Gold Wing broken

            I was looking for something in the garage when I noticed an object lying on the floor.

 

               There was a black plastic thing which I did not at first recognize, on the floor. I picked it up and realized it was one of two small compartment doors from the Gold Wing. I stopped what I had been doing and decided to try to determine how to put it back on the compartment. I opened the other compartment to see how it fit. To my surprise there was a pecan in the other compartment. After reviewing the hinge on the left compartment I determined that the right hinge was broken.

               I pushed the bike out of the garage so I would have additional light. My neighbor Glen came over (Glen also rides a Gold Wing) and he confirmed my diagnosis, the hinge was broken. There were three screws holding the hinge on and you had to put your hand inside the compartment to unscrew the screws with a stubby screw driver. I tried but failed. Either my hand was too big or I did not know how to operate the stubby screw driver.

In the above photo we see the plastic hinge bracket (less than two inches wide) which should hold the door on the compartment. The ears that should allow the door to open and shut are missing. Honda does a lot of things right but this seems like a poor design when a normal small hinge would work.

 

               Glen is good at mechanical things; he put his hand inside the compartment and was able to remove the three screws.

 

               I took my broken part to the Honda shop to get an estimate on the cost of a new hinge bracket.

As everyone knows, anything that has to do with motorcycles is expensive.

 

Those of us that are on a fixed income understand how difficult it is to get a few extra dollars even when it is for an essential item such as the hinge bracket. 

 

               Arriving at the Honda shop I was greeted by the sales staff offering to put me on a new Gold Wing with 1% interest for 60 months. I explained that although I enjoyed new bikes my Honda was running good and I think I will just keep riding it.  New Gold Wings are very expensive; there are many cars that cost less.

               The parts person looked up the item number to my broken part and went to the back. He returned without the part saying he would need to order it. That little plastic part that may have cost 15 cents to manufacture cost me almost $18.00.  I paid in advance and they will call if or when it arrives.

 

On a different subject;

               Last night was Halloween, the grandkids went trick or treating and my wife of 43 years and I went to a JV football game. It was the first time I had ever been to a football game on Halloween. The Midway panthers won by a couple touchdowns and our almost grandson Cayson played an outstanding game.

 

               I know at least one person has a question so I will answer it before they ask it. We did not hand out candy to the kids, we were not home.

 

               I have an eye doctor’s appointment this afternoon at 2:00.  I do not like having my eyes dilated and I assume they will likely dilate then.

 

From the over charged mind of    Don Ford

 

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