Concerning my new 2018 Honda Goldwing Tour DCT
GL1800D
*Note: This document provided to my local Honda Dealership to present to Honda's District Representative
1. DISLIKE:
Honda’s built in GPS system
a.
This current system is simply NOT compatible with my needs for a GPS.
-
Free 10 years of updates to a product that is NOT USEABLE is worthless.
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Current map in 2018 Goldwing: Q3 2017
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Current map available for GARMIN: 2019.1
QUESTION:
When will my Goldwing map be updated AND how will that be accomplished?
-
Online “trip planning” such as Honda Trip Planner is not only cumbersome but is
without any useful
personal
desirable methodology for saving waypoints for future use and storing
historical information
such
as tracks or favorites.
-
A system that is only capable of 8 maximum waypoints is ridiculous, stupid, and
useless.
-
The onboard system can make “tracks” and they are downloadable but then USELESS
as they cannot
be
uploaded in to a useable database system such as GARMIN BaseCamp.
b.
Compare this system with GARMIN ZUMO and GARMIN BaseCamp desktop software.
-
I have been “tour” riding for quite some time now covering all of the
contiguous 48 states, many of
the
states more than once.
-
I have kept “daily tracks” of where I’ve been and have ALL of those tracks
saved in GARMIN’s desktop
software
called BaseCamp and can refer back to years, months, dates, and locations of
where I’ve been.
-
I am a meticulous trip planner for long journeys that may take days or weeks
and can EASILY sit at my
Desk
and PLAN my daily routes “TURN by TURN” and save each of those daily routes.
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EXAMPLE: I have a 3,100 mile Eight Day
(8 individual routes) trip planned in June & July
and
the routes contain these waypoints:
Day
1=18, 2=15, 3=12, 4=23, 5=21, 6=12, 7=20, and 8=22 for a total of 143
and
during my planning I was able to use MANY waypoints I already had stored and
also
created many NEW waypoints which
are now stored and useable in future routes!
-
THE CURRENT AVAILABLE GPS on this Goldwing is NOT capable of performing
anywhere close to
my
expectations and needs.
-
THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH HONDA GOLDWINGS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS –
FIX IT!!
-
QUESTION:
Why didn’t Honda STICK WITH and IMPROVE UPON the GARMIN GPS functionality???
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There has been issues forever with the Goldwing’s built in GPS but at least I
could sit and
create
routes at my desk and import them in to the “old” Goldwing system but then…
The
old system had difficulty if you bypassed any waypoint and often actually
routed
you in directions often NOT designed or uploaded. BTW, the “new” system
also
lacks the ability to recognize that you “went off route” and “came back” down
the
road a ways. VERY POORLY DESIGNED.
**NOTE: I have installed a GARMIN ZUMO GPS device on
the handlebar of my NEW 2018 Honda Goldwing – this
is NOT good
advertising for HONDA and rest assured many people ask WHY and they find out
quickly that I refer to the on built in GPS as a POS so in reality I only have
ONE GPS on board.
2. DISLIKE:
Honda’s gift of Apple Car Play vs. the Real World’s need for Android Auto
a.
The Real World is made up of BOTH Apple users and ANDROID users.
-
Honda cannot reasonably believe that Android Users are going to convert their
cell phone usage
from
Android to Apple SO Honda NEEDS to get on board with Google and develop an
UPDATE to
the
onboard system to INCLUDE ANDROID AUTO and this needs to happen SOONER THAN
LATER
-
I personally own a 2016 GMC pickup and with a quick stop at the dealer was able
to get a software
update
to my system and now have BOTH Apple Car Play and ANDROID AUTO.
b. DO
NOT expect anybody to be satisfied that their Android device can be connected
to the Goldwing via
bluetooth
and get anywhere close to the functionality of having Android Auto and be happy
about it.
3. DISLIKE:
Functionality of cell phone connectivity to the Goldwing AND at the same time
connecting a SENA 30k
Headset to the Goldwing.
a.
Apparently (and I haven’t fully investigated this or completely understand it) the
following must take place:
-
Honda requires that I connect my SENA 30k to the Goldwing AND
-
Honda requires that I connect my Android Cell Phone to the Goldwing…
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IF I cannot have my cell phone connected TO THE SENA 30k then the 30k android
app
is
NOT USEABLE and I cannot use it to control my 30k headset! RIDICULOUS!!
-
QUESTION:
Is there any User Guides available that clearly describe the “designed” usage
of
The
Goldwing Bluetooth capabilities?
b.
EVEN when the Android Cell Phone is connected via Bluetooth to the Goldwing,
the functionality is
grossly
limited – not only when the bike is MOVING but even when it is stationary.
-
Playing music from the cell phone over the Goldwing system sometimes works but
usually
the
system hangs up and is unresponsive to commands whether moving or stationary.
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When accessing the menu there are choices appearing for Artists, Albums,
Playlist,
Songs,
and Genres. IF the system chooses to
actually display anything it is extremely
slow
to respond at best. Then IF & WHEN
it does finally load some information, trying
to
maneuver to select something is just basically impossible. It doesn’t work right!
-
Apparently if I want to listen to music on my phone I just have to listen to
whatever it wants
to
play because I can’t change it.
4. DISLIKE: USB
connectivity with a Flash Drive for playing MUSIC
a.
True, it will play music from a flash drive but the menu will only allow you to
choose “Albums” or
“Songs”.
-
QUESTION:
What if I want to choose to listen to an “Artist”?
TOO
BAD! That is Not Possible!!
-
QUESTION:
What if I want to turn on “shuffle” and play songs randomly?
TOO
BAD! That is Not Possible!!
5. CONCERN: The
SXM Radio functionality and usability for Sirius “Travel LINK” and “Nav
WEATHER”
a.
FIRST THOUGH, let me make a comment on the XM User Manual in that it’s
description of “how to
create
a “preset” is vague and difficult to understand. Only after some trial and error and GUESSING
was
I able to STUMBLE on to the correct method and get my “presets” made.
-
Page 4 of the user manual shows that a “Long push HOME switch” gets you the
“Edit menu”
where
you can then select “preset”. HOWEVER,
it is not CLEAR that you need to be “playing”
the
channel you want to select a preset for and be on THAT screen when pushing
“HOME”.
b.
Although the Navigation screen appears to also contain information relative to
the weather (some layers
appear
to show images of radar colors), there is not a clear legend or methodology of
learning or knowing
what
one is actually seeing or what the limits of the system are.
-
my OLD system on the previous Goldwing allowed you to “quickly switch” from the
navigation
screen
to a screen for Weather and Traffic and the screen was clearly showing radar,
winds, the
precipitation
(wet) condition possibilities, and traffic problems on your current route.
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QUESTION:
IS this even possible on this new system?
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QUESTION:
IS there even a “quick switch” method to access the different screen(s)?
-
WHEN THE BIKE IS STATIONARY, you can go to a “INFORMATION” section and garner
more
detailed
information regarding weather forecast information and detailed traffic
problems but
even
that is distorted in the way it is presented – thereby rendering it somewhat
useless to me
as
I want and need to know this kind of information ON THE FLY WHILE I’M MOVING!
>
COME ON HONDA – design the electronic functionality of your “touring” machine
To
be USEABLE and FUNCTION to the RIDERS NEEDS…
6. DISLIKE: The
passenger hand holds & the “afterthought” helmet lock
a.
Although I was NOT a fan of the previous Goldwing helmet locking apparatus
under the rear trunk,
I
cannot say I’m impressed with the location of the ONE helmet lock on the left
passenger hand hold.
-
FIRST of all, it is designed for a helmet with a “D” ring strap – I use a Nolan
helmet which
DOES
NOT HAVE A D RING STRAP.
-
QUESTION:
SECONDLY, where will the passenger lock their helmet? At least, there should have
been
a second afterthought “D” ring helmet locking system on the right passenger
hand hold.
-
This concept was obviously an afterthought on Honda’s part and this was best
they came up with.
b.
ASIDE from that, these hand holds are designed with NO space or slot to use for
tying down anything on
the
back seat… such as LUGGAGE which many
single riders will want to be doing as the LUGGAGE SPACE
HAS
BEEN REDUCED way too much for TOURING any distance at all!
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QUESTION:
How can Honda advertise what appears to be TWO FULL SIZE HELMETS being put in
the
REAR TRUNK when in fact one can hardly get ONE helmet of an adult size in there
(even
with
NO luggage or other articles in the trunk)?
Add a Sena 30k to the side of helmet and just
forget
about ever putting it in the trunk.
7. CONCERN: I’m
about 5’7” and 160 pounds and my arms don’t comfortably reach the handlebars
a.
It is my opinion that this is somewhat of a safety concern in addition to a
creature comfort because
I
have to “lean” over to reach the handlebars which is not only causing some pain
between my shoulder
blades
but causing my head to have to be uncomfortably tilted backwards in order to
clearly see ahead.
8. CONCERN: The
tone of the new exhaust system is nice at first but…
a.
The deep throat sound that the new exhaust system makes is a welcome
improvement and gives it more
of motorcycle
sound but after you get past “starting it up” and “getting it on”, you
eventually reach a
highway
cruising speed of between let’s say 65 mph to oh maybe 80 mph on some
interstate systems.
-
QUESTION:
The sound now becomes a deep tone throbbing noise that not only drowns out
some
of the music (or other) sounds in the helmet. Won’t that cause me as a rider to become
annoyed or even possibly reach
some state of hypnosis and slip off to sleep?
9. DISLIKE: The
shelter storage compartment located above the gas fill could be better
utilized…
a.
Knowing that the space is designed for an Air Bag doesn’t dispel the possibility
of creating a more
useful
option than simply a small hole with a USB port and a flimsy afterthought foam
sleeve for a cell
phone
protection pocket.
-
QUESTION: Why couldn’t the space on non-air bag models
be designed for say a cup holder?
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After all, this is supposedly a “touring” motorcycle and wouldn’t it be nice to
have
a
nicely designed space for a beverage of your choice?
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