It seems like only yesterday when I picked up my beloved RT. OK it WAS only 4 months ago. In our short time together we have traveled many fun filled miles. Riding alone it has been fine, but add the wife, and it has been mixed at best. She has had issues with vibration from the start. While my seat is relatively smooth, she feels some buzzing from time to time. She also gets vibration through the top box into her back that is causing some issues. Her past radiation thereapy may have something to do with the back pain as well, but we can't say. And on top of all that we are both a little on the round side and find the seating to be cramped. Surprisingly we found the seat on the beemer to be almost identical in length to the one on the Hondamatic!
So after test riding a new LT and a Goldwing, we are trading the RT in tomorrow. I really hate to see it go, but keeping it around was not the most practical thing to do. Getting most of my money back out of it on the trade eases the pain.
The LT and Wing are very similar bikes, with few minor differences overall. Most of those differences were a wash in our decision making, while one did make a difference, seating. The LT has a shorter length seat, only slightly better than the RT. The Wing just flat out has some room. Plus the wife liked the pillion backrest much better. So, having said that, we will pick up our new '08 Goldwing tomorrow.
Owning a Wing is going to take some getting used to. We will not be buying tons of chrome, or stuffed animals, so we may never fit the mold. But the damn thing handles good for a big bike (probably on par with the RT), runs like stink, and gets no worse gas mileage than the RT. Most of all, we fit comfortably on it, and should be able to rack up some serious miles.
I'm going to miss the BMW, but I suspect I will not have any regrets.
Now excuse me wile we go get our hair permed, put on matching satin jackets, and find some gold chains for me. No, no, that's just a stereotype and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,hey is that a pinky ring? :eek:
:biggrin: LMAO I'm laughing at the mental picture of the jackets and permed hair ;D
Man. . . I'd have at least rode an ultra classic. . . But that's just me I guess. A buddy of mine has the new tri-glide, but three wheels on the ground is not me. . . :smile:
Did not want do the H-D thing if I could avoid it, sorry been there done that. Had one once before, and started disliking it for various reasons. Had a Wing before as well, and while I wasn't pleased with a couple things, I still pretty much liked it at the time. The Wing I missed from time to time when I was between bikes, but I've never missed the '90 Electra Glide. I do realize that some major improvements have been made in the touring H-D, but it still won't have the smoothness, handling, nor the get up and go, of the Wing or the LT. The Ultra Classic was mentioned in our discussions. Had the Wing not worked, we might have very well ridden the H-D as a last resort.
We test rode the BMW LT, and a K1300GT while we were there. The GT has 160 horses available at the twist of the wrist. While it would have worked fairly well, I knew my drivers license would be history in a short time. The LT, even with it's weight, would get up and run if you wound it up. We then rode the Wing and I had been taking it easy and getting a feel for the bike. The wife asked why I had been poking along, and would the bike run. I then moved onto a 4 lane with clear road ahead. I ran it up through first kinda easy, then after shifting into second gear, I let it rip. Ran it damn near to redline, then shifted into third and let it eat for a second or two. Let up shifted into fourth and on to fifth. I looked back and asked her how was it, she replied, just fine. She's pretty special that way. ;D
If you've ever ridden in good running small block musclecar, you know how the LT felt, the Wing is more like a big block with all the torque. The roll on I did had similar results to the short burst I did on the GT BMW, just not quite the nuclear missile feel of the beemer, but damn close. If that Wing had not had a box and backrest, she would have been off the bike at the hit of the throttle. I am hearing mid 12 second quarter miles at 108 on the Wing. I don't doubt it.
Also, it was built in Marysville Ohio, by Ohio residents, with US made parts. As someone else said, "It's an American motorcycle with a Japanese name."