goldwing versus 850

[ron bayless]

I like my 83 850.I have hardly got to ride it yet.But I was wondering, I am thinking about a 1500 goldwing.If a 850 was dressed out,minus fairing radio etc but with tour pack and saddlebags which bike do you think is better? it would take a lot to dress out my 850, that is why i was thinking about a wing, that comes with everything.I owned 2 wings before.They are a lot heavier though.

[tkent02]

The wing will always be a better wing. The 850 will be better at being an 850.

What do you want? Buy what gives you wood.

[ron bayless]

You're right. I love the weight of the 850.Its perfect for me.I have a tour pack to mount on it,doesnt weigh much.Once I get tc bros forward controls I will be good to go.Goldwing motors last longer, but the bikes are much heavier.And who rides a bike for 200,000 miles anyway? few people. I dont care anything about music playing.

[tkent02]

An 850 can go that far if you want it to. 2 850s certainly can. Might need some gaskets along the way. I hate heavy bikes, the 850 is too heavy for me. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Ecklund]

I like my 83 850.I have hardly got to ride it yet.But I was wondering, I am thinking about a 1500 goldwing.If a 850 was dressed out,minus fairing radio etc but with tour pack and saddlebags which bike do you think is better? it would take a lot to dress out my 850, that is why i was thinking about a wing, that comes with everything.I owned 2 wings before.They are a lot heavier though.

I grew up near Chicago and the flat mid-west makes for a lot of long straight roads. A decent 1500 is going to cost a fair amount more than an 850. But if you're looking to eat up hundreds of miles of highway in a day the 1500 probably has some advantages.

Of course most any bike can be used to do the long haul. I rode the poop out of my XS650 all over the midwest. Yes, my hands are still numb. I rode a 150, yes I said 150, from here in Juba to Kampala. The 850 would do the job just fine.

The 2006 or newer 1800s are really spectacular bikes. But of course they are a bag of money too. The 1500s are really pretty good and while a lot more than an 850 are not crazy expensive.

Ever look at the Yamaha Venture? I see nice 1300s for about $3K, 1200s for $2K or less. A 1500 with even moderate mileage is probably about $6K.

[gsgeezer]

There are nice older Wings, like the one for sale on this forum, that can be had cheap.
The new ones are great, though, I have several friends with them.

[850 Combat]

I only have experience with a '78 or '79 1000cc wing. The 1500 was suposed to be a good handling bike. My 1000 sucked compared to an 850. Handling was so slow. You had to lean it a lot even in moderate turns, I think because of the long wheelbase. The seat was total crap compared to a '79 to '81 850. It was slow, and it took two turns to open the throttle. I was looking for an 850 or 1000G when I bought it, and I didn't keep it very long, because it was so much less fun to ride than a GS. It ran perfectly, and had all its maintenance. It was a high school auto shop project with all its maintenance done and everything rebuilt except the engine internals.



I know the 1500 is a whole different animal.

What tour pack do you have for your GS? The Samsonite and Krauser seem to be getting more and more expensive. I wonder what the vetter is like. I thnk a GS would look good with no fairing and a set of Vetter bags.

[bwringer]

One important factor, especially since you're talking about older bikes, is that the Gold Wing is a LOT more complicated than an 850.

Both are dead-nuts reliable when you get them up-to-date, but you'll spend a lot more time and money getting an old Wing to that point.

Perhaps I'm biased, but I would suggest making sure your 850 is running and handling correctly and get some extended seat time before you write it off. From your statements in this and other threads, I suspect yours is not healthy.

You also stated you've owned Gold Wings before and weren't quite satisfied. If you want lighter weight plus bags, perhaps you should look into something like a Bandit or a V-Strom with Givi hard bags. You can pick these up fairly easily for around $3K to $4K.

But in the end, you're comparing apples to oranges. So ride whatever makes you happiest.

[LarryJ]

I have an 1100GK, & had put some miles on an 1100 Wing. The GK has it all over the Wing. Better handling, lighter, easier to work on, just as comfortable. The add'l 25HP does't hurt either!

[ron bayless]

An 850 can go that far if you want it to. 2 850s certainly can. Might need some gaskets along the way. I hate heavy bikes, the 850 is too heavy for me. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks kent.After owning 2 wings,2 ventures, an ultra classic the 850 feels light.Its whatever a person gets used to.

[ron bayless]

[QUOTE=850 Combat;1954358]I only have experience with a '78 or '79 1000cc wing. The 1500 was suposed to be a good handling bike. My 1000 sucked compared to an 850. Handling was so slow. You had to lean it a lot even in moderate turns, I think because of the long wheelbase. The seat was total crap compared to a '79 to '81 850. It was slow, and it took two turns to open the throttle. I was looking for an 850 or 1000G when I bought it, and I didn't keep it very long, because it was so much less fun to ride than a GS. It ran perfectly, and had all its maintenance. It was a high school auto shop project with all its maintenance done and everything rebuilt except the engine internals.



I know the 1500 is a whole different animal.

[ron bayless]

My bike has a k an n filter put in it.I am going to take it out once i investigate.I am thinking that is why it is surging.I know we all know what an 850 looks like, but mine is really a nice looking stock bike. I owned a bandit before too.They are what many guys here try to make out of a 1100 E. But I cant use the rear mount or midmount pegs.And having owned goldwings I can really appreciate the classic 4 cylinders but they are very problematic.I owned an 88 and 96 aspencade. I had a friend tell me my 96 was as big as his jeep. I do appreciate the input from you guys. I prefer the lightweight of the 850, at least to me its lightweight.I can now more understand why some people own more than 1 bike.

[ron bayless]

bwinger, you are right.I am not quite happy. I have days off now, am going to check into my tire age, look for airbox and or oring leaks,replace boots etc.I remember 8 years ago when I replaced the head gasket on my gs 1000, you had a really neat trick for compressing downward the spring on the cam chain tensioner. I have hung around here for years when not owning a gs just because of the knowledge,comraderie, and what great bikes these are.

[ron bayless]

This is the tourpack.I need to find a luggage rack to mount it to. IMG_20130809_091629.jpg (75.1 KB)

[Steve]

I am thinking about a 1500 goldwing.If a 850 was dressed out,minus fairing radio etc but with tour pack and saddlebags which bike do you think is better?

Well, as luck would have it, ... I happen to have both.

Click on the links in my sig, you can see them.

"Which one is better" would depend on the next question, "better at what?"

I like my Wing, no two ways about it. I use it as a grocery-getter at times. I have no problem hopping on it to go down to the corner to get a gallon milk. Somehow, the weight just does not bother me, as I have owned two bikes that weighed more.

Yes, it's more complicated, but, in the Honda tradition, it is also very reliable. I have had very few minor repairs in the eight years I have owned it, and the odometer is currently showing 183,xxx miles.

I like my 850G'K', as well. Not quite as refined as the Wing, but let's face it, it's 20 years older. It still has all the luggage to which I am accustomed, but it's all a bit smaller, so I can not pack the same stuff in the same manner. I have added a few things to give me more convenience and comfort. Things that most of the rest of GSR tries to avoid, as it adds weight and complexity to the bike, but I don't ride the same way they do.

A couple of years ago, I was working in New York at the time that Americade was happening. I knew I was going to be there for a while, so I took a bike with me. Since it is a "touring" rally, most of the bikes there would be full-dressers, and my Wing would be ... well ... just another Wing. I took the 850 for the fun of it and got a LOT of comments on it. A fwe weeks after Americade, Mrs. Steve came to visit for a weekend. We did a 3-day, 850-mile tour around New England on the 850. Almost as comfortable as the Wing, just a little less power to get over the hills. No complaints, we would do it again.

The "better" bike would be the one that more easily achieves your purpose. For a cross-country, multi-week tour, I would likely be packing my trailer, too, so there is no choice in the matter, the Wing would have to pull it. For a night at the local burger joint for bike night, I am more likely to take the GS, just to see the reactions and hear the comments.

Yep, I like them BOTH.

.