Weird newbie-ish question

Classic Goldwings

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Daeouse

Stubbornly Optimistic!
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Messages
411
Reaction score
58
Location
Holiday, FL
My Bike Models
2022 Harley Sportster 883 (daily), 1986 GL 1200A "Wing Zero"
I have heard many different arguments for and against, but is an older Goldwing an ok beginner bike? I'm in my 30's, and I really feel no pull towards sport bikes, so I was wondering the feasibility of an 80's Wing as a first bike. . .
(slabghost, I know you and I spoke about this in the past. . .)

Thoughts? :thanks:
 
Pretty much any bike can be a good "beginner " bike if it fits you.That said the wings are big and heavy. Many prefer to learn the ins and outs of riding on lighter more manageable bikes. There are many nice standard bikes from the 70's and 80's. I still enjoy riding my KZ750.
 
It is all relative. Are you able to hold up a Wing? If so, you can learn to ride it. You have to respect the size and weight of the machine for what it is.

When teaching people to drive a ship, my best students are the ones that never docked a vessel before. They have nothing to unlearn (if you will) and I am able to teach them even though the ship is huge.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175186#p175186:21k991vt said:
mcgovern61 » 1 minute ago[/url]":21k991vt]
It is all relative. Are you able to hold up a Wing? If so, you can learn to ride it. You have to respect the size and weight of the machine for what it is.

When teaching people to drive a ship, my best students are the ones that never docked a vessel before. They have nothing to unlearn (if you will) and I am able to teach them even though the ship is huge.

Well, having never ridden a motorcycle aside from a sibling's dirtbike (crashed after crazy throttle response and wild flailing for the brakes! :doh: ), and a motorized bike I built (only crashed on it once, and that was my dumb fault for target-fixating on a curb during a U-turn :doh: ), I think I'd possibly be able to do it. I can move one around ok, as I wheeled one around a little at a Harley Dealer (the bemused Salesmen looked on chuckling :smilie_happy: ), though it is a little heavy and cumbersome. :headscratch:
I have a friend who vehemently insists I get something like a Rebel 250. . . :Doh2:
 
I strongly suggest you take a beginner motorcycle riders course. They mostly provide the bikes and taking the course will pass for the rider testing at dmv. In Ohio if you test at dmv only you have to slalom through cones and do a panic stop and follow a set course that is near impossible on a bike as large as these wings. It can be done but is very difficult. Know all the rules and skills you are taught so you pass the tests. Once you are on the road use your head. Even the tiniest car can cause you more harm than you can cause them. Yield to all squishmobiles .
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175190#p175190:38jbnveq said:
slabghost » 47 minutes ago[/url]":38jbnveq]
I strongly suggest you take a beginner motorcycle riders course. They mostly provide the bikes and taking the course will pass for the rider testing at dmv. In Ohio if you test at dmv only you have to slalom through cones and do a panic stop and follow a set course that is near impossible on a bike as large as these wings. It can be done but is very difficult. Know all the rules and skills you are taught so you pass the tests. Once you are on the road use your head. Even the tiniest car can cause you more harm than you can cause them. Yield to all squishmobiles .

You can't get a motorcycle endorsement in Florida without the MSF or Harley course. They don't even give out learner's permits anymore. Harley is doing it for free for veterans (thank-ya-much!), and they teach on Street 500's. I'm fairly paranoid on the road, so I'd like to think I'd be fairly good at avoiding homicidal squishmobiles. . .
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175190#p175190:3izs1pfg said:
slabghost » Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:54 am[/url]":3izs1pfg]
I strongly suggest you take a beginner motorcycle riders course. They mostly provide the bikes and taking the course will pass for the rider testing at dmv. In Ohio if you test at dmv only you have to slalom through cones and do a panic stop and follow a set course that is near impossible on a bike as large as these wings. It can be done but is very difficult. Know all the rules and skills you are taught so you pass the tests. Once you are on the road use your head. Even the tiniest car can cause you more harm than you can cause them. Yield to all squishmobiles .
+1 on the course :good: :moped:
 
Take the riders course, get your wing and learn to how to handle it in non traffic areas, play with it in a parking lot until you feel comfortable with it. I'm no expert but each time you get a different bike it is a new learning experience, if you want to ride a wing, learn on it but make sure you can handle it and are comfortable with it before venturing into traffic and long trips, now that is just my unqualified opinion, my first bike was a honda 90, didn't need to worry about speeding tickets on that thing.
 
Just be sure to eat your wheaties. And bring your A-game everytime you saddle up or it could spell disaster.familiarize yourself with the controls before you ever crank it .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk
 
I shall take everything to heart and give it thorough thought. If its not my first bike, it will definitely follow no long after. I might even get a small beater bike to ride to and from work, and get an Interstate or Aspencade to do a full rebuild on while I'm gaining confidence and experience.
 
The single most important practice that I get the most out of is slow parking lot maneuvers. It gets you to look where you want to go, and gain a good feel for the bikes tip over point, clutch and throttle action, and brakes.
I like to sit forward tight up against the false tank at first because control is easier, then after some time move back on the seat to the normal riding position. My first time on this bike I almost laid it down more than once. Now I can make full left and full right turns at just about stopped.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175274#p175274:3pqyyxw9 said:
dan filipi » 7 minutes ago[/url]":3pqyyxw9]
I like to sit forward tight up against the false tank at first because control is easier, then after some time move back on the seat to the normal riding position.

See? This is precisely why I chose to ask you fine people about this! I would never have known to even try that! :music:
I will practice exhaustively before I even think about taking it on any major roads. . . :moped:
 
When slow practicing, make full use of the brakes. The rear brake will help right the bike some but stay off the front in turns especially when going slow. Slip the clutch and ride the brakes as needed while holding engine rpm around 2500. These actions all at the same time are like patting your head and rubbing your stomach and help to set up an automatic reaction as you get more time on the bike. Much like learning to drive a stick except now both hands are more involved.
This is a fun bike to ride. Enjoy it.
 
dan filipi":3c1mr65f said:
When slow practicing, make full use of the brakes. The rear brake will help right the bike some but stay off the front in turns especially when going slow. Slip the clutch and ride the brakes as needed while holding engine rpm around 2500. These actions all at the same time are like patting your head and rubbing your stomach and help to set up an automatic reaction as you get more time on the bike. Much like learning to drive a stick except now both hands are more involved.
This is a fun bike to ride. Enjoy it.

I'm copying and pasting your advice to a note file on my computer for later reference. :salute: :thanks:
 
What I've got so far:

  • Take the riders course, get your wing and learn to how to handle it in non traffic areas, play with it in a parking lot until you feel comfortable with it.
  • Just be sure to eat your wheaties. And bring your A-game everytime you saddle up or it could spell disaster. Familiarize yourself with the controls before you ever crank it .
  • The single most important practice that I get the most out of is slow parking lot maneuvers. It gets you to look where you want to go, and gain a good feel for the bikes tip over point, clutch and throttle action, and brakes.
  • Sit forward tight up against the false tank at first because control is easier, then after some time move back on the seat to the normal riding position.
  • When slow practicing, make full use of the brakes. The rear brake will help right the bike some but stay off the front in turns especially when going slow.
  • Slip the clutch and ride the brakes as needed while holding engine rpm around 2500. These actions all at the same time are like patting your head and rubbing your stomach and help to set up an automatic reaction as you get more time on the bike. Much like learning to drive a stick except now both hands are more involved.
  • Make sure the bike is running good and all the controls are smooth acting. If you have a clutch or throttle cable that's sticky or brakes that aren't smooth, they can throw you off your game. If the engine isn't running smooth at lower rpm, it can cause you to lay it down if it stumbles or dies in a turn. The stock engine likes some rpm to start out. My experience they don't like much under 2500 rpm, 3000 rpm is pretty good.
  • Once you are on the road use your head. Even the tiniest car can cause you more harm than you can cause them. Yield to all squishmobiles .
  • Fix on the clear path not the obstacles. Your success or failure is your responsibility.
 
Yield to all squishmobiles .

There's an insurance commercial that says "who cares who's at fault if you get injured" So true.

Should mention also to make sure the bike is running good and all the controls are smooth acting. If you have a clutch or throttle cable that's sticky or brakes that aren't smooth, they can throw you off your game. If the engine isn't running smooth at lower rpm, it can cause you to lay it down if it stumbles or dies in a turn. The stock engine likes some rpm to start out. My experience they don't like much under 2500 rpm, 3000 rpm is pretty good.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175282#p175282:3s5qjeb0 said:
dan filipi » 2 minutes ago[/url]":3s5qjeb0]
Yield to all squishmobiles .

There's an insurance commercial that says "who cares who's at fault if you get injured" So true.

Should mention also to make sure the bike is running good and all the controls are smooth acting. If you have a clutch or throttle cable that's sticky or brakes that aren't smooth, they can throw you off your game. If the engine isn't running smooth at lower rpm, it can cause you to lay it down if it stumbles or dies in a turn. The stock engine likes some rpm to start out. My experience they don't like much under 2500 rpm, 3000 rpm is pretty good.


Adding to the list. . .
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=175285#p175285:39app4uw said:
slabghost » 2 minutes ago[/url]":39app4uw]
Fix on the clear path not the obstacles. Your success or failure is your responsibility.

Added.
 
I think you have been some great advice here by Dan and others. Once you get use to the Wing, you will love it and on the open road they are easy to handle. There is a book that I got a long time ago called "Proficient Motorcycling" and if covers every thing that in the riders course plus some, I highly recommend it for a new rider.

When if comes to working on your Wing, guys like Dan, Joe and some others have a wealth of knowledge and are always willing to share it. As for me I'm just an old Pud Knocker.
 
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