Slow manoeuvring, tight turns and Parking Up

GoldWings can turn more tightly than you might expect

Most Wingers get a little anxious about manoeuvring a GoldWing in a confined space.

Even when you have acquired what you think is the necessary skill, if you get over confident, especially about a loose surface, or make a poor assessment of whether there is space to make a safe turn or not, you can easily come a cropper.

Every time you need to manoeuvre in a tight space you have options:

1                    “Paddle” the bike around, feet on the ground while sitting astride it.

This is the way most riders approach manoeuvring a GoldWing in confined space when they first start.  It feels safe because you have both feet on the ground and it’s perfectly OK for many situations, although it can be hard work paddling big heavy bike like a GoldWing. You can use the bike’s engine and reverse gear to help you move the bike while you are paddling.  (Most GL1500s and all GL1800s have a reverse gear.)

Paddling is a lot less safe when the ground is sloping or the road surface is gravelly or otherwise loose and you have to be careful to avoid your feet slipping, which could cause you to drop the bike.

2                    Get off the bike and manoeuvring it around by hand

This also a useful method sometimes once you have got the hang of balancing  big and heavy bike while also manoeuvring it.  But on anything except smooth and level ground it can become impractical to manoeuvre a GoldWing by hand, at least without some assistance.

3                    Ride a Three Point Turn

This method uses the bike’s engine to do the work of manoeuvring and it can be used on sloping ground, although some types of slope need particular care and some are best avoided altogether.

Riding a Three Point Turn is potentially the most controllable (and therefore safest) way to make a turn in confined space but it is slow and laborious compared with riding a U Turn.

4                    Ride a U Turn:

This is the quickest and most stylish way to turn a GoldWing in confined space, providing of course there is room to ride the bike around.  There are two different ways of riding a U Turn:

• Slowly, keeping the bike nearly vertical throughout – which looks like you are “tottering” around gingerly or
• Less slowly, leaning the bike into the turn – which looks more stylish and skilful than “tottering” around (which it is) and it also allows you, once you have acquired the skills, to turn your GoldWing at least as tightly (if not more tightly) than any other method.

Each of these methods of turning is described in more detail on its own Page which you can access by hovering over the Button for this one.