I asked about a 2004 Goldwing with Hannigan GTL sidecar,,,,and now I know. I picked it up last night, drove it 2 hours to the hotel for the night, wife was following me in the car we drove down in, and she was tired, so we stopped. Some will recall, I bought a 1999 Harley TLE sidecar the day after Easter, but couldn't get a bike I liked in my price range.
So, my first impressions of this rig, the first rig I ever piloted, I'm not crazy about it. What I am crazy about is the electric lean option it has. Makes it VERY easy to get the rig to go down the road effortlessly straight !!! The Honda also has a raked tree, so driving this thing is easy. I just don't like the pull to the right under acceleration, or push to the left when braking. One thing I learned, if I use only rear brake it doesn't push left at all. But wouldn't that wear the pads out in a hurry, not using the front brake?
I don't like Goldwings, sorry to those of you that do. I like my Harleys and I may sell this and get the Harley to attach to my Harley sidecar. Then I loose that cool lean feature, as I don't think Harley offers it, or do they?
More to follow as I get accustomed to this baby. We have alot of Ride for Kids rides planned the next 2 months.
I picked it up last night and have put about 325 miles on it. After getting used to it, I like it alot better. It's a beautiful rig and of course everyone stares at it. My wife really likes it, but she doesn't get much air in that Hannigan GTL. We owned a 2001 Wing when they first came out, sold it 9 months later and never missed it. I forgot how HOT the thing is on the legs !!!!
So, it'll do for now for the rides we have planned and come winter it will probably go up for sale and a Harley rig will fill the spot, at least that's the plan for now. But I gotta tell you guys, that GTL hack looks like the Corvette of hacks, as my wife would say.
I love the old Harley hack look, the one Liberty copied, which makes Liberty my favorite hack out today. I'd love to have a Liberty attached to a Road King, my favorite set up !!!!
We've had the rig6 days now and 6 tanks of gas later, we love it !!! The Harley hasn't been ridden since, but probably will be this evening. People come up to us everywhere we stop, just to talk about the sidecar. It really is sweet !!! Everybody has a comment, thumbs up from drivers going down the road or at red lights. Smiles from passerby's'. People rubber neckin' when they pass on the highway . I read somewhere, if you're shy and don't want to draw attention, don't pilot a hack !! True true true.
Ride safe !
UltraRodHack - 7/16/2010 2:34 PM
We've had the rig6 days now and 6 tanks of gas later, we love it !!! The Harley hasn't been ridden since, but probably will be this evening. People come up to us everywhere we stop, just to talk about the sidecar. It really is sweet !!! Everybody has a comment, thumbs up from drivers going down the road or at red lights. Smiles from passerby's'. People rubber neckin' when they pass on the highway . I read somewhere, if you're shy and don't want to draw attention, don't pilot a hack !! True true true.
Ride safe !
Hello again.
I just noticed this thread. If the 2004 Goldwing is smilar to the 1500 models (1988 to 2000), they have linked brakes. The front brake handles one of the two front disks and the rear brake operates the other front disk and the rear brake disc. They are a great bike with ample power for a sidecar.
As to your dislike for right pull on acceleration and left pull on deceleration, that's really "sidecar motion". It has to do with the weight of the sidecar and the physics of momentum. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion.
Better get used to it. LOL.
I'm used to the motion now, but it sure freaked me out when I first rode it. And I knew what it was going to do, I read all kinds of info the last 3 months. I love my Harley and wish I could have found a Harley to attach to the Harley sidecar I bought at Easter time, but this Wing rig came along at a price I couldn't resist. And the Hannigan GTL hack is nothing shy of beautiful and quality quality quality. Everybody loves the GTL and has to talk about it when ever we stop for gas, etc.
This may go up for sale this winter so I can get a Harley rig. I almost bought a Harley with a Hannigan Classic hack, but they were priced too high for the bike.
UltraRodHack - 7/17/2010 4:30 AM
I'm used to the motion now, but it sure freaked me out when I first rode it. And I knew what it was going to do, I read all kinds of info the last 3 months. I love my Harley and wish I could have found a Harley to attach to the Harley sidecar I bought at Easter time, but this Wing rig came along at a price I couldn't resist. And the Hannigan GTL hack is nothing shy of beautiful and quality quality quality. Everybody loves the GTL and has to talk about it when ever we stop for gas, etc.
This may go up for sale this winter so I can get a Harley rig. I almost bought a Harley with a Hannigan Classic hack, but they were priced too high for the bike.
I love my Harley rig too but you'll be giving up some power when you change from the Goldwing. That's my favorite other bike.
Have u checked to air conditioning for your side car? I have a2003 HD Ultra classic w/ hannigan 2+2, 1988 GL1500 w/Hannigan 2+2, and a 1996 GL1500 w/ hannigan atro.. All 3 have a/c. My wife and 3 yr old grandson get the a/c while I get the wind. I actually like the wings over the HD.
Wife wouldn't take A/C in her hack if it was free !!! She even sleeps with long PJ's and my blanket and comforter flipped over on top her her. Coldest woman I ever met. Well, cold body temp but really hot for 40!!!
That is exactly how my wife sleeps,year round electicTwin blanket on a King bed, All covers and blankets are twin on the bed. I flip the conforter over and sleep under the sheet. These are home made a/c's and wife wife won't ride without it!!? Does she ride with the top off?
It's been near 100 degrees this wek, so the top has been off. We're heading north Tuesday, so I'm sure it'll go back on. How much did A/C cost you?
All three bike have a cooler sitting on foam in the hannigans trunk. Coolers I already owned and the largest I could put in there. I bought the slowest pump from walmart's RV dept apprx 25.00. Then I got a auto heater coil and mounted it onto the wall between the truck and the sidecar. 19.00 for the heater coil at napa. It is conected by hose to the pump in the bottom of the cooler. The other end of the heater coil is just run back to the cooler. Both are run thru the side of the cooler near the top. A 12v fan again from Walmart rv dept is blowing thru the heater coil into the sidecar. A register for a house is covering the cutout in front of the heater coil and the 12 v fan is connected by coil stock or metal duct and a switch is run to the front to turn on. My power all three bike with large batteries next to the cooler in the truck, so that is were I grab power. The wife can run the a/c with out the bike runing for short stops and she doesn't have to get out. The cooler is filled with ice as we travel or we have 2 totes full of water that we freeze. Drink or frozen water bottles are put in or even food in the cooler! Hannigan wanted 1k to add a/c and we did it with a few parts and purchases. Everyone at a stop ask if we have ac and we have to show them the setup.
Sweet !!! I mentioned A/C to the wife and she isn't interested right now, we'll see. It's been nearly 96 here all week, and if she doesn't want A/C in this, she'll never want it. I would LOVE to have it,,,,maybe an A/C riders suit ???
It's a motorcycle with a sidecar. It shouldn't have air conditioning. If you need air conditioning, take the car......
If it keeps the old lady happy, you do what SHE wants!
In this 96 degree heat, wearing a half helmet, I sweat in drips, soaked, running down my head, neck, etc. !!! But I'd rather be sweating on the bike than in the cage with A/C.
Of course , I'm a teacher and off work right now, I certainly wouldn't want to arrive anywhere important in this condition.
