A Fuel Stabiliser Additive

My GoldWing, a GL1800, is usually laid up for most of the winter these days and I also have two other, older GoldWings which get stored far more than they get used.

One of the issues when storing a bike for extended periods is whether to empty the fuel tank (and maybe even the fuel system, or at least the carburetors) or leave it full.

Is there a clear “best practice” approach to this or is it down to whatever takes your fancy?  And if there is a clear best practice, is it the same for all models and ages of GoldWings?

And does the type of fuel in the tank make a difference?  I decided to try to find out.

The potential fuel system problems from long term storage are that:

• the fuel goes “stale” over time so the engine will not start or run satisfactorily
• corrosion or blockages might occur either in the tank or elsewhere  in the fuel system
• ethanol fuels have additional corrosive potential. continues………

Click on the image for an enlargement

Although Honda have not published details of the inspection procedure in UK a copy of Honda America’s Service Bulletin has appeared on the internet and can be viewed by clicking here.

It’s a bit difficult for non-engineers to grasp what the inspection is about from this technical bulletin but it appears to involve rotating the secondary master cylinder (by inserting a special tool in place of one of the mounting bolts) as far as it will go in a clockwise direction (i.e. in an unfavourable way) to see of the rear wheel then drags after a test application of the rear brake.   In other words to force the piston alignment of the secondary master cyinder as far as possible in the potentially brake-dragging direction to see if it then causes the brakes to drag.

If the rear wheel locks up after this test or if resistance to rotation (measured as in the third picture) exceeds 5.1 kg (11.2 lbs)  the bike has failed the test and the secondary master cyclider requires replacement.

Having done this test of how the secondary master cylinder performs with the most unfavourable piston rod angle which can be contrived, the mounting bolts are tightened up again with rotating force applied in the opposite, counter-clockwise direction, to optimise the piston rod entry angle, as in the fourth picture.

According to this Service bullettin all GL1800s from 2000 -2010 are subject to this recall and even some of the 2012 Model GL1800s are affected, so it’s not just some of them as originally thought – which at least makes it easier for UK GL1800 owners; your 2001-20010 GL1800 will require this inspection and all of us will get a letter from Honda UK eventually. continues………

Petrol to which ethanol has been added is being sold in UK and because this mixture is deemed to be “greener” than petrol alone, is likely to become more common as time goes by.  Ethanol for fuel can be made by the industrial processing of agricultural crops and is therefore considered to be renewable energy.

There is an EU Directive which requires than all petrol sold in Europe contains 5 – 10 % ethanol by 2013.

But what does this mean for our precious GoldWings, including our classic bikes, built when four-star leaded petrol was still the norm – how ill they cope?

The move towards ethanol-containing fuels is happening gradually in UK and 5% ethanol has been added to some fuel (without necessarily announcing it) for some time.  But 10% ethanol (E10 fuel) is likely to come into wide use in UK over time and it’s already fairly common elsewhere, especially in France and the US.

The good news is that either of these fuels, E5 or E10, can be used in any model of UK or US-spec GoldWing.

With pre-GL1800 GoldWings (mostly carburetors but including the 1985 GL1200 Ltd and the GL1200 Aspencade SEi) models there may be some loss of performance because ethanol has about one third less energy content, volume for volume, than petrol.  But the bikes should come to no harm running on this fuel.  And because the GL1800 has a clever sort of fuel injection, there should be no noticeable performance loss.  When using E10 fuel a 3% decrease in fuel economy compared with petroleum is likely to be noticed with all GoldWing models.

So for E5 and E10 fuel no modification of the GoldWing is necessary and you can simply continues………

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………

GL1800 - 2001 Model Year

Honda (UK) has recently been informed by Honda Motor Europe of a safety recall for the 2001 to 2012 year model Goldwing (GL1800) although in Europe, only 2001- 2010 year models are affected.

The exact fault is that the secondary master cylinder compensator port may become blocked, resulting in potential rear wheel brake drag, and a temperature increase on the rear brake, exceeding specifications.

What has caused this? A combination of small free play of the secondary master cylinder piston and large push rod angle, coupled with primary seal swelling, may block the compensator port of the secondary master cylinder.

The ‘fix’ for this problem will be that the dealer will inspect the secondary master cylinder with an inspection tool and if brake drag potential is detected, the secondary master cylinder will be replaced with an improved one which has a slightly different angle.

A total of just over 160,000 machines globally are potentially affected (with approximately 20,000 of these being in Europe), although, a total of 26 cases have been reported as showing symptoms in the US market but there have been no incidents at all reported in Europe.

Approximately 1,800 UK specification registered machines are affected, although until Honda (UK) receives further information from the DVLA, we do not know the total number of machines that may be affected in the UK as this will also include some US specification machines. Any US specification machines in the UK would be included in the recall and be attended to by the Honda (UK) dealer network.

In terms of the process, VOSA have recently approved the recall and provided authority to DVLA to release customer information to Honda (UK) of owners whose machines may be affected and we hope to receive this information in the coming weeks. During this time, Honda (UK) will be sending a recall notification to our dealer network early next week and so at present, our dealer network would not be fully aware of the situation, which is something some of your blog followers have experienced during their visits to some dealerships. Once Honda (UK) receives this information from DVLA, letters will then be sent out to all relevant customers notifying them of the recall and the action for them to take. We anticipate customers will receive this letter from Honda (UK) early in the new year.

In the meantime, Honda can confirm that the motorcycles are safe to ride as the symptoms only manifest themselves under very specific conditions.

However if customers do have any concerns they should contact Honda (UK) on:

0845 200 8000

Fiona Cole, Corporate Affairs,  Honda (UK)

Nothing to panic about but Honda America has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that a potential defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in the secondary master cylinder on certain 2001-2010 and 2012 model year GL1800 motorcycles.  This safety recall is likely to be declared by HondaUK in due course.

Note that the following details are from the American declaration and the inspection and repair procedure which HondaUK adopt may vary from this, depending on the view of the UK Authorities.  As far as safety recalls are concerned, the manufacturer has to secure the approval of the national safety authorities for the inspection and repair action.

Owners will be sent a letter inviting them to make an appointment with a Honda Dealer to have their bike checked and/or fixed.  Because this is a safety recall, i.e. the fault could affect the bike’s safety,HondaUK  will apply it to all affected GL1800s registered in UK, including parallel imports.  HondaUK  are allowed to get the names and addresses of the owners from DVLA in these circumstances, although having used them to issue the recall letters they are not allowed to keep them.

Nature of the potential fault:

The compensating port hole inside the secondary master cylinder (part of the combined-braking system) can become blocked due to either stacking of tolerances in manufacturing and/or sufficient swelling of the primary pressure cup inside the master cylinder.

If the compensating port hole becomes completely blocked, the rear wheel brake caliper can drag after the rider releases the brake input. If this occurs, the rear brake temperature and pressure progressively increase. Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash and continued riding with the brake engaged can generate enough heat to cause the rear brake to catch fire.

This doesn’t mean that there is a high risk of unexpected severe braking or a fire, just that there is enough of a potential risk for Honda to have to do something about it.

Inspection and Repair

Honda Motorcycle Dealers will inspect the secondary master cylinder of all affected motorcycles.  If an inspection indicates that the compensator port hole can become blocked due to this problem, the Dealer will replace the secondary master cylinder.   These inspections and repairs (if needed) will be carried out free of charge.

Target dates for all American GoldWing owners to have received their letter is the end of January 2012.  Honda America has apologised for any inconvenience this creates, but feels the safety of our customers is the highest priority and encourages every customer to contact their dealer to schedule an appointment upon receiving the SAFETY RECALL letter.

HondaUK is expected to do something similar without unnecessary delay although their timescale might be determined by how quickly they can secure the approval of the relevant UK Authorities.

HondaUK have a very good track record when it comes to handling this sort of thing – as good as if not better than Honda America.  There is no indication as far as I can see that anyone needs to stop riding their bike until the inspection has been carried out although any rider does notice dragging of the rear brake it would obviously make sense to investigate rather than ignore it.

You can contact HondaUK’s Motorcycle Customer Relations Team on 01753 590510.

When the going gets tough ....

Our Indian Summer is over and the leaves are falling big time, even though the air temperatures became mild again temporarily last weeekend.  If you haven’t already done it this is a good time to decide whether to lay the Wing up for the winter or prepare properly for riding in winter conditions.

The risk of snow and ice is still low, unless you live or ride on very high ground, and there are still riding events and activities on the calendar to be enjoyed as well as the occasional day when the weather presnets a glorious riding opportunity.  Last Saturday here in Lancashire was such a day and I’m now kicking myself that I didn’t grab the opportunity.  The Manchester Salvation Army Toy Run is also coming up (November 19th) and there are other worthwhile (and worthy) events still to come too.

If you decide to lay the bike up for the winter, as I might have to do in order to face another hip operation, then it’s important to give it a little care and attention as you do so.   Dave Partridge, proprietor of AwingAway and Tecnical Editor for the Federation Website  wrote a very helpful article on Laying up your GoldWing last year which you might want to read again.

And if you are going to lay the bike up don’t forget that you can surrender your tax disc and get a refund from DVLA; I discovered after an interesting series of encounters with our local DVLA Office that timing your arrival at about ten minutes before they close, so 4.50pm, even on their bsuier days, ensures a short or no queue at all or anyway some pretty snappy service because they all want to go home.  If you haven’t read it, my article about the DVLA has its entertaining moments.

But let’s not get too defeatist that the biking season is over just yet.  Let’s think about continuing to ride as winter approaches – and therefore about the implications for our riding skills and style, the extra things we need to look out for and deal with as hazards on autumn roads. continues………

Dave Partridge

Dave Partridge, who offers mobile servicing for GoldWings , under the trading name of AwingAway, based on Staffordshire, has just come up with some very tempting prices for servicing – including the opportunity to get your MOT done free of charge providing it’s done at the same time.  You get a free 10-point safety check on the bike even if an MOT is not required.

That strikes me as a staggeringly good offer and reason to get your MOT done while Dave’s at it, even if it’s not yet due, so that you can get yourself synchronised for next year.  Giving your bike an annual service and safety check is no bad thing regardless of the mileage you have done and doing it every year at the same time makes it easier to remember to do it.  Dave might even send you a  reminder next year!

Obviously this doesn’t include the cost of any additional work which might be needed, but it’s a fixed price for the service and the fixed prices are very keen at that – substantially lower than you would pay probably elsewhere.

Dave is a qualified motorcycle technician and a GoldWing owner himself.  He’s also th technical Editor of the Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs and you can pick his brains, free of charge, about any GoldWing technical problem you might have by using the Technical Enquiry Service on the Federation’s Website.

I’ve heard nothing but glowing reports of Dave’s work and can therefore thoroughly recommend him.  He will travel reasonable distances to do servicing work, which could also be attractive to you.  Dave is offering an innovative service to Wingers which is proving very popular.

You can contact Dave on 07795 095043 or by email to dave©awingaway•co•uk

You can also view a leaflet about Dave’s services which details his prices by clicking here.

There has been a lot of coverage in the media of new proposals by the EU which are feared to be very threatenning to motorcyclists because they prohibit modifications to the bike, or some parts of it – a freedom which many bikers think is fundamental and also to frustrate owner-maintenance.  Demonstrations have been organised, including slow rides on motorways, to show disapproval of them.  It isn’t like that and although there is threat in some of the ideas, some of the proposals are actually favourable to bikers.

The British Motorcyclists Federation has done some serious homework and posted a set of notes on Facebook about these EU Proposals in order to demystify them. The proposals do include a plan to prohibit modifications to the engine and drive train of motorcycles but they will not prohibit changing components (i.e. doing any work yourself on your engine or drive train) so the idea that the proposals will stop bikers doing thier own maintenance doesn’t stack up.  Our Goverment is against this proposal anyway and BMF will continue to lobby and campaign against it so it might never happen.

The EU also proposes to make ABS compulsory on all large motorcycles but this will only affect new ones (in due course) and may also never quite happen.

The proposed compulsory On Board Diagnostic equipment will not monitor speed etc but merely keep a record of faults and “out of range” occurances as an aid to maintenance and repair.  The proposals include requiring manufacturers to allow bike owners to be able to access the information and the release fault codes and other maintenance information outside the manufacturers’ dealer networks, which will prevent them cornering the servicing market on their bikes.

So there are aspects which are a potential threat but some of the proposals are good ones.

You can read the BMF post in full (and comment on it if you wish) by clicking here.