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In short, I found this, and new fork springs (I installed racetechs) the simplest way to reduce or in my case, eliminate front end wobble, and make your wing `tight' and `dialed'.
I am a Metzler fan. BUT, we all know they have a lousy record when it comes to tires wobbling, or wearing poorly to the point of `singing' on turns. I had the All Balls installed at 40,000 miles. They immediately made my ride tight and I had no wobble. My Metz's did not cup or wear poorly. My bad was, I forgot to re-torqued after 1,000 miles. At 70,000 miles, I ran through a set of Avons I thought I'd give a try (cupped and humped at 7,000 miles). I slapped myself and re-torqued my neck bearings. RE-TORQUING IS VERY EASY TO DO! A VERY VERY SIMPLE 4 BEER JOB! Installed a new set of Metz (bought at Wingstuff) and at 8,000 miles, there is NO wobble, a smooth ride, and even wear. It's a way cheap improvement compared to a $2500 front end total re-do, which leaves more cash for trips. Honda boned us all by not using tapered bearings from the factory. Spend the money to have the tapered bearings installed. One thing, at first I torqued to the 28-30 lbs shown on the All Balls site. Too tight in the turns. I backed off to 25 lbs and I am happier than a new episode of Family Guy. |
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addendum...I have the dyna beads in these tires. I wonder if that might be why the rear is so bad? I doubt it. 
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This is an update. With 3,500 miles on new Avons, I left for my annual trip around the Northwest Volcanoes. No trailer, only sidebags packed. At 4,000 miles, rear tire started making a bit of noise. Noticed light cupping (already?). Pressure at 42 PSI... I know the urban myth, that twisty roads burn off cupping. Well, I finished 3,800 miles of winding roads through Or, Wa, Id, Mt, back thu Or, and home to Norcal. My rear tire, at 7,300 miles is jumping around, LOUD, and the cupping is at least 1/2" difference one side of tread to the other. Checked pressure...41.5 PSI cold. My Metzlers never dupped this bad.
Would change previous rating I gave, to zero stars, but front tire is like brand new, which tells me to try another rear and see. If it junks out, I am going back to Metz. At least there, I KNOW what I am buying, and they don;t have that poor slow speed `walk'. |
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Okay, this may be a bit long, but it will be in depth...
Been a Metzler guy for 20+ years, even with the 2 out of 5 tires sucking. But I weigh the stickiness over the inconvenience of replacing a bad tire. I decided to try the Avons, since I liked them on my HD's. I put them on 1500 miles ago, using the Dyna beads for balancing (GREAT combination) fully aware the Avon reviews asid they were good for 7,500 to 12,000 miles, depending on how you ride. After all, I was happy to get 10,000 solid miles from my sticky Metz's. Here are my pros and cons about the Avons.... Pro's-Sticky and fantastic handling! Man do I feel confident in the turns, just like the Metz's, with one big plus. The tread pattern avoids all the `humming' I got from the Metz tread pattern as they wore. These tires lay down so sweet in the turns, and ride so soft on the highway. They are smooth as freaking silk and so damn quiet I don;t know they are there. I can actually hear the low end thrumm of the engine when I accelerate. So here is my only negative....the front tire has an alternating `hatchet' rain groove pattern. At slow speed, say 18 mph or less, the front tire `walks' with the pattern. For me, it was not minor, it was very pronounced. At first, it really bugged me, but then I realized, I don't snail crawl on my Wing unless traffic calls for it, and then, it's very short lived. So here's the other pro, the `walking' goes away over 18 mph. And then the the front is solid. Over SLOW speed, there is no `following' highway rain grooves, just like my beloved Metz's. Since I only have 1500 miles on these tires, I can't give a rating on mileage. But I am one of those riders who doesn't need to brag about how I got 20,000 on my tires. I will take sticki-safe and 10,000+ miles over slippery and 18,000 miles any day. I believe my skin is worth much more to me than any mileage comparison. Overall, I really like these tires. Major confidence on turns. Silent as a ghost. |
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Mounted new Avons, using the beads. Bought beads and tires from Wingstuff, but my local dealer Service Mgr is a friend, so he mounted both tires for $25 since he wanted me to tell him how the beads worked out. His `high speed' balancer really only spins at 15 mph (or less), and both tires showed .25 ounces off. So for the first 100 miles I could have sworn I heard the `rice in bamboo rain forest' sound off the back tire. Okay, it was just me. And it was kinda cool. But there is no `humping' from unbalanced tires, NO front wobble, and now I don't have to have weights. Yippee!
In reality, the ride is smooth and I will continue to use thee when I mount my backup Metzlers. Very interested to see if these help with the Metzler wear issues, or if they really create a smoother wearing tire. But as is, so far, I LYKUM!. |
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This bag replaced my snap-fastener Kuryakin that finally rotted out after 8 years. My initial reaction was...mistake. Due to the length of the velcro straps, and th ethick ones on the bottom of the bag, every single strap stuck to each other. What a pisser to mount. At least until I figured out HOW to attach the straps (there are no directions). The wide bottom straps aren't too difficult to figure out, but the side and front straps are long, and they don't attach to each other unless awkwardly twisted. So-don't mount them that way! Wrap each strap around the rack rails in a different `rolling' direction, and the strap with attach itself to it's own back. In the front, I wrapped on strip around the rack footing, and the other along the front rail. On the sides, I wrapped one froward, and the other behind. Once I figured this out, this bag sits tight and doesn't budge. My snap-mounted bag had too much play in the front tags, thereby hanging halfway off the back of the rack. A quick scetch could be included in the bag to ease some initial frustration.
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I don't wear Goldwing gear. I always found the HD apparel suited me better. BUT, this was a gift several months ago, and now I wear it all the time. Zippered vents everywhere (wrists, sleeves, back, sides, etc), with velcro wrist AND even waist straps. This is a long jacket, and the back is slightly longer than the front so it doesn't ride up on you while riding, leaving cool air to sneak down the back of your chonies. Liner removes in seconds when warm out. I was given a 2XL which leaves way too much room, so went back to store where purchased to get an XL. The XL was too tight, (are they saying I'm fat?) so there is about a 3 inch chest depth difference between XL and 2XL.
Most of all, this is a lightweight jacket that feels very comfortable. A thin sweatshirt underneath, and I am fine in cool weather down to maybe 50 degrees. |
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I don't have this exact unit. I have the next size up. But I have had 2 other `bike tire' inflaters, and they both burned out asap, just pumping the tires up a few PSI. It is the BRAND I am touting here. I also carry the `slime' green filler canister. I have friends who say they `would never use slime in a tire'. Okay, you're in the middle of nowhere, and get a nail...DUH! If you don't have a mushroom tip vulcan repair kit, you can go ahead and sit there. Or you can SLIME it, pump it up, and roll to the nearest dealer. Either way, 90% of the bike shops won't do an off tire vulcan repair anymore (liability). They will replace the tire. So who cares if the tire has slime in it! And I have heard more stories of plugs blowing out than slime failing. Neither here nor there. The pump is a must have. The `slime' units last. And they fit the side-bag when laid flat so they take little room. AND the PSI gauge is very accurate.
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This is my 3rd review on this product. But it is the 1st since I installed the replacement sent to me in 12/07.
10 months and only 9,000 miles later, I have to give a very luke warm review. 1st, this DOES scratch. I have used only a soft CLEAN cloth (one I only use on the windscreen), Invisible Glass (pump spray recommended) and Plexis. I have a few scratches and scuffed areas. As many as my original windscreen that had 40,000 miles on it. Okay. I can live with a few. 2nd, I have a hundred minuscule pits, and I don't ride thru sandstorms, or on dusty roads. As many as my old windscreen. NOT visible in overhead sun, but when riding into the sun, it looks like a thousand pin points. Very irritating after only 10 months. In the sun, it smears and I have to use water or spit on it to get it clear. Probably where the scratches came from... The material is impossible to wipe clean if you use a polymer polish or wax such as `Liquid Glass' (made for show cars) which made my stock windshield absolutely clean and frictionless. Thus, I use the `Invisible Glass (available at Wal-Mart) suggested buy F-4. I had the same `loose vent' issue as others, but took the washers out, and put them on the outside. No offense, but it fit when shipped. It's not as if there is a mod for the bike. I gave it 2 stars because I do like the tiny bit of extra thickness. It lessens the wind buffeting. I very much wanted this product to be as good all I thought it would be. But for the price, I would recommend buying two regular windscreens. Maybe the next generation of scratch-resistant will fair better. I am sure with technology, Frank will produce one. I do give Frank kudos for replacing my 1st windscreen for the blue/red mottling I saw from the front in overhead light that that I thought was a flaw (it is normal). |
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THIS IS NOT A REVIEW> IT IS FOR INFO ONLY!
EVERY brand of tire has someone who has a `horror' story, and says "never use this brand". I actually heard someone tout never to use an Elite 3 because he'd had a flat! DUH! He had a NAIL in it! Tires are a matter of preference. A stickier tire will get less mileage, probably around 10k. I hard tire will get more, but have a lot less grip to the road. Make your choice, and accept it as your choice. There are multiple stories for every single brand (Go to the motorcycle chat sites!). Truth is, the MAJORITY of tire issues are a lack a proper PSI. Honda sites tout 39 PSI front, 40 PSI in the rear. GO TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER SITES AND CHECK! I went to the Metzler site, and they recommend 41-43 front, and 41-45 rear to help eliminate cupping (and use common sense, a soft sticky tire will cup faster, duh!). So if you are over 200 lbs, and think 40 PSI is fine, think again. Especially if you are riding 2 up, or pulling a trailer. Sticky will wear and cup faster. Hard will last longer but good luck in rain and tar spots. So again, make your own private choice. Every tire has good and bad. |
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I installed this strictly to have more red lights on the back end. More lights mean someone can see YOU better.
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I have had 2 of these. They last forever. The first lasted 15 years on my 1200's. But the straps were cut by the sharp edges on the kuryakin rack on my '03. So I bought another. I still have it. I douched them both with scotch-guard, and after that never needed the rain cover. I keep my Frog Toggs, heated gear, bike cover, leather jacket, and miscellaneous stuff in this. Lots of room, and the pockets are perfect for sunscreen, light gloves, or any other items you need asap.
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Sorry to say I cannot recommend this. It looks GREAT, but the sharp edges on the rack cut through the straps on My trunk bag. So I went to the rounded rack instead. The rounded rack may not be as stylish, but the functionality works better.
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A must if you are touring, along with the Kuryakin trunk rack bag. Easier to grab a bag than grab a bunch of loose stuff. Overfilling the side bags can make it hard to close the saddle bags. But I have overfilled the trunk bag, and no problems.
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Stops the nagging bouncing around sound from loose objects. They fit well, and can be washed easily.
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Yes, yes, yes. Brighter than the standard spoiler. Easy install, but does require routing a line through the trunk to splice into the brake wire (3 beer job)
Braking adds a step up in light. Increases you're being seen. This with the trunk/bag LED lights spark you up like a Xmas tree. |
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Sound was only highs. No lows. I replaced them with Sony 5" speakers (fit fine). I can actually hear bass from the Sonys.
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First let me say I had nothing but Metzlers on my 1200's. LOVED them. Then we get to the 1800's....
My brand new '03 had ME880's put on several days after I bought it (stock Dunlops were 1" out of round!!!!I won't detail the 22 mpg due to faulty O2 sensors, the sand found clogging left bank, the overheating with coolant blowing out, the blown shaft seal, etc. All of which Honda Customer Service said was `within specs', and took the threat of a lawsuit to get rectified...) But I digress. My Metzlers rode smooth as silk and sticky as a Cinnabun. But then the wobble started at 4,000 miles. I replaced the stock springs with GoldPoints, and had the neck bearings replaced with tapered. (WHY doesn't Honda use tapered as stock? Apparently they have NO desire to improve the bike..)The wobble disappeared. After 10,000 miles, I replaced them with new Metzlers due to wear (I would trade performance for mileage any time). Then came the 2005 trip to Nova Scotia (I live in Calif.) 11,000 miles to and from, and it was the smoothest ride. No wobble. No Humming. The rear was worn, so I replaced them both with new M's. Unfortuately, 1,000 miles later, the '03 was totaled by a wayward winery truck...so I bought a friend's '04. Enter the '04 fiasco. I immediately did the neckbearings and spring thing. I tossed the POS Dunlops in 3/06, and put on M's. IMMEDIATE horrible wobble on the front. The dealer (Concord Honda and they work great with me) determined the tire was bad (it was dated 26/02). They sent it back to Parts Unlimited, wrapped in white paper, with `BAD TIRE' in marker across the paper. They ordered a new tire. Parts Unlimited sent them a new one. Guess what...It was the SAME TIRE STILL WRAPPED IN PAPER!They called the rep, and he said that was all he had. So they called Metzler. I told them I wanted a NEW tire, not a tire 4 years old. He said they didn't have any, and age had no effect on a tire. After 6 months of having to ride UNSAFE on the piece of crap tire I was stuck with, Concord found a tire for me, dated 21/04 at another dealer. They replaced it NO CHARGE. That tire never had a wobble. 10,000 miles later, I put another set of M's on. The front tire has never wobbled. Now, after 6,000 miles, the rear losing 10 PSI over a week. I have found a split, 4" long, inside the tread on the rear. So I am putting on 2 new M's, even though the front is still good. I bough the tires 6 months ago just to have, and they are dated 24/05. I just believe in replacing both at the same time. I know the story is long, but bottom line, I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 not for the tires, but for the fiasco I was put through by Metzler and Parts Unlimited in sending back a blatantly bad tire and not caring enough to replace it with a proper tire at the time. That, and the split I have found inside the rear's tread. I still believe the Metzler has the stickiest ride. My friends also swear by the Bridgestone, but they admit the front follows rain gooves and ruts. The M's totally ignore ruts, grooves, and metal bridges. Even at 10,000 miles on a set of very expensive tires, They stick to the road, even with tar patches. I will stay with the M's until they totally piss me off. Then I will use a M880 on the front, and a Bridgestone on the rear. AND, if you are experiencing the `1800 Wobble', I do suggest you install the aftermarket springs, and tapered bearings. That, and diabling the insipid anti-dive system (e-mail if you want to know how cheap and without alteration), will improve the ride immensely. |
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Several weeks ago, I got a phone call from Don Frank, the owner of F4 Concepts. I was pleasantly surprised. He was very concerned about the issues I noted on my last review. NOT about the review itself, but about the performance of the windscreen. I told him about the red/blue glare from the front of the windshield, and the problems I had cleaning it. There was no lecture on care. From minute one he gave me credit for knowing how to clean the unit properly. Instead, after listening to me (and NO lecture) He immediately decided to replace the windscreen, no further questions asked, and within 5 days, I had a new one on my doorstep, with PREPAID return of the old one! I am VERY impressed. Many manufacturers would have had me jump hoops trying to `fix' it. The new windscreen does have a very FAINT blue/red tint from the front when in the sun. But nothing anywhere as pronounced as my original. The new windscreen is frictionless unlike the one replaced. And, the new one included the felt strip to replace the stock teflon strip that runs across the dash. Muy Bueno!
My personal belief is the adhesive from the protective covering on my original may left a residue that accentuated the blue/red filing, and also held any type of cleaner I tried to use. It happens. Again, there is a reason I order from Wingstuff. Rick guarantees you will be satisfied. And I thank you Don, for being 5 star user friendly, and not requiring I send the original back before sending me the replacement. Again, I am impressed! Now, if it just repels SNOW....lol.... |
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Another nice way to be seen at night. I have these and they plug/play with the mirror lights. You can't have too many lights to be seen and be safe....
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These work great. Plug and go. A trim around the mirror to cover the open space would have been nice, but 5 stars for performance and ease of installation.
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Does what you want to do for a lot less.
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I bought two of these before being snubbed by JM about my combination GPS/phone/radar harness. I swore I would never own another JM product. BUT, this headset is great. I wear a half helmet and a friend's wife sewed a velcro patch to the `Y' part of my helmet straps for me. So the speakers sit right on my ears. Superior bass and sound, and I can easily hear everything that goes on around me in the real world. Other riders hear me loud and clear on the cb, and I hear them perfectly. So I installed the 2nd set in my full face. Since the speakers sit 1 1/2" off my ears, the sound sucks. So I am installing a pad of foam to put the speakers closer to my ears. I would spend my money on this unit.
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Had one on my '03. Nothing but problems. Glitches, freezing, and skips. Honda refused to replace (after 1 year). In this day and age, go with an MP3 player or iPod using the AUX connection. The fairing pockets offered by Wingstuff work perfectly to hold the iPOD or MP3. Pass on the CD player. For the price, you can get an 80 gig ipod or MP3 AND buy heated cold weather gear. 
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I used this on my trip to Nova Scotia. Phenomenal! It fit nicely behind my Markland backrest, and held 6 pair levi's, 8 t-shirts, 6 pair socks, 6 pair boxers, 2 sweaters, and 2 pair cold weather long johns. A lot of room! Left my side bag luggage free to hold dirty clothes, and my trunk rack bag to hold my rain gear. The side pockets held my cell phone and toilet kits. And it works great as a backrest if you don't already have one. Since then , I have modified a hitch mounted cooler rack to hold the t-bag.
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