The Journey For a New Ride, Part II

Originally Published in Southeastern Rider Magazine, August 2018

For my second trip looking for my next bike, I had to Wing It solo.

My current steel steed is approaching 100,000 miles, so my riding partner and I have been building a list of potential new bikes. Last fall we journeyed 125 miles to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to take a quick demonstration ride on an Indian Roadmaster. At that time, it was the front-runner, replacing the Kawasaki Voyager, with the Honda Gold Wing filling out the list.

Since last fall, Yamaha rolled out an all new Star Venture, and Honda has issued a new model of The Wing. So, when a dealer about 20 miles away advertised a demo day for re-vamped red rider, I was up for it. Unfortunately, it also fell at a time when my riding partner, Kasey, would be in Florida visiting her parents. The dealership is in Monroe, North Carolina, is tagged with the name Iron Horse.  My only previous visit to the dealership was a brief one, dropping in to check on a part. I figured I would be spending more time on this visit.

I started the trip, the only one in the saddle, heading to the local mini-mart in Stanfield, North Carolina. A wise rider once told me to start everyday with a full tank. My little home town only has the one gas station, and it only has one pump. After the brief stop, I started my trip south on Love Chapel Road. As I roll through the mid-morning air and sunshine, I pass River Road and the pavement changes names to Love Mill Road. I also pass Love’s Chapel Methodist Church, a rarity worth pointing out, as I’m in the south, out in the country, and it’s not a Baptist Church.

With name of my motorcycle group being Rocky River Cruiser Club, I
have to stop to take a picture of a sign.

Even though I am not long into my trip, I take a brief break at West Stanly’s Fire Department Number Two, labeled the Rocky River Fire Department. Since my Cruiser Club, USA Chapter shares the River’s name, I had to stop and snap a photo.

A slew of Baptist Churches follow as I roll down the road between the crossing of the Rocky River and the intersection with Santa Claus Road. Highway 218 is the next crossing, and beyond it, Love Mill continues to wind south through rolling hills of this area of North Carolina. I finally make a turn at Haigler Baucom Road and make my way to Highway 200 South. Also called Morgan Mill. It has its share of scenery to enjoy and sweeping, high speed curves.

The route runs me right into the town of Monroe, but the approach makes you feel more like you are sneaking up on the town. When I arrive at East Roosevelt Boulevard, it’s apparent I’m in an urban area. It is a short trip up the road also called Highway 74 to arrive at Iron Horse.

There were a few canopies set up with tables, and items to hand out. The local American Legion, and the Freedom Motorcycle Church comprised the vendors. I was early, so the festivities were still be set up, but other motorcycles were lining up as entries into the bike show. I scanned around the area, and I didn’t see a truck, or a group of demonstration bikes. When we arrived at Indian Demo Day, we saw a large truck with a small fleet of the American made bikes.

I milled around the showroom floor, and the parts and accessories area finding a pair of motorcycle gloves adorned with the Air Force Logo that I thought would fit my absent riding partner. A unique feature of the motorcycle seller is that they have a museum in a back area where they keep used bikes getting prepped for sale.

In addition to have new and used motorcycles, Iron Horse in Monroe, NC
also has a pretty good little museum.

I ventured back outside and found my way to the pagoda where the demo ride sign ups were being held. This Demo Day is different than any one I had been to before. Instead of a fleet of bikes, you could take any bike they had out for a ride, new, used, including the owner’s personal Gold Wing. It’s hard for me to think about someone else riding my motorcycle.
The first thing I noticed while looking over the bike was the lack of a clutch lever, and gear shifter. This Wing features Honda’s Dual Clutch Transmission, also known as an automatic. The levers were replaced by a switch on the right-hand control that moves the bike from neutral to drive and back, and paddles on the left-hand control allow to shift yourself. This was going to take some getting used, but to aid in my learning curve are four driving modes.

The sales associate who would be leading me on the ride approached me and asked if I had any questions about the controls, and if I was familiar with the bike. I knew enough to get the engine started, get in gear, and get it rolling pointed to where I wanted it to go. I wasn’t going to have enough time to run through all the numerous features.
I ride a Honda VTX 1800, a cruiser, and I have ridden it for the past fourteen years and 96,000 miles. So, this means I am used to the feet forward riding position. I have also ridden the previous version of the Gold Wing, 800 miles worth up The Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to Monterey and back. That machine felt like a touring ride. Not only did it feel more like a cage than motorcycle, it felt like riding in my parent’s Cadillac. Mounting this revised version immediately told me this is more sport than touring. My feet are beneath me while riding and I had a higher point of view.

Getting the bike to start rolling was strange to say the least. Without the hand to mind connection

While it is a brand new model, the workings of the Gold Wing felt dated,
a joystick while all others have touch sensitive screens felt a little Atari.

of releasing a clutch to ease power to the wheel, the take off felt instant and a bit of a surprise. With my cages, I switch back and forth between a standard shift and an automatic, but this was vastly different. Twist the throttle, and you go, and with enough practice, it actually gets smooth.

Like all these demo rides, it was a mix of city, back roads, and some highway cruising. I never got to moving into manual mode, which I was told the bike will override the driver input when it comes to downshifting. I was really expecting a smooth ride, and the suspension provided it, but the transmission did not. Even at a consistent speed, the bike was hunting through the gears like Elmer Fudd during wabbit season. I could feel each new selection. As we returned to the parking lot, I felt like I didn’t get a very good feel for the bike, because of the bike.

I thought, like other demo days, there would be a truck
full of bikes, but instead, I took the owner's Gold Wing for
a ride.

As I mentioned, I didn’t get any chance to test any of the other features, like navigation, and the other information the screen, front and center, can provide. It isn’t a touch screen, and while the bike was parked, I saw a representative from the dealership working through the screen. The main way you work through the screen options is by a control knob. It made the bike look like it was an Atari, complete with joystick, in a touch screen world.
I was told to give them a call, to bring my riding partner, and I could have longer ride with a manual transmission. I won’t be one to shy from an offer, so there maybe another story about a longer ride coming someday.

I decided to grab a hot dog meal from the Freedom Church Stand, and mill around a bit more, as more people showed up, and more bikes were parked in the lot. I also watched others take off on the Gold Wing and other bikes. Some of the people I knew from other rides, and motorcycle forums online.

Just like the last demo, after it happened, nothing was there to change my order of preference on the next possible bike, even though I haven’t even ridden two of them yet. The day was getting longer, and the weatherman had promised that rain, and even thunder was on the way.

The first part of my trip back home was the route of the demo ride, so it made it nice to make a comparison. Obviously, I felt much more comfortable on my VTX, but I was happy to have that lever connection with the clutch. East Street runs behind the dealership, and Stafford heads north, then veers east to join up with Highway 200. The demo ride made a quick turn left, but I continued on my own ride, and turned right to make a pass by Lake Twitty. I didn’t get a good view of the lake, but I did get a view of the damn that creates it.

I made my way east, eventually rolling through the town of Marshville. I left town, heading north on Marshville Olive Branch Road. This peaceful stretch is protected by a line of trees along a road that gently meanders. Even crossing creeks didn’t yield a view, as the overgrown foliage blocked the view of the water.
In the town of Olive Branch, I head north and west on Highway 218. North Salem is the next burg, and I turn right onto Fish Road. Curves in the road tighten, and the trees open up to fields that are full of corn tasseling out, or livestock grazing. Heading north on Carolina 742 is more of a joy than I expected, and while on this stretch, I make yet another crossing over the Rocky River. I roll into the southern edge of Oakboro, and drive to Rocky River Road.

Old Sandbar Road connects me to State Road 205, which I only take for a short while, before hanging a left on Ledbetter Ford Road to get on Griffin Green Boulevard. This road gets a bit frustrating. Just as you get up to speed, and start enjoying the curves, it comes to an intersection and stop sign. The constant interruption of rhythm was just not much fun.

I spill out onto Big Lick Road, a road that I am familiar, so I get my groove back rolling from left to right as I make my way through each bend in the road. It’s short lived, as Stanfield comes up too fast. I’m back home, and time to fill up the tank once again. In case you want to know, my current list looks likes this: Star Venture, Indian Roadmaster, Kawasaki Voyager, and the Gold Wing.
Stay tuned for part three!

Rodney Myers is Rider, a Writer, and Video Storyteller. He started riding around age 5. He made up stories before he knew how to write and was fortunate enough to attend a high school that had a television station.

To read more of my motorcycle stories, you can check out my Motorcycle Blog at:

www.Blogspot.RodneysMCBlog.com

For more information:

American Legion - https://www.americanlegionncpost535.com/
Freedom Motorcycle Church - https://freedombikerchurchmonroe.org/