Stuart’s GoldWing Blog

Crash Testing a GL1800 Airbag System

Honda introduced the first ever motorcycle airbag system in 2006 as an update, and arguably a considerable upgrade of the GL1800 GoldWing. The design and testing effort which went into this development must have been enormous; getting the balance right, so the Airbag goes off when it needs to but not otherwise, is quite an engineering feat.

Honda’s Airbag System is designed to save riders’ lives and it appears genuinely to have done so on at least one occasion already, but it is an expensive addition and it adds significant extra weight. And is there a risk that it could go off inappropriately while riding, in which a crash would almost certainly be caused.  Is it a vital safety aid, is it worthwhile if you can afford it – or would GoldWing riders be as well choosing (in North America at least, where they have a choice) the lighter, cheaper, non-airbag versions of the GL1800 anyway, regardless of budget?

How can an airbag system work safely and reliably on a motorcycle? continues………

Honda’s new motorcycle mega-factory, built on its huge Kumamoto Site in Japan, is already producing bikes, indeed that’s where the new VFR1200, unveiled in UK February 14th, is being built.

But Honda has announced to its US Dealers that production of GoldWings will not start at Kumamoto until 2011 and that the GoldWings to be made there will be designated a 2012 Model – indicating that the (presumed) new design is unlikely to be unveiled before late 2011.

Quite what this means for UK Wingers remains to be seen because although it is now virtually certain that a new model GoldWing will be on sale somewhere in the world for the 2012 Model Year, it may not be available in Europe until a year or so later, so 2013 – or maybe not at all.

Meanwhile HondaUK has a stock of 200 or so GL1800s in UK, all of which were manufactured at Maryville Ohio before that Factory closed in March 2009, which it will use to fill what will hopefully be a gap rather than the end of a UK model line.  These stockpiled GL1800s include some in a new colour (or at least new for UK) called continues………

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Autocom, manufacturers of high quality motorcycle headsets and intercom systems, hit a bad patch recently but they have been rescued and are now part of a larger Group of companies and they are trading normally – and they are releasing new products too.

Some Wingers prefer Autocom headsets to the the standard Honda/J&M types.  The are a number of differences between the two systems, one  being that Autocom use electret (i.e. powered, miniature-sized) microphones rather than the larger, self-powered (and arguably old-fashioned) dynamic mics on which Honda/J&M still rely – mainly because they are restrospectiovely compatible across all GoldWing models.

Autocom has many loyal biker followers, based on a reputation for excellent noise suppression as well as audio quality.  Bikers who migrate to a GoldWing (or should it be ascend to a GoldWing?) having used an Autocom system on a previous bike will often want to stick with it, not least because of their investment in the headsets.

Autocom headests are not directly compatible with a GoldWing’s intercom system but a simple adapter can be purchased which goes in series with the headset, to convert to a Honda 5 pin DIN connection.  This adapter allso provides the necesary power supply for the Autocom electret microphones.

So Autocom headsets can be used with the GoldWing’s normal (i.e. Honda) intercom system via this simple adaptor arrangement, but thius means buying extra parts, so some riders prefer to continue using their complete Autocom Intercom system with their Wing instead.  In this case the Autocom system, which is designed to accept and “talk to” a variety of other audio devices, does most of the work and it just “listens in” to the GoldWing’s intercom, in order to pick up and pass on to the rider’s headset things like Navi system voice instructions and such other audio output from the bike which the rider wants to make use of.  The bike’s FM radio and, if fitted, CD changer will also be relayed to the rider via the Autocon system in the same way.

Although on the face of it adding a full Autocom intercom system to a GoldWing is an unnecessary complication, it does open up one or two interconnection options which are otherwise more difficult to contrive on a UK -spec GoldWing.  For example CB radio and a Bluetooth interface for a mobile phone can be made more easily to an Autocom system than directly to a GoldWing’s own intercom.  An Autocom intercom system’s “brain” is designed to accept mixtures of audio input and output safely and easily and it’s often just a question of buying the appropriate additional connector lead.

For many Wingers, Autocom’s rescue from the brink of what might have been closure is therefore very welcome news indeed.  Their Website is active and can be viewed here.  Their new phone number is 01480 494444.

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The annual Meeting of Alliance (a group of independent GoldWing clubs in France) will take place in Beaujolais near Lyon, organised by GoldWings Sans Frontiere, a Club based in that Area.

It’s a weekend event from Friday May 21st to Monday 24th and UK Wingers will be most welcome. It’s not a huge gathering (about 150 bikes) and should therefore be friendly and welcoming.

It’s based on a lakeside site north west of Lyon, so easily accessible and in an attractive biking area.  You will encounter golden mountains and the Land of Amplepuis, with its framework of forests, water courses and the beautiful Lake des Sapins (Pines).

The organisers have provided for a wide choice of accommodation including camping, gites, B&B and hotels.  The Programme includes group rides through the Beaujolais area and a display in the local town with a welcoming reception by the local Mayor.  Most meals over the weekend are included in the inscription price and these meals are taken as a group – apart from breakfasts, which you sort out yourself.

An expatriate Brit, Peter Ware, who is a member of GoldWings Sans Frontier and involved in organising the Event, will take either email or telephone enquiries and do what he can to help.  Peter’s contact details are provided below. continues………

The Promoters of the Manchester Bike Show were forced to cancel the Event, due to take place this coming weekend at Manchester Central (formerly GMEX) – but they are hoping to reschedule it in early April.  The weather and the forecast of more freezing conditions for the weekend seems likely to have been the reason.

This was to be the first Bike Show at which the Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs would exhibit using their posh new Exhibition Stand. which has been donated by a Sponsor. You will therefore have to wait for another Show to see this facility unveiled, hopefully soon.

You don't have to own a white bike!

Dave Turvey and his wife Janet enjoyed the 2009 Mosel Tour so much they are doing it again, this time as Tour Leaders!

Same excellent Hotel with really great food,  nice rooms, a garage for the bikes and above all the same fabulous biking area which is only one day’s ride from your Channel Port.

This Tour is therefore an easy and attractive way for Wingers who haven”t been abroad before to give it a go.  It’s also suitable for experienced motorcycle tourers too of course; the combination of some Winger company and mutual support when you want it and the freedom to do your own thing when you feel like it too works very well.

Dave is crossing overnight Hull to Rotterdam but you can use a different crossing and meet up en route or at the Hotel if you prefer.  The Hotel rates are only slightly increased on last year, so it’s still very good value.

The Tour is open to any GoldWing of any age or type (solo, trike or combination) and you don’t need to be a member of any Club to join in.  Dave will lead the ride from Rotterdam to the Hotel and back, so you don’t need to be an ace navigator either.

The dates are June 5th to 14th 2010 and places on the Tour are limited, so contact Dave fairly quickly to express your interest in order not to be disappointed.  Further details and how to contact Dave can be found on his GoldWings North Wales  Chairman’s Blog.

If you would like to read about last year’s Tour to whet your appetite there is a series of four Articles about it on this Blog:  Part 1, Part 2, Part3 and Part 4.

It’s that time of year – when the renewal form for your GWOCGB Membership accompanies Wingspan.  Do you or don’t you?

Lots of Wingers who are still very active in their own Region are no longer bothering with the Club at national level.

For example Yorkshire Wings Region counted heads recently and discovered they had 76 (yes, 76) active Regional Members who were no longer members of GWOCGB.

Even though Yorkshire Wings has been a troubled Region in recent times and is currently facing further challenges (even committed GWOCGB loyalists are planning to break away as a separate group) this must be quite a big proportion.  And this pattern of disaffection with the national Club is likely to be reflected fairly widely across other Regions and it therefore presents quite a challenge to the Club’s National Committee.

Can they risk trying to force people to pay up or be thrown out altogether, as they would have done more or less automatically in years gone by? Or has the penny dropped at last that continues………

Intentionally impersonating Police Officers?

I have been looking into the circumstances surrounding the stopping, by Police Motorcyclists of Greater Manchester Police, of the Lead Marshall of this year’s Salvation Army Toy Run.

This Article also provides some background legal information and access to an opportunity for you to express your views about the matter if you wish – both to the Chief Constable of GMP and the Police Officer who was involved.

Peter Granger, the biker who had been asked by the Organisers to be Lead Marshall of the Toy Run, said that after being stopped he was told by the two Officer involved that he would be summonsed for something – they didn’t know quite what it would be at that stage, but he would definitely be prosecuted for something.

According to Peter they had a real go at him. He was of course riding his ex-police ST1300 which still had its blue and yellow livery and its blue lights, which he was using at the time.  (The bike had no police badges, nor the word “police” anywhere on it and Peter was not wearing any item of police uniform.)

After showing his licence and being issued with a “producer” for his insurance, which he didn’t have with him at the time, Peter was allowed to go on his way – although not until the Toy Run had moved on, leaderless and substantially disrupted.

A few days later Peter was arrested for impersonation of a police officer by means of a surprise early morning visit to his home involving continues………

Picture taken from the BBC website - hope they don't mind!

Sorry the Blog has been a bit quiet lately. This is partly because I got involved in a charity collection for the victims of the Cumbria Floods.

The public have been extremely generous, recognising that this particular disaster is on home territory, a flooded home is a real tragedy to have to deal with and that it could easily have been our home which had been struck.

In the first weekend of collecting at a Garden Centre north of Preston over £5,000 was given. I think this is a really great testimony to the British people’s innate generosity towards others.

We were also collecting in the Centre of Preston and it was clear to see that the generosity went right across the community, all ages and ethnic groups were being generous. We were even getting £20 notes put in the buckets and there were lots of £5 notes.  At least three times as much was going into the buckets as might be expected from an average charity collection.

I was particularly touched when a boy of about ten or eleven, out in Town with his mate on a Sunday morning spotted the “Cumbria Floods Coolection” on my bucket, stopped, dug out the £1.50 or so in his pocket and put in a decent part of it. What a cracking young man; no parents to prompt him, he did it entirely off his own bat.

If your GoldWing or other Bike Club is into charity collections this is a very good opportunity. To make a collection on the streets you need a licence from the local Council but on private land – such as a Shopping Centre or Supermarket all you need is the landowner’s permission. Use sealed collecting cans or buckets if you can get hold of them and display your Club’s name as well as what you are collecting for so the public know you are not working a fiddle.

The money you raise can be sent to the Cumbria Community Foundation Fund.   This Fund was set up during the Foot and Mouth outbreak to support recovery and they have continued to support communities since then, including during the Carlisle floods a few years ago.  They are a very well managed organisation which works closely with communities and businesses in Cumbria and they have an excellent reputation for getting money to those in need quickly and efficiently without huge amounts of red tape.   Instructions for making donations are given on their website.  There are also facilities for individuals to make donations directly on line.

Postscript:  The collection I referred to in this Article has now raised over £10,000 after its second weekend, which is a tremendous testemony to the generosity of the public of the Preston area.  Over £6,000 of this money has already been sent to Cumbria and the rest will follow as quickly as practicable.

The following was sent to me as a Comment on an earlier Article but I think it deserves special attention:

Hi Guys,

I thought you would be interested to know that I had a rude awakening on Thursday morning.  Police banging on my doors and windows, when I opened the door I was arrested and taken to Longsight Police station where I spent hours locked up in a cell and then charged with impersonating a Police Officer.

It was an awful experiance and it may still lose me my bike, all this because I led the Toy run on my well known ex-police bike.

That’s it, I have had enough of charity work, that Toy Run has cost me over £500 in various forms….

I am convinced the police have a different agenda and I just cannot afford the luxury of helping others as leader for all these charity runs, the police have no continuity they want me to help when it suites them and arrest me when it doesn’t, I will miss all the runs but i feel bullied and victimised but thank you all for your support.

Peter