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Jay
Pearland, TX, US, 77584
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Alias:
Jay
About:
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Occupation:
Retired physician; avid woodworker.
Favorite Quote:
Always have a backup.
Member Since:
01.03.2009
Bike 1:
Pearl Yellow 2009 Honda Goldwing
Bike 2:
- No Bike 2 -
Bike 3:
- No Bike 3 -
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F4 Scratch Resistant Clear or Tinted Windshields for GL1800
ITEM CODE: PG20048
11.27.2019
Imprefect fit to fairing; fairly easy to install except for the tape/Velcro
| I just finished installing the windshield. I had previously swapped out a used windshield, but that was some years ago, so I consulted my Clymer manual on how to remove the windshield. The manual said "see CD" for the 2009 model. The CD said that the mirrors didn't have to be removed on my 'Wing, just push them forward and otherwise the same instructions as the 2000-2005 models.Anyway, I removed the old vent without too much trouble and then the windshield, placed all of the hardware on the driver's seat, carefully removed the plastic wrap from the new windshield and installed it in place of the old one. Before totally replacing everything, I noticed a gap on the sides of the new windshield that did not hug the sides of the fairing. The sides of the new one was not molded the same as the old one. Then I noticed a plastic bag with some black strips. I thought that was just a rubber gasket, which I didn't need. That's where my problems began.In the plastic bag were instructions for R&R the windshield and the black strips were multiple lengths of real Velcro, about an inch wide. The instructions said to remove the old tape and install the Velcro strips in their place. What tape?, I asked myself. Tape wasn't mentioned in the Clymer manual! Off came the new windshield. Ah, those things (they looked like black electrical tape). They appeared to be in good condition, but perhaps the Velcro in their place will help it seal better?I pulled off the old tape leaving a sticky, gooey adhesive that resisted scraping. I tried Original Bike Spirits cleaner, which did nothing. I tried mineral spirits with no effect. Lacquer thinner helped but evaporated faster than I could apply it. Reluctantly, I tried acetone and that worked the best, but scrubbing all of the adhesive off still took a good hour! The vertical Velcro strips were too wide, so I sliced them in half. The adhesive on them was very sticky. The Velcros are actually supposed to make it easier to adjust the windshield, but I'm vertically challenged (63 1/2"), so I won't be needing to raise the windshield except for cleaning. The Velcros partially close the gap, but this windshield doesn't perfectly fit against the sides of the fairing - two stars off for that.While installation is relatively straight forward, removing the old tape was a major hassle and while certainly not the fault of F4 Customs, I question the need to remove them. Had I noticed the instructions and Velcro before starting, I could have installed the new windshield in 2 hours instead of 3. Had I not removed the old tape, the R&R would have taken me an hour. Again, for the price, I am disappointed with the fit. It is not a perfect replacement for the original. |
Passenger Armrests for GL1800
ITEM CODE: BB52677A, SKU: BB52677A
11.25.2016
Nice but not perfect
| These arm rests were installed by the dealer on my 2009 GW when I purchased it new. They didn't really fit well as the mounting brackets impinged upon the passenger heat and CB controls. However, if carefully placed in a vice, you can bend them a mm or so away from those controls without affecting function or comfort (you just shouldn't have to do that!). The pivot bolts have been correctly described here as junk and they will quickly wear out. This is the only parts failure that you should anticipate. You should be able to find adequate replacement bolts and nuts in the specialty hardware section of most home and hardware stores. I have not had any problems with the nylon spacers, which are designed to restrict arm rest motion when the pivot bolts are appropriately tightened. The passenger will need to swing out the "driver side" arm rest in order to get to climb on so they can't be so tight that they won't adequately move. The mounting brackets are securely held on by the passenger seat grip bolts and will need to be removed anytime seat removal is required. This is a real nuisance because lining up the seat grip bolts is tricky (having someone sit on the passenger seat while installing these may help) and it makes for just one more thing to worry about when I take the bike in for service. You don't want to strip the threads in the grip bolts - they should go in relatively easily. There are just too many small parts that can be easily dropped and never found again! The leather covers on the arm rests are thin and are just stapled to their undersides. One of them has a tear underneath the arm rest but that hasn't yet caused any problems in function or appearance. When I drive this to work, the bike is not protected from the elements and these arm rests have otherwise survived very well. You should be regularly spraying all of the leather parts with leather protectant anyway. The arm rests can be made snug enough to help keep my wife from easily falling off the bike when she falls asleep (the back seat is pretty comfortable) and while she may be safer with these, you should not consider these to be adequate passenger side restraints! Another trade-off is that when her arms are placed on the arm rests, my side/rear vision is somewhat blocked by her arms and shoulders, a potential problem when doing lane changes and passing other vehicles. When the arm rests are in their normal, forward positions, they do not interfere with trunk opening. Overall, these arm rests are certainly functional but not without problems. It seems to me that most of these issues could have been corrected by better design and materials by the manufacturer. |
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