For whom
Here are the main features of the machine:
- 94 hp and 105 Nm for the engine;
- the motor is less noisy and vibrates than the previous model;
- The front suspension is equipped with an anti-dive function.
The Honda GL 1200 Gold Wing is perfect for traveling. Yes, the model is unable to compete with the famous Africa Twin from the same company either in cross-country ability or in practicality. Nevertheless, the motorcycle is an interesting option for the amateur tourist.
Engine
The engine here is excellent: it is a longitudinal unit with four strokes and the same number of cylinders. Its effective volume is 1182 cm³, compression ratio is 9:1. The engine is cooled by liquid; there are a pair of valves per cylinder. There is an excellent carburetor system.
The limit figures are as follows: at 7000 rpm the power is 94 hp, at 5500 rpm the torque is 105 Nm, the peak speed of the car is 172 km/h. These are remarkable characteristics for an eighties touring bike.
Dimensions and weight
The GL 1200 weighs 342 kg, which makes it one of the heaviest bikes not only of its era and class, but among all motorcycles in general. However, both the fuel tank and fuel consumption are pleasing: with a tank volume of 22 liters, the motorcycle consumes on average only 5.7 liters per 100 km.
The saddle height here is average and is 780 mm. The length of the motorcycle reaches 2505 mm, its width is 970 mm and its height is 1510 mm. The wheelbase of the GL 1200 is 1610 mm. These are quite acceptable dimensions for a touring motorcycle.
Review of the Yamaha XVZ1300D Venture Royale motorcycle
Yamaha Royale Venture. Driving on asphalt. City:
You can mess around with traffic jams and drive through, but not for long. The hand falls off the hydraulic clutch, the motorcycle heats up (but does not boil), the coolers hum every now and then and pour heat onto your legs.
The dynamics of the bike are enough to compete with srakers (approx. “street racers” on TAZs in a shitty body kit), normal racers (not sports cars, of course) and subarists.
Driving on asphalt. Route:
Getting out on the track - oh yeah, baby!
It rides like it's on rails. Excellent grip, with a side wind of ~20 I drop quite a bit (up to 90 km/h). We unscrew the handle and 140 imperceptibly. No fluff. You can't hear the music as well as on 100 or 120, but you can sing along. At 160, you can easily plug in the cigarette lighter, light a cigarette, plug it back in, and continue on your way. Overtaking: we line up behind the truck, flashing a couple of times in the mirror for the driver, carefully stick our head out onto the road, select about 300 meters of empty oncoming lane and if everything suits us, turn sharply to the left with increasing gas, and with the same increase sharply to the right. The reserve of power and dynamics is felt with dashing intensity. The entire overtaking of a standard truck (2-axle semi-trailer) takes 5-7 seconds, this is if the speed before the maneuver is 90-110 km/h.
Driving on asphalt. Rain:
In the standard configuration, the bike is not very protected, unlike the Golda in terms of legs. When it rained, the toes of the boots would get splashed with water, and the water would rise from the wind along the lacing or cellophane to the knee, then back into the boot. Corrected by installing plexiglass shields. The bike feels just like it's on rails. I experienced it in a downpour + a light hurricane with hail at 100-120 km/h. He doesn't give a fuck.
Also, the standard windshield (or rather its height) is extremely inconvenient. Let me clarify that when driving behind a truck in the rain, the windshield turns into a completely opaque wall. It throws him completely, within 30 seconds. Fixed by shortening the height of the glass: I trimmed the glass so that it was 2 cm below eye level (the Americans advised). It’s very convenient - the height of the glass is enough to throw away dirt and flies with a stream of air, and if the glass is thrown up, you just look straight (above the glass).
Driving on a cross-country road. Wet:
FUCKED! Don't even think about it! If you find yourself in such a situation, get out of the ground onto the grass, fully inflate the suspension and drive slowly. The clearance height is more than enough for the intersection.
Driving on a cross-country road. Dry:
Better than wet. The bike is controlled and doesn’t even touch the ground with its belly. Calmly handles bumps and potholes. Just don’t speed up and don’t get carried away.
Driving on a cross-country road. Clay/crushed stone:
Hold the steering wheel tightly, extremely tightly. Every now and then he tries to jump out. No video. There was no time for filming...
Consumption:
That's what makes me happy! On the highway, at a speed of 140, with full panniers, with a passenger, 7.3 ~ 7.5 liters per 100 km or exactly 10 liters per 125 km in the same mode. I only use 92nd gasoline. On a full tank I drive from the Pashinsky traffic police post in Novosibirsk to the Tomsk traffic police post (on the bridge), without switching to reserve, at a speed of 120 km/h.
Case capacity:
ALWAYS have with you:
Iron:
standard set of tools (all metric heads with 3 different wrenches) + set of open-end wrenches (from 7 to 27) + set of standard motorcycle keys.
2 candlesticks. All sorts of small and not very small bolts (stupidly in a bag). Harnesses for tubeless tires. WD40 large bottle. A liter of oil in a canister. A liter of antifreeze in a canister. 250 grams of brake fluid DOT3. 250 grams of glass polish. A bunch of different glass cloths. Gas cylinder with burner. Matches don't give a damn. Gas for lighter. Plastic lighters 2 pcs.
Set of personal items:
waterproof textile trousers IXS. Ordinary leather gloves. Short leather gloves (fingerless). T-shirt. A warm sweater. Jeans. Clean/dry socks. Towel. Toothbrush/paste. Soap. Warm socks. A bunch of thick bags. The tape is wide. Fork knife 2 cans of stew. Minimum first aid kit.
-all this is constantly on the motorcycle (and every sudden little thing).
In addition, it fits into the motorcycle without any problems and directly into the panniers:
A 2-person tent, 2 sleeping bags, a spare helmet, 1 set of my things, 1 set of madam’s things (+ all sorts of cosmetic bags, etc.) and so on, little things, but the rugs have to be tied to the luggage rack of the central trunk.
I think let's sum it up:
Pros:
The bike is just perfect for the trail. The huge luggage capacity, its fuel consumption, comfortable seating – everything suggests that this is a 2-wheeled VIP carriage for the track.
Minuses:
1/ The generator is completely dead (its power is low). -I treated him with all kinds of conversion of luminous elements from lamps to LEDs.
2/ Overrunning clutch (WeMaxers know this firsthand). -Treated by pulling up once a season.
3/ Clutch basket. After about 40 - 42 thousand kilometers it begins to rattle. – It can only be treated by replacing the entire basket (there is a brass bushing pressed into it at the factory, which breaks it).
4/ I wrote about the standard windshield above.
5/ I wrote about leg guards above.
6/ The standard headlight lamp is not enough. – It can be treated with a 100 Watt or xenon installation (no amount of fakin “fogs” will save the situation, don’t even think about it). And do not use “+30% power” lamps. Incredible shit!
7/ Heavy, stsuko. But this is the first time. – yes, and it is treated by exercising your body (pleasant with useful)
7.5/ Heavy, stsuko. Wildly lacking reverse gear.
8/ Dead acoustics (well, not surprisingly, you can only install 10 cm of speakers in the drain).
Chassis and brakes
The frame is made of steel. It looks solid, as does the exterior as a whole: you can immediately see that this is a very large and heavy motorcycle on which you can load a lot of things; However, it is clear that this car is completely unsuitable for driving on race tracks.
The wheels here are alloy, which does not affect the appearance in any way, because this is not important for a touring bike. The steering wheel of the model is quite large, but due to its high location it will not rest on your knees. The windshield is not at all decorative. It is large enough to effectively protect the driver's face.
The bike is equipped with a pendulum suspension with two shock absorbers at the rear, while at the front there is a telescopic fork. The rear and front suspension travel is 100 and 140 mm, respectively. The rear brakes are equipped with a two-piston caliper and a disc with a diameter of 250 mm. The brakes at the front are two-piston calipers paired with two discs, each 232 mm.
Honda Gold Wing touring motorcycle has been seriously updated
The legendary “Golda” has been produced for 43 years and during this time has gained a huge army of fans. Now they have a change of purpose: the latest Honda GL 1800 Gold Wing is presented simultaneously in the American Santa Barbara and at the Tokyo auto show.
Even externally, the motorcycle has become lighter and faster. Which, however, is confirmed by the technical description: the new model is more than 40 kg lighter than the previous one. After all, the car’s frame, engine and gearboxes were updated, and the front suspension changed its design. Because of this, the layout has also changed: the driver's seat is now moved a few centimeters forward.
The six-cylinder boxer engine is completely new: its inter-cylinder distance has been reduced by 9 mm (to 81 mm), and the cylinder diameter has decreased by 1 mm (73 mm). Thanks to this, the motor has become 29 mm more compact and 6 kg lighter. At the same time, the power increased by about 5 hp. (up to approximately 125 hp), and fuel consumption was reduced by approximately 15%. This made it possible to reduce the volume of the tank by the same amount: Honda people claim that the range has not changed.
Instead of the previous five-speed “mechanics,” there are now two gearboxes: a six-speed manual and a seven-speed “robot” with two clutches. Moreover, motorcycles with a “robot” have a reverse transmission and a special “walking” mode: it allows you to move forward at a speed of approximately 1.8 km/h, and backward - a little faster than 1 km/h.
In the front suspension, the telescopic fork has given way to a double-lever design: it reduces dive when braking, but most importantly, it improves ride smoothness and makes it easier to control. The rear suspension is also new - the load preload on top versions can now be adjusted electrically. The wind deflector, which is reduced in size due to the changed driver's position, is also equipped with an electric motor adjustment. Moreover, the drive has a memory: when the engine is turned off, the window lowers to the bottom position, and when started it returns to its previous position.
The new “Golda” can choose four driving modes: tourist, sport, economical or rain. They differ in the sensitivity of the throttle, the “robot” switching logic and the suspension settings. And the front brakes now have discs enlarged from 296 to 320 mm and six-piston radial mechanisms.
The dashboard is decorated with a seven-inch touchscreen multimedia system: Honda claims that the Gold Wing will be the first motorcycle on the market for which the Apple CarPlay service is available (Android Auto will appear a little later). And a navigator with free map updates for ten years is already in the database. Finally, the Gold Wing has acquired a push-button engine start system and a “smart” central locking that prevents you from forgetting the key in the trunk.
By the way, it is the trunk that can cause disappointment to fans of the model. The fact is that the basic motorcycle will now be sold without a trunk behind the passenger at all, and for the more expensive version of the Gold Wing Tour, the total volume of panniers has been reduced from 150 to 110 liters. That is, less than the main competitor, the BMW K1600GTL motorcycle (115 liters for luggage). The Honda people explain this step with their own research: they say that the owners of touring bikes travel on average no longer than three days, and for such a voyage 110 liters is quite enough. However, there is also a more realistic reason: huge panniers would disrupt the harmony in the appearance of a slimmer motorcycle.
The new Honda GL 1800 Gold Wing will hit its main American market in February 2021. Prices have already been announced. The basic model with “mechanics” in the USA is estimated at 23.5 thousand dollars, the “robot” increases the price by 1200 dollars, and the Gold Wing Tour version costs from 26.7 to 31.5 thousand dollars.
