For those of you- and I know it's a not insubstantial group- who have (or have had, either together or in sequence) both an ST and a Gold Wing: what were the motivations behind each choice? Which did you have first, and what drove you to get the other variety? Did you have them concurrently, or sequentially? If you kept one and sold the other, which one went which way, and why?
Background for my questions:
When I was a lad and the Gold Wing was brand new, my father carefully taught me that it was a very high standard, and one against which all others were to be judged. He never had one, but always admired them. That formed the basis of my own taste.
What I look for in a bike is smooth ride, comfort, enough size to go all day at interstate speeds yet enough agility to have loads of fun in twisties (without being terribly aggressive, I'll add), shaft drive, water cooling, integrated fairings and luggage, and high reliability. The ST ticks each of those boxes, and more.
I've had my ST for 3+ seasons now and love it dearly. BUT: a 25th Anniversary GL1500 SE has popped up on Craigslist, just a few miles from home. It has some nicks and scratches and a couple cracks in the bodywork (not major, but noticeable). It's priced at the lower end of the price spectrum I see on a national motorcycle sales website, with very modest mileage. I am trying to work out:
* When would I ride one versus the other, and why?
* Would it potentially be worth the domestic stress if a second bike took a place in the household? (It took some work just to get permission to get *one* bike; resistance to another might be very high indeed)
* What would I tell the Missus, as to why I "need" more than one bike when it's her opinion that "need" doesn't enter into the picture at all? (And of course, she is right...)
Thanks for your thoughts-
Background for my questions:
When I was a lad and the Gold Wing was brand new, my father carefully taught me that it was a very high standard, and one against which all others were to be judged. He never had one, but always admired them. That formed the basis of my own taste.
What I look for in a bike is smooth ride, comfort, enough size to go all day at interstate speeds yet enough agility to have loads of fun in twisties (without being terribly aggressive, I'll add), shaft drive, water cooling, integrated fairings and luggage, and high reliability. The ST ticks each of those boxes, and more.
I've had my ST for 3+ seasons now and love it dearly. BUT: a 25th Anniversary GL1500 SE has popped up on Craigslist, just a few miles from home. It has some nicks and scratches and a couple cracks in the bodywork (not major, but noticeable). It's priced at the lower end of the price spectrum I see on a national motorcycle sales website, with very modest mileage. I am trying to work out:
* When would I ride one versus the other, and why?
* Would it potentially be worth the domestic stress if a second bike took a place in the household? (It took some work just to get permission to get *one* bike; resistance to another might be very high indeed)
* What would I tell the Missus, as to why I "need" more than one bike when it's her opinion that "need" doesn't enter into the picture at all? (And of course, she is right...)
Thanks for your thoughts-