2006 Honda Goldwing w/Champion Daytona 2+2 sidecar

So Miles,  it would bee very interesting and greatly informative to the community,if you felt so lead, to do a ride report comparison between the 2 g/ wings that you have.  Ie/ handling, long distance comfort, etc. etc.  we know both were premier rigs in their day so in reality and taking into consideration the newer technology of the 19 along w/ Hannigan’s upgrades, would you do it again? Is the difference between the 06 & 19 a drastic change?   I just think a ride report comparison would be extremely interesting especially coming from your corner.  

Posted by: @varn-cummings

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So Miles,  it would bee very interesting and greatly informative to the community,if you felt so lead, to do a ride report comparison between the 2 g/ wings that you have.  Ie/ handling, long distance comfort, etc. etc.  we know both were premier rigs in their day so in reality and taking into consideration the newer technology of the 19 along w/ Hannigan’s upgrades, would you do it again? Is the difference between the 06 & 19 a drastic change?   I just think a ride report comparison would be extremely interesting especially coming from your corner.  

Varn, your wish is my command.

I really don't need to take either of them out before writing this comparison report, as I have spent enough time in the saddle of each, and hand my hands on both of them doing maintenance, etc, that I know both of these sidecar rigs quite well, so...here goes.

We are comparing a 2006 Honda Goldwing 1800 base model (Premium Sound system) w/Champion Daytona 2+2 sidecar.....to a 2019 Honda Goldwing w/DCT trans, and a Hannigan Dream sidecar. On both of these sidecar rigs, I am the one that made the original purchasing order to have each of these sidecars made for me, and had each of these sidecars installed directly at the manufacturers location...the Champion installed in the Los Angeles area, and the Hannigan installed in Murray, Kentucky.

On both occasions, I did a pre-ride down to the sidecar manufacturer, took a tour of their facilities, met all the people doing the hands on work, then placed my order for each sidecar...and in each case I took back to home with me a few items I wanted to install on the respective motorcycle, prior to bringing each bike back to the sidecar manufacturer months later to have the sidecar installed by them.

With the '06 Wing, I picked up from Champion the bike's subframe, the bike side wiring harness, the bike side brake lines, and I ordered the EZ Steer triple trees myself, and installed all those things in my own shop, prior to riding the bike with the "now" modified front end 1200 miles down to Los Angeles, and Champion had everything ready, and it took them a total of 8 hours in their shop to do the full and complete installation of the Daytona 2+2 sidecar to my '06 Wing, because I had previously installed all the items mentioned above, so there was much less labor for them to do.

I literally sat in the dark shadows for 8 hours, and watched from afar, as they installer did an excellent job. Once done, he asked me to do the initial test drive...IMO it was as perfect as I could have wanted, and that same afternoon I headed towards home, 1200 miles away. On the ride home I drilled that sidecar rig at speeds in excess of a ton (100 mph), and the entire rig was solid, stable, and held the road straight and true.

Jumping forward to the 2019 Wing w/DCT trans, I rode out to Hannigan Sidecars in Kentucky in April 2022, toured their facilities, met all the hands on people, placed my order for a new Dream sidecar (that sidecar is made specifically to match the rear end of the new 2018+ Wings, and utilizes a Honda taillight assy as the lighting for the sidecar. I had a thorough discussion with Corey and Dave at Hannigan regarding my wanting to do things like...subframe, brake lines, and bike side wiring, but they did their best to convince me that they could/should do it....and in the end I relented on most of that except the bike side wiring, as I had them show me their wiring work on a similar Wing on the showroom floor, and I was adamant that I would do the bike side wiring. Good thing too, as I was able to get plug 'n play wiring kits from Electrical Connection in Tennessee, that allowed me to plug into the Honda wiring harness, so there is NO tapping or splicing into the wiring....all plug 'n play, with wiring left for them to connect their sidecar wiring into.

5 months later I ride the '19 Wing back to Kentucky, a 2,500 mile trip each way, and spent 5 days there whilst they worked on doing the full installation of the new Dream sidecar to my bike. In all fairness, this was only the 2nd Dream sidecar that Hannigan had installed to a 2018+ Wing, so they were still making mods and changes as they learned. Dave Hannigan did his best impression of keeping me entertained, and away from the shop, whilst the guys worked on my rig, but in the end, after 5 full days of work, they were done, and I blasted 2,500 miles home, and the rig came out pretty darn good.

On both of these rigs, I like to tidy things up, protect wiring, encase wiring, add washers where needed, so that I know everything is as bullet proof, as is possible. Anything made by man can break down....my job is to make sure there is little chance of that happening.

After many miles, I can now compare the two rigs:

The 2006 Wing is a power machine, it has more raw power, brute strength, feels like a Dodge Viper V-10..it you are willing to twist that throttle. As with any mechanized machine, it all depends on how you are willing to drive it, ride it, get a thrill from it, or sedately cruise down the road with it. Having owned MANY Honda Goldwings in the past, having used many of them as Long Distance Endurance machines, I have no hesitation in twisting the throttle to make the bike act like Mad Max is chasing me, and I need to get away...in comfort.

It is still a well put together machine, not brutish like a 1940's Russian twin, or a 1960's H-D, and it can be ridden sedately down the road, on your way to the next Dairy Queen, or...it can be ridden as a POWER cruiser...so it comes down to...how do you want to get down the road.

The 2019 Wing w/DCT trans is a mush more refined machine...as long as you don't put it into SPORT mode. Stay in any of the other 3 riding modes, and it is well behaved, shifts through the gears like a well mannered British Lord lifting his cuppa afternoon tea, whilst whispering to his lady companion. The engine of the newest Wings...2018+...is very refined, and not overly complicated, just more refined than the 2006 Wing. Both are fuel injected, extremely similar in engine size...1832cc vs 1833cc, but of course engine management systems have evolved over the course of the 13 year difference between the two bikes.

To be continued...

Continued...

As a direct comparison of POWER....the '06 Wing delivers it like a freight train, linear, direct relationship to how much you want to twist the throttle, and it doesn't run out of power. It can hit a top speed of 131 as a solo bike, but as a sidecar rig the most I have taken it up to...thus far....is 110.

The 2019 Wing w/DCT trans is ride by wire, and as smooth as a new born baby's butt on power delivery....unless you put it into SPORT mode...then you better hang on. I found that during the USCA National Sidecar Rally in Iowa last year, SPORT mode is good for staying with, or slightly ahead (who am I kidding) Tim on his Double Bandit(o)...Suzuki Bandit 1200 w/Hannigan Bandito sidecar. He and I had some fun , and I shall leave it at that.

The '19 Wing is a slightly more refined engine, but still rides like a motorcycle, not a sewing machine. You can use the auto mode, the manual mode, or the auto mode but shift it yourself via the paddle shifters on the left handlebar. The bike has engine management for Rain mode, Eco mode, Touring mode, and the scary SPORT mode. I use the Touring mode 99% of the time, unless I can smell the exhaust of a certain Double Bandit(o) ahead of me, then I engage the thrusters...SPORT mode, or...if I see Dana on his Triumph Rocket lll playing catch up to me, then I dial in the dylithium crystals, and SPORT mode....eat that you Rocket lll.

Transmissions:  The '06 Wing is still a Goldwing 5 speed trans, but it shifts very well, shifts solid, no missed shifts, and I have never worn out a clutch on a Goldwing...any Goldwing, and that includes a few that have been ridden to over 100k miles in a year. If driven/ridden correctly, that Goldwing clutch can/will last as long as the engine...all depends on who is riding it. 

The '19 Wing has the DCT trans, and for sidecar use...it is THEE trans to have. Several others that have sidecars attached to their newer Wings all swear by these DCT trans. I have owned 4 different Hondas with the DCT trans, and every one of them has worked perfectly for me, including one on a VFR1200X, which is a beast of an engine. There is a Goldwing dealership in Germany... www.goldwing.de  that only uses Wings w/DCT trans for their sidecar rigs and trikes, if the bike is a 2018+.

Comfort:  I tweak the small things on all my bikes to fit me ergonomically, as all of us should be doing, so that I ride down the road in absolute physical comfort, and never have to change my body position in the case of an emergency. Therefore, you will never see ape hangers or cafe racer handlebars on any of my bikes, as I want to be in control, but comfortably in control, at all times. If you are not aware of the September 5, 2013 Lightning Strike, that incident proved my point, as the lightning knocked me out completely, yet due to ergonomic positioning on the bike, my body was able to comfortably sit, whilst I drifted across 3 lanes of traffic on Interstate 5 (west coast), and brought the bike to a full stop on the shoulder of the road, still 100% knocked out, until a fellow driver that witnessed the entire thing woke me up on the roadside.

All of my current bikes have a RDL seat on them (17 seats from them), and my hands and feet are well positioned, so to me, both bikes offer the exact same comfort level.

Let's jump to the question that Varn was really getting to...if I had to do it all again, which one would I buy, or build, as a sidecar rig....a Generation 2 Wing from the 2006 - 2010 era, or a newer Wing from the 2018+ era. Frankly, I would choose either, and be happy with either of them. Not the answer Varn may have been looking for, but its' as frank and forthright as I can be...both of these sidecar rigs scratch THAT itch for me, as both do their job extremely well.

At this moment, I am looking at bikes in Germany, with the idea of building a new sidecar rig, over there, actually in the Netherlands, and the bikes I am looking at are the 2006 to 2022 Wings. The 2006 to 2010 Wings I can get for a lot less money, and the 2018+ wings I can get with a DCT trans...so the decision is still up in the air. If Varn were to hold a gun (jokingly) to my head and tell me...No Donut Holes For You...until you make a decision of which bike to buy....then I would choose a newer Wing with the DCT trans, and maybe not the Goldwing Tour (that is now labeled the TOUR model if it has the rear trunk on the bike, whereas without the rear trunk, it is simply called the Goldwing....go figure.

Both of those kinds of bikes are readily available for me in Germany, and I have an agreement with Ad Donkers at LBS Sidecars in the Netherlands that he is willing to acquire a new Dedome type 70 sidecar from Dedome Sidecars in France, and LBS Sidecars in the Netherlands will do the full installation of the Dedome sidecar to my new bike.

Under the threat...threat I say...of not giving me Donut Holes...I would chose a 2018+ Goldwing w/DCT trans, and be happy with my decision.

To answer the un-asked question: Both Champion Sidecars, and Hannigan Sidecars did a very good job of making the sidecars I asked for, and for installing them to my bikes. I give Champion a 98 score, out of 100, and I give Hannigan a 95 score, out of 100. I am just picky enough to want to tidy the little things up, but they both did very well, and I WOULD order another sidecar from either of them, if I had the need for a new sidecar, in the USA.

The Goldwing dealership in Germany www.goldwing.de used to get complete container boxes filled with Hannigan sidecars shipped to them, in Germany, and build sidecar rigs for the sidecarists over there. You can still see a couple of them for sale on their website, a 2003 Orange Wing with Hannigan GTL sidecar, and a 2004 White Wing w/Hannigan GTL sidecar. Both "sidecars" are basically new.

This is what I propose to have built for me in the next year, which is why my '06 Wing w/Champion Daytona 2+2 sidecar rig is for sale.

One thing I forgot to address, that Varn asked about, is the difference in HANDLING of the two rigs I have. Very important question, and there IS a difference.

The 2006 Wing has the EZ Steer triple trees in it...and I did that installation myself. It also has the OEM size of front tire, but I have a Bridgestone BT-46 rear tire, installed backwards, on that front wheel, and the bike handles GREAT.

The 2019 Wing w/DCT trans has the 180mm Hannigan front end on it. It is the highly modified Hassock front end that Honda came with, but...highly modified, and my choice of the 180mm front end, using a much wider Hassock fork, and custom made front fender, and a 180/65-16 Michelin Commander lll tire,............turns out to be a mistake. It looks cool as hell....but in real world application I believe that the stock WIDTH front end would have been better for HANDLING, than this 180mm width front end is.

The Hannigan 180 front end is a very expensive upgrade, or option, as it really isn't an UPGRADE, if it does work as well as the stock option.

In hindsight, I should have said NO to the Hannigan 180 front end. But...I have it now, and will keep it, as the rig handles well enough to be okay on the road. But I can clearly feel a difference between the handling of the '06 Wing w/EZ Steer triple trees, and a 130/70-18 front tire, vs the '19 Wing with the 180mm front end, with a 180/65-16 front tire.

To put it into Long Distance/Endurance terms....the '06 Wing is faster and better handling from San Diego to New York City, but the '19 Wing has factory Bluetooth (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha)

Cool comparison, with a lot of great insight for anyone looking at a Goldwing rig.  🍻 

Two questions;  How would you feel riding either on an Alaskan trip (pre paved)?  What mods would you make to handle the infamous greasy mud/pot holes.

Okay one more question;  Do either/both of your rigs have reverse, and is there a difference in function/preference between the two?

Hay Miles

That was a fun read thank you for taking the time to scribble it. Some thing that Kent said about some people preferring a sidecar that is angled down at the front. I of course had a brain fart and forgot the reason?

Scott, last answer...first...both Goldwings have Reverse. Every Honda Goldwing made from 2001 to present has Reverse. Most, but not all, of the Goldwing 1500's made from 1989 to 2000 had Reverse. As for preference between the two bike's Reverse....I would say the 2019 Wing has a better Reverse, because it also has Crawl forward mode. Bike is not In Gear...but can Crawl forward, or go backwards, with a push of the buttons.

As for roads, and roadways up to Alaska, and I will include the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, as I have done all those area many, many times on 2 wheeled motorcycles, and once on my 2003 Wing (Alaska)....I would NOT use one of these "pretty" Goldwings for that purpose. As I said, having done those roads, and trails, I would have a purpose built sidecar rig, i.e., a V-Strom 650 w/sidecar, or a Africa twin w/Sidecar. Something that has better suspension, and the sidecar would be a storage utility box, or a metal Ural body, as the primary purpose would be for hauling gear, not human monkeys.

I was trying to build just such a sidecar rig, bought a brand new (left over) 2017 Honda VFR1200X-DCT, and bought a "still-in-the-crate" DMC Expedition sidecar, but at that time I couldn't get Mike Paull to do a sidecar install on a "Honda". Ironically, he now has a 2021 or 2022 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports w/DCT trans, and is having a subframe and Leading Link front end built for it....as we speak.

Anyway, I would use a purpose built off-road sidecar rig, that wouldn't be offended if it got a rock chip, or brushed up against bushes, or slipped around in the greasy clay mud on the road between Inuvik and Tuktoyuktuk.  Your new Yellow Screaming Zombie is too nice to take on those roads.

Miles, you did an outstanding job on that presentation / ride report.  This will be very informative to the sidecar community for years to come. There are quite a number of them (goldwing configured hacks ) out there and they do come up for sale.  I do hope that this article could be considered for placement in the sidecarist magazine.  You spent some time on this so a big thank you for your efforts.  

Varn, you are  quite welcome,  my friend. 

Thanks Miles!  Great insight.  I haven't ridden a Goldwing since the late '90s, and that was a vacation rental.  Your insight is gold! 😎 

Also sincerely appreciate your thoughts on Northern Canada/Alaska.

Considered...SOLD !!!!!  

Congrats!!

Do you need me to deliver it to the new owner?  😜 

Posted by: @ned

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Congrats!!

Do you need me to deliver it to the new owner?  😜 

Dat's between you and the new owners. Since You know who they are (which is a secret, until they reveal themselves).

Until such time, I'll just store it here, plugged in to the battery tender, and covered with a blanket.

Right On!  👍 Paws crossed it is a member here who will post up ride reports, and general banter. 😎

And now, for my 500th post on these forums, I will announce that my 2006 Goldwing w/Champion Daytona 2+2 sidecar rig is fully ready for departure, as the buyer (some yahoo on these forums) is flying into Seattle tonight. I will pick him up at the airport, and deliver him to his room at the Best Western hotel closest to me, then tomorrow morning I pick him up at the hotel, and bring him to my place, were he will be greeted by a fully detailed bike and sidecar...ready for the trip to his home.

Everything, and I do mean everything is ready for his arrival, including...a fully stocked Igloo cooler, with 50 bottles/cans of cold drinks in it, and filled with ice. Because we are in the midst of a very serious heat wave to hit the Great Pacific North(dry)...Not NorthWet....I could not allow this buyer to take off on a 3 days ride through the heat without making sure he had plenty of Gatorade, Pure Leaf ice tea, and V-8 Energy drinks...oh...and bottled water too.

When you buy a bike or sidecar rig from me, you get to do a full inspection of that bike or sidecar rig UP on my lift, so you can SEE the details of exactly what condition everything is in, rather than assume, or believe the lies the seller is telling you.

Small bit of history on this BIKE....I am the original owner of this 2006 Goldwing, and it is one of 2 different Goldwings that Mother Honda GAVE to me over the years, because of the miles per year I was doing, so they liked to take my previous bikes back in and tear the engine/transmission apart, to see how they wore. This bike has been perfectly broken in since day # 1, and over its' lifetime has had either 19 or 20 Oil & Filter changes (I have to look at my Excel spreadsheet to confirm...19 or 20)  I have owned this bike 3 separate times.....because in 2014 I traded it in at a local dealer for another bike. The guy that bought it only rode it 3k miles in 3 years, then he sold it back to the dealer, and they called me...I bought it back from them. Then I added the Champion Daytona 2+2 sidecar in 2019....made the terrible mistake of letting Ned @DRONE test drive it at a sidecar gathering, and because of that, he bought this sidecar rig from me in 2020. Ned drove it 6k miles in the 3 years that he owned it, then I bought it back from him last November, with the idea of shipping it to Europe. Because I knew this bike SO well, and knew for a fact that the mechanicals on it were in as perfect condition as possible, I wanted this bike back, because I could trust it in Europe.

Decisions changed, bought a completed sidecar rig from Hannigans to ship to Europe, and selling this '06 Wing w/Daytona 2+2 rig to some yahoo on these forums that I call my friend, so it is all ready to go....he will be sitting his butt on that Russell Day Long seat tomorrow morning, and heading EAST...into the sunset.

I will miss this 2006 Goldwing. Of my 11 Honda Goldwings...this one has been THEE Best.