1500 Nomad and 2010 Goldwing

[cyclecat]

My friend Charlie has only been riding for 4 years but has talked about Goldwings for that whole time because mutual friend has rode Wings for years and raves about them being the ultimate riding experience. Because of the problems Charlie has had with his 1600 Nomad, he bought a 2010 Wing a week ago and I got to ride it on Saturday.

The first thing I noticed was the weight - being heavier than a Nomad, but then my Ruby does weigh 901 pounds with everything I've put on her, I noticed the Wing does not seem any heavier. The wing is more compact and the seat height is a tad shorter so the weight difference did not matter.

Once I familiarized myself with the dash and all the extras on the handlebars, I was off. I went to lift my feet up and forward like I do on Ruby and oops, the foot pegs, not foot boards, are not where I usually have my feet. The foot pegs are directly under my hips so my legs are bent back, whereas on Ruby my knees are bent at a 90 degree angle and in front of me.

The shifter was a bit of a pain to get at, first because I use the heel shifter and second because of the angle of my legs. The same with the brake, I am used to lifting my toes up onto the brake pedal whereas to brake the Wing all I did was rock my foot down a bit and there is the brake. Because of the position of the foot peg, using the foot brake was awkward so I stuck to the hand brake.

The Wing is quite a bit more nimble than the Nomad and the acceleration is awesome. I found the Wing to be geared a bit strange though. You can actually have the Wing in 5th gear at 30 mph and the engine does not lug. However, to get from 5th to 1st in that short of a time when stopping can be a bit much especially if you had to shift down quickly. I tried shifting down at the speeds I normally do on the Nomad, and the Wing bangs going into gear and the shifting is not smooth because you are shifting too soon. That would take some getting used to.

I expected to have a lot less wind on me than on Ruby because of the fairing and leg protection on the Wing. Not so. I was amazed that I actually had more wind on my legs and the same amount on my upper body as on my Ruby. I have engine guard covers, larger lowers, fork bag, and the windshield dropped right to the headlight bucket on Ruby but even so, I expected better coverage on the Wing.

I am used to the rumble of Ruby with her Baggers going down the highway so the quiet of the wing was a bit distracting. Ah yes, the sound of Baggers going down the road are definitely nice. I shift by the sound and feel of the engine but found that was not there on the Wing. You pretty much shift one gear right after another, as fast as you, can to get into 5th so the engine smooths out. Once in 5th, there is still all the acceleration needed so speeding up is not a problem.

The last drawback for me would be riding a motorcycle that looks like every other Wing on the road. While there are lots of accessories for a Wing, and expensive ones at that, the accessories still do not make one Wing look that much different than the next one. By adding the leather to my Ruby she is unique and as different as I can make her from other Nomads on the road and people notice the difference. Even when I had black leather, instead of the russet, she was still noticeably different.

All and all, I love my 1500 Nomad and would not replace her with a Wing for the cost difference and not being able to accessorize a Wing like I have my Ruby.

[schoeney]

Interesting write up CC. I have never ridden a Wing or seen a comparison between the Wing vs. Nomad. You just saved me about $23,000!

[wiz]

I'm looking at a 'wing for my next bike in several years, but for now I am quite happy with my '07 and I just mounted an Invicta Fairing with a nice Sony Stereo with XM - now I am looking for a deal on an Ultra Trunk. The JTD hard lowers are very nice so I may just not have a whole lot of "New Bike Lust" after I put on a trunk. The '07 has so much room and rolling down the road on a new set of Avon Cobras is pretty close to paradise. Any bike that makes one happy is the perfect bike.

[cactusjack]

The subject says 2010 Nomad. I assume you meant 2010 Goldwing?

[dakota7557]

Great writeup, thanks for the in depth analysis...Think I'll stick to my Nomad also...Ride Safe, Jody

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Nothing gets by you Scott. Haven't ridden a Goldwing in 25 years but they are an awesome bike. I do love my Nomad and don't see buying anything else foe quite some time.

[ringadingh]

I have ridden a lot of different bikes and most feel more nimble than a Nomad, I can't think of one at the moment that is less.
Though on the highway they are amazingily smooth, I guess thats the tradeoff.
The Wings are great bikes but I doubt I'll ever see myself owning one.

[cyclecat]

Oops, had to change the heading to 1500 Nomad and 2010 Goldwing.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by CycleCat

Oops, had to change the heading to 1500 Nomad and 2010 Goldwing.

I kept reading, hoping I'd get to the Nomad part.

[poppy]

The newer Goldwings are quite different than the previous 1500cc models. If you ever get an oppurtunity to ride a 1500cc Wing, please do so. That is the plush Cadillac! The newer wings are more sport oriented. It's more of a forward sitting feel. It does have plenty of power though and the reverse is a cool accessory!

But just like you, I'm not quite ready to get one. Thanks for the write up!

[nomadbehappy]

Both are great bikes, but very different. I have an 08 nomad that I got last year, but plan on getting a wing as my next bike (probably 5 years from now). Rumour has it the wings are being redesigned for 2012 or 13. Depending on what they do it may be the deal clincher or breaker, we will see.

[snarleybill08]

i have an 08 nomad and an 08 wing. here are my impressions on both. they are both great bikes but as different as night and day. it's like comparing a dirt bike and a sport bike. the wing is for the serious tourer. if one plans on spending hours on end on the highway the wing sets the standard for touring bikes. nothing compares. nothing is even in the same class. for everyday short trip riding it is extreme overkill. if you plan on long trips on a regular basis the wing is the way to go. the nomad is a great bike and if i had to have just one bike for the type of riding i do. it would be the nomad. i do alot of riding with a 100 to 200 mile limit just cruising around my area. i take my nomad or v-star most of the time cuz i like the traditional motorcycle look and the v-twin rumble and feel. since i can't ride the distance anymore, do to back and leg issues, my wing will probably be going down the road in the next year. only 2 draw backs to the wing, leg position is one if you are used to floor boards and the front suspension sucks. i have the full race tech fork upgrade on my wing. the wing is a smooth as glass powerhouse, that has sport bike like handling. don't ever think you can stay with one in the twisties on a nomad. top speed on the wing is 135 and it pulls as hard at 120 as it does at 60. once in fifth gear the wing will pull smoothly down to idle speed. i think about selling my wing everday, and when i ride it it's a new love affair all over.

[bigmacbkr]

I always enjoy reading about riders who ride the Wing for the first time, Vs riders who think they must someday move up to what they believe will be motorcycle heaven. Let me tell you, the Goldwing is not the last word in motorcycles. I rode an GL1800 2006 Goldwing for several years until I bought my 2009 Nomad, and I hated the stock seating position. I call it the "barstool" position, as you sit bolt upright with your legs straight down and your feet tucked in behind your knees, and resting on pegs instead of floorboards, very uncomfortable.

To make matters worse, the faux gas tank is as wide as a 55 gallon drum and combined with the stock seat's wide bolsters was a recurring source for pelvis cramps which caused much positioning trying to work them out. I even had to pull over occasionally and get off the bike. Once you wrap your legs around the huge tank and wide saddle, it lengthens the already long distance to the ground and put me on tip toes on any terrain other than completely flat ground; scary in the dips or loose gravel. I spent a bunch of bucks on a new Ultimate seat, lower peg attachments which put the peg down and forward several inches, then replaced the pegs with mini floorboards; better, but still not cruiser comfort! I have two riding buddies who owned Wings and both experienced these same discomforts. One still rides his, the other sold his and bought a Harley.

The Wing also has a very weak front suspension with only one side containing a spring, and it's very easy to bottom out accompanied by a discerning loud bang when it does. Finally, the gearing is awful with first gear so low that it's dangerous if taking off in a hurry while turning out of a driveway. With the Wings power coupled with a granny low gear it not's hard to shoot across the highway into the other lane of traffic if you're not careful, and then first gear is all used up at about 15 mph! Many are exuberant over the Wing's top speed potential of well over 100 mph, but since I never ride much over 80 that doesn't even factor into my list of desirable features, bragging rights, maybe, but not in my list of must haves when purchasing a bike.

Granted once you get the bike more suitable to your comfort, and with all the luggage space it's a very good long distance tourer, the only problem being that I only take several long trips a year. The rest of the time I spend on more local jaunts and don't need a tall top heavy monster that's hard to maneuver around parking lots.

Finally I would suggest that anyone contemplating buying a Goldwing rent or borrow one and ride it for a day in your typical riding environment. I went back to my Nomad cruiser and can happily say I would never go back to a Goldwing tourer!

[dank]

You guys have the wrong Honda at the top of your list. The ST1300 beats the Wing on acceleration, mpg, tank range, top speed, cornering, flickability, long-distance comfort, and price. Only place the Wing wins is storage space, and then not by much with a topcase on the ST. Wing also wins on number of switches, if you call that a win.

But I don't understand anyone thinking of the Nomad is a 100-200 mile bike versus the Wing as a tourer. The Nomad is set-up great for long distance too.

[donoller]

well good job i have both the nomad and the 1800 goldwing both do what they were designed to do .lomg trips the wing is the thing to do all others i would ride the nomad .just my opinion
ride safe.