Areas I look at during an inspection on a GL1800 GoldWing and why I do it. Check out www.specialtyre... Please Share,Subscribe and give us a thumbs up.
Paul, you have saved a few folks or people's lives all the trouble and hoops you went through. I don't have a motorcycle, but all mechanical this is a must. My hat off to you!
I remember this recall. Very cool to watch the person who found the flaw in the frame describe the problem and explain how it was corrected. You my friend probably saved some lives. You are also correct about bikes being not a great idea to own with small children. Wait till they grow up is awesome advice to everyone. This is probably the best video I have watched on youtube. Keep up the good work.
That was a tough time for me personally. Dealing with Transport Canada and Honda Canada and no one wanted to admit to anything. It took months before anyone really did anything. I made a lot of waves and in the end we all won. We got those defective bikes repaired or replaced but Transport Canada did nothing to resolve the issue. I personally told them they are a total waste of taxpayers money and to this day I still beleave it. Thank you for your kind words. They are very much appreciated. Ride safe man.
+Paul Short, Mr. and Mrs. Short - 'Thank You', so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge and your genuine warmth and concerns. Gotta Love the Family-Short! Be well, Bro. Ben G. / NY,
Since YoutTube opened its doors I have watched many thousands of videos, and for me (about to try to buy an '04 Goldwing) this was very likely the most important / valuable to me viewed. Thank you Paul and Kathy. P.S. That plan now abandoned!
I did this video just to make people aware that there WAS a problem with the 2001-mid 2004 GoldWings. Honda did an exceptional job on their recall and since then Ive never heard of another frame issue on the GL1800. The Goldwing featured in these videos of our 2003 GL1800 and we still own it and it’s still like new. It’s now an 18 year old bike that I still love it so don’t short change yourself. Go get your Goldwing, it’s truly the best motorcycle in the world. Ride safe.
Thanks for the info. I bought my 2003 goldwing a few years ago. Got back from a long ride on my st1300 and my wife said she needed a new seat...so I got her one. haha I have absolutely loved it!! Can't imagine wanting any other bike now. No issues in 20k+ miles. It now has over 50k and still rides like a new one. A friend of mine said something about the weld recall and a guy that he knows that would check it out for me, but I have not called him yet. Came across your video and now I am a better rider because of it. Thank you so much for sharing. I have been a Honda guy since I was 16 and I am now 55, but because I trust Honda's so much I can get a little complacent about pre ride checks. I will now be more proactive. Thanks again. If I ever get up to Canada on it, I will look you up. John and Denise Cleveland, Ohio USA
Hi John. Glad to hear your enjoying your Wing. Even though Honda had those frame issues way back then they are still a great bike. I still have mine and two years ago I bought a 1980 standard wing that I restored. I just the thing. We are close to the same age and riding history. Dad bought my first bike at the age of 10. It was a 1969 Honda Z50. I even restored one for our collection. Love Honda’s. Keep well, ride safe and thanks for watching. flic.kr/p/8wL38t
Great video folks, Paul I sent a message a few weeks ago asking when you posted your last video on checking frames. I was very impressed that you would answer back as fast as you did and thank you for that. I have a 96 wing and love it. I am even more impressed that you consider your wife as "precious cargo" a lot of folks take each other for granted. I lost my wife of 41 years in July and I can assure you that we don't realise how much we love them until they are gone. All the best to both of you. God bless.
Thank you Larry. I try my best to answer viewers questions but sometimes I get so many it's almost impossible to get to them all. Yes my wife is indeed precious cargo. Been together 36 years now and she's trusting me to keep her safe and I try my best to do so. Kathy and I are so sorry to hear about your loss. I hope you can get through this difficult time your going through. You'll be in our prayers sir and we mean that. Ride safe and bless you and yours.
Paul, I have owned five Goldwings. I was aware of weld recall but did not know where exactly the weld in question was. This was an excellent tutorial, thanks very much.
Thank you Sir! I had a 2003 and was a lucky one, no problems. Now riding a 2016 and will check the frame per your advice tomorrow and often. If I may add, was a joy to see you working so wonderful with your wife. Ozark Ralph, Mo.
He said he waited til '03 to buy one. Not that the bike is ACTUALLY an '03 per the VIN. As "toys" and "impulse purchases" and required stock on a "floor plan" for a Honda dealership to keep the franchise and/or get the best "discounts" on new products, parts etc AND with Goldwings being the sales loser by miles for Honda which also has no PWC line and is way behind in ATVS and UTVs, Goldwings sitting on the "showroom floor" for years before being sold "new" once somebody stupid enough to pay "cash" for a years-old "new" bike from "dealer stock" comes along, almost no one buying a new Goldwing off the "showroom floor" is buying a "current production" bike. There is a reason Harley dealers NEVER order new bikes for "dealer stock" and the long lines when actually NEW Harleys come in are mostly former import riders standing in line for trade-ins or "program" bikes.
Thanks for the video and the information on the frame cracks. I've only had my 2002 GL1800 since August of 2022 and actually looked for the recalls for my particular VIN#. None were listed at all... I'll be doing the brake and clutch fluid flush this fall, but will be inspecting the underside of the frame this week. Having changed the air filter this spring, I've already inspected the upper frame. Also a big thank you for the video of pulling the forks out. I did the fork seals and bushings this past week.. You kids are the best! 7/7/2023
Thanks Ed. There should be a couple of recalls on your 02. The frame inspection is one. If it had the frame recall inspection there should be a punch mark by the vin number on the steering stem . If there’s no punch mark then it’s very possible the inspection wasn’t done or done and the technician didn’t punch it. Go to any Honda motorcycle dealer and get them to run your vin for you. It will tell what was done and what’s still outstanding. There was also a recall on the brakes. The brake fluid gets replaced free of charge so look into that as well. These bikes are bulletproof. I bought my 2003 GL1800 new and still have it and since then I’ve fully restored a 1980 Standard GoldWing. You keep well and ride safe. Thanks for watching……….Paul & Kathy.
Mr. and Mrs. Short, bless you both for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us all. I am your latest subscriber simply because you two are such dear hearts and I enjoy not only the love of motorcycles but the obvious love for each other! God Speed!
Great Video! Don't even own a Goldwing, but the wealth of information, great story and a show of what a great couple is made this very enjoyable to watch. Thank you very much! I will be checking my frame on my next bike.
Hello Paul and Kathy; A big thank you for this video. You sir are absolutely right! I ride and rarely check my tire pressure or any thing else. I ride a Yamaha V-Star, not as often as I used to when I was younger. Keep up the vid's enjoy every one. Cliff
I totally agree with you my friend had a ford ranger and the frame was looking good for an inspection and 3 years later the frame completely cracked off between the cab and box I was told it was fixed and when I looked at it a few months later because I heard a scraping noise the tank was held up by 1, ½inch Rachet strap and the frame was held together by a piece of 2x6 pressure treated about 6, 2½ deck screws and 3, ⅝ nuts and bolts so i think i know what you're saying
Thank you again for the videos and advice. I just installed a hitch on my 2015. This particular hitch has a 6 point mounting design. Probably the most significant mount is to the back side of the passenger guard(roll) bar. Hopefully this will work for years to come! From one of your earlier videos I saw about welds I took the time to inspect but will continue to do so! Thank you again and ride safe!
Wish you good people were my neighbors. Of course, if you were, there would be no snow clearing and we'd all miss your Kubota videos. I'm sure SOMETHING would replace it though and, to tell the truth, I seriously want a Kubota now. Had a LOT of bikes myself and was 4-time Arizona state Motorcycle Observed Trials champion in Advanced class. Rode Expert for 1 year (not exactly at the top of it ...), but needed to get to work on Monday morning, so I went back to Senior class so I could just have some fun and mostly not get injured. It mostly worked. Would love to get back riding and will when I retire, and WILL. Probably off-road with a trials motorcycle, just for fun. Serious fun. God bless. Great videos. Please don't stop or I might overwater your houseplants in retaliation. :-) - Greg Pascal, California, U. S. A.
Wow Greg you know your way around bikes. Top notch rider. Impressive. You can buy a Kubota along with a snow making machine lol. I've been to California and loved it there. More people there than there is in all of Canada. It's hot there and I'm not good in the heat. Got a friend here who moved from California ten years ago and he likes the cool air here. Move on up buddy and you can use our Kubota's lol. Thanks for watching and commenting my friend. Kathy and I really appreciate it.
Wish you were my mechanic Paul. Hi Kathy hope your doing well. Must be getting close for the grandchildren coming. Thanks for the info Paul. God Bless.
Thank you Mark. We are doing great. Hope you are as well. We figure one more month befor the grand kids arrive. Thanks for watching. Bless you and yours.
great to see you two again. enjoyed both new vids your right on tires it takes a minute to check all four i usually check once a week air is cheaper than a new tire or dr bills or even worse a funeral ppl dont realize how important it is to check there air maybe we should go back to the early 80 where the gas man at the service station checked your air oil etc its easy for me after being a bodyman for 20 plus years working mostly on big rigs and garbage trucks for a family owned company here in lewiston new york. ofcorse we worked on there company cars and trucks too love your sons vids of his remakes of the rock n roll songs all of you keep up the great work
Thanks Philip. Yup you know how it is & how important it is to keep the proper tire pressure. To many people taking to many chances in life these days. Thanks for your kind words on my sins playing too.
Brilliant video brilliant guy. I have a GL 1800 Honda Goldwing 2001. I bought it new from Tim Allen Honda Portadown Northern Ireland at a cost of £ 16600.00. What a lovely bike. It has had four recalls. Frame as said back brake battery lead and there is another which I can't remember. Sorry. But all recalls were done with no fuss and of course no cost. The miles on my Goldwing is 6003. She has been garaged and serviced by Allen's Honda. Once more a great video.
Thanks William. Yes there has been a few recalls but I think you'd agree they are the best touring bikes on the planet. We really enjoy ours. We have 42.000 km's on ours and I keep it in as new condition. Happy to hear you like yours and it sounds like you have a great service provider as well. Thanks for watching and ride safe. Cheers from Newfoundland, Canada.
I love the Honda bikes. Those Gold Wings are so smooth yet powerful, a really smart buy if you ask me....oh and they look awesome too. Even my son's CFR 100cc dirt bike is amazing. Always a great time watching and learning from your vids Paul and Kathy thank you! BTW Honda Canada is now up the road from me in Markham, Ontario. Cheers.
I like the Wing. Yes it's had a few issues with recalls but these days everything has. I'd buy another one tomorrow if I had to. Honda has always built a great product. I started riding a Z50 back in 1970 and been with mostly Honda since. Thanks for watching and have a great day.
I stopped riding for my 3 kids when they all were older then 18 I bought my bike started riding again kid come first for me my parents didn't love me so I had to be here for them.
Hey guys, good to see ya' again! That time of year is closing in on us once more, I just hope we don't have another winter like the last one! I just watched the Gold Wing frame video, very interesting story. I was aware of the issue but not the detail. Kudos to you for pursuing it to conclusion. Great advice for all riders, and nice to hear someone else harp on tire pressure for a change !! Whether this winter's a bad one or not, my place is the devil to clear (I have a HSS928 as well) but from the back of the house to the street I have to blow into the wind...so I'm considering a cab'd tractor + snowblower combo and would like to pick your brain a little if you don't mind? Shoot me a PM or email if you're ok to go-ahead. There seems very few good used ones around, plus I'm unsure as to which is better, a F or R snow blower. My neck will like the front one for sure !! * Don't mean to hijack this thread...apologies in advance. Tks. Glad all is well with you both !! Cheers, -joe- ☺
Great Video ... very informative. .. I'll check the VT750C2 welds ... only have 3000 miles byt worth the look see ... I too gave up motorcycles for 26 years! My kids were more important than a bike! ... getting on the VT for the first time in that mush time was a huge rush! thanks for your attention to detail. .. I'm sure it saved GL riders a ton of greef ... ok ... a barn to work on ... gable end shingles ... Love you guys .. keep the videos coming!
Wow that's not many miles for the year of the bike. I'm hoping the video will train folks to check their bikes before they ride. It should keep them safer. Glad to hear your back st the work. You'll catch up and then you'll enjoy it all. God bless my friend.
3000 miles ... For the most part I ride alone and not obsessed like when I was younger ... my 23 year old son says I drive to slow. .. he's around 20k miles in his 5 years of riding ... what's wrong with the speed limit? ... 50 years of driving. .. no tickets! (Knock on wood) ... only thing I have left with no scars! ... I get very nervous riding with a lot of bikes ... always did ... fun but why add to the danger ...
Yah, bikes don't have the protection that a car does. Our oldest son just about lost his right foot because a young lady T-Boned him when she ran a stop light. His Harley ended upside down on it's handlebars and seat. You know the saying, "keep the rubber on the ground". Well his were pointing toward the sky. Stay safe and enjoy the ride. They are fun to ride. At my stage in this life, I think I'll just keep my Mustang. It's just as much if not more fun. God Bless! Levi~~
Ya we are heard the stories and some of us were lucky enough to live through them but I agree. Bikes are dangerous. That being said they are still a big part of my life and they put a big smile on my face that no other machine does so ill continue riding as long as I can. No doubt about it. Your much safer in the Mustang. Keep well buddy. Bless you and yours.
Paul, thanks for the great video. I don't own a Wing now , but who knows what the future m,ay bring. I ride a 2012 HD Ultra Limited and I will be checking closly from now own. I just have to say one thing, "I love your garage"
Thanks Freddy. Ove the Harley's too. Had a few of them over the years and loved them all. Happy to hear you like the shop. It's a nice place to work. Ride safe sir.
Well said Paul, on the welding and checking the tyre pressures. I have dust caps on my bike tyres which change from green, yellow and then red if the pressure drops. I look at those colours before every ride. Easy and cheap way to check., also for cars. I bet you know all about them but your subscribers may not. I subscribe to Goldwing riders so I will point them in your direction on the frames. Note English spelling, the way it should be. HA!
Yes I have sensors on our wing but most people don't and still never check their pressure. I did this version do to try and keep people safe. Thanks for watching.
Great video, what the problem was Honda tried to build the frames by MIG welding, all the repaired frames and all the frames made sense are all TIG welded now. The first Godwin's built in 2001 were TIG welded, then Honda tried to stream line production and changed the process to MIG witch we all know didn't work out so well for them.
You partly right but there's a lot more to this story that I couldn't add in the video. I could have wrote a book on this frame fiasco. It took three months of constant talking to Honda Canada and Transport Canada to get anywhere with the issue. There were 2001's that had cracks as well and they never had skipped welding process on those units. They were just not wedded properly. My understanding was no certified welders worked at the plant at the time.That factory in Maryville, Ohio don't build Honda motorcycles anymore.
Thanks. Don't be to comfortable with steel tubular frames. I've welded a few of them as well. Good rule of thumb is to check your frame no mater what it's made of. Ride safe.
Just gave a deposit on a 2015 Goldwing, kinda regretting my decision, everything is so complicated to work on, seems like a lot of time and money to take care of these bikes compared to all my other Japanese bikes i had, guy i bought it from says it has a vibration in the rear up to 50km/h because of a badly worm rear tire that has 17000km on it, hope thats all it is when i bring it in to change the tire, they were two pretty big people with a pretty big trailer on this bike, î will check the frame for sure, I really enjoy your videos, i hope you make some more videos flushing brake and clutch, coolant changes etc
Don’t let these bikes intimidate you. Very seldom do they need anything done other than maintenance. There’s been a recall on the brake system. Honda will flush your brake system for free. I’ve never heard of a frame issue on a 2015 but it’s always safe to check the areas out that I mentioned. My advice to you is to get on the bike and try not to smile to much because you’ll eat to ,any bugs in the process. Enjoy your bike, it’s the rear tire. They get like that plus they get noisy. It will be fine. Oh. Ride safe.
@MrRamman04 how's the bike now? Yeah, in the beginning, it's a lot to look at but after doing it yourself, you'll get better and know how to remove the fairings in speed time. I'm lucky that my co-worker owns the same year and colour as me and he helped me understand the bike a lot more. I just did my forks together with him and because we worked together, we got my bike up and running in almost 5 hours. We are just ordinary folks, so it took a long time. Traxxion Dynamics can service my forks in half that time. In that 5 hours, I learn a lot about my bike that I didn't know.
A very informative . Thank you . My wife and I have ridden several times , always checked the bike before a ride , but not the frame . Now makes me think what can happen if I don't.. your right though , been in my share of accidents on a bike , happens very quick . can you do a video on what weld is a good one.. and one that is not .. besides being cracked , what should I look for ? Rather see it before it cracks then after . enjoy all your videos and looking forward to the next Thanks
Thanks Michael. Happy to hear you enjoyed this video. When I showed my frame during the inspection that's what it should look like. Thank you for watching. Ride safe.
look up welding inspection videos. keep in mind some cracks cant be seen in metal, youll need magnaflux or dye penetrate to make them visible. its a means of non destructive inspection.
I gave up riding when my wife was pregnant with our son. Ya that turned out to be the end of riding for me. I miss it every once in awhile. Walking into a bike dealer ship would be the death of me. But Ya I agree with ya. Biking is dangerous and when raising a family you shouldn't tempt fate. Great video Paul.
What you seem to forget is that some people with or without kids a small motor bike is all they can afford if going by private transport. We do not all ride big bikes. My last one was the Honda Silver Wing. Smaller engine but still came factory dressed. Saved a lot of extra money and time to make one?
No what you don't understand is that THIS VIDEO is all about inspecting the frame of a GL1800 and not about smaller bikes. That being said all riders should inspect their bikes before they ride.
No sir. Don’t plan on changing it. The new Wings don’t impress me much. They look smaller. My wing is still like new condition and I guess it will be my last bike. Ride safe.
Wayne. You need to buy a service manual to help yourself or bring it to your dealer to have them look at it. For me to help, you need to have some basic knowledge of the machine.
Buenas tardes ,desde Murcia España ,tengo un problema con el display de una Gl 1800 de 2008 ,cuando pongo el contacto se enciende el display pero no se visualiza nada ni km ni navegador , nada ,le he cambiado el display ,le he cambiado la tarjeta ,le he cambiado el modulo que va en la maleta,etc
Really enjoy ALL of your videos brother.......I really wish you were here in Oklahoma City...so we had a knowledgeable person like you to service our goldwings....how about a video concerning the loooong standing problems I have personally have with my 08 goldwing 1800 hitting any kind of bump makes the back bad unit clunk and rattle like crazy. I have had it checked many times by a few service techs who always end of telling me ..."welp it is the nature of the beast"......waaaaattttt......help!!!!!!!!!!!......:o)
Thank you Greg. I appreciate your kind words. If you want a good ride on your wing look these guys up. Great folks to deal with. Ride safe and Merry Christmas. traxxion.com/goldwing/
+Paul, Sir: The Honda GOLDWING came out in 1975 as a GL1000, then 4 yrs. later. 1980 came out the GL1100, then 4yrs. later 1984 came out the GL1200, Then 4 yrs. later 1988 came out the GL1500 then 12 yrs. later 2001 came out the GL1800 .. and the 1800 still to this day is King of the TOURING WORLD. !
Great video guys, very good job. Very true. Great pointers for sure. Thanks for sharing, I'm sure that will help people if they will do it. Stay safe & take care.
Paul what passenger armrests are installed on your bike As I'm looking for options on my new to us (wife and I ) 01 Wing. Also appreciate the info for future inspection of the frame
love your videos, very informative, bet the weather there in Canada is less corrosive as here in Belfast. Have you ever used or recommend a alloy corrosion inhibitor?
These GL1800 engines are basically bulletproof. The sound you might be hearing can be caused by the fuel injectors which is perfectly normal but you should have to really listen closely to hear them and you hear them on the other side of the motor as well. The other cause might be a bit of valve lash which means the valves should shimmed to remove the play between the valve and the cam lobes. This can be done at your dealer. A variety of shims are needed to perform this adjustment and the dealer will have that on hand. These are great bikes and although this video was done 9 years ago I still own that very bike and it runs, handles and looks like new. Ride safe. Thanks for watching.
Great video. As for tire pressures, I can state that the biggest problem these days are the inaccurate plastic tire pressure gauges available today. Unlike the good old solid metal gauges - I hate the Chinese crap that's being flogged off today. Just a little rant - but geeez, tire pressure gauges that give you the same reading - how hard is that ?
Like you I don't trust digital gauges anymore. I use a Milton indrustial guage that's as accurate as they get and have owned it for years. Enjoyed your little rant and agreed with every portion of it.
Hi, have you any idea why my 2007 goldwing 1800 gl none airbag, keeps cutting out with out any warning all the light work but the engine just cuts out no spitting or spluttering . so i turn the key off wait a couple of minuets then it starts again , it can go all day or just a couple of mile , even on tick over sometime it will just stop .
Thank you. I've seen people with them on their bikes and I've had people wanting them installed on their bikes and I refused to do it. Personally I do not think its a good practice.
Great video! I looked at the Service Bulletin for the 2003. It looks like you need a special tool to check the welds. But then if you look at the diagrams, the one labelled "good" has a weld that is built up just above the surface; and the one labelled "no good" has a weld that is actually below the surface (i.e. concave instead of convex). My bike wasn't patched 16 years ago, so that had me worried. But the weld is above the surface and looks like the one labelled "good" in the recall bulletin. Does that mean I'm o.k.? If not, can a layperson obtain the special tool? If they can't, are honda dealers still doing the recall?
You need to look at you VIN up by the steering bearing. You’ll see the white sticker on the head below the triple tree. Look around that sticker and see if there’s a punch mark. It will look as if you took a punch and a hammer and put a dimple in the sticker. If there’s a punch mark it means the recall has been performed meaning the frame might have been welded or replaced or no action needed. The welds should be built up higher than the frame parts around it. If you don’t see a punch mark get the VIN number off the bike, call your Honda motorcycle dealer and ask them to run the vin. They can tell you if it was done. There’s the frame recall and also the brake flush recall. Yes they will still do them. 👍
This is probably a odd question to ask on a frame video, but does the coolant system have pressure like a car? And does it have a radiator cap? I put some coolant in the system and no leaks so far... Since I just bought it Thursday on the 8th, it did really put a scare in me, No coolant in reservoir, dry
On a general tune up on a car the radiator cap is tested, I know I used to be a mechanic before a truck driver... So where is it on a goldwing? And have you seen one fail before 45,000 miles?
+Paul Sir: GOLDWING came out in 1975 as a 1000, then 4yrs. later was 1100, in 1980.. then 4yrs later was a 1200, in 1984, then 4yrs later in 1988 was a 1500. then from 1988 to the year 2000 was the 1500.. then in 2001 the 1800 came out and still is the longest running CC GOLDWING.. King of the Touring World. ! you see my friend I owned a GOLDWING when I was 19 yrs old.. a 1983 gl1100.. I know my GOLDWINGS .. lol. you did good but you forgot the 1100 when you were calling them off. lol..
+Paul Short Lol. Sir, you did a good job though.. I'm just a Great Honda owner. I had the 1100 ,, 1200.... now a 1992 GL1500 I bought new. I have over 193,706 miles on her.. trouble FREE miles.. and I have to be honest with you Sir. Honda has let me down on this cycle. THEY are discontinuing Parts on the 1500.. shame on then the 1500 is bullet proof and they run forever.. Honda is dumb to turn it's back on the 1500 owners. cause now I'm thinkin of switching brands. after most my life I owned Honda's. I love your videos Sir: your a good and very smart man.
I like the 1800 but I love the 1500. Your right. It's the best Wing ever made. Timing belts and that's all you need to do with it. Very quiet running engine. Sad they are discontinuing parts for them. Foolish on their part for sure. Thanks for your kind words. Ride safe.
Paul, i have the same year and color bought it new in December 03 i did have the frame re-welded i was sick about it but the weld shop did a great job and no problems since getting ready to buy a 2019 or 20 but will keep the 03 it’s still like new only 21,000 miles on it i also have an 05 ST1300 and a 2014 FJR1300 that is why the low miles we are from South Florida and i do enjoy our videos glad to see that you recovered nicely from your heart attack!
Thanks Jim. Doing very well. It didn’t look good there for awhile but so far so good. I love Hondas. Been riding 50 years. I think the two Wings I have now will do me. Ride safe my friend. flic.kr/p/292676L
@@walterjackson8449 I started the recall procedure for the frame recall in Canada. Mine was sent to Toronto and welded there. Honda Canada gave me a lifetime warranty on its frame and I never had an issue since. I’m happy ☺️
Because the people using them(me included) have spent a lifetime dealing with chemicals and cancer causing agents in the fluids we handle on a daily basis and theses gloves help protect us and live a little longer.
You show a silver white bike stripped down yet its not in the video another way to get people to view yet the content on the header is not there - CON MAN
And your a idiot. That stripped down bike IS the bike in the video. It was stripped down to ship away to get the frame welded and that's what the video is about.