Goldwing Rig Questions

Jim Gross, I will pipe in, because....most everyone is "expecting" me to jump in here, because I have owned 5 different Goldwing sidecar rigs, from a:

1986 Honda Goldwing 1200 w/California Friendship lll

2006 Goldwing w/Champion Daytona 2+2

2008 Goldwing w/Hannigan Astro 2+2

2015 Goldwing w/Hannigan GTL 

2019 Goldwing w/DCT and a Hannigan Dream sidecar.

The "short" version of all this is....the DCT transmission on the newer (2018+) Goldwings will well worth buying, as it makes piloting a sidecar rig so much easier, Reverse works perfectly fine with a sidecar attached, even slightly uphill, backwards, and in the snow.

Let's first discuss the REVERSE on these Goldwings:

The newer the Goldwing, the better the Reverse, and that is only because on the Goldwing 1800's (2001 to 2017) the Reverse button on the handlebar cluster can get sticky, and sometimes stay on, or not engage, but generally an annual cleaning with WD-40 keeps those handlebar switches and buttons working for 50+ years. For the most part, it is NOT a problem, and once you clean the contact points inside the handlebar switch cluster, it usually remedies itself.

The REVERSE itself is not a problem, it is just the switch at the handlebar, and that issue is atypical, so count on it working as it should.

Once engaged, the Reverse works as advertised, and will get you out of parked situations, or uphill, in the snow, etc.

On the earlier Goldwings, i.e. the Goldwing 1500's, (1988-2000) they have a lever that actuates the engagement of the Reverse, so no problem there.

Most likely, YOU will be considering a 2001 and newer Goldwing 1800....and there are BIG changes if you go with the 2018 and newer.

The DCT trans started in the 2018+ models, and everyone that I know that has the DCT trans loves it, and will never go back to a manual trans, for sidecar use. Jan Daub @CCJon has the DCT trans on his 2018 Wing, and just set the record for the oldest rider to do the UCC from Prudhoe Bay to Key West, with zero issues in the DCT trans. I personally drive my 2019 Wing with the DCT trans like it is a Ferrari, and zero problems, and both of our bikes have lots of miles on them.

Comfort on a Goldwing....first rule is, does YOUR body fit the ergonomics of a Golding?

Some, or most, riders can fit within the ergonomic pocket of a Goldwing, with only slight modifications to make them All Day comfortable.

I have been fortunate in that my body size fits the ergonomics of a Wing, with zero complaints. However...it you are atypical in size, or have a physical disability that doesn't allow you to sit on the bike normally, then it can be a problem.

Frankly, 95+ % of riders can easily get ONTO a Goldwing, and 66% of those riders can sit on that bike All Day Long, given minor modifications to make things perfect for them.

The guy I just sold my Euro-Wing to, a 2015 Goldwing w/Hannigan GTL sidecar, that I shipped to Germany last year, then had shipped back to the US this year, this gentleman is quite disabled, but he has a desire to do things that most people would shy away from, so he finds the way to Get Things Done, and he has adapted a way to get himself Up and Onto the bike rear seat, then slide forward into the rider seat, then install the Utopia backrest behind him, so he can sit on the Russell Day Long seat, and enjoy the ride.

One guy I sold my 2006 Wing w/Champion Daytona 2+2 rig to, his knees had a problem whilst sitting on the bike, but a contributing factor to that was the subframe that Champion uses on the Goldwing, so it interfered with his knee...but the fact is he has bad knees, so...he sold that rig back to me, and I re-sold it again, this time to a large Ogre named Thane, who just happens to be the current President of our sidecar association.

I will say this, 3 of my former, or current sidecar rigs will be at the USCA National Sidecar Rally just outside Mena, Arkansas this June, along with several other Goldwing sidecar rigs, so....it you just happen to show up there, you can look at, sit on, and kick the tires of every Goldwing sidecar rig known to mankind, or to Canine-kind.

I can answer your other questions, or concerns, but I have reached my bits and bites limit in this post, so let's hear what others have to say, as there are many others that have Goldwing sidecar rigs.

2006 Wing w/Champion Daytona 2+2

2015 Wing w/Hannigan GTL

2019 Wing w/Hannigan Dream

Posted by: @jim-g

↑

How easy is it for an older not-so-nimble adult to get in and out of the sidecar?

What modifications do you recommend? (Automotive rear tire, leading link or other front end, etc.)

Fuel economy or range at various speeds (50, 60, 70 mph)?

What tires and how long do they last?

How does it handle with an adult rear passenger and two 20 pound dogs in the tub?

Let's address these specific questions:

Any sidecar in the World is only as easy to get into, or out of, as the design allows. If it has an opening cockpit canopy, that makes it easier. A owner can install an Electric Chair Lift inside the sidecar, to allow the sidecar chair to Lift, and go back down, if a passenger needs that. I have installed two of these Electric Chair Lifts thus far, and they are nice to have, but NOT mandatory by any means. The original height of the sidecar seat off the floor of the sidecar makes a big difference, as well as the shape of the actual seat, is it a flat bench, or a bucket ?

On some sidecars, such as the Hannigan Heritage, Arrow, and the Hannigan Dream that I have, they have an actual DOOR to allow the passenger to get into the sidecar much easier.

The Goldwing do not take to the use of a leading Link front end, although my 1986 Wing did have a Unit Leading Link, that is an anomaly in the sidecar world, using a Leading Link on a Goldwing. But to fix the steering on a newer Wing, even the 1988 up to 2017 Wings, you would want the trail reducing triple trees, which I have personally installed on several of my Wings. The newest Goldwings, 2018+ can NOT use the trail reducing triple trees, as they have a Hassock front fork design, but companies like Hannigan (and others) can rake that Hassock fork, to reduce the trail.

Yes, 100% on using a Car Tire on the rear wheel of any 1988+ Goldwing. I have used them on all my Wings, and prefer the Bridgestone Driveguard Run Flat, with great success.

On the front, the suggested tire, the preferred tire....is a Bridgestone BT-46....it is a motorcycle REAR tire, a bias-belt tire, and you turn it around backwards to mount it onto the front wheel, and it will double the mileage you get from the typical motorcycle front tires that most people run as a 2 wheeled bike.

As you well know, fuel mileage is fully dependent on 100 different factors, however, in general, driving a Goldwing sidecar rig at 50 to 65 mph you will get 32 to 35 mpg. Once you hit 70+ mph, you will drop down to just under 30 mpg. Once you hit a ton (100 mph), you get less than 25 mpg.

The 1988 to 2000 Wings have a 6.1 gallon fuel tank, the 2001 to 2017 Wings have a 6.6 gallon tank, and the 2018+ Wings have a 5.5 gallon fuel tank. Typically you can get 150 miles out of a tank when a sidecar is attached to your Wing.

Mileage out of tires...again...dependent on 100 different factors, the # 1 being air pressure. I will politely say, listen to the guy that was a test rider for both Dunlop and Bridgestone, and has ridden more than 100k miles in a year....6 times. Put 40 psi in that front tire, that Bridgestone BT-46 motorcycle rear tire, that you mounted onto the front wheel backwards, and you should get 20k miles out of that tire....or more, all dependent on speeds, heat, alignment, etc. Run 38 psi in that Bridgestone Driveguard Run Flat car tire mounted on the rear wheel, and you can get 15k to 20k again dependent on speeds, heat, added weight, etc.

And finally, you asked... "How does it handle with an adult rear passenger and two 20 pound dogs in the tub?"

Like a Dream. A Goldwing is designed and engineered to properly handle two oversized riders that frequently visit Dairy Queen, so a rider and passenger on the bike is not a problem....adding two 20 pound dogs to the sidecar is barely enough ballast to make the sidecar think there is anything in it, so....add another 40 pound sack of sand, and it will be happy.