikefest Kelso – 7th – 8th Jul 2012

Tailend Peterborough – 15th – 16th Sep 2012

For a list of ticket types and prices for all these Shows Click Here.

The On Line booking system is not easy to fathom so once you’ve decided what you want to buy I suggest you buy your tickets over the telephone by ringing 0844 884 5151.

The lines are open Mon-Fri 9-6 and Sat 10-5.

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Stylish or what!

Following a hugely successful Light Parade in Llandudno this year, the Federation Club’s premier Light Parade moves to Southport for 2012!

A plan was hatched some time ago that GoldWings North West and GoldWings North Wales, the two founding Federation Clubs, would take turns to hold a Light Parade in September to continue the spirit and fun of the Blackpool Light Parade when that could no longer continue and so for 2012 we have another new Light Parade Resort to look forward to experiencing.

Jeff Thornton of GoldWings North West is the Lead Organiser and he confirmed to his Club Meeting last Sunday that all the fundamentals for a great Light Parade Weekend are already in place with a keen and cooperative Town Council, excellent cooperation from Merseyside Police and a cracking venue, the 154 bedroom Prince of Wales Hotel on Lord Street, the Town’s main street, in Southport.

The Light Parade Website will be updated shortly and booking information which has continues………

Fancy riding one of these in the French Alps as Honda's guest?

Happy Christmas from Honda with a free smartphone App and a chance to win a place on a free European Tour to try out the new Crosstourer for yourself.

Honda’s all-new Crosstourer, an adventure touring bike which will compete with the BMW R1200GS, was shown at the recent NEC Motorcycle Live Show is due to go on sale in March 2012.  It will be available at £11,475 for the manual version and £12,325 with Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).

To coincide with this launch Honda has released the ‘Go Touring’ free smartphone app, available for both Android and iPhone. It helps users find the best motorcycle touring routes across Europe and the UK, as well as Mobike Hotels and Honda dealers along the way.

Go Touring can also be used to help prepare for tours; it has a handy equipment checklist and a weather forecast function.

Honda is also offering the chance to win a free place on an eight day Epic Tour across Europe, taking in everything from the high speed of Germany’s autobahns, to the stunning coastal roads of northern Italy and the beautiful mountain passes in the French Alps.   Honda describe this as a true money-can’t-buy experience aboard the Honda Crosstourer.

You can fill in an on-line entry form for this tour by clicking here.

The free Go Touring App can be found by searching ‘Go Touring Honda’ in the Android Market or Apple App Store – and if you are into smartphones you’ll understand what that means.

I’ve had a quick go at using it but this was not successful;  this is unlikely to be the App’s fault and it’s much more likely that I will need either a grandchild or a sociable geek to show me what to do.

I’ve run quite a series of articles over the past few weeks dealing with some of the history and other background to the decline of the GoldWing Owners Club of Great Britain (GWOCGB) and while they’ve attracted plenty of interest and I still feel that those who are thinking about renewing their GWOCGB membership are entitled to know the score, the Blog has perhaps been getting a bit too political of late.

We’re approaching Christmas, so I have decided to call a halt to coverage of club politics for the time being in favour of something lighter and more entertaining.  I will be pulling or modifying some of the recent articles for the same reason – although not, I hasten to add, as a retraction of any kind.  I have always taken some trouble to establish the accuracy of what I have revealed and that still stands.

The viewing figures for the Blog show, as they always seem to do, that revelations and analysis of club politics is popular reading so I will continue to cover it but I was starting to get unnecessarily personal in some of the criticism I had written and that was a change of style which I’m not comfortable with, so as well as taking a break I’ve removed or modified (or will be doing so) a few things accordingly.  If you haven’t read all the recent stuff yet and want to do so you’d better be quick!

So for the time being at least, unless newsworthiness or other provocation dictates otherwise, I will be steering clear of GWOCGB’s problems in favour of more seasonal and entertaining fayre.  Sadly that won’t mean that GWOCGB’s problems have gone away of course and there are unfinished and newsworthy stories which I will probably cover as they come to fruition.  But I’ll try harder to focus on issues rather than individuals from now on.

It’s the run up to Christmas, we’ve all got to get the decorations up and think about the presents (other than bike bits) which we should have bought by now but haven’t, so I’ll give politics, or at least the contentious side of things, a rest at least until next year.

Happy Christmas to all my Blog readers, whatever your club affialtions or aspirations might be and however you prefer to pursue your own GoldWing interests.