Trailering a Gold Wing GL1800

OK GL1800 Gold Wing riders I need your help here!!!

Looking at possibly buying a GL1800 from Georgia.

This will be a hot shot run there and back and was thinking of riding it back home but since its over 1,300 miles one way it would be hard on Peg driving the P/U that far in a short period of time back home so it looks like I'll be trailering the GW back home

I need to know the total length of the GL1800 so I'll know if my trailer is long enough or I need to rent one instead?

quick search found this

The overall length of a Honda Goldwing is 91.325 inches or 7.6 feet. This includes a wheelbase of 66.5 inches, a front tire diameter of 25.26 inches and a rear tire diameter of 24.39 inches.

Source:

Honda Goldwing Specifications

130/70R18 Front Tire Specifications

180/60R16 Rear Tire Specifications

Read more: What is the overall length of a Honda Goldwing? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1948235#ixzz0pMxwQP9E

Good math, wrong answer as the bags and trunk stick out behind the rear tire by about another 12 to 14 inches,, More like 8ft 7in,, RSV has a wheel base only .6in longer and is 104.5in overall length.

The floor on my trailer is 8ft and having the tail gate ramp there is no more room this is where I need to know the real length of the Wing - tip to tip..

The floor on my trailer is 8ft and having the tail gate ramp there is no more room this is where I need to know the real length of the Wing - tip to tip..

My trailer, left over from my dirt bike days, is the same way, I have yet to try to get my RSV on it. But I know it won't fit straight on. If it does fit it would have to be on an angle, but I don't think it will with the tail gate ramp. My tail gate ramp comes off. If yours does too, you could load the bike, then take the ramp off and put it in the back of the truck.

per the goldwing forums, overall length 103.7in overall width 37.2in

The U-Haul motorcycle trailer I rented when I brought mine home was plenty big enough.

It was $120, and you get to keep the trailer for like 4 days.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3797.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3796.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i274/13thAFMonterey/IMG_3800.jpg

The best measurement I could get with a tape measure was 104 inches with the wheel straight and 101 with the front wheel at lock. This is from the tip of the front wheel to the back of the trunk.

The trunk sticks out more than the saddle bags and exhaust.

Hope this helps

Scotty

Buddy,Besides the length issue here is a tie down method I found that may be helpful http://allamericanprod.com/tiedown.html

An 8 ft. trailer is what I used to bring mine home, but I had to tie the ramp at an angle and put something between it and the trailer so that it couldn't bounce up and hit the bike. Not ideal, but it works. Trailered 7 hours without any problems. Ideally you want a 10 ft. trailer with a ramp.

Don't.......I repeat.......Don't use a tilt trailer..........Trust me on this one!!!!!!

ride the bus or fly. It probably won't cost you any more than gas for your pickup truck.

If the seller won't pick you up at the terminal, one of us probably would be willing to.

Then ride it home.

Here's an optional plan....

VR member 1 takes you to Arkansas, 2 takes you to memphis, 3 takes you 1/2 way to your destination, 4 takes you to the new bike.

sort of like the travelling bear....

An 8 ft. trailer is what I used to bring mine home, but I had to tie the ramp at an angle and put something between it and the trailer so that it couldn't bounce up and hit the bike. Not ideal, but it works. Trailered 7 hours without any problems. Ideally you want a 10 ft. trailer with a ramp.

Don't.......I repeat.......Don't use a tilt trailer..........Trust me on this one!!!!!!

OK, I'll bite. Why not? I have an 8 foot tilt bed trailer that I've used many times in the past for my BMW and Triumphs.

 

 

 

OK, I'll bite. Why not? I have an 8 foot tilt bed trailer that I've used many times in the past for my BMW and Triumphs.

I think he means, do not take the tailgate ramp off and try to tilt a non-tilt bed trailer!!! which I have done with dirt bikes, unintentionally, but they only weigh around 200lbs.

If you are traveling with a pickup why not just load the wing in the truck box? Most bike dealers have a loading ramp you can use. Tie down and good to go. Know many people who have done this. Best friend hauled his wing home that way. Note far less bouncing in the box than on a trailer! just food for foder! Ken!

OK, I'll bite. Why not? I have an 8 foot tilt bed trailer that I've used many times in the past for my BMW and Triumphs.

My first trailer was a tilt. I rode this 900# beast up the trailer (got it all the way up too) and IT DID NOT TILT BACK DOWN. Maybe it was a bad build on the trailer, not sure, but let me tell you. You do not want to be at that severe of an angle with these heavy bikes. In the end, as I was trying to ease it back down the ramp, the front tire lost traction and began to slide. Needless to say, I dropped it and busted a lower fairing before I ever put 50 miles on the bike. I'd never use one again on this large a bike. That's just me tho. I try to learn from my bad experiences. LOL

OK, I'll bite. Why not? I have an 8 foot tilt bed trailer that I've used many times in the past for my BMW and Triumphs.

My first trailer was a tilt. I rode this 900# beast up the trailer (got it all the way up too) and IT DID NOT TILT BACK DOWN. Maybe it was a bad build on the trailer, not sure, but let me tell you. You do not want to be at that severe of an angle with these heavy bikes. In the end, as I was trying to ease it back down the ramp, the front tire lost traction and began to slide. Needless to say, I dropped it and busted a lower fairing before I ever put 50 miles on the bike. I'd never use one again on this large a bike. That's just me tho. I try to learn from my bad experiences. LOL

OK. thanks for sharing that.

I understand. My BMW would do the same thing, but was 100lbs lighter.

It helped to either have someone with me to push down on the front of the trailer bed, or load the trailer (attached to my car) with the front on a downhill slope to make it easier.

If the bed is slippery enough to not give the tires traction, then thats another problem.

I'm making a reminder to myself to put some paint with grit in it in the center of my trailer bed if I try this. But you've made me hesitate to try.

I have to put a new bed in the trailer in any case, the old bed is starting to rot and I wouldn't load anything heavier than a light dirtbike.

buddy, you will need at least a nine foot trailer if it has a ramp. a wing is longer than a venture. i haul my wing on my nine foot trailer and it goes almost to the rear. i built the trailer for my rstd and designed it to fit the bike with a little to spare. bill

 

OK GL1800 Gold Wing riders I need your help here!!!

Looking at possibly buying a GL1800 from Georgia.

This will be a hot shot run there and back and was thinking of riding it back home but since its over 1,300 miles one way it would be hard on Peg driving the P/U that far in a short period of time back home so it looks like I'll be trailering the GW back home

I need to know the total length of the GL1800 so I'll know if my trailer is long enough or I need to rent one instead?

So you want to explain why it would be hard on Peg to drive the P/U back home and not on you??? No offense intended Buddy, but it sounds to me a little male chauvinism is shining through here.

And I would second the fly down, ride back option, would save you 20 hours of driving as well, which means you would have probably 15 hours extra to ride home = less fatigue; = safer.

where in GA is the Wing if you don't mind telling?

Again I ask, does you tailgate ramp come off, if it does you can remove it after loading and just put it in the back of the truck. The wheel base of the bike will fit fine in an eight foot long trailer, just the trunk sticks out another foot.

So you want to explain why it would be hard on Peg to drive the P/U back home and not on you??? No offense intended Buddy, but it sounds to me a little male chauvinism is shining through here.

If you knew her health history you would not even be asking this! And NO I will not explain it!!!!!!!

 

And I would second the fly down, ride back option, would save you 20 hours of driving as well, which means you would have probably 15 hours extra to ride home = less fatigue; = safer.

I'm still checking on this so far it will cost me more $$ to fly down than to trailer it back home

Again I ask, does you tailgate ramp come off, if it does you can remove it after loading and just put it in the back of the truck. The wheel base of the bike will fit fine in an eight foot long trailer, just the trunk sticks out another foot.

as of right now no the pins are welded in place:doh:

but I will be doing some cutting this week to fix that problem.

where in GA is the Wing if you don't mind telling?

Screven GA.

Screven GA.

is it this one?

http://brunswick.craigslist.org/mcy/1750245884.html

Screven GA.

Not near a major airport which makes it more difficult.

Probably Jacksonville or Savannah.

Deal fell through My Credit Union said theres to much red tape? He's Loan was with the Naval Credit Union there in GA.? I was told I be better off finding one closer to home because they were not working with my Loan Officer ?

asked if I wanted to buy a new one instead

yeah right I can see paying 18,000.00 -19,000.00 when I could get a really good used one for 9,600.00 go figure. So I'm still looking around maybe later on who knows.

Thanks guys for all the info. !!!

Hmmm...Looks like a case of putting the trailer before the bike.