2018 st1800

I have to say I like the look of the new Wing a lot. There's a striking similarity to the ST1300. I think Honda will sell quite a few of these to former and current ST1300 owners.
 
The ST styling has held up nicely over the years. Now, I'm not sure what I feel stronger about. How much I miss my ST or look forward to my Wing.
 
Those pics are great! Thanks for that. But this one:

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...totally ROCKS. It really puts the sizes into perspective. LOL



And that 'Wing is a beauty BTW!
 
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the most startling thing in the above pic for me is how much more the bars come back to the rider on the wing, and the rider footpegs position.
 
the Ferret said:
the most startling thing in the above pic for me is how much more the bars come back to the rider on the wing, and the rider footpegs position.
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Kean observation. Good or bad, that’s a pretty major difference. It will be interesting to learn how the differences pan out in regards to comfort and handling over time.
 
The foot pegs are farther forward but not as much as a cruiser and about where my floorboards were on my GL1000. I found it quiet comfortable but I remember when rear sets were all the rage on various sport bikes. I had some on my 750 K4 but grew tired of them (as well as the clubman bars)!

I like the position of the new 'Wings pegs because it opens up the distance between the back of may calves and thighs. It will take some strain off of my ankles and may help with the hip joint pain I get at about the 100~120min mark.

The bars are back quite a bit. My Heli Riser moves the ST's bars back but not that much. The ergos fit me just fine sitting on the bike on the Expo floor. I should have a little better idea if I can take one for a ride.
 
Very good shots! Really helpful as it makes me pretty comfortable with keeping the ST for now. I must agree the overhead one is a prizewinner.

That new Wing is sure pretty. Let us know how you like it once you get it broken in.

Ride safe.
 
cybervet said:
I finally had a chance to take a few pics of my ST1300 and my new 2018 'Wing side by side.
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Thanks for the pictures. The footpeg/handgrip relationship is quite different. Being a Gold Wing, I guess it's more highway and long-distance oriented than the ST.

What strikes me about the ST sitting next to it is how NOT dated the ST looks.
 
Just stopped in one of the local dealers and they have four 2018s on the floor— one Gold Wing (bagger) with a manual transmission and three Gold Wing Tours (two with airbags) all with DCT in Red White and Blue.

That red is a gorgeous candy apple red. But the White Pearl is my favorite. Sitting on the bike it definitely looks longer than the ST. But lifting it up off the side stand is feel noticeably lighter. That's the CG. The seat feels wider (and it is) but feels an inch lower than my ST.

The egros are great. Handlebar reach is dandy and the foot pegs put my shins and slightly more than 45º to my thighs— very comfortable. I put several thousand miles on floorboards with my GL1000 and the new 'Wing immediately brought that back.

I kept staring at the left grip and at one point had wonder why. Then I realized that the lack of a clutch lever and reservoir was throwing me off. Then I also realized that I wasn't feeling a shift lever. None of this really registered at the Expo with all that was going on around me.

My 'Wing buddy and I will get together to take one of these for a ride. I'm really looking forward to it.
 
I saw a test ride video and it looks like a sweet bike.
I can't justify the cost. Here in Canada, it's MSRP would buy me between five and six ST1300s!


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fnmag said:
Careful, you're slipping into Gold Wing fever. The only cure is to buy one. Have a good test ride.
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Thanks Jim. I'm looking forward to it. The plan is my 'Wing buddy and I will ride together one taking his own bike with the other on a demo 'Wing. We'll come back and swap (or swap mid-demo if it doesn't count as two demos!) and talk about it while riding.

My 'Wing buddy got some seat time (the bikes I mentioned above didn't have the battery connected and may not be demo bikes) and immediately noticed how much smaller it was than his '05 'Wing. He's put some miles on my ST so we've agreed that the 2018 'is halfway between the ST and previous 'Wing.

I'm going to drink plenty of fluids and have a lie-down. Maybe the fever will pass. :rofl1:
 
ST Gui said:
I'm going to drink plenty of fluids and have a lie-down. Maybe the fever will pass. :rofl1:
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I too, sat on one and got an extreme case of new bike fever. The fever was treated with a $300 deposit. Lingering symptoms hopefully will end within a couple of more weeks.

John
 
It looks like a much better Wing.
These type of threads always make me beat that dead horse though.:BDH: Why can't Honda just do what Yamaha did with the FJR?:confused:
 
I sat on the DCT model. It felt a lot smaller and lighter than the previous model . A couple of things that the salesman pointed out was the smaller gas tank but same range as prior wing (better mpg). If you stop on a hill the brake will stay applied until you take off (hill assist). I believe this is also true on the manual transmission model? An extra low gear selection for slow speed maneuvers. No fork seals to worry about. I didn't open the side bags but the trunk was smaller.
 
I stopped by my Action Motorcycles on Saturday to pick up a part. While I was there I had a good look at the new GW.
Beautiful bike, much smaller physical presence than previous models.

The luggage seems oddly integrated for reasons I can't quite explain.

I don't see one in our future. Not just yet anyway. [emoji16]


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Well, I picked up my red DCT Tour on Wednesday. I had not even done a demo ride, so my first ride was a non-stop 150 mile ride home. 20 miles yesterday and another 150 today, and I'm still learning all the bells and whistles.

It's everything I had hoped it would be. I had no problems adjusting to the DCT, but I have to admit the left foot still dabs for a shift lever when coming to a stop. Coming to a stop is the only area that I had to adjust to. In the past, I would pull the clutch and click through the gears as I rolled smoothly to a stop. The DCT can't do that, so you feel it downshift through all the gears, as you roll toward your stop. It's not a hard downshift, but you do feel it.

The different driving modes are very distinctive. It starts up every time in Tour mode, which is fine with me for nearly all riding. Shift points are around 2000 RPM. Going through a large left-turn intersection, it will be in 3rd, before you're through the intersection, but you have to be paying attention to know it. Econ mode goes through all 7 gears within 50 yards of starting to roll and is very smooooth. Sport mode is appropriately named. It keeps the RPM's above 3000. That may not sound like much, but with the torque of this engine, I can only compare it to a ST1300 above 5000 RPM's. If you slow below below 3000 RPM, it downshifts and is ready. There is no way to bog down the engine in Sport mode.

The bike paired with my iPhone easily, as well as pairing with my Sena 20s. I haven't taken the time to get Apple Car Play on the screen yet, since I have music and phone working already. The navigation seems to work ok, but will take a little getting used to. And as with older Wings, you can't adjust the GPS while moving.

Since I had a ST1300 and a '08 Wing, I feel like I can make an educated comparison. When riding, the dash, windscreen, mirrors, and overall width, are very similar to the ST. The ride and overall comfort reminds me of a Wing. One thing I noticed is that if it's parked where you can only see the front half, you might mistake it for a ST1300 from the lights and screen.

The handling feels nothing like my old Wing. It seems to take a little more effort to turn in, but it's solid as a rock. The bike is so smooth, I almost got in trouble, hitting a few curves traveling at a higher speed than expected. No problem, just lean it over and go.

Ride Safe
John
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