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I've enjoyed being a member of the Goldwing Community for almost 10 years now. I've had the pleasure of meeting some great people...........and of course just a couple of.....well, you know. Thinking about it, I'm sure I am on that "you know" list as well for some. LOL. What has impressed me the most is the willingness of many to go that extra mile for someone they have never met, don't know, and only have the bike as the common denominator. It amazes me to see trailers picked up and relayed across the country. Tools being shipped to help a rider out, homes being opened to complete strangers and all with positive results. But, there is still that "you know" crowd. Recently I had the "pleasure" of being reminded of that.
Not sure what it is about Florida and this Red Head, but she sure seems to get herself all worked up when down here. It was just a few months ago that she got herself all worked up and threw an ADG hissy fit. Not being sure, at the time, what all the racket was about, I started making some calls to those who I thought might be able to help. After all, it was just the Red Head and me, and 1,100 miles between us, and my tools. One of my first calls was to a "local" Florida guy who routinely purports themselves to being the official Honda Manual repair guy. I was not sure, at the time, that it was not a transmission problem, thus I made the call. I found myself thinking that maybe I really should sign on to what he and Mod 2 were/are pushing and start smoking so as to try and figure out what he was saying. I went from asking about what the sound could be, to getting a complete break down of what it was going to cos, according to the Honda Manual of course, to "pull the engine and crack the case." $3000 plus if it was the ADG............than another $5000 plus as there would be a need to "CRACK THE CASE" to look for parts of the ADG that broke off. Than of course there would be untold dollars to remove parts due the Red Head being a trike. By the time the call was finished I was not sure what would cost more. New legs to walk home, or repairing the trike.
Well, needless to say I made a couple more calls. I spoke with some great friends and true experts, like Fred Harmon, Rocky, Dan from Motovation Cycles, and Bart. Each were quick to make the same diagnosis, over the phone, and declare that it was the ADG. Each said that while the noise would be a bit unnerving,and explained what "it" was, they indicated that it would go away once I exceeded 1000 RPMS, and the best part..........I could ride it home. I took their counsel. While working with some great people at Leola Trikes, I was able to get the dreaded failed ADG replaced for FAR less along with a bunch of other work.
So, I'm enjoying some wonderful riding weather and ready to shift into 4th, about 8 miles from where I am staying, when I get the dreaded "NOTHING." Ughhhhhhh, what is this Red Head up to now. Well, I pull into a gas station real quick and figured I would reach down and put the trike in 2nd and limp back home. "WHAT THE........." The shifter arm is completely limp. Nothing.......NADA. So, I now limp back home in 3rd. Talk about a chore.
I start what has now become something I can do in my sleep. Take her apart. I finally discover what the culprit is to why I can not shift.
It was the dreaded "shifter paw." (Who in the world came up with THAT name. Want to know how easy it is to find THAT on the OEM microfilm. LOL. Well, this time, I KNOW what the problem is and figure that there might be a good chance that a reputable transmission mechanic might have one, knowing that it would take weeks to order from ANY Honda shop. So, while still laying on the floor taking more things off to get to this, I asked a buddy of mine to call this guy in Zephyhills, FL.. Well, I was in luck. I heard my budy say, "that's great you have two of them." Things were looking up. But alas, all was not going to work. While my buddy listened to an hour of what each piece cost ($125 for just the shifter that you can get for much less) and the crittical need to buy and replace the rubber end on the shifter for another large sum, it was not until the magic of Rocky made the conversation all the more interesting. By now I had sat up and stopped working on the bike and was shaking my head as I heard that there was no way that "he" would sell the parts to me, but instead he had to personally do the install, and I had to take the trike to him, so that he could take pictures of my "Rocky short shifter," which was the route of all evils. This was strike two, and there will not be a third strike. I would have paid the price, plus shipping. What a hoot.
So off I go to Ebay and find one which was off an '04' too boot. I buy it. But, it would be about a week before I got it. So, I made a couple calls and left a message to a local guy who had welded my wheelchair...........which broke while down on FLORIDA.....and also called Rocky, knowing he and Dan work with these things. I get Rocky on the phone and without hesitation he is ready to overnight me one. He also shares with me that on the '12" they were made out of steel, which is good to know.
As it turns out, the guy who fixed my chair was still in the area and was able to do a nice job.
I went with the short shifter after I first got the Red Head not knowing at the time why I was having so much trouble with shifting and being willing to do just about anything to fix it. My thoughts, at the time, were that if I took the 'slop" out of the shifting, it would help. Well, after months, it all came down to some bad wiring that had caused the problem to begin with. This electric shifter has no mercy. It pounds down and yanks up with a great deal of force, so I understand why the part failed, given the "extra" whole that was drilled in it and the pounding this part takes from my shifter, as compared to "you people" with those things you call feet. LOL
I share this hear for a couple reasons. One, is that for those who struggle with their electric shifters, understand that it can be many things that contribute to problems and one must be diligent in ruling all things out. The other is that stay far, Far, FAR away from Red Heads. The last would be to ask for directions to AZ since Florida appears to be really hard for my trike to take.
I have nothing against the guy from Zephyhills, but will also have nothing to do with him.
Not sure what it is about Florida and this Red Head, but she sure seems to get herself all worked up when down here. It was just a few months ago that she got herself all worked up and threw an ADG hissy fit. Not being sure, at the time, what all the racket was about, I started making some calls to those who I thought might be able to help. After all, it was just the Red Head and me, and 1,100 miles between us, and my tools. One of my first calls was to a "local" Florida guy who routinely purports themselves to being the official Honda Manual repair guy. I was not sure, at the time, that it was not a transmission problem, thus I made the call. I found myself thinking that maybe I really should sign on to what he and Mod 2 were/are pushing and start smoking so as to try and figure out what he was saying. I went from asking about what the sound could be, to getting a complete break down of what it was going to cos, according to the Honda Manual of course, to "pull the engine and crack the case." $3000 plus if it was the ADG............than another $5000 plus as there would be a need to "CRACK THE CASE" to look for parts of the ADG that broke off. Than of course there would be untold dollars to remove parts due the Red Head being a trike. By the time the call was finished I was not sure what would cost more. New legs to walk home, or repairing the trike.
Well, needless to say I made a couple more calls. I spoke with some great friends and true experts, like Fred Harmon, Rocky, Dan from Motovation Cycles, and Bart. Each were quick to make the same diagnosis, over the phone, and declare that it was the ADG. Each said that while the noise would be a bit unnerving,and explained what "it" was, they indicated that it would go away once I exceeded 1000 RPMS, and the best part..........I could ride it home. I took their counsel. While working with some great people at Leola Trikes, I was able to get the dreaded failed ADG replaced for FAR less along with a bunch of other work.
So, I'm enjoying some wonderful riding weather and ready to shift into 4th, about 8 miles from where I am staying, when I get the dreaded "NOTHING." Ughhhhhhh, what is this Red Head up to now. Well, I pull into a gas station real quick and figured I would reach down and put the trike in 2nd and limp back home. "WHAT THE........." The shifter arm is completely limp. Nothing.......NADA. So, I now limp back home in 3rd. Talk about a chore.
I start what has now become something I can do in my sleep. Take her apart. I finally discover what the culprit is to why I can not shift.
It was the dreaded "shifter paw." (Who in the world came up with THAT name. Want to know how easy it is to find THAT on the OEM microfilm. LOL. Well, this time, I KNOW what the problem is and figure that there might be a good chance that a reputable transmission mechanic might have one, knowing that it would take weeks to order from ANY Honda shop. So, while still laying on the floor taking more things off to get to this, I asked a buddy of mine to call this guy in Zephyhills, FL.. Well, I was in luck. I heard my budy say, "that's great you have two of them." Things were looking up. But alas, all was not going to work. While my buddy listened to an hour of what each piece cost ($125 for just the shifter that you can get for much less) and the crittical need to buy and replace the rubber end on the shifter for another large sum, it was not until the magic of Rocky made the conversation all the more interesting. By now I had sat up and stopped working on the bike and was shaking my head as I heard that there was no way that "he" would sell the parts to me, but instead he had to personally do the install, and I had to take the trike to him, so that he could take pictures of my "Rocky short shifter," which was the route of all evils. This was strike two, and there will not be a third strike. I would have paid the price, plus shipping. What a hoot.
So off I go to Ebay and find one which was off an '04' too boot. I buy it. But, it would be about a week before I got it. So, I made a couple calls and left a message to a local guy who had welded my wheelchair...........which broke while down on FLORIDA.....and also called Rocky, knowing he and Dan work with these things. I get Rocky on the phone and without hesitation he is ready to overnight me one. He also shares with me that on the '12" they were made out of steel, which is good to know.
As it turns out, the guy who fixed my chair was still in the area and was able to do a nice job.
I went with the short shifter after I first got the Red Head not knowing at the time why I was having so much trouble with shifting and being willing to do just about anything to fix it. My thoughts, at the time, were that if I took the 'slop" out of the shifting, it would help. Well, after months, it all came down to some bad wiring that had caused the problem to begin with. This electric shifter has no mercy. It pounds down and yanks up with a great deal of force, so I understand why the part failed, given the "extra" whole that was drilled in it and the pounding this part takes from my shifter, as compared to "you people" with those things you call feet. LOL
I share this hear for a couple reasons. One, is that for those who struggle with their electric shifters, understand that it can be many things that contribute to problems and one must be diligent in ruling all things out. The other is that stay far, Far, FAR away from Red Heads. The last would be to ask for directions to AZ since Florida appears to be really hard for my trike to take.
I have nothing against the guy from Zephyhills, but will also have nothing to do with him.
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