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THE VIEW FROM THE CD’S WINDSHIELD

by  Lee Fortier, Chapter Director

    This past Saturday (11/1) as I was riding my GL-1800 North on Rt. 17 at Oh-dark-thirty in the a.m. to participate in the Camden Shriner’s Poker Run, I was fortunate that I had on my really dark prescription sunglasses because I was riding directly into the rising sun.  Yes, … it was a truly spectacular sight as this large ball of yellow and orange peeked over the horizon and began to fill the cold azure blue sky, … I think … because besides being

   temporarily blinded by its brightness, I also had the opportunity to notice that my windshield wasn’t as clear as it used to be when it was shiny new.  Perhaps it is due to the fact that La Pantera just rolled over 40,000 GoldWing miles on the odometer; that it had taken the young lives of at least a million flying insects during that time; or, it might have been the many cans of Honda Spray that have been wiped across the plastic with not-so-squeaky-clean rags and micro fiber towels.  In any event, that particular moment brought home the realization that my favorite ride, my “La Pantera”, will be five years old in 90 days.  What does that mean? And what should I be doing?

       We have all read the articles that talk about GoldWings that have gone 1,000,000 or more miles; we expect 100,000 trouble-free miles from our new Wings; and Jim T. and Andy F. have original GL-1000’s and GL-1200’s that are almost 30 years old.  The point I am trying to make is:   Maintenance, plain and simple maintenance.  If you are a rider that looks through your windshield rather than over the top, it is essential that your windshield be free of dirt and most importantly scratches.  Not so much during the day, but at night as you approach oncoming headlights.  Those brilliant starbursts coming off your windshield may be pretty, but the fact is: You can’t see!  Two of our riders have replaced their windshields with the new “F4” Scratch Resistant brand, and they seem to be very happy with them.  Some have purchased the extra large version that is 4” taller than normal.  And Larry H. has chopped all but 4” off of his windshield and loves the low-rider look.  Bigger, smaller, wider, more rake, doesn’t matter.  Ask yourself this question:  “Can I see?”  If the answer is: “well, yes… kinda,” you know what to do. 

     Lastly, one of our riders had a battery incident on the Shriner’s Ride that wasn’t caused by his new battery, but the cause was battery related.  Fortunately, Frank Chappell and his son Kenny had jumper cables on their trike and we were able to get the bike charged up, started, and the story has a happy ending.  What I learned is that the next time I’m at Turner’s for an oil change; I’m purchasing a new battery.  Almost five years and 40,000 miles, seems like sooner is better than later.  It isn’t fun being out on Rt. 17 with a dead battery – why take a chance?