Steve, on item #5....if you  had  labeled  that one,  what  you  were  referring to  are called  Steering Head Bearings.  Typically  they  don't  go  bad on a Honda Goldwing  1500, but....yours may be  29 years old,  and have well  over  100k miles  on them,  and....have endured use as a sidecar rig,  which means converse Steering rather than  typical  2 wheeled  bike  use.

Regarding the  29 years old  Steering  Dampener.....highly recommend that you  replace it,  with a  new  one,  as it appears  the  bike  needs  it.

The black knob you  referred to,  is from  your  old  days of early  Norton and  Triumph  motorcycles.  Won't  find that  on a Goldwing,  of any year.

But you can find Steering  Dampeners that  are "click" adjustable. 

And.....YES.......check the  tire pressures. 40 psi in that  front  tire.

Finally,  I  desperately  need the  info  on your  front  tire......brand, model, size, mileage, psi, and....date code.

Miles the previous owner did not do the head bearing, its easy enough to ask if he checked the condition. Any recommendations on a damper?

Ordered the trim and i can also try it on the wing and see what i think =)

Steve, search on Amazon.....for.... adjustable  steering  dampener

I just searched,  and there are  dozens of them, some  specific  to "motorcycles ", so find one that  looks to fit like the  old one  did.  Most that I  saw were under  $ 100.

I didn't remember what your damper looked like so I went back to one of your previous posts.  Here it is --->

 

Can't say I've seen one like that before.  When shopping for a new one, you'll need to know compressed length and extended length, and then of course you want something with the same kind of connectors.

When searching eBay, some guys have success searching for Volkswagen steering damper or Porsche steering damper.  You can also try Bilstein.  You can also try steering stabilizer instead of steering damper.  The hardest part will be getting the seller to tell you what you want to know, i.e. compressed length, extended length, and connectors.

I'd also suggest changing the title of this thread to "Goldwing GL1500 steering damper - source?"  You're trying to catch the attention of the casual GL1500 member who's just browsing and glancing at titles.

 

Great idea consider it done =)

So if anyone has a suggestion and it will fit my wing that would be great. I will have a look tomorrow and see if there is a part number that might give some details. Picture of actual damper for reference

 

On using the automotive style dampers for sidecar use, is their a "consensus" regarding a gas charged damper versus non-gas charged damper? 

I never gelled with gas charged dampers, so wondering if there is a difference when used on a sidecar?  Just a general question that came to mind.  I don't have a plan to use that type of damper. 

Hay Miles i just saw your request for tire info i will check it out later today

Morning Miles

Ok tire info. Metzlar 888 marathon Ultra 130 17 0808.    MC63H DOT XEOK U815 not sure if the last numbers are what you are looking for

Tire is running in the correct direction according to the arrow on the tire.

Okay, Steve @none.....therein lays one of the problems with how your bike handles, both with the dampener in place, but more pronounced with the dampener missing.

That front tire has to go....as soon as you can make it happen, it has to be thrown into the bed of the first F-150 that drives by, which in Buffalo, Kansas should be every 31.415 minutes.

WHY, you ask, and 18 others on here are asking...Why, Oh Why ?

# 1, it's a Metzler...not the best choice for a front tire on ANY machine, and in MY world it would be the very last tire I would chose for the front of a motorcycle, after checking to see if there were any used rubber bands laying around that I could use instead of this Metzler ME888 Marathon Ultra.            Others here may "like" a Metzler tire, but I am suggesting you trust my 54 years, and more than Two Million Miles of experience, to say...I have tried them far too many times, and they have failed me 96.85841 % of the time.

# 2, that tire is OLDE.....so OLDE that it is hard rubber, (which is not as bad on a sidecar rig or trike, as it is on a 2 wheeled bike that leans) but....it is either from 2008 or from 2015, which makes it SO olde.......(fill in the joke)

# 3, what you "should" be using on that front wheel, in a perfect world, is a Bridgestone BT-46 in a 130/70-18,  and in my shop I might install a 140/70-18, only because I have tried them, and know they will fit.

BUT...you need a Bridgestone, BT-46...which is a motorcycle REAR tire....mounted onto the front wheel BACKWARDS.....and inflated to 40 psi.

Believe me... I will bring a tattoo gun over to your house and will tattoo (I run 40 psi in my sidecar rig front tire, because Miles made me do it) That's a lot to tattoo onto your forehead, but...if people get close enough, they can read it all, as I will make it legible.

You probably have no solid idea of how many MILES are on that no-good Metzler tire, that is also probably worn poorly, has scallops on the tread wear, and is probably under-inflated.

So, when you can afford it,...(No...nix that....I am going to have one sent to your house).....send me a private e-mail giving me your home address, and I will order the right tire for you from Amazon, and once it arrives, you can remove that front wheel, take the wheel and olde tire to a local tire shop...motorcycle shop, and explain to them WHY you need to have the new Bridgestone BT-46 tire mounted BACKWARDS on the front wheel of your bike. If they refuse to mount it backwards, politely leave, never give them any business again, and find another shop.

My local Honda dealer will not mount tires backwards for anyone else, but they will for me, as they know...that I know what I am doing. and they also know it is for my sidecar rigs.

To stop any delay on your part...I am sending you an e-mail right....NOW.

If you will run the new tire at 40 psi, you will get the best handling, and longevity out of the new tire. For those of you that presume I am advising too high of a psi for that front tire....Dunlop had me ride more than 109,000 miles in 2003 to test tires for them, as they had 1000's of complaints from Goldwing 1800 riders about getting poor mileage out of the new radials Honda had installed on the new Goldwing 1800's. The issue was Mother Honda was still using the air pressures from the Goldwing 1500, bias belt tires. The new Goldwing 1800's with radial tires needed a little more air pressure, and after riding through 10 SETS of brand new Dunlops in one year, with me doing all the technical testing, we settled on 40 psi for that front tire, and 41/42 psi for the rear tire.

A few years later Bridgestone did the same thing, had me ride 80,000 miles in 6 months to test tires for them.

My front tire of choice is the Bridgestone BT-46, a motorcycle rear tire, installed backwards on the front wheel, and set at 40 psi.

Just to confirm its

Bridgestone Battlax BT46 Rear Tire (130/70-18)

Posted by: @none

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Just to confirm its

Bridgestone Battlax BT46 Rear Tire (130/70-18)

That's the one.  I agree with Miles.  And I think that old Metzeler is an 0808 meaning it was manufactured in the 8th week of 2008. Shoulda been changed out 10 years ago.  And 40psi (cold) is a good place to start.  Who knows - it might even reduce the head shake.

 

I have ordered and the tire will be here on the 10th May. Now i have to investigate removing the front wheel. Lets see if walmart will change it for me. =)

Posted by: @none

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 Lets see if walmart will change it for me. =)

Whoa, whoa, whoa....let's all hope you are kidding about having Walmart change that front tire for you.

If that is you only option, and a last resort...then have Walmart do it. But THINK about that for a moment, guys that were flipping hamburgers at McDonalds last week, and are now tire changers at Walmart this week......

Are there no motorcycle shops in Buffalo, Kansas ?

Getting that front wheel off is easy, don't overthink it, don't do more labor than is needed.

Take the wheel to a shop, but keep the metals spacers at home in your new shop. The ones that go between the wheel seals and the fork legs.

The less you take to the shop, the less they can lose.

Just another reason why you should have moved to Western Washington, to be close to MY shop, where I can do all this for you, for FREE, and...you would be closer to @DRONE, and about 18 other sidecarists.

 

I will of course investigate bike shops and see what we have.