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Matt
Knoxville, TN, US, 37932
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Alias:
Matt
About:
I've been a crotch rocket guy for most of my life. After our son was born, I bought my first wing to "slow down". Not a chance! I love the GWRRA community and I love my bike.
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Occupation:
Nuclear Reactor Controller at HFIR, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Favorite Quote:
"Work smarter, not harder" -my grandpa
Member Since:
08.18.2008
Bike 1:
Crucible Orange Meta 2008 Honda Goldwing GL1800 Prem
Bike 2:
- No Bike 2 -
Bike 3:
- No Bike 3 -
Matt has not yet written any comments.
Factory Honda CB Antenna for GL1800
ITEM CODE: HO08E96MCA100C, SKU: HO08E96MCA100C
02.10.2013
Don't pinch pennies here!
| Despite what other companies tell you, their technology will not create a better signal than the Hondaline antenna. What you will NOT get with other companies is a perfect factory match to the radio antenna and Honda quality. One bit of advice; ground your antenna well, find a good spot to ground it to the frame and you will get a little better transmission quality and range, also, meter your antenna, mine was perfect from the factory which results in the 5 star rating. |
40 Channel Factory Honda GL1800 CB Radio Kit
ITEM CODE: PG00015
02.10.2013
Does what a CB does
| This is one of those things that you really don't want to spend the money on because you might not use it very much, but that one time you need or want to use it you are VERY happy that you have it. I'm glad I got it, but sheesh, it's just too expensive. The most expensive Cobra system I could find at a Pilot station was only $400. Despite the cost, installation was a breeze, only 2 holes to drill (get a good set of step drill bits or a couple of hole saws, don't use paddle bits IMHO) and wiring was a snap. Range is limited, as to be expected, to about a mile or so, less in the mountains. Lost a star due to unnecessarily expensive for ancient technology. |
Bridgestone Tire COMBO for GL1800 G704/G709
ITEM CODE: WSBRCOMBO, SKU: WSBRCOMBO
02.10.2013
WAAAY better than the E3s.
| I bought these a few months ago and wanted to put some miles on them before I wrote my review. I have done so and I have to say that these are a SIGNIFICANT upgrade from the OEM E3s. I got about 10k on my E3s before the center rear was just worn to the threads. I always keep my tire pressure up (I prefer to run 40F/42R) and even still, the cupping on the E3 was horrid. I now have about 4k on the Bridgestones and they are holding up marvelously. There is still a little cupping, but that is normal for any tire with the stock suspension and it is truly minimal, but then again, I am a pretty aggressive rider and demand quite a bit from my tires. The grip is fantastic and they are very confidence inspiring. As far as road noise goes, they are very quiet while on the center, but they do hum a bit while leaning. Wet traction is excellent. Dry traction is what you would expect from a 'stone. Shortly after break in, I took them up to US-129, known by many as the "Tail of the Dragon" and they were flawless peg to peg. BOTTOM LINE: I will never go back to the Dunlops, which slipped out from under me one day while turning on a wet patch of an intersection, and have regained all confidence in heavy bike tires with these Bridgestones. They are a quiet and comfortable ride with more than adequate grip, even wear, and good durability. Unless they perfect the hoverbike, this will be my next set of tires as well. |
Black Throttle Boss Std or Wide Contour
ITEM CODE: PG32558
02.09.2012
Large, contoured model review.
| I bought this along with the black ISO grips and bar weights. It went on fine and the screws I needed to install them properly were included with the bar weights, but if you don't have bar weights, you get the screws you need with the throttle boss. It is REALLY big on the throttle. I would say that it is about 1/2 the length of the throttle. It adjusts with 4 large "slots" cut around the mounting screws allowing it a wide but limited range of motion. Depending on how you install your grips, I can see having a little difficulty finding a good "sweet spot" for maximum comfort. And I found that where I have it installed for comfort on the highway, it gets in my way a little bit with rolling off the throttle and grabbing the brake lever. That was the only reason for the 4 stars. I might recommend the smaller version for the same result and it would be a lot less obtrusive during braking. I would even go as far as to say that if you don't have arthritis, you would probably like the smaller version better. If I decide to try it, I will review again. As far as doing what it's supposed to do, it allows me to release my death grip on the throttle and rest my palm on the boss to keep the throttle open when using the cruise control is inconvenient. |
Gloss Black Grip End Weights
ITEM CODE: KU6339, SKU: KU6339
02.09.2012
Nice, clean look.
| They do finish up the look of the black ISO grips very nicely. The powder coat seems thick and durable. I can't comment much on it stopping vibration because I put them on at the same time as the ISO grips, but I don't feel any vibration in the handlebars at all. Comes with a ton of screws so that if you get the throttle boss, you will have the proper extra-long screws you need to install the bar weight on the throttle side. |
Gloss Black ISO Grips for Non Heated Grips
ITEM CODE: KU6380, SKU: KU6380
02.09.2012
Look great, feel sweet, but be careful!
| These grips look just awesome on my bike. I like chrome, but not up on the console where it reflects and blinds me. Everything near the handlebars is black and the only reason I was still using the stock grips was because I didn't want the only chrome thing up there to be the grips. These were a perfect solution and LONG overdue to the market. Installation was as straightforward as any other grip, but BEWARE! the glue will set FAST!!! I wound up spending $120 on a set of $60 grips. The left one went on perfect, but the throttle side glue set at about 1/2" shy of being installed. One thing to note when installing the throttle side, when you slide it on, it will stop before it hits the switch housing, so don't try to "finese" it in there, jam it home quickly before the glue sets, and USE that clockwise (forward) twisting motion. On the second grip (after a trip to the honda dealer to replace the throttle sleeve)I did a couple of "trial runs" of sliding the grip onto the sleeve without the glue, then when it was time to glue it on, I used about 1/3 the tube instead of the whole thing and I tried to put the glue at least half way into the grip, and not near the top so that I could at least get the grip about half way on before I was racing the glue. Trust me, with this glue they give you, you don't need much to secure the grip to the handlebars! After a lot of swearing and a new set of grips (anyone want to buy a new, uninstalled left black iso grip?) they look awesome and feel fantastic. They have excellent tactile feel and the increased size really do make it more comfortable for my hands. I also installed the bar end weights and the throttle boss. A great combination! I love them! |
Oil Filter Wrench
ITEM CODE: BB4201, SKU: BB4201
03.08.2009
5 Stars
| Lightweight and super easy to use. Made chaning the filter a snap with no need to remove any tupperware. Doesn't seem to fit well to the new Honda oil filter I got though... the old one fit like a glove, but the new one I needed to wiggle on and it scratched some of the powder coating off the new filter. Still a fantastic idea and saves a LOT of time. |
HP4S 10w30 Full Synthetic Oil
ITEM CODE: HO08C35SYN1030M, SKU: HO08C35SYN1030M
03.08.2009
5 Stars
| If you are reading this review then you probably change your own oil. Why haven't you joined the VIP club yet? I saved $3.50 PER QUART over the honda dealer. This was installed at my first oil change and there is NOTICEABLE improvement in engine noise/knocking and shifting noise/smoothness. No reason not to buy this oil. |
Utopia Driver Backrest for GL1800 2001-2017
ITEM CODE: UT18MC12, SKU: UT18MC12
03.08.2009
5 Stars
| This is the ultimate in driver back rests. The stitching makes it look like it was installed there by Honda during assembly. The adjustability is serene and it really makes those long trips much more comfortable. I just got back from Daytona, and took 2 trips down there. This back rest made the trip dreamy. I was on the bike for a SOLID 3 hours at a time and no longer suffer from fatigued back muscles and lower back pain. It took a couple minutes to get used to it being there and being so supportive, but once I got over the "newness" it was like it was there all along. It truely makes your Wing a "La-z-boy on wheels". Installation was no cake walk though! I watched the Steve Saunders video before installation which helped, but there were still some difficulties during installation. I had a REALLY tough time getting the angle right when cutting down to the seat base. I had to make this cut a couple times. When you install it (if you have a '06+), make sure that when you measure that 2" back from the end of the drivers seat foam that you add an additional 1/2" because our seats have a small overhang of foam. I didn't do this and there is a small ripple behind the support bar in the seat, but it seemed to relax a bit when I bent the support bar a little. Despite the installation difficulties, this still gets 5 stars for being ultimately comfortable and looking JUST like the Honda stitching. If you are hesitant at all about cutting your seat, GET SOMEONE TO INSTALL IT. It is worth the price, hands down. |
ITEM: PG00127
02.23.2009
3 Stars
| They match colors perfectly with the rest of the Kury parts. Installation was a 15 minute total event. I have one MAJOR gripe however. They attach to the back of the mirror and fit between the edge of the mirror and the housing. The design is such that I cannot push the mirrors out all the way anymore, as the lights rub and jam against the housing. This makes about 1/3 of my mirror unusable, but I do get a great view of the front of my knuckles and arms up to the shoulders. Second problem is that when the mirrors are even in this position, the trailing edge of the lights are even with the end of the mirror housing. This means that light only escapes through a very small gap between the mirror and the housing, effectively minimizing their intended function, which is to serve as a warning to motorists in your blind spot beside you that you are changing lanes, further exacerbated by the fact that you now have a larger blind spot due to the inability to move your mirrors out all the way. For the money, they are much cheaper than the mirror replacement that has the LEDs in it, but perhaps if you HAVE the money, you should consider the full mirror replacement. Still bright at night and is far better than nothing and when used in conjunction with other blinking LEDs like the Stealth II light, fork tower LEDs, LED reflector conversion, and arrow head LEDs, it further attracts attention which is the point I guess. |
ITEM: KU7316
02.23.2009
5 Stars
| They are georgeous. Installation was pretty easy with minimal disassembly of the side panels. Retrieving the turn signal connector from the small gap between the mirror and the fairing was daunting, but possible with a pair of needle-nose pliers. The adapters are absolutely necessary for my '08 wing and should have been included as an option, but I digress. The thing I like most is that the running voltage is enough such that there is almost no noticeable difference in brightness between it's operation as a running light and as a turn signal. Good thing it goes from full off to full on when blinking or no one would notice, but it looks nice running and is a perfect color match for my Ring of Fire LEDs (I was told that other brands, namely Show Chrome use much duller and more yellowish LEDs and are not a match, so get all Kury if you want everything to match). My only complaint is that they should have sheathed the wires with a black shrink tube close to the lighted end. As it stands now, you can see a 1/4" length of red/black/white wire bundle coming from the light up into the fairing, hence the loss of 1/2 star rating. If I had noticed it earlier, I would have put some black shrink tube on it myself, and fully recommend that you do this if you want it to be less noticable. All in all, worth the install, great visibility and it's in a great spot on the bike. |
Adapter for LED Mirror, Front Reflector, Stealth Lights
ITEM CODE: KU7300, SKU: KU7300
02.23.2009
4 Stars
| Rediculous that Kury doesn't include these as a requested option to their parts that require this. The new style connectors came on '06 wings... come on Kury, you've had almost 3 years now. Time to upgrade, or offer these as a selection for people with newer wings. Ranting aside, they fit properly and save me from having to otherwise solder in a very tough spot, namely behind the mirrors. |
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