Our friends, FRED & DIANE HARMON just moved from Dallas, Texas to Mountain Home, Arkansas, with everything but his two bikes --- a 2018 GL 1800 Goldwing and a 2009 Kawasaki Concours.  I offered to help him get them back to AR, so we left from Harrison at 11: am Saturday morning on a nine passenger prop (that's right, Harrison actually has a tiny COMMERCIAL AIRPORT), and were on two wheels by 2:30 that afternoon.  For those who will invariably want to know, I am 6'2" and slightly over 200 lbs, and have been riding wings since I was 25 (my first was a gently wrecked 88 that I got in 94.  I currently run a YELLOW 91, and previous to that I ran a Yamaha XS1100 Special with a Windjammer fairing.)

Let me start by saying that this was the DCT model, with the 7 speed automatic transmission.  It also happened to be equipped with Traxxion's "Full Monty" suspension upgrade, which, if you can afford, I highly recommend (my 91 has the triple tree on the front but is stock in the rear, with an upgraded spring).  Since Fred's recently-sold home was at the far western edge of Fort Worth, it took about two hours to get out of the metro area heading east.  It was hot and the traffic was, in my estimation, bad for a Saturday afternoon.  Thankfully we went through several pop-up thunderstorms that cooled things down to about 75 degrees.  The bike did great in the rain.

For starters, the 2018 is much narrower than previous models, fairing and windshield included.  No big deal, but when we took off on Sunday morning from Idabell, Oklahoma and started rolling up into the mountains, it was in the lower 60's.  The narrower shield lets you to feel the cool temps on your shoulders and arms (for winter riders like myself, you'll definitely be pulling out your heated jacket liner at higher temps than you used to).  As for the windshield, it is fully adjustable on the fly and is designed like my highly regarded MADSTAD (for those who are interested, I'm a look over the windshield guy, as opposed to a look through the windshield guy).  As to the headlights, since Fred was leading I never really got to check them out, although they seemed fine (I'm spoiled by my LED Rider auxiliary lights that Fred installed a number of years ago --- I call them my "deer sweepers" because they truly turn night into day).

Day two is where the fun began and I finally got to see what the newest Wing would do.  We got an early start, heading into the Ouachita (sounds like Washitaw) Mountains, and picking up the TALIMENA SKYWAY at Big Cedar.  First, if you haven't been on the Skyway, put it on your bucket list as the views are second to none.  Secondly, make sure to eat at the lodge at Queen Wilhelmina State Park (their breakfast buffet was excellent).

My first and overall description of the 2018 Goldwing is that it's nimble, quick, and fast.  I'm not going to kid you and tell you that it could keep up with Fred's souped up CONCOURS 14, but it held it's own.  Compared to the 01-17, the 2018 is light (it's shocking the difference that 100 lbs makes).  Also, because it's so narrow, it handles better, is quicker in and out of corners, and leans nicely.   There is, however, something different in the set up of the foot pegs between the pre-2018 and the 2018.  I'm used to dragging my pegs on tight corners, and on the 2018, my boots always wanted to drag first. 

Compared to my 01, the handlebar controls are space-age.  However, they are well thought out and  with a couple one minute lessons from Fred, were extremely intuitive.  Part of what made it so easy to pick up is that the controls (turn signals, horn, cruise, etc) are very similar to pre-2018 Wings, making the learning curve that much easier.  The transmission can be run in fully automatic mode if you want, (which I was leery of at first), or run manually with your left hand. 

The automatic mode not only works extremely well, you can have the best of both worlds because when it's in automatic mode, it can be overridden manually simply by shifting up or down (left thumb downshifts and left pointer finger upshifts).  I rarely used the manual feature to upshift, but frequently used it for downshifting.   The beauty of this scenario is that when you get ready to pass or are heading into or out of a tight curve, simply hit the button once or twice with your thumb to grab lower gears without letting off the throttle.  Once I figured this out and started using it, I have to say that it was far and away my favorite feature of the bike.  It does take a bit of getting used to not having a clutch, as I constantly found myself reaching for it, especially when stopping.  Again, compared to the previous models of Wings, quick and nimble.

The Seat:  The seat was comfortable, but I will warn you ---- it's much (emphasis on much) narrower than previous model year's massive "saddles".  This is doubly true for the passenger seat, which compared to non-2018's can only be described as extremely narrow and flat (it is not "cupped").  Not sure if there is an aftermarket way to remedy this, but if you lean toward being a FBG, you will not like this bike.  Did I mention that the passenger seat is narrow?   And while it's true that the trunk and saddle bags are significantly smaller than previous models, they were fine as far as I was concerned.

Navigation and Stereo:  Since I took my own helmet which was not wired for bluetooth (everything on the new Wing is wireless), I listened to the stereo through the external speakers, while watching the GPS navigation screen (I honestly did not mess with the navigation system, so I cannot comment on it).  Like virtually all GPS systems, it does not show many of the small, minor roads that we all love to take, although there may be a way to load them in.  I stuck the stereo on Sirius XM Channel 25 (cassette-era classics) and never really messed with it.   It sounded excellent even at 85 mph, with bass that I could actually feel.  This was true even though I wore earplugs as I always do to filter out engine noise and road whine.

Were there any issues or problems with the bike I could see in my ten hours in the saddle?  Other than the passenger seat, which I did not actually sit in, there was nowhere to tie down my travel bag in the passenger seat.  I have a nifty little back seat bag (similar to THIS but a cheapie) that I bungee into the back seat of my 01' using the passenger hand holds to strap to.  The new hand holds are metal and are designed purposefully not to be able to strap to.  There is no where else to strap to.  Also, there are no engine guards, which means there is nowhere to install highway boards, which means that I can't kick back and put my feet up.  No big deal on the twisties, but on the open road, that was a little bit of a bummer. 

I was also surprised by the design of the gas tank.  Fred had a special rubber mouth made to keep the gas from splashing out when filling.  Also, since overfilling is almost unavoidable on this bike, there is a drain hose underneath so that the overflow spills out onto the ground at the gas station.  I'm guessing next year's model will get this fixed, but I just have to ask myself what Honda was thinking with this design? 

Overall, my impressions of the newest Wing were excellent.   It was so good that honestly, for the first half hour of my ride back from Mountain Home to Mountain View (it's about an hour and fifteen minutes, taking the MM to K shortcut from Caufield to West Plains) my 01' felt oversized, big, bulky, slow and clunky.  I could certainly understand that with the Wing's redesign leaving it looking and handling more like a sportsbike, there will be detractors switching to one of the other big dressers --- the Harley Tourglide, Indian's Roadmaster, the Spyder, the Victory, or any number of others.  And while I have not ridden one, best guess is that this bike closed the gap with the amazing BMW 1600.

Now, allow me to make a quick and shameless plug for my buddy Fred.  Fred Harmon is a retired engineer from Lockheed Martin's F-16 program.  He also happens to be the best GL 1800 mechanic anywhere.  Period.  Far too many Honda dealerships are well-versed in taking care of cruisers, four wheelers, and side-by-sides, but have little real experience with Goldwings, secretly cringing when they see one pulling up.  Fred has worked on hundreds of Wings (he is now working on the 2018's) and can be reached via his website at ANGEL RIDE ENTERPRISES or on the GL1800riders dot com site.  The work will be done better and at less cost than any dealership.

And lest you think north central Arkansas is too far to take your bike to get worked on or have Traxxion installed (he is an authorized dealer / installer), think about the consequences of having someone work on it that doesn't really know what they're doing.  Just plan on making a vacation of it.  Mountain Home is in the very heart of the Ozarks, nestled between two amazing lakes (Bull Shoals and Northfork), near the White and Buffalo rivers. 

As for the lights that Fred installed, I cannot imagine better lights for the money.  These are super heavy duty and look great.  They also throw out some serious light.  And the cost is several times less than the "Kristas" that some people rave about on the board.  And as far as the Madstad Windshield is concerned, it performs exactly as advertised.  There are an almost infinite number of adjustments (up-and-down for each individual shield, as well as the ability to change the angle / pitch of the top shield.  By the way, I am 6'2", running their 16 inch top-shield.  You could easily be an inch or two taller and still run the 16 inch top. 

I can adjust the ride so that if I want, I have almost no air on me whatsoever.  Interestingly enough, there was so little air behind the windshield that I had to take my foam Tunnel Blockers out in order to hear the radio through my external speakers.  Not sure why, but the acoustics were different with the Madstad (BTW, the Madstad does not cut down on road noise even though it cuts way down on buffeting).  My wife also gets less buffeting with the Madstad, although the Baker Hand Wings do an excellent job of helping with that situation (we did have to use a Dremel to cut a small notch in the bottom of the Bakers to accommodate the lights). 

I went with the Madstad over the Windbender because of good reviews on bigger Harleys, and because the rake is a built-in feature as opposed to being a one hundred dollar option.  If anyone has any specific questions, just leave a comment and I will answer it for all to see.  By the way, I would like to give a huge thank you to FRED HARMON.  There might be someone on the planet who knows more about fixing Goldwings than Fred, but I would not have a clue who it is.

Both Missouri and Arkansas are teeming with turkey.  They are literally everywhere, and this time of year they are especially active.  Although I am not as into it as my son Malachi (an avid DEER HUNTER) who has been HUNTING TURKEY almost since he was old enough to sit on the back of Glynn's four wheeler, I am certainly not opposed to turkey hunting.  We killed a big bird on Saturday afternoon --- just not the way we would have liked.

After our younger girls won their soccer game that morning 12-0, Amy and I went for a ride.  As is frequently the case, we took the GOLDWING to Arkansas.  Our route took us to Willow Springs, where we caught highway 76 (which happens to "The Strip" in Branson).  From there we got on 125 south.  We took the ferry across Bull Shoals Lake near Protem, and then took the roundabout way into Mountain Home, where we ate Fajitas.  We came home via highway 5 to Gainsville, and then took 181 back to 76 near Willow Springs --- about a 6 hour circle, including all the stops we made.  It was literally the perfect day, and was possibly the most beautiful Spring ride I have ever been on --- except for the Turkey Strike. 

We were rounding a full speed curve to the left, when a large Tom Turkey (22-25 lbs) flew low off the bank of the high ditch on the right side of the road.  Nothing I could do.  I thought at the time I hit it with the point of my fairing ---- flush in the middle of my headlights.   But the reality is, the turkey impacted the right headlight.  We were well into our trip, so we had no other choice than to keep going.   There is some damage. 

Fairing is cracked and moved some (you can tell when you look at the rubber seals between the fairing and the mirrors).  The headlight reflectors are shattered and the headlight cover is in pieces.  Needless to say, the right low beam doesn't work.  But thank God that the bird was not flying a foot or two higher.  Not sure what would happen if it would have hit my windshield.  Thankfully Amy saw it and was ready for the impact (honestly, the impact was momentarily harsh, but it did not change our course at all).  Would have stopped and brought it home for supper if it wasn't almost 90 degrees and us at least three hours from home.

As crazy as it sounds, this is my second wild turkey taken with a motorcycle.  My first was about 25 years ago with a Yamaha XS 1100 Special.  The turkey flew low across the road (near Babler State Park close to St. Louis) and I hit it with the nose of the Windjammer, just below the point.  It knocked the bird down onto the pavement where I ran over it.  Hopefully in the future, all game will be taken with conventional methods.

Do you have a GL 1800 Goldwing that needs some work done to it?  Maybe you need some Goldwing Maintenance (air filter, rear drive, brakes, fork rebuild, valve job, actuator, suspension, electrical system, etc, etc)?  Or maybe you need some fairly extensive repairs?  It might be that you are just looking to have some accessories ("Farkles" as they are often called) installed?  If I were you, I would call Fred first (he can be easily reached via his website).  The money you will save by riding / trailering to Fort Worth, and spending a nite or two in a motel if needed, will be well worth the time and effort.  You will know that you are having things done right the first time.  If I have my way, my bike will be maintained by Fred (and / or my son), until I finally give up riding. 

My name is Diane Harmon. I am 58 years old. Before I went to see Doctor Schierling,I had chronic pain in my right ankle, right hand, both wrists, right knee, and my upper back and neck, for almost 30 years. It was very difficult for me to move around and walk. I had to get on an electric scooter when I went grocery shopping and I couldn’t turn my head to see my blind spot when I drove my car. I thought I had no hope and no help after seeing many doctors, many tests, and many x-rays. What I got from other MD doctors were pain pills, prescriptions, steroids, and / or a plan for a surgery. The doctors could not pinpoint what was wrong with me. My chronic pain was getting worse everyday to the point that I did not want to live.

Some friends and family members tried to stop me to see a Chiropractor and attacked chiropractic treatment that a chiropractor is not an MD doctor. I thank God He lead me to see Doctor Schierling.

I went to see Doctor Schierling in the middle of October, 2013. After the doctor treated me for about 25 minutes, he could tell me what was causing my chronic pain.  Before long, I could turn my head almost like normal people.  The pain in my right ankle, neck, upper back, hands and wrists disappeared like a miracle after my first treatment.

Most of all, I could go out dancing the next day after my first treatment. Everyday I go shopping at a grocery store, I can walk like a normal 58 years old woman. I do not have to get on an electric scooter any more. I still have no pain in my body. Thank you God for giving Doctor Schierling to us. I have my life back.

What makes Dr. Schierling unique is:

1. He has a gift of healing from God .
2. He is very humble, sincere( very down to earth doctor) and he gives credit of his healing work to God’s glory,
3. He has genuine love and care for every of his patients. Every patient is very important to him.
4. When he treats his patient, it is not only in a very professional manner but also very personal. He can feel the pain with his patients while he is treating them with his healing touch.
5. His treatment does not stop after you leave his clinic. It is like the doctor follows each of his patients home to continue on giving his treatment. His patients can still get benefits and can improve their health of their particular problem from reading his news letter online that he put out every single day with genuine love and care.
6. His clinic is in a small peaceful town, where the patients do not have to be worried about parking spots, traffic jams, or air and noise pollution. Most of all, the doctor takes his time to be with each of his patients, and does not hurry to finish up.

Motorcycle Helmets.  You wouldn't think that this topic would be too controversial.  But it is.  Although there are all sorts of individuals / groups who fight for the "right" not to have to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle, I believe they are misguided.  However, there is one 'anti-helmet' group whom I can at least understand and empathize with.  These are the people who love to ride but struggle with CHRONIC NECK PAIN.  You see; due to the combined weight of the helmet & their own head (not to mention the battering one can get from the wind --- particularly for a passenger), the neck can become mechanically stressed beyond what it can bear.   This is particularly true in women.  Thus, they stay home.

If you look at our MVA PAGE, you'll notice that according to the peer-reviewed scientific literature, women are more likely to be injured in a whiplash-type accident --- much more likely.   Women are also substantially more likely to suffer with Chronic Neck Pain long after their injury.  Most of this has to do with the fact that women typically have much smaller necks than men, with much less muscle mass to support the head.  With the average head weighing 8-12 pounds, and the average helmet coming in at around four pounds, this amount of weight can overcome even a healthy neck with a day of hard riding.  Think about it for a moment; the heaviest bowling ball is 16 lbs.  The head and helmet must be held by seven small vertebrae, some CONNECTIVE TISSUE, and several small muscles.  In someone with a previously injured neck, riding can become impossible.  So, what's a person to do if they want to ride?

• GET THE PROPER WINDSHIELD:  A good windshield will not only keep much of the wind off the driver, but off the passenger as well. I ride a 2001 GL1800 (HERE).  Between the proper windshield and the right kind(s) of wind wings, I can keep most of the wind off myself and my passenger if that is desired.   BTW, I run a MADSTAD.

 

• WEAR A CARBON-FIBER HELMET:  One of the newer helmet technologies is Carbon Fiber.  Although these can cost substantially more than a standard plastic / fiberglass helmet, you can shave a pound or so with the Carbon Fiber.

 

• MAINTAIN GOOD POSTURE:   As you might guess, POSTURE can be a deal-breaker as far as Chronic Neck Pain and motorcycles are concerned.

 

• STRENGTHEN AND STRETCH YOUR NECK:  While this might work well for the general population, there is a significant chance that it is not going to work well for those of you coping with day-to-day neck pain.  To understand why, go HERE.

 

• DEAL WITH THE UNDERLYING SCAR TISSUE:  If you have previously injured your neck, there is a good possibility that all of the previous bullet points above will prove fruitless if you do not first deal with the underlying SCAR TISSUE.  Most of the time this Scar Tissue occurs in the Fascia.  The problems with injuries to the Fascia is that even though it is arguably the single most pain-sensitive tissue in the human body, it is too thin to be properly seen with advanced imaging techniques such as MRI.  This can lead to the PERFECT STORM of Chronic Pain.

If you have questions about getting help for your Chronic Neck Pain, simply EMAIL ME a detailed history of your problem.  Or call Cheryl at (417) 934-6337 to make an appointment.  To see what makes us so radically different from the average clinic, read THIS POST, then take a few minutes and watch a couple of our VIDEO TESTIMONIALS (or HERE).

I've always loved the ride to Mountain View, Arkansas.  Depending on how you decide to go, it's between 2.5 and 3 hours to get there.  I've have yet to find a route I don't like ---- and there are a bunch of them.   If you get a chance to look at a map of Mountain View, Arkansas, you'll see that it looks like a spider, with numerous legs (roads) coming out of the body.

My usual riding partner is my wife Amy.  But with her at her mom's helping take care of GLYN'S things, it was not difficult to get Malachi to saddle up for a Saturday morning ride.  After sticking some new low beams in our YELLOW 2001 GL1800, Malachi and I bundled up and left Mountain View, Missouri at about 6:00 am.  It was 58 degrees and clear, with the hi temperature projected to be 78 --- a beautiful day for riding, and a pleasant respite from the flooding of the last couple of weeks.  Our route took us through Thayer / Mammoth Springs, where we stopped at Mal Wart to purchase a cheap camera (we got an underwater camera so we can take pictures of our CURRENT RIVER SNORKEL TRIPS), and then on to Old Hardy Town, where we exchanged highway 63 for highway 62. 

After heading through Ash Flat and winding our way through some back country roads, we stopped in Franklin  (pop. 100?) and ate a delicious breakfast at Calabama Restaurant.  We turned onto Lacrosse Road at Violet Hill, and then turned south on 58 just after Melbourne, eventually crossing the White River and coming into Mountain View from 14 South (by the way, this small section of 14 was quite fun to ride).  On 58 we started to see bikes.  And as we got closer to Mountain View, we saw lots of bikes! 

Although we had no idea it was going on, this happened to be the weekend for the annual Mountain Music & Motorcycles rally.  Needless to say, Malachi had never seen so many bikes together in one place before.  We made a quick loop through Mountain View and saw hundreds upon hundreds of bikes (many Wings, but mostly HD's).  After fueling, we made our way to the junction of 5, 14, 9, and the White River.  We wound our way up 14 through the town of Fifty Six, and onto 341.  Before long, we found ourselves at our destination ---- Push Mountain Road. 

All I can say about the curves of Push Mountain Road is WOW!  They were everything they were cracked up to be.  Although not as famous (or as many hairpins) as the PIG TRAIL out of Eureka Springs or Scenic Seven out of Harrison, PUSH MOUNTAIN ROAD (a few pictures HERE) is actually one of Arkansas' most beloved motorcycle roads for serious riders (although there was little traffic on the road, we did see a few sports bikes really winding it up).  The first of the previous two links contains a couple dozen reviews of the road from previous riders, several who actually compare Push Mountain to The Dragon at Deal's Gap. 

Although I thoroughly enjoy the twisties, this road as well as many of the roads in Arkansas need to be ridden when the leaves are off in order to get the full effect of the mountains.  I love the mountainous scenery and it's hard to see through the forest, even though the road runs along a narrow ridge for the most part.  You continually catch glimpses, but the there are just enough trees and underbrush in most places to block a great deal of Push Mountain's magnificent views.

We found our way back to highway 5, heading over to Norfork / Salesville.  We took the short detour to ride across the Dam at Norfork Lake and then we were back to Mountain Home and headed home from there.  We made it home just after noon, covering just over 250 miles.  In all honesty, I must say that I like highways 9 and 58 (both out of Melbourne) far better than Push Mountain Road.  Just be aware that my assessment is made on a combination of the road and the scenery as opposed to the road itself.  I will, however, be riding Push Mountain Road after the leaves fall ---- my assessment might change.  Below are a few pics that Malachi snapped while rolling down the road (click on the pics to enlarge them).