Hi;Just got reminded how terrible my rig rides!!!It is a 92 wing with Daytona car on it!.Keep making excuses for it but realy no rig should ride like that!Blameit on the heavy car etc!Both the bike and car ride bad!The bike bottoms so hard jars you on bumps,Ihave tried the raising and lowering of air pressure no help!Maybe this is the best can expect from a wingloaded with 2 people and heavy car??Added the progressive springs in front still no help.The sidecar same thing bottoms with a jaring hit.Tried changeing the adjust on the spring to no avail too!Have had several rigs nothing that rode like this thing!!Guzzi with Velorex and 47 Chief/car.Both were far superior to this I expected more from a wing maybe just to much expectatin!Such a bueatiful bike too!!!Just came back from ride on the old Guzzi and got off it reminded me how uncomfortable it was to ride the wing!Seems should be the other way around thought wings were supposed to be so nice.Have owned most every kind of biike overpast 40 years but first experience with the WIng!ANy thoughts or should I just shut up and endure!!!
I'll trade you. 😉
Hi Mike:Nice to hear from you,we are now in Az where I have my old G-5 to ride.Thats what got me on this kick went out yesterday and hard to believe the difference in ride from the Wing.Have attributed it to the SC but hard to believe it has that much affect!Love the SC rig but admire those wings that go floating by at least they look like they ride well?Maybe somebody stole the springs off the rear end,that is what it feels like!Same with the SC feels like lacks springs!I tried raising the shock on it but still bottome very hard on bumps,sounds like others have tried to find key to improving the ride on the car without to much luck either!Probably have to just accept it.The Indian rides better both on the bike and the S/C would think it should be the other way around !!Nice and warm out here well actually we are cold but suppose you won't give any sympathy to people when it is only in 70s.Bob
Sounds to me like ya need some heavier springs on that thing.
Claude:So I am not real familiar with how the suppension works on it.Doesn't the air pressure control the ride?Adjusting the air doesn't seem to help any!So are there also springs that can be changed.Idid install the progressive front ones but even that seems to ride hard even after that change.Incidentally We really like the rig just the ride don't like!!Thanks!!
Install the Progressive 416 air shocks on the rear. They're rated to take a higher air pressure than the stock Honda single air shock on the rear. Yes, the 1500's run a single air shock on the rear on 1 side and a standard spring loaded shock on the other side.
shocks wear out.... springs wear out
bottoming can be as much just worn out parts as anything else
i have run into bikes where guys were hell bent to install high bux shocks - i took the old ones off, removed the springs and there was no oil in the shock - just a spring holder.
no wonder it rode so bad...
10 year old shocks are old - try that first [same with fork valves...]
to
I changed to progressive front springs and Progressive 416 shocks on my former 1994 Goldwing SE. It cured the mushy front end that was constantly bottoming out. The rear shocks stabilized the whole bike. The single air shock isn't enough to control the swing arm on a Goldwing, especially with a sidecar.
Most Goldwing owners make the above changes even it they ride solo.
Excuse me for butting in here, but I have an old 1981 KZ1000 I mess around with. Just got a sidecar, but it isn't mounted yet(can't wait). I had problems with my air supported front forks holding air, even with new seals. Got tired of messing with it. Was gonna get some Progressive springs till I realized that they come with instructions to add a pvc spacer on top of the springs to up the preload, I guess. I reasoned, why not try that with what I already have. I put an1 1/2 long pvc spacer on top of the springs and no longer mess with the air. Rides great! No longer bottoms out on hard bumps.
saltydog - 1/6/2010 6:58 PM
Excuse me for butting in here, but I have an old 1981 KZ1000 I mess around with. Just got a sidecar, but it isn't mounted yet(can't wait). I had problems with my air supported front forks holding air, even with new seals. Got tired of messing with it. Was gonna get some Progressive springs till I realized that they come with instructions to add a pvc spacer on top of the springs to up the preload, I guess. I reasoned, why not try that with what I already have. I put an1 1/2 long pvc spacer on top of the springs and no longer mess with the air. Rides great! No longer bottoms out on hard bumps.
Yeah, that's a good way to fix the problem also. Many Goldwings have collapsed front springs after a few years. If you can get by with spacers, no reason not to do so.
Putting spacers in is only curing half of the problem, the fork oil needs to be upgraded to a 15# or 20# fork oil, some are happy using ATF but I have no idea what the viscosity is, the fork needs to be controlled in each direction, especially during compression, sidecars put a added load on the forks so a heaver oil is needed, not recommended but needed, you'll thank your self the next time you make a hard right or the next time you have to panic stop.
