New Goldwing Members

Thanks Rocky, you da man.
Not new to the Darkside but new to this board. Even though I am already sold on a CT I like to keep up on anythng new.

We appreciate all your help Rocky! Getting so busy around here and hard to keep it up!..... All you wingers bring such a wealth of knowledge to our forum.


....................bobby

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I see some familiar Name in here.
Mad meteor and Rocky , I finally made it over.
Bout time to go put another 50 miles on the ct to get home from work.

Welcome aboard bugsquawsher, make your self to home.

Jerry

I've got a question Rocky. I'm not new to darksiding but am new to the Goldwing.

Noticed alot if not most of the darksiders on Wings go with runflats. Is there a reason for this? Obviously they must work but I would think the sidewalls would be too "ridged" to allow flexing so more tread stays on the ground.

Sorry if this has been brought up before or if I'm beating a dead horse.

Marang,
Although I'm not Rocky, If I may. there are several reasons why most of the Wingers use a run-flat tire. The most obvious, is the run-flat capability. It can be run for about 50 miles while there is less-than adequate air or even no air in it at all. 50 miles should be able to get you to a position where it can be replaced or fixed. Yes, you can plug a car-tire. We do it all the time on our vehicles. The side wall is stiffer and will allow it to operate with less than the recommended amount of air for a short time. The Goldwing is a heavy bike and the stiffer sidewall is a added plus. It has been said that a "regular" non-run-flat tire on the Wing makes it feel a "little squirelly" in the corners. I cannot attest to that, as I have never run anything but a run-flat. Others will swear to the fact that the non-run-flat is the best for them. To each his own. Another added bonus to the run-flat, is that a lot of Wingers pull a trailer behind them and the fact that it is a runflat gives the added assurance (most of the time) that if you have a flat, you can still run it to a secure place of repair. I'm sure others can elaborate on the reasons they use a run-flat, but I hope this info. starts to help, anyways. Be careful out there. Semper-fi Mike

Thanks for the info Mike, it does help alot.

Semper-fi Devil Dog

Marang,
I think the answer to your question is that the rigid sidewall really does not come in play too much with the lower air pressures we use in the tire.
With the weight of the Wingabago and lower pressures it flex's enough to keep a large footprint on the road.
I am not an engineer or anything but, as I read more and more on these boards that seems to be the concensus.

Hope that helps!!!

Ray

Well i am new to the board and all this talk of putting ct on the bike sounds easy,but for me,well let's say it did not work.What would be nice if some one would explain how they got the tire on because to me the stopping point was part of the plastic liner which i could not get the tire past.Took off l. saddlebag and l. muffler to give me more room but no such luck.I tried to do it myself,so a little explaining and some pics would be nice.
thanks.

chisum,
I don't know what size tire you tried to put in there, but the 195-55/15 is a cakewalk. I put mine on a jack and put it about 2 feet in the air. Strap it down. Take old tire and wheel down. Line up the top lug bolts so they are at 11 ande 1 o'clock (for more clearance on top). Put dish detergent on plactic up in the wheel well or on the sidewall of the tire. Let all the air out of said tire, and pop that bad-boy up there. It'll slide right in there. Might have to wiggle it about to clear the lugs, but it'll go. Bah-da-bing!!! It's done. Some guys take off the rear middle section of fender, (the piece holding the license plate) and put it in that-a way. If you have any other questions, jus axe me, an I'll try an get back as quickly as possible. Semper-fi Mike

Marine thanks for the info,i tried to do it on the center stand but no luck got so pissed off sent tire back and bought a new desinged e 3 and put it on .Leaving on vacation and needed a tire,wish i would have had info sonner but next tire will be a kuhmo run flat that's the tire i tried to put on.you didn't say if u put the bike all the way up or down on the pre load setting.
thanks chisum!

Chisum,
I really don't know what setting it was on. Probably 12, where I mostly run it. But I guess 25 would be the ideal, as it brings the swing-arm down the furthest. Have a GREAT vacation. SO an I will be puttin' the GW in the wind next month for Rhode Island. Be careful and be aware that cages are out ta get ya !!!!!!! Drive defensively. BTW, see signature for tire, size and psi. Semper-fi Mike

I was reading in one of the posts about tire size and the "RIMS" - I just bought 195/55/16 rf dunlop - my question is - Can I use the stock wheel to mount the new CT on?

mjohnson,
Sorry nobody got back to you on the wheel question. I've been away from the board for a while. Yes, you can use the stock wheel. The later models with the tire pressure monitoring syster also work, but the person mounting the tire has to be careful not to damage the sensor. You may have a "bit of a time" locating someone who is willing to mount a car tire on a m/c rim, but if your persistent, you can be the winner!!!! I buy the tire locally from a small Mom and Pop dealer, who know ahead of time if I spend the bucks there, they will mount the tire for me. Its a pre-planned deal. if you choose to buy a tire on the internet, sometimes they are cheaper, but you'll have a harder time finding someone to mount it if you didn't buy it from them. JMHO Hope the info isn't to late. Semper-fi MIke

Thanks for the response - I did buy the tire on line - may not buy the next one on line. Someone suggested telling the shop it is for a trailer or a side car - can't wait for some decent weather.

Hey - has anyone tried to mount these themselves with a harbor frieght tire changer?

Thanks guys

I've heard of people telling the tire folks it was for a trailer. I just always thought it was a best to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may. I imagine the tire people know a m/c wheel when they see it. No sence(?) insulting their intelligence. Try the smaller independent shops first and see what happens. Heck, go to the Honda store and see if they will mount it. They have a wheel balancer for m/c tires anyways. I balance my own w/a homemade set-up. As for the Harbor-Freight change-out,I have heard the R/F's (run-flats) are a real challenge, but the non R/F's work O.K. on the HF. As satted above, I buy mine and have the same people mount it. To easy!!!!!! Semper-fi Mike

ON some 1800 Goldwings the plastic inner fender on the left side needs to be tied back. This can be done by putting two holes in it, threading a tie wrap through and around the frame member. Sometimes there are wires that get in the way but these can be adjusted enough to get some extra clearance. Some bikes have this problem and some don't. In the picture you can see the wires peeking out from under the plastic inner fender. The picture was taken with the rear tire removed and is looking from the rear towards the front. The dark spots on the inner fender are where the the tire rubbed as it was being removed.

Been lurking for a while. Picked up an '82 1100 Interstate, and have been planning a TON of riding. While it's got good rubber on it now, I suspect I'll need a tire by fall. You Darksiders have a good point, and I look forward to joining your ranks.

Cheers,
~BraveBlueMice

...and another Goldwing DS rider is heard from! Greetings Bug, Rocky & the rest of the gang should be here shortly.

I am not sure if you will be able to fit a CT on the back of an 81 wing. Could be wrong tho.

Hey Rocky, I made it over, And thank's for the welcome. I'm still running the RF ct and love the ride and the handle of the bike. Thanks for helping out on with what tire to run.And all the other help you have given me.
Jack

After getting totally frustrated with another forum, I have jumped that ship and am making this my new home!

I ride a 2005 GL1800A running a 195/55R-16 Kumho Ecsta SPT XRP RunFlat out back that Rocky gave a BIG assist in getting mounted and a brand new Bridgestone G709 up front, replacing the E3's I had installed before. I am really enjoying this new setup!

Will post more later, just wanted to give a shout out that I had arrived!!!

Murgie wrote:I am not sure if you will be able to fit a CT on the back of an 81 wing. Could be wrong tho.

You're probably right. Looks to be a bizarre size, coupled with some close tolerances. Still gonna try, though.

I mean, if we can find CTs for scooters like the silver wing, and that three wheeler that one dude has, ought to be able to find something.

Ride on!
~BBM

Mr Rocky thank you for your knowledge I hope to get to me you sometime. New 2009 silver Wing proud owner with 5100 cupped miles with oem, soon as I get tire worn more I will IM you. I want the best brand of a car tire on my new baby. Thes Dunlops cup too fast and I want wider tread a rear car tire offers. Price is not a consideration. If one brand is better than another I want it. Here is to the future