baldeagle

You dont have to worry Gary, I have already packed the kitchen sing on the wing!! see you in the morning, suns gonna shine.

Bob, yes I read it exactly the same way, but my only concern is with the scenario I mention in my first paragraph, I have spoken to several french bike dealers, the guy at Yamaha Niort was adamant about my "lack of insurance" so what happens if you run someone over with your french reg 180 bhp hyabusa? will they inspect engine internals or just check chassis no?. I spoke to a scooter dealer and we were discussing kids tuning them with mallosi kits up to 80 cc and loads more power and speed (relative) he said police would confiscate and crush if found out. Another point is why would a serious french biker buy a 106 bhp Busa or R1 here, at the same price as the UK,when he could go and buy one new in the UK at full power and come back here if what SD says is correct and register it with no problem, the more I think about it the more confused I get, regards, Brian.

Hi Bob, well I can only tell you, as always it seems, this issue is not clear cut!! I hade a Yamaha Thunderace 1000 here and obtained insurance after showing the broker all the paperwork saying clearly it was 148bhp. BUT on trying to re-register Yamaha told me it was impossible in France and I was uninsured, any accident my fault or not and I would have been in trouble so back to the UK it went and was sold.I eventually got a refund on part of the policy and havent seen the individual who sold me the insurance at my brokers since!! Back to the wing,I dont know where they measure bhp,crankshaft or back wheel.? I have seen many posts on ex-pat websites of people registering "higher powered" UK bikes here.I use an American website on 1800 wings and they say, 104 bhp at back wheel , 118 at crank. I cannot confirm this as accurate. My Uk supplied Certificate of Conformity, shows 19cv, my carte gris, says 81 kw puissance nette maximale en kw si disponible? (available)and 16(what I dont know) puissance administrative nationale. So with all these different numbers and values swimming around in my head!! all I can say is I am pleased to be able to put French plates on and be legal? I ride with SD and he may be able to throw more light on it but my honest belief is ,try it, every case seems to be different, long story but briefly, I had an BMW 1150 GS here, changed lights, not essential in my mind as adjustable for left or right but necessary to get French cofC, changed speedo, my choice,85 bhp so no probs there, I was abroad so a mate, fluent french speaker took all the papers but was unable to register, on my return took all the same papers, came out with carte gris, no probs. I am totally confused, sorry for rambling but all part of the "French experience" I think.

Going slightly of post here, smiling at what you say about plugs on your Deauville!! I have had 4 Goldwings since 1989 and last year bought my current 1800. Service history was a bit iffy so I decided to give it a good going over. With the help of an American owners site, I was sure I had my work cut out.Sunny morning right frame of mind, time to do the air filter. By mid-day I had so many pieces scattered over my lawn,in an order for re-fitting I could understand, and all bolts on cardboard pushed through in the correct order, my french neighbour visited, "was I confident I could put it back together", what if it rains?, he walked away shaking his head and came back every hour to check on progress!! Anyway eventually finding the air filter in the bowels of the bike, under a mass of wiring connectors, it was changed and bike put back together, everything worked, surprise, surprise and it went much better for a new filter,but begs the question, "why Honda making a bike for massive mileage cannot make a part like the air filter which needs regular changing more accessible, service costs, maybe?". Anyway, got my carte gris yesterday, many thanks to SD, was told by Honda Paris I needed to change my injector box? 1075 euros, plus lights 1000 euros, a quick call to Honda UK and a certificate of conformity sent f.o.c. with a part inside saying, "for use in any EU country without modification" just may be worth trying if you are trying to re-register your bike and its a recent model.Saved me a bomb, ride safe.

The guy with the cam is also on an 1800, watch it carefully and he is in the wrong gear a couple of times but as you say pretty awesome riding, bet your bike could get round them bends pretty sharpish too,lol.  

Hi Bugbear, nice to see that again, notice yellow wolf never crosses the solid line, not like a Goldwinger we know who needs all the road travelling at half that speed!! Still with my new bridgestone on the front and a new rear soon, I should be able to stay on my own side.   I first saw it on my American wingers website :www.gl1800riders.com, they are just celebrating a lady rider who has just covered over 125,000 miles in a year on an 1800 and suffered a bad tumble just last week and they patched up her wing with gaffer tape and she carried on to get the record.Great stuff.

Great photos and a great day out, thanks guys and Wendy, just set me thinking  , my pillion seat is not used much, except when Wendy, yes Garys wife says the Goldwing seat is more comfortable than his Triumph, watch this space!! They are heading for Honda Poitiers soon!! So if there are any ladies that for whatever reason are missing a ride out, there is a comfortable space on the back of the wing that is being wasted at the moment. I think I am the only single guy in our bunch so no complications! If you are in the Charente and fancy a trip out with the warmer weather coming just pm me at [email protected] if you are shy!  Brian.

Hi Gary, glad to be back this side of the water for just a little sanity!!I will be there Sunday, look forward to seeing you then.Dont know about the bucket and spade though, maybe just a little toooo old for that. 

Hi  Hoddy, maybe he is still out looking for the stragglers!! No he has had to go to UK for a few days this week but I am sure he will be back very soon.

Well guys, can only say as you have said, great day, nice to meet Craig, Nev and Keith for the first time,we did wait for you Nev but you passed us on a roundabout and we all did a starburst at the next one looking for you, never mind, look forward to seeing you all again soon.Baldeagle.

Hi bugbear, just thawed out but a pleasant ride, thanks.So now thats the second Arc de Triumphe I have seen in France, not quite so manic to ride round as the other one !!. Look forward to our next trip , talk soon, eagle.

Hi Charles,I dont know where you are from in the UK but I, like bugbear and some of the others on here are from the Dorset area.Have had several Bm,s over my biking career and some years back had to have surgery that made the old Goldwing just a bit too heavy. I had a relationship with CW,s in Dorchester and had from them an R1100S which I loved except it looked like a banana!! bright yellow, not my choice of colour but the only one in stock.I noticed then that there were many younger customers floating around and taking test rides.Always had fantastic service from them, well I would they were Ride magazines dealer of the year.My back made me change to an 03 1150GS which I also loved  until I could manage the weight of a wing again. I think that with all the funky colours and models BM are now producing they have lost the staid image for good.

Hi Andy, I am based in Bayers just 3kms. off the N10 between Ruffec and Angouleme, with regard to your budget you could get a very nice 1500, a late model, they were made till around the turn of the century, I had two and loved them OR you are just at the bottom of the 1800 market. 1500 and 1800 are totally different, the 18 was meant to attract a slightly different customer to the traditional Winger and is lighter, faster and handles totally differently.If you are serious come and have a beer some time , we can discuss and I wont bore the pants off everyone on here. regarding licensing I am sure Gary or one of the other readers can tell you more than me. Just one last point, I dont know if you knew this but there is a bhp limit in France, so I keep my Wing registered in the Uk, a 1500 is just within the limit. Hope this helps, Live the dream!! 

Sadly I am carrying a little too much weight to "get it up that far!!" but yes its quite easy to get the front wheel up if you want,my 1800 is quicker 0-60 than a Porsche Carrera, much to the surprise of the uninformed of course 1832 cc is a fair old lump. Last year I left a mate who lives in Alicante at 08.30 on a Saturday morning and was at home in the charente at 20.30 WITHOUT using any toll roads and stopping for a bite to eat.705 miles and felt fine the next day and could have done it again,that to me is what the bike is all about. I will be going down to Alicante again very soon and to ride both mountain ranges with my favourite music playing is for me the best. I aint much into extra lights but when I bought this black wing and was talking to some friends in the states about what a b--ch it was to keep clean they all said cover the paint with chrome and as Gary will tell you, I am trying this route!! happy riding.  

Hi Andy, by your first statement I guess you would be around my age!!!I was a mod but discovered bikes and changed my style to be a rocker.Cant tell you how many bikes I have had over the years, never been without one probably runs into 3 figures. In 1989 I decided to buy a Gold Wing, my hobby is Moto GP and I tired of strapping all the luggage on and always wondering if it was going to be there when I got back to the bike.I have never looked back. I am on my 4th now a black 1800 and absolutely love it. Will be out with Gary tomorrow and it sounds like you know him personally, I currently dont have a partner so the back seat is empty, if sometime you would like to take a trip and see what you think you are more than welcome. Winging is a bit like Harley ownership and can be a way of life, dont take any notice of what people say who have never ridden one, Gary will tell you I aint a slow old fogey!! considering its over 400kgs I can make it boogey.Most of all I have made many lasting friendships, so if you like it do it,see you soon.