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.

Fuel Stability

Petroleum (otherwise known as petrol or gasoline) is refined from crude oil and it contains the “higher” alcohols and other volatile chemicals – hence it’s tendency to give of fumes (i.e.vapour) readily.  These chemicals are also highly flammable, so if you mix petrol vapour with air and apply a spark you get an explosion.  Contain the explosion inside a cylinder which has a piston in it and you get motion and that, in essence, is how a GoldWing’s engine works.

Although petrol is mostly the product of selectively distilling crude oil, the manufacturing process also includes adding special chemicals (called additives) to enhance its performance.  Once upon a time organic lead compounds (which are highly toxic) were added to petrol as an anti-knocking agent but no longer of course and we now use unleaded petrol – but it still contains a selection of additives to enhance its suitability as automotive fuel and the various manufacturers like to claim that their petrol is better than their competitors (and especially better than cheaper supermarket petrol) because of the value of their particular choice of additives.

Because petrol is a complex mixture of chemicals, some of which vaporise more actively than others, some of the livelier chemicals evaporate in storage and the fuel goes “stale” and will no longer start or run an engine satisfactorily.  Manufacturers add some stabilising additives during manufacture but you cannot buy petrol at the pumps which will last more than two or three months in storage without risk of “going stale” and becoming unusable.  If you try to use it you will find the engine becoming difficult to start or run properly and you will also risk gumming up of parts in the fuel system.  Running your GoldWing on old petrol is not a good idea.

Fortunately it is possible to buy additional stabilising additive for petrol which will extend its storage life considerably – to as much as two years.  These additives will not rejuvenate old stale patrol so you have to put the stuff in while the petrol is fresh to get the benefit but providing you do that, a purpose-made fuel stabiliser will allow you to store your GoldWing with fuel in it safely for up to two years.

Supermarket petrol is sometimes said to store less well than the stuff supplied by Shell, BP etc and therefore to last less than two or three months in storage – and therefore only to be suitable in vehicles which are in continuing use.  I’m not aware that this has been proven and the supermarkets might dispute the implied allegation that their fuel is in some way inferior – but if you do normally use supermarket fuel in your GoldWing during the riding season (as I do) then it could be worth buying the last tankful of the season from Shell or BP etc, even if it does cost a bit more.

If the bike is to be laid up for winter without draining the fuel system, stabilising the remaining fuel with a fuel stabiliser becomes highly desireable.  A selection of these additives are available and you may be able to buy some locally but you can also buy them easily on line from Amazon by searching for “fuel stabilizer”.  (Sadly even the UK Amazon website insists on spelling stabiliser the American way with a “z”.)

These additives are by the way also useful for stabilising the petrol in your lawnmower over winter and its not a bad idea to use it routinely in the fuel tanks of generators which are used only occasionally or as standby power sources.

Fuel syphoning pump - useful for draining a tank

It’s important to appreciate that fuel stabilising additives cannot revive old, stale petrol so if you have neglected to add them at the start of this winter storage period you have probably missed the boat.  If you laid up your bike in September you almost certainly have, especially if you won’t be running it again until March, which would make a six month storage period.  You will therefore need to drain off and the stale fuel and replace it with fresh before you put the bike back on the road.

Drained-off fuel needs disposing of carefully because it is still highly flammable and toxic stuff – whatever you do don’t dump it down a street drain or use it to liven up your garden waste fire.  Petrol contains carcinogenic chemicals like benzine so don’t use it to de-grease motorcycle or car parts in the garage either; these chemicals can get through your skin and cause serious health problems if you are exposed to them repeatedly.

Since it’s only usually a couple of gallons or less which get syphoned out of the bike’s tank, I usually pour into the family car’s fuel tank, where it will be mixed adequately with fresher fuel and can therefore be used up safely.

Keeping a bottle of fuel stabiliser in the garage and remembering to dose the fuel tank with it as you put the bike away for the winter saves all this faffing about and is by far the better and easier way.

Note that there are other considerations for safe long term storage of a GoldWing (such as avoiding allowing the timing belts to rest in one place for long periods) so running the engine periodically becomes highly desirable and if you end up storing your bike longer than one winter, a maintenance schedule incorporating this sort of thing will preserve the bike better and safe expensive replacements.  If you end up storing your bike for more than two years you should plan to replace the fuel in the tank with fresh peterol (to which fuel stabiliser is thenadded) as part of the maintenance schedule.

Better, of course, to keep your GoldWing in use than to resort to long term storage, especially by just leaving the bike in the garage and neglecting to do anything at all.

Fill the tank or not?

Conventional wisdom is that it better to keep a steel fuel tank (as in Classic GoldWings) full of petrol during winter storage, to discourage corrosion by the water vapour in the air.  With a plastic tank, as in a GL1800, it doesn’t matter as long as you remember to add the fuel stabiliser.

Filling up a steel tank might not be necessary if your bike is kept in a genuinely dry garage, or of course if you can persuade your wife to let you store your precious bike inside your centrally heated home for the winter so the family can continue to droll over it together.

There are uncertainties about plastic tanks and long term storage of ethanol fuels (especially high concentrations of ethanol such as flex-fuel) but for petroleum fuel it probably makes no difference how much is in a plastic tank as long as the fuel has been stabilised.

Fuel system blockages

Evaporation of fuel during storage can increase the risk of blockages in the fuel system due to the formation of “gummy” deposits (especially in carburettors) and other debris which has mobilised and or settled during storage.

For this reason even with fuel stabiliser added to the tank, it makes sense to ensure that carburettors are emptied of fuel before your bike is stored for long periods.  You can do this by running the engine with the fuel tap off until it stops although a better and more reliable way is to physically drain each carburettor by removing the drain plug on each float chamber.

GoldWings which have fuel injection systems, i.e. all the GL1800s and the 1985 GL1200 Ltd and 1986 Aspencade SEi models, fuel stabiliser should be added to the tank and run through the system by running the engine before storage rather than trying to empty the system by running the engine until the fuel is exhausted.  For long term storage these bikes should have their engines run periodically and the fuel in the tank replaced with fresh (and freshly stabilised) fuel at least every two years.

Fuel system corrosion

Another problem which can be caused or aggravated by long periods of storage is corrosion of the fuel tank or fuel lines.  Water is a common contaminant of automotive fuel, especially diesel but also sometimes petrol, and this water can be contaminated by micro-organisms which can produce acidic and other corrosive contaminants.  Fortunately with petrol fuel supplied in UK and Western Europe, chemical or microbial contamination is not a big or common problem at all.

Water-absorbing sachets and bags

I have already mentioned that conventional wisdom is to keep the steel petrol tanks of classic GoldWings full during winter storage to discourage corrosion of the unlined interior of the tank by exposure to water vapour in the air.  A full tank (of stabilised petrol) will help to prevent corrosion for prolonged storage (i.e. over two years) but you would than have to drain and discard the fuel before putting the bike back into service, even if stabiliser had been added.

If an unlined steel fuel tank is to be stored empty for prolonged periods, especially in an unheated garage, placing a suitable desiccant (i.e. a water-absorbing chemical) inside the tank and scheduling periodic replacement or drying of the desiccant would be worth considering.  Desiccants, usually silica gel materials, are available in bags which you could hang inside the filler neck of a GoldWing fuel tank.

Ethanol fuels (petrol to which up to 10 % ethanol has been added) are being introduced in UK and since ethanol is more corrosive than petroleum, an increased risk of corrosion might therefore arise.  Ethanol fuels may also be capable of dissolving or dislodging materials which have previously stuck to the sides of old fuel tanks and lines and this could conceivably lead to blockages, including of fuel filters.

With E5 and E10 fuels (i.e. up to 10% ethanol in otherwise neat petroleum) these risks are probably very small and are perhaps nothing more than theoretical.  There may have been instances of even these low-concentration ethanol fuels causing damage to some motorcycle plastic fuel tanks but I have heard nothing about GoldWing plastic tanks being damaged and 10% ethanol fuel has been in widespread  use in the USA for some time.

The specialist sealing materials which are used to repair (i.e. to resurface internally) old, corroded steel motorcycle fuel tanks may be vulnerable to damge by ethanol fuels but hard information is difficult to come by.    Hopefully if these sealing compound are at risk from ethanol, the manufacturers will be modifying them to cope with ethanol in future anyway so even with tanks which have been treated with older sealants, re-treatment with newer and more stable materials will be possible.

If you run an old bike irregularly an find yourself starting to use ethanol-containing fuels it could be well worth installing an in-line fuel filter if there isnlt one, or changing the filter after you’ve being running on ethanol fuel after a few engine running hours, to safeguard against anything which has been dislodged and blocking carburettor jets.

Summary

I don’t claim to be an expert on this subject but from what I’ve been able to discover, some fairly simple precautions should see GoldWing owners safely through winter or even more prolonged storage.  As with many things in life, prevention is much easier and better than cure.

• Adding fuel stabiliser to your tank before winter storage is the basic requirement and if you haven’t done it yet, it will still be worth giving your bike a dose now to see the bike through this winter.
• Adding fuel stabliser after the fuel has been stored for a while doesn’t revive the fuel and doesn’t restart the two-year clock.
• Filling the tank up if your bike has a steel fuel tank is also a basic and important requirement – also not to late to remedy thi winter if you haven’t already done it.
• The final fill-up of the season could usefully be of non-supermarket petrol because it might have better storage and other properties, but this won’t remove the vital need for a fuel stabilising additive.
• Ethanol fuels which are being sold in UK these days probably don’t present much of an additional problem but if you can avoid it for the final fill-ups of the season there might be some value in doing so.

Rob Ellis is selling his 2007 (’07 plate) UK Spec GL1800 Delux with Comfort Pack etc

Very well maintained and cared for and its got lots and lots of extras fitted.

Mileage 35,800 and it’s currently having its 36k service and M.O.T.

Fitted with Avon COBRA tyres that have only done 1,500 miles.

It’s on sale at ONLY  £ 13.950.00  – it’s a real bargain!

Full details of its features and extras are listed below together with more pictures and contact details for Rob.

Its UK standard features:

• ABS brakes
• Full audio system with built in intercom
• Heated seats and backrest
• Heated grips
• Lower foot warmer vents
• Electric suspension adjustment, etc etc

Its added extra features include:

• Progressive suspension upgrade front and rear
• Aftermarket CB RADIO and aerial for bike to bike comms
• Front lower fog/driving lights
• Rear spoiler with high level brake light
• Top box luggage rack
• AMA AfterBurner exhaust tips
• Power sockets for heated clothing front & rear

LOTS of chrome bits including:

• Lower cowl
• Battery side covers
• Swing arm pivot covers
• Headlamp ‘eye brows’
• Rear light trims
• Fairing intake grills
• Radio knobs
• Chrome mirror housings
• Front fender extenda
• Speaker grills,
• Trunk moulding inserts
• Saddlebag moulding inserts
• Saddlebag Eagle emblems
• Front fender Eagle

This is a great opportunity to acquire a 2007 Wing in immaculate condition and is well worth viewing.

For more details or to view call ROB on 07805 563702

Google Earth view of the new location at Delamere on the A556

Knutsford Motorcycles, formerly Knutsford Honda and before that, some years ago, GoldWing International, is closing its doors today prior to relocation.  The business, including its GoldWing Accessory stock and mail order business, having been taken over by J&S Accessories of Northwich.

The doors at their High Legh Site on the A50 close to business today in order to start the relocation, while things are quieter, to a new J&S site which is being developed about 10 miles away at Delamere, Sandiway.  This is a large site on the A556 and used to be occupied by a caravan and motorhome dealer.  It has large showroom and other buildings including a well equipped cafe.  There is also a Pub right next door.

The idea is to recreate the open and accessible display of GoldWing Accesories which was so attractive to Wingers in the Knutsford Showroom in its own section of what will be a very large showroom indeed.  J&S have been trying to expand within Northwich, the town where the business started up, for some time but when this site became available moving their headquarters from Northwich to the A556 at Delamere (allowing expansion to incorporate the Knutsford Motorcycles business) became a more attractive option.

For Wingers it was disappointing to lose Knutsford Honda, which owners Eric and Bridget Warburton tried very hard to build up as a GoldWing specialist Honda Dealership but it was not successful and after unsuccessful efforts to get HondaUK to loosen its corsets and give them a chance to develop a viable business model as a specialist dealership, they dumped the franchise.

The residual business, selling a few bikes but concentrating on “shiny bits” for GoldWings and cruisers was ticking over adequately given the economic downturn we are living through, in which sadly lots of motorcycle dealers are going bust, and maybe that was as good as could be expected.  Knutsford Motorcycles was also continuing to provide specialist service and repairs to GoldWing Owners by Honda-trained Technicians and the stock of “shiny bits” for GoldWings was second to none in UK.

But these are hard times in the motorcycle trade and it would have been hard work making the considerable investment in stock earn its keep and the opportunity to merge the business into J&S’s much larger accessory business makes much better sense.

All the staff at Knutsford Motorcycles, including the Technicians who are experienced in working on GoldWings, are being kept on and will re-locate to Delamere during the next few weeks, as the new site comes into use.  Every effort will be made to ensure that customers who have orders or work in progress will not be let down during the transitional period.  The target date for opening the new location is March 1st but given the size of J&S’s stock holdings in Northwich and the need to refit the buildings at the new site for their new role – including the cafe, which is having a makeover – it might take a bit longer than that to get fully up and running.

However there is every chance that this new and pretty enormous motorcycle superstore, complete with a permanent, proper Cafe, will be in use as the next riding season begins.

And from a Winger’s viewpoint, while it is of course sad to lose Knutsford Honda and then also Knutsford Motorcycles, the new J&S location at Delamere appears to offer a new opportunity to buy GoldWing Accessories at th same time as browsing huge stocks of helmets, riding gear etc – and new biker’s watering hole too.  An Ace Cafe of the North?  Well, maybe even that; we can live in hope.

Fancy a nice day out in Chester?

The first GoldWing Light Parade was held in Blackpool and over a period of several years developed into a standard format involving a seaside resort, a daytime static display, inexpensive accommodation which could also serve as a social gathering place, a best lit bike competition and finally the Parade itself, along the promenade and hopefully past lots of admiring spectators.

This formula was copied with only minor variations in Scarborough and, with a few more more variations, last year in Llandudno.  Both of these venues have proved successful, as has a smaller event in Hunstanton in Norfolk, which was the first attempt at a spring-time Light Parade and a smaller resort town.  Blackpool has been abandoned as a venue because the Parade Route became un-rideable but nevertheless the Blackpool model has proved successful and it lives on.

This year at least four GoldWing Light Parades are planned.  Three follow the Blackpool model: Hunstanton in March, Scarborough and Southport in September but a completely different and very promising GoldWing Light Parade is to be held in Chester  in April.

Firstly, and obviously, it’s not taking place in a sea-side resort – although of course Chester is a City which attracts a lot of visitors, so maybe that difference doesn’t count.  On the other hand Chester is a particularly attractive place to visit for the ladies and maybe that does count as significant.

There is inexpensive accommodation available but it’s not actually in Chester (it’s in a 3 Star Hotel about 15 minutes ride away) but that’s not very different because Southport is in a nice Hotel too and Scarborough accommodation is out of town as well.  And there is going to be a Light Parade – which will be escorted by the Police rather than merely tolerated, but that’s not the difference either.  And I guess there will be a a best Lit Bike Competition, with trophies and fleeces provides by Barry WAlton of Appleyards, so not much difference there either.

So what is the difference?  Why all the fuss about this Chester Event being ground-breaking?

This Event is being organised by cooperation between GoldWings North Wales, a local GoldWing Club and Chester Lions, established fro over 50 years and part of Lions Clubs International, a service club organisation which supports local communities and communities around the world.  The Wingers will have a great time, day out or weekend, as they choose, and the Lions will collect lots of money for their charity – probably well over £10,000.

Lions Clubs (and similar organisations like Rotary and Round Table) are strong on local contacts and are also usually experienced at organising local events, especially charity events – to a much greater extent than any local or regional GoldWing club is likely to be.  On the other hand GoldWing clubs can muster lots of GoldWings – and we all know how much of an eye-catcher and crowd-puller a display of GoldWings can be – day, night or better still both!

It’s potentially a very powerful combination of resources – as the fund raising expectations for this Event suggests.   It’s also, from a GoldWing Club’s viewpoint, a much easier way to get the opportunity and access to run an event of this type; getting someone else to overcome the considerable logistical problems of planning, organising, getting official approvals for holding and marshaling the event.

The Lions Members will be handling all that side of things, including all aspects of the charity collection, leaving the host GoldWing Club free to concentrate on making sure the Wingers enjoy themselves.  If you work with an organisation like Lions or Rotary, you can be sure that the money collected will be handled with propriety and go to genuinely good causes.

Hotels in Chester are prohibitively expensive and parking would be a nightmare but GoldWings North Wales have struck a terrific deal with a 3 Star Hotel only 15 minutes ride away.  Whether Winger come for the day or make a weekend of it and come rain or shine, it really won’t matter much, this is going to be a really enjoyable and worthwhile Event.

Chester is of course a very attractive City to visit and its medieval streets and attractive range of buildings, eateries and shops make it a very appealing place for a group of Wingers to park up and spend a day.  No risk of the ladies havig to shelter from wind and rain in a seaside shelter in Chester; it’s the sort of place where you can enjoy a nice day in any weather.

The additional option to ride through the same lovely, crowd-lined streets after dusk showing off your bike’s display lighting is pretty appealing too.  No question of being stopped by the Police from using your lights on this Parade; Chester Lions have got the Mayor, the Council, the local Police and everybody else who matters involved and supportive.  The Police are even escorting the Parade along its whole route, about four miles, which has been unheard of cooperation in other parts of the Country for several years.

Apparently the medieval buildings, some of which overhang, will not be able to cope with a goldWings horns or sound system at full blast (or certainly lots of them) so you might be asked to tone that side of things down a bit but otherwise it should be an excellent opportunity to show off to appreciative spectators.  Even if you are not usually into Light Parades or static displays and do’t have extra lighting on your GoldWing it doesn’t matter and you will still be welcome.  This really is an exceptional opportunity to enjoy a great time in a lovely place and mingle with other friendly Wingers.

This informal reltionship with Lions (or it could be Rotary etc) could turn out to be a new and very attractive model which lots of other GoldWing Clubs and Regions could take up in their local area – raising huge sums for charity lots of fun for Wingers, fulfilling the visionary idea which Bob Summers, the Winger who started off GoldWing Light Parades ten years ago, that Light Parades shoud be held all over the Country.

For more information about Chester and Southport Parades visit the GoldWing Light Parade Website – Spring and Autumn, these are both going to be Events which Wingers should make sure they don’t miss.  All Wingers are welcome, all GoldWing Clubs and their badges, banners and flags will be equally welcome and all proceeds, every penny, will go to charity. There is virtually no limit to the number of GoldWings which can be accommodated in Chester, although of course there is a limit (and a booking deadline for the cheap deal) for the Event Hotel.

If you would like to see the 2012 riding season starting with all UK Wingers getting back on terms and enjoying a worthwhile event together as friends, turning up to enjoy the Chester Light Parade, whether for the day or the weekend, might well be the way to get it all going.

Postscript

I have been asked to clarify that this Event is being organised almost entirely by Chester Lions who are also handling all sponsorship arrangements and the charity collection.  Dave Turvey and Dave Crawley are handling the GoldWing liaison and the facilities for Wingers, such as the Hotel, which is the one where they meet as members of GoldWings North Wales.  Dave Crawley is also a member of Merseyside and Cheshire Wings and has sought the support of GWOCGB for this Event, which open to all Wingers, any club or no club.  GWOCGB have however decided that since their own AGM is on the same weekend they will not support it.

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGEMENT

Graham Coleman is selling his 2004 Candy Red GL1800, having ordered a new GoldWing.

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.

It would appear from the US GoldWing forums that very few GL1800s are failing this recall test, only 1-2%.  But if a bike does fail the dealer will ask the owner to leave the bike for repair straight away for safety reasons, rather than ride it home and bring it back when parts are available.  When deciding which Honda Dealer to take your bike to for inspection, you might therefore want to ask whether they will be able to do the repairs quickly if necessary and whether a loan bike will be available.

Some US riders are posting on the forums that they will not bother taking their bikes in for checking if they have not experienced dragging of the rear brake because of the low failure rate but this is foolish thinking.  Without inspecting the piston rod alignment using the special template you cannot be sure that your bike will not develop dragging of the rear brake in the future and although a rare event, sudden onset of rear brake dragging could have a critical effect on the bike’s handling.

Trikes

Barry Walton of Colin Appleyards GoldWing and Trike Centre, who build and supply lots of trikes these days, has advised me that this safety recall does not affect EML trike conversions, which are fitted with EML’s own fork legs, so they don’t have a secondary master cylinder and are not affected by this recall.  On the other hand Lehman trikes retain standard Honda fork legs so they will require inspection if they are listed by Honda as needing one.

Although no longer a franchised Honda dealer themselves, Appleyards are still leading GoldWing Specialists and have moved quickly in response to this recall.  They will be able to assist their own customers (solo bikes as well as trikes of course)  with arrangements for these recall checks (and any necessary repairs) to be carried out free of charge and they will also ensure that replacement parts are available so that their customers’ bikes will not be kept hanging around.  As always, Barry and Appleyards Workshop Supervisor Malcolm Wright will always try to help any Winger who asks for it, so even if you didn’t buy from them, don’t hesitate to call them if you need help.  Their phone number is 01535 606311.

Honda UK

If you haven’t had your letter from HondaUK yet there’s no need to rush into getting in touch with them – they are on the case.  If however you experience dragging of the rear brake you should make contact with either your nearest Honda dealer or the Honda Contact Centre without delay.  The telephone number is 0845 200 8000.

I rang HondaUK for an update a couple of days ago but I’ve had no response so far; if I hear anything worthwhile from them I will add a Postcript.

Thanks to Nigel Mackintosh for spotting that this Service Bulletin had appeared on the internet and letting me know about it quickly so I can pass it on.

Postscript

Got my response from Honda UK today, shortly after this article was published.  They have told me that VOSA have supplied the VIN number list to DVLA but HondaUK are still waiting for DVLA to extract and supply the names and addresses, so they can start sending out the letters.  They are not yet sure whether they will get the names and addresses for UK owners of imprted US-spec bikes straight away but they do intend to include them in the free inspection/repair programme, so no concerns there.  Honda UK are clearly doing what they can to conduct this safety recall without delay.

Related Articles

HondaUK make a statement about the GL1800 Brake Recall

Safety Recall on GoldWing GL1800 Braking System – all years

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 start using it when it becomes available in your area if you wish.

Brazil is already using E25, so 25% ethanol, nationwide.  GoldWings are sold by Honda in Brazil so presumably those bikes have to be able to run on E25 and it would be interesting to know if Honda modifies GL1800s specially for that market.  I did look at Honda’s Brazilian Website but there was nothing obvious to suggest that the GoldWings are different and my Portuguese isn’t wonderful so I gave up.  If you are planning to take your UK GoldWing on tour to Brazil it might pay to make further enquiries before you go!

Not currently in prospect in UK

There are also over half a million “flex-fuel” motorcycles in Brazil which can run on 100% ethanol (E100) and Honda manufactures some of these.  Alcohol has a higher octane rating than petroleum so flex-fuel engines are designed with higher compression ratios and they have also usually needed a small auxiliary fuel tank filled with petroleum (or a low concentration ethanol/petroleum mix) for cold starting.  Even with specially designed flex-fuel engines, problems occur with cold starting at alcohol concentrations above 70% and seasonal reductions in alcohol concentration are made in some countries because of this.  These are changing times.

Ethanol for fuel is made by fermenting sugars with yeast, as for drinks production, but an additional five-stage water-removal process is then necessary to achieve the high purity from water to allow ethanol to mix and stay mixed with petroleum properly.  Some of you will remember from school chemistry that ethanol is hygroscopic, i.e. it absorbs water from the air around it and this happens even when it is mixed with petroleum.  Ethanol can also be subject to contamination and is more corrosive than petrol, so introducing it is not straightforward.

High concentration ethanol fuels (above 10%) therefore present increasing problems and would do so for GoldWing owners, including if E25 fuel became mandatory (Brazil style) in Europe.  There would be substantial performance and economy disadvantages, even for the GL1800.  Steel fuel tanks, which older GoldWings have, would be at risk of accelerated corrosion and other fuel system and fuel filtering problems.

Fortunately higher concentrations of ethanol fuel are not currently on the EU agenda and given the typical age of a UK GoldWing owner, we can even hope that they won’t be a problem during our motorcycling lifetime.

In summary therefore running on E5 or E10 fuels should not be a problem for GoldWing owners in UK, even classic GoldWings, just don’t expect quite such good fuel consumption.

This is very much a non-political, all welcome event at which any Winger, from any club or no club, will be most welcome.

It’s a Dinner Dance and there’s an opportunity for the ladies to dress up if they want to (and the blokes) but posh frocks are not expected or compulsory – especially for the blokes.

Two scrubbed-up Grahams!

The ticket includes drinks and canapes on arrival followed by an all you-can-eat carvery-type buffet with a selection of meats, fish and veggie dishes, folowed by pud and/or cheese with unlimited wine on the tables, a free bar afterwards and a fish & chip supper at 11pm.

Further details are available on the GoldWings North West Website.  You can book directly with the Hotel by ringing  01772 422922, quoting reference GW280112.

Accommodation is also available at the Hotel at a special rate if you will be travelling from afar or want to stay in order to make full use of the free bar.

This was my first attempt to use the Blog to conduct an opinion survey and so it was something of an experiment.  Hopefully the results will stimulate some discussion.

I asked Blog Readers to assume they are about to buy their next GoldWing, have two equally suitable bikes, one being sold by a Honda Dealer, the other one by a non-Honda dealer.  There are no differences in part exchange or guarantee and it didn’t even matter whether the bikes are new or used, the only difference was the price – the Honda Dealer was asking more because he feels he’s offering a better, quality-assured service.

The question you Readers were invited to answer was:  How valuable is it to you to buy a GoldWing from a franchised Honda Dealer, in other words how much extra would you pay for your next GoldWing for the benefits of buying from an official Honda Dealer, compared with any other motorcycle dealer?

The response rate was low in relation to the Blog’s readership numbers and this certainly needs to be taken into account when interpreting this result.  Respondents could very easily be a biased sample, for example because only those who hold strong feelings (for example of personal disappointment) about Honda bothered to take the survey.

Having said that there is at least a suggestion from this Survey that a surprisingly large proportion of GoldWing owners attach little or no value to buying from a franchised Honda Dealer.  Why could that be?

My theories

One possibility it that everyone is so accustomed to buying on price these days that they will shop around for the lowest price for a GoldWing in the same way they would for any other goods.  If the GoldWing comes with a Honda guarantee they will be able to take the bike to their nearest Honda dealer anyway if something goes wrong.  Honda products are very reliable anyway so why not simply buy on price?

I know one Winger who bought a new GoldWing from a different dealer than the one where he had spent all his time showroom browsing and asking questions (and where he would go for his accessories and servicing) simply because he could get the bike for £500 less somewhere else.  The relationship he still hoped to have with the dealer whose showroom and sales staff he had made use of didn’t stop him from buying as cheaply as possible.

Another Winger has just ordered a new GoldWing shopped around for the best price and when he ended up with two at the same bottom price he then chose on other factors and dealing directly with a Honda franchised dealer wasn’t important to him.

Another possibility is that franchised Honda Dealers in UK, with only one remaining exception, HGB Motorcycles, are not regarded by knowledgable Wingers as having sufficient specialist knowledge about GoldWings nor experience of working on them to make using them worthwhile.   In the North of England lots of Wingers would much prefer to take their bike to Appleyards, the non-franchised GoldWing specialist, than any of the Honda dealers.  To a lesser extent that’s probably still true of Knutsford Motorcycles too.

What about using a Honda dealer for servicing?

Some buyers of new GoldWings will take their bikes to their local Honda Dealer automatically for all their requirements, just as they would do if they bought a new Honda car.  But Wingers who become part of the GoldWing Community in UK, even if they haven’t bothered to join a club, will be much more likely take their bikes to a franchised dealer only for a safety recall (because it’s free) but otherwise steer clear.  They will either do the servicing themselves, even if its a new bike, or get someone whom they regard as genuinely expert to do it – which is much more likely to be another Winger or an independent specialist service-provider like AwingAway, Winginit or of course Appleyards and Knutsford Motorcycles.

Why is there only one specialist GoldWing Honda Dealer?

When I interviewed Steve Martindale General Manager (Motorcycles) of HondaUK a while ago, he expressed a very firm view that Honda’s robust system of technician training and support to its franchised dealer network ensures that a GoldWing owners can take his bike to any Honda dealership anywhere in the Country and get reliably expert service and repairs.

Not surprisingly neither I nor Bob Summers, who was with me at the time, were at all convinced of this and I doubt that many other UK Wingers of any experience will be either.  I’m not convinced that Honda UK are remotely serious about selling GoldWings at all any more.

Why are there no demonstrator 2012 Model GoldWings?

There are 90+ franchised Honda Motorcycle Dealers in UK but HondaUK are reported to be importing only 80 2012 Model GL1800s in total this year, so not even one per Dealer.  Unless you happen to live near HGB, the chances of locating a 2012 Model GoldWing as a demonstrator in UK will be pretty low, maybe none existent.

If you want to prove this for yourself either ring HondaUK’s Contact Centre on 0845 200 8008 or request a callback on HondaUK’s Motorcycle sales website by clicking here.   Tell them where you live ask the call taker to help you arrange a test ride on a 2012 Model GoldWing.  Make it clear that it is the new 2012 Model you want to test ride.   If they give you the number of your nearest dealer and suggest you call them explain that you doubt they have a demonstrator available and rather than you having to ring round to find one, you are hoping they will do so for you.  Some time later you might well get a call from a Honda Motorcycle Salesman in a dealership somewhere near you and maybe offering you a ride on a GoldWing.

I did this yesterday and was told that Blackpool Honda (only 15 miles away) have a 2012 Model and I could arrange a test ride with them.  It turned out when I rang this dealer that they had indeed just taken delivery of a 2012 Model GoldWing but that it would be going into the showroom and would not be registered as a demonstrator – but that if I was serious about buying it after seeing it in the showroom they wouldn’t deny me a ride on it using trade plates.  Not quite the same thing as a conventional opportunity to have a demonstration test ride then.

When I rang Honda’s Contact Centre again to repeat my request for them to find me a demonstrator bike, as I had made clear originally, they were a bit reluctant (because, I suspect, their computer system clearly does not facilitate that) but agreed to make enquiries and ring me back by 5pm the following day.  That’s the last I heard and I suspect that they drew a blank.

I doubt that HondaUK actively manages the availability of GoldWing demonstrators and that as a result of that, as things stand today, no Honda dealer has or is planning to put a demonstrator 2012 Model GL1800 on the road with the exception of HGB, who already have one of each colour in the showroom and will be putting a demostrator on the road shortly.

Not even trying these days?

Less than 10 years ago HondaUK were selling well over 300 or so GoldWings per year in UK .  A substantial number of new parallel import GoldWings were sold too, including by franchised Honda Dealers.  The lion’s share of the total of close to 400 bikes per year were sold by only two Dealers, Appleyards and HGB,   A handful of other dealers would sell a few GoldWings as well but the great majority of Honda Dealers would never sell or even see a GoldWing, even in those days.  These days sales of new GoldWings in UK are handled by HGB and a small handful of other Honda dealers.  Other Honda dealers might take a GoldWing from HondaUK for purposes of meeting a bonus target but they will be extremely unlikely to sell it directly to a customer and much more likely to offload it through the trade.

From my viewpoint it seems that HondaUK are not making a serious effort to sell GoldWings at all.  It feels much more like they are content to sell bikes only to bikers who will buy one anyway – those who know what they want and will seek it out for themselves.  I think that if Honda are selling GoldWings in UK for £24,000 each they should at least be willing to ensure that demonstrators are available around UK and that their Contact Centre call tell people who ring up where they are.

What do you think?

Some bikers tour in winter

Motorcycling is primarily a recreational means of transport in UK, although of course lots of people use bikes to get to and from work, including Wingers.  A couple of bikers I know preferred for many years to use their GoldWing to ride long distances in the course of self-employed work right through the winter.

During  summer the travelling would sometimes be a joy, although of course even during summer the practicalities and time pressures would often force them to be making predominantly motorway or dual carriageway journeys rather than using more attractive but much slower good riding routes.

These two guys travelled big distances throughout the year because they needed to go where the work was, sometimes moving between far-flung locations and sometimes staying away from home on their travels.  In winter this lifestyle was often very hard going and not a little risky.

And indeed both of these riders have since taken up different employment at least partly to escape from the burden of this travelling, one by becoming a minister of religion, possibly to give thanks for his survival through years of winter riding.

Three wheels easier than two?

Some other Wingers of my acquaintance continue to use their bikes to commute substantial distances each day in more or less all weathers, relying on their GoldWing’s capacity to provide the necessary shelter, comfort and warmth.  A GoldWing offers good wind and weather protection and even if you haven’t got the latest model with heated everything fitted on to the bike, at least a GoldWing’s alternator can deliver the necessary power for heated garments etc.

So if you have to travel a lot in winter and you want to do it on two wheels, being able to do your winter riding on a GoldWing has considerable attractions.    And except when there’s snow or ice around, and perhaps also in very high winds, a GoldWing is as good a motorcycle as any to be trying to handle in winter too.

And with the heated seats, heated grips and foot warming flaps which are fitted to the latest GoldWings, you can be reasonably comfortable in cold weather even without resorting to heated clothing too.

Modern materials allow for the construction of clothing in layers which provide very high levels or water repellence and heat retention.  Likewise the availability of Gortex and similar materials for gloves can make a big difference to their suitability for long journeys, although most seasoned winter riders will carry a spare set of good winter riding gloves, in case the primary pair does get damp and let in the cold.

The right clothing helps

Wearing a neck tube, pre-warming your riding gear on a radiator and keeping your fingers off the brake and clutch levers when you are stopped are among the winter riding tips in an excellent set of winter riding tips in this week’s Motorcycle News.  I know I keep plugging this weekly newspaper but it really is worth reading throughout the year, not just in the biking season.

Winter riding does of course take its toll on the condition of the bike and the MCN tips include how to do some preventative maintenance on your bike to reduce the risks of exposing it to road salt.

Taking a GoldWing out for a spin on a nice winter’s day with a coffee break half way and the opportunity to clean and dry the bike thoroughly before putting it away afterwards is one thing but doing a commuting ride every day in winter is likely to force you to settle for not even cleaning the bike after every salty ride and maybe cleaning it less thoroughly too.  And a GoldWing has all sorts of inaccessible crooks and nannies where the salt dust and spray from our winter roads in UK will lodge and threaten corrosion.

The economic argument for using a GoldWing to travel extensively in winter time is also pretty weak.  When you take into account things like the higher cost per mile of motorcycle tyres if you are doing high mileages, the need to change tyres earlier if you want to stay genuinely safe for winter riding and the depreciating effect of high mileages and rough usage on the bike’s value, the economics swing strongly in favour of using an economical car rather than a motorcycle, even though it also means having to sacrifice being able to filter through traffic jams.

Even if using the bike for work in winter saves the cost of a second family car and thereby helps to justify owning a GoldWing in the first place, it probably won’t stack up as economically attractive if you actually do the sums properly.  Better to keep a “rat car” for such journeys if necessary, and keep your GoldWing tucked up protectively in the garage – or of course commandeer the newer, more economical  (and more comfortable) family car for your daily commutes and leave the second car for the shorter ,local runs which your wife makes, if you can get away with it.

Only for the really compulsive biker does using a GoldWing for extensive winter travel make any sense to me and even then only because at least it offers a tolerable level of comfort and safety for long winter journeys compared with lesser bikes.

Some have to ride all year

Even a GoldWing can’t make riding in all winter weathers viable of course; riding a GoldWing in snow and ice strikes me as out of the question.  So even if your GoldWing can provide for most of your winter travel needs if you want it to, you will need an alternative means of getting to work for the days when it can’t.

Sadly then, I see riding a GoldWing in UK during winter as something of a wasteful and abusive act, akin to wearing your best suit to walk the dog.  I’m retired nowadays so I don’t have to make a daily journey to work at all and maybe that also allows me to be picky and not to ride in winter unless it really is a nice riding day when there is also unlikely to be any salt still on the road.

But on a nice winter day, when the bike is unlikely to get contaminated with salt, dressing up in the right clothing, complete with winter liners, donning Gortex winter riding gloves and my trusty, genuinely waterproof Daytona boots, on my 2008 GL1800, with heated seat and grips and foot warmer flaps, I can be comfortable for as long a ride as I’m likely to want to take.

And since it saves a mere £22 or so by surrendering the tax disc and taking the bike off the road for the winter, I consider having the option to go for a ride during winter well worth sacrificing that saving, even though last year, during the exceptionally cold, icy and salty winter we endured, the bike stayed in the garage anyway.