I just did my 08 myself for the first time. I took my time (about 2 hrs) and it came out fine. It looks harder than it is, but you do need to take your time and be organized with what comes off. Side point: this is my first Wing. I have owned it for 3 weeks. I refuse to be intimidated.
Changed my 2009 GL1800 air filter this past weekend. I'm reasonably mechanical, it took me 10 hours. Local shop said they'd figure 8 hours and charge "about" $450. I had 26,000 miles on air filter including over a thousand miles of gravel in the Yukon and Alaska, and upon removing the old filter, realized it wasn't really that dirty... but, changed it anyway of course. I found some of the crap deep underneath could stay on (no need to disconnect electrical plugs,) if I pulled it aside and held it out of the way with a bungee cord. Good vid overall. Glad I won't be doing this job again for a couple years.
Oh yes, would URGE viewers to place bolts in a manner that they know which bolt returns to which hole. I used a piece of posterboard and drew a diagram of the bike to know where they all belonged. At least on my 2009 they are NOT ALL THE SAME LENGTH and have collars that impact which fit where. This is a big deal.
I have removed the top shelter on probably 25 GWs but never on a '12 or newer so thanks for the video. The one thing I came on here to see was how to remove the plastic strips that cober the top shelter bolts. On the older models they just pop off by wiggling them but I was looking at a friend's '12 and it looks like there may be more to it than that.
On the Wings I've worked on, I take a fine tipped Sharpie marker and number the bolts 1-6 up each side, with 1 being the bottom and counting upward. The 1st Wing I worked on, I placed the bolts in order on the work bench, which would have worked fine except I bumped the bench and they got all mixed up. OOPS!!
I have done this on my Gen 5 and Gen 6 wings. My new motto - buy a wing, ride it for 25,000 miles until the air filter is completely clogged, trade it in on a new wing. LOL. Well not really but I feel like it some times. Come on Honda!!
At 5:00 you add a caption that you are learning as you went about this. We all must learn. I would recommend less distracting music , or better no music, for future videos.
Excellent movie. You forgot to mention disconnecting steel cable on the left for the foot warmer. I've used your video to get to the tank to remove it to gain access to the starter. My next step. Overall, I love it. Thanks.
duane howard The additional item is adjusting the cables for the cruise control. Everyone that does their own filter change also gets the cruise control done.
One downside to the last stage of your R&R, is that the air filter box needs careful cleaning. Flopping the air filter around, trying to wriggle it out, might put debris right into the heart of the Wing, which can be a very bad thing.
Agreed. I can only say for me the air filter came out fairly easily once accessible, just a little up and then side ways. Not much flopping around but I agree with your concern.
I work on Harley’s and just brought one of these in for service as a favor to a neighbor. Is this a joke.....am I getting punked. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen before in my life. I could seriously do a top end in a evo faster. What a design fiasco this thing is.
great job! does anyone know, can you start the bike b4 putting everything back just 2make sure the airfilter/bike is working fine? hate 2know that there was an issue after u put back all teh stuff!
Bought an f6b last year and really like almost everything about the bike. Started watching service videos to learn the "how to" basics shortly afterwards. I have still not found a real video on changing the air filter as they all show a virtual complete tear down of the bike to change it. I mean seriously this can't be true, is it "fake news", those clever Honda Japanese designers would never create such a monstrosity.....would they? I will keep looking until I find the real video where you simply remove the seat and pop in the new air filter........its out there somewhere, right?
Only Honda makes it difficult for the do it yourselfers. When it requires anything other than oil the manufacturer highly recommends trading in for a new one.
It is a little easier on my 2004 Wing, but I don't have GPS, heated seat and central trunk. Hint: when the filter is replaced and all wires are plugged, before putting back plastics and seat, I start the engine to make sure I've not forgetten to plug some wires, like temp sensor of airbox
I have done it and its a pain in the butt and I am pissed off the whole time i'm doing it because of the ridiculousness of it all just to change an air filter.
Thanks for the video. Could not have taken the project on without watching this video multiple times first. One cheat... That pesky connector under the console panel comes off easier by sneaking a small screw driver into the return clip from the left side of the bike. I could not free it by simply lifting the tab from the right. The whole job took me 4 hours. Only reason I did not go to Honda is they have scratched my paint when changing tires. They would have trashed these body panels.
next one I do it's going to be a $250 labor plus parts. that's too much shit to do to get to an air filter. it's literally a 2.5hr job. the one I did had a different seat on the back that goes over top of the rider seat. so it has to be unbolted also.
Joel, what an AWESOME job and quite a pain to change an air filter. I WAS starting to get concerned about my wing with 7,800 hundred miles........ Now I think I will wait until 30K! Goog Video. Thanks for making.
I had it done at my dealer almost $300, bike is 4 years old with 82000km original filter, mechanic said he did many wings with over 100 000km that only change engine and diff oil and plugs, i guess i am not the only one that doesn’t want half his bike torn apart for cheap filter
I'm surprised Honda made a service item like an air filter so hard to do, are they trying to drum up service business? Whatever the reason.... shame on you Honda.
Thanks for sharing the video, glad I didn't try doing this first! Poor, poor, design. Then, Honda tells me the fuel filter is inside the fuel pump and you have to replace the whole thing? Terrible, but I love my Wing.
Cripes! Ridiculous! I'll bet that I end up fudging on the scheduled maintenance . . . almost makes me want to go back to my H-D. New air cleaner approx. 10 minutes. Bad set up on my F6B. , , ,
It took me 5 1/2 hours to change the air filter on my 2016 F6B it was my first time changing the filter i installed a K&N. All I CAN SAY IS WOW!! I thought it would be easier😲😲 I do a lot of riding out west towards West Texas Midland Odessa, Elpaso. Blowing dust dirt out that way so going with the K&N it's a better filter.
Two suggestions for anyone thinking about creating instructional videos: 1) Point the camera at the area in question 2) Don't stand between the camera and what you're trying to film
I did my 05 put a k&n back in. I was proud I got r done. lm going to try it on my 14 . What's the opinions on the k&n. I was thinking I could go longer before I would have to go back in!
@Live to Ride,,,my thoughts exactly,this looks daunting to say the least but guaranteed that i will do it myself even if the dealer can do it quicker,had dealers 'forget' too many things.
My GL1800 is my 6th bike and its airfilter is the must difficult to change...But if you take your time and notes, it is a couple of hours job that save you $$ from the shop.
I would think that by 2012 honda could have simplified the air filter replacement on the wing for God sakes, this is a lot of bullshit just to replace an air filter.
