Crash Testing

[Coss]

Coss --- Hard to believe I know but even though the GL1800 Goldwing weighs well over 800 lbs. all the heavy stuff is at about knee level. Crash bars around the cylinder heads and bags catch it if it's just knocked over or dropped. Just grab the bars and the rear seat assist handle, a lift and push and it'll roll right up on it's wheels. Not nearly as formidable as it looks.

Still more than I would want to have to try and pick up.
I know, the answer is, "don't lay it down" but the longer you ride, the greater the odds that at some point, you will.
The comment I made about over because of soft ground has happened to me more than once. Once it was so hot out, the kickstand sunk into asphalt and laid over; the problem was to get the stand out of the asphalt after. Another time I came up to a light and put my foot down in a puddle (it was pouring rain) I didn't know the puddle was hiding a 8" deep hole; by the time I realized it, it was already too late.

 

[wizard of ahs]

 

[larryboy]

Why not?

It's being marketed as a replacement for a small car, so demonstrating that it is as safe as a vehicle of that size can be is a major selling point.

I suggested to my neighbor that he think about getting an Elio for his son who has to travel about 15 miles each way to school. He said that he would not consider an Elio because he did not think it was safe. The Ford F150 pickup has a 5 star rating in frontal impact and side impact and a 4 star rating in a rollover. The Elio is being engineered to achieve a 5 star rating in all of these parameters. The moment that the Elio figures are released and are as good as the Ford pickup I will be knocking on his door and letting him know that the Elio is just as good or better than the biggest selling pickup in the world. Larry

 

[Coss]

I'm very aware of how to pick up a bike; I started riding when I was 12 and I'm over 60 now.
So I've done it once or twice.
When I was talking about laying a Wing down it's the mass of it that's overwhelming.
And I know a lot of that fiberglass and plastic is going to be damaged if it goes down hard.
Friend of mine had to lay his wing down on a metal grating bridge at about 50; it ground off a bunch of the left side of the bike, including the left side head.
Just like running it over a cheese grater.

 

[Gizmo]

Coss --- Hard to believe I know but even though the GL1800 Goldwing weighs well over 800 lbs. all the heavy stuff is at about knee level. Crash bars around the cylinder heads and bags catch it if it's just knocked over or dropped. Just grab the bars and the rear seat assist handle, a lift and push and it'll roll right up on it's wheels. Not nearly as formidable as it looks.

Shortly after getting a '75 Goldwing back in the 90's I dropped it. The engine guards worked but for the life of me I could not pick it up. A frail older gentleman stopped and kindly demonstrated how to lift the bike up and promptly laid it back down. I then tried it again and almost did it. He repositioned where my hands were and voila like magic it worked. Offered to buy him lunch and he accepted. I think we sat there and BS'd for about 3 hours. He had a lot of old war stories. Someday maybe I'll pull that bike out of the shed and put on the "newer" after market bags and fairing and get it back on the road. Haven't rode it since the front brakes locked up just as I enter a curve. Stopped an inch or so from the guardrail, sat and chain smoked for an hour, bled the brake, took it home and parked it.

 

[Gizmo]

Nice! Looks easier on the back than the way I was taught.

 

[Coss]

When I rode with the stunt team I was riding a 1942 WLA 45 with a Servi-car tranny on it (so it had reverse)
I never quite got riding it backwards and during the trial and multiple error time I had to pick it up a few times.
The 42 WLA weighs 587lbs without anything "extra" on it. Talk about heavy metal, the thing was a tank.
We had "playdays" and would do things like a small oval dirt (rutted) flat track 3 lap heats with 4 riders.
Another time it was off riding dirt trails. Lots of fun when your front suspension had 3" of travel (old springer) and the rear was a hard tail; we also ran period tires front and rear, so the tread was not ideal for the off road.

 

[3wheelin]

I suggested to my neighbor that he think about getting an Elio for his son who has to travel about 15 miles each way to school. He said that he would not consider an Elio because he did not think it was safe. The Ford F150 pickup has a 5 star rating in frontal impact and side impact and a 4 star rating in a rollover. The Elio is being engineered to achieve a 5 star rating in all of these parameters. The moment that the Elio figures are released and are as good as the Ford pickup I will be knocking on his door and letting him know that the Elio is just as good or better than the biggest selling pickup in the world. Larry

This is a very tricky subject. I like my Elio to be as safe as it can be but I'm not naive to think that it'll stand a chance on a head on collision with an F150 truck! The 5 star rating for the Elio should be based on three wheels of at least the same weight class. That's why a lightweight does not fight a heavyweight in boxing! It's only my opinion but 5 star rating just give us a false sense of security because I know I might walk away from an accident if it involves another Elio- anything w/ 4 wheels and my chances might not be as good. What are we suppose to do, sue EM if we got in an accident because the 5 star rating didn't held up?

 

[WilliamH]

This is a very tricky subject. I like my Elio to be as safe as it can be but I'm not naive to think that it'll stand a chance on a head on collision with an F150 truck! The 5 star rating for the Elio should be based on three wheels of at least the same weight class. That's why a lightweight does not fight a heavyweight in boxing! It's only my opinion but 5 star rating just give us a false sense of security because I know I might walk away from an accident if it involves another Elio- anything w/ 4 wheels and my chances might not be as good. What are we suppose to do, sue EM if we got in an accident because the 5 star rating didn't held up?

You are only as safe as the nut behind the wheel.
...."if we got in an accident because the 5 star rating didn't held up?".....
You don't get into accidents because of crash ratings.
You, most likely, get into accidents because you didn't maintain your vehicle or because of poor driving habits.
Of course the other driver could be at fault.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Shortly after getting a '75 Goldwing back in the 90's I dropped it. The engine guards worked but for the life of me I could not pick it up. A frail older gentleman stopped and kindly demonstrated how to lift the bike up and promptly laid it back down. I then tried it again and almost did it. He repositioned where my hands were and voila like magic it worked. Offered to buy him lunch and he accepted. I think we sat there and BS'd for about 3 hours. He had a lot of old war stories. Someday maybe I'll pull that bike out of the shed and put on the "newer" after market bags and fairing and get it back on the road. Haven't rode it since the front brakes locked up just as I enter a curve. Stopped an inch or so from the guardrail, sat and chain smoked for an hour, bled the brake, took it home and parked it.

Great stories Gizmo!