I bought a '98 Goldwing in the fall (traded even up for my Kawa 2000LT). I wanted the radio, cruise control, better weather protection, and all that stuff. Bike appeared to be in perfect condition. SE model, which has all the goodies.
But when riding on the highway, it seemed to be moved more than normal by sidewinds and passing trucks. I was surprised about this, because I've had other plastic-clad bikes (ST1100, Pacific Coast), and they were dead-stable in the wind. Why would an 800 pound bike be this sensitive?
The problem was getting worse over time. A few weeks ago I took a long trip in windy conditions, and it was "white knuckle" all the way. I was ready to send it off a cliff by the time I got back.
Then I did some checking around and learned that this type of symptoms can be a sign of worn-out steering head bearings. I dropped it off at the Honda dealer this morning to have them checked out and replaced, if necessary. I was really hoping that they were bad, so I could feel like the problem would be resolved. I can't believe this is normal Goldwing behavior.
Bearings were fine.
Recommended front tire pressure: 38psi; my front tire pressure 13psi.
Recommended rear tire pressure: 41psi; my rear tire pressure 23psi.
What an idjit! It didn't even occur to me that i could be gradually losing pressure in my tires. They looked fine.
Problem solved.
When the owner's manual says you need to check your tire pressure at least once a month (which mine does), maybe one should heed that warning.
But when riding on the highway, it seemed to be moved more than normal by sidewinds and passing trucks. I was surprised about this, because I've had other plastic-clad bikes (ST1100, Pacific Coast), and they were dead-stable in the wind. Why would an 800 pound bike be this sensitive?
The problem was getting worse over time. A few weeks ago I took a long trip in windy conditions, and it was "white knuckle" all the way. I was ready to send it off a cliff by the time I got back.
Then I did some checking around and learned that this type of symptoms can be a sign of worn-out steering head bearings. I dropped it off at the Honda dealer this morning to have them checked out and replaced, if necessary. I was really hoping that they were bad, so I could feel like the problem would be resolved. I can't believe this is normal Goldwing behavior.
Bearings were fine.
Recommended front tire pressure: 38psi; my front tire pressure 13psi.
Recommended rear tire pressure: 41psi; my rear tire pressure 23psi.
What an idjit! It didn't even occur to me that i could be gradually losing pressure in my tires. They looked fine.
Problem solved.
When the owner's manual says you need to check your tire pressure at least once a month (which mine does), maybe one should heed that warning.
