[mpatch]

Honda has made Gold Wings for 48 years now...I would say the Gold Wing has been a good selling motorcycle.

Not compared to almost all other mainstream bikes. Take my Tenere 700 they are a harder to find bike yet I see them weekly both on the road and for sale used vs the current generation GW’s I’ve seen maybe 3 locally in a couple of years.
Wish manufacturers would release sales numbers but I’m positive the GW is pretty low on the list.
It’s a bike that the buyer knows what they want for whatever reason, you don’t go bike shopping and end with a Goldwing, you go shopping for a Goldwing if that makes sense.

 

[Goldeneye]

If you were going that route you would have to buy the accessories after you bought the bike..why pay DMV the extra tax on the vehicle that the accessories would cost you....but the truth is, like with the SUV and pickup truck, the Gold Wing is becoming unaffordable for the average working man.

A new Goldwing was unaffordable years ago, along with a lot of other motorcycles.

 

[Roadie]

Yea your right, but I couldn't imagine not having my wing. The pleasure it brings me year after year is so worth the cost..glad mine is paid off though..LOL

 

[paulcf]

What I sense throughout this posting is that the golden age of touring bikes and the Goldwing in particular is coming to an end. Prices are reaching stratospheric levels and the average joe can't afford a new one. Besides that, IF you can afford one, it will cost MORE than a fully loaded Honda Accord sedan! And what terrifies me even more is that I have a 2003 Goldwing and I am hearing more and more about Honda dealers refusing to work on them. One claimed the plastic is too brittle over 20 years and subject to breakage that they can't afford to work on them if they remove anything and it breaks.
So, what's a guy supposed to do?

 

[FIRE UP]

What I sense throughout this posting is that the golden age of touring bikes and the Goldwing in particular is coming to an end. Prices are reaching stratospheric levels and the average joe can't afford a new one. Besides that, IF you can afford one, it will cost MORE than a fully loaded Honda Accord sedan! And what terrifies me even more is that I have a 2003 Goldwing and I am hearing more and more about Honda dealers refusing to work on them. One claimed the plastic is too brittle over 20 years and subject to breakage that they can't afford to work on them if they remove anything and it breaks.
So, what's a guy supposed to do?

Goldwings are not the only "time vs age" rolling stock that sometimes get shunned from dealerships etc. Motorhomes, some cars, trucks and more have seen avoidance from some dealerships. This is kind of or, sort of, a complex type problem. Not every one can afford a new car or a new bike or truck at todays prices. Things are getting and have been getting seriously high in cost for some years now. So, many of us keep what we have and for the most part keep it in the best shape we possibly can, at least to the best of our ability. When either the maintenance or repairs become TOO technical, many turn to a dealership for help.

It's kind of disheartening and in some cases, a feeling of hopelessness when we're told "sorry, it's just too old for any of our techs to work on". "So, what's a guy supposed to do?"

Well, this at least ONE reason why I started (and I think others have created the same type of thread) a thread quite a while ago asking for maybe some sort of list of what riders may think are qualified, helpful and dependable dealerships and or even private parties, individuals etc. that have established a name in good work on Goldwings specifically, and not just newer ones. A list definitely needs to be developed, posted and updated on a regular basis. A list like that is not only good for riders of Wings that live near some on or in the list but also for riders that are on the road or on trips and develop a need for a good Goldwing tech.
Scott

 

[yellowrex]

What I sense throughout this posting is that the golden age of touring bikes and the Goldwing in particular is coming to an end. Prices are reaching stratospheric levels and the average joe can't afford a new one. Besides that, IF you can afford one, it will cost MORE than a fully loaded Honda Accord sedan! And what terrifies me even more is that I have a 2003 Goldwing and I am hearing more and more about Honda dealers refusing to work on them. One claimed the plastic is too brittle over 20 years and subject to breakage that they can't afford to work on them if they remove anything and it breaks.
So, what's a guy supposed to do?

I just looked @ a Accord EXL $34k and no were near the fun, are you going to sale your bike and get the Accord?

 

[yellowrex]

I don't know why the price of the GW is such a topic HD has some bike's that's twice the cost of a GW, I think we get a bargain for what it does, and I have a zero turn mower that the price was not cheap, could have purchase a good used car for the price but it will not work good on the yard just like the Accord will not put a smile for the miles on my face.

 

[paulcf]

I just looked @ a Accord EXL $34k and no were near the fun, are you going to sale your bike and get the Accord?

You must live in the USA. A Touring model of the Honda Accord here is $46K. I can get a cheaper model for the same (and a bit less) than an airbag Goldwing. Smiles? I will be smiling when it is -40C here in my Accord and would not be smiling on my Goldwing (face frozen!).
Yes, I know a car isn't a bike and a bike isn't a car, I get that BUT comes a point when a fellow has to decide, has a family, budget, lifestyle, etc. and you know where this is going....

 

[FIRE UP]

You must live in the USA. A Touring model of the Honda Accord here is $46K. I can get a cheaper model for the same (and a bit less) than an airbag Goldwing. Smiles? I will be smiling when it is -40C here in my Accord and would not be smiling on my Goldwing (face frozen!).
Yes, I know a car isn't a bike and a bike isn't a car, I get that BUT comes a point when a fellow has to decide, has a family, budget, lifestyle, etc. and you know where this is going....

You are absolutely right in that. Again, not all folks can afford MANY of the new motorcycles. A wing, at top of the line, is around $35-$38K out the door, depending on where you live and what dealers want to mark it up. A Harley, which I have zero interest in, is also close to $50K out the door. And I have no idea on the top Triumph, Yamaha, Indian and all those sell for but, I'd bet it aint a whole lot lower than the competition. When a fella's got a family and is still working, but loves motorcycling, especially a Wing, then unless he's a brain surgeon or an oil exec of some type, it's pretty tough to throw down $35-$38K for something that is primarily his with an occasional ride-a-long. Yeah, you can get a loan and depending on all kinds of factors, like credit history, loan-to-value, interest rate, debt ratio and more, even then it might be tough. In a way I'm kind-a glad I didn't find the Blue '22 Wing Tour I was authorized to buy by the CEO back in April of '22. I'd have had to get a loan and at my age, I don't like being in debt.
Scott