Honda Goldwing Air Filter Change Q&A
The air filters in Honda Goldwing motorcycles are notoriously hard to replace because there are so many parts that have to be removed just to get to the filter. So much work for such a simple maintenance task.
Motorcycle maven John Talley goes live every Friday at 3pm Eastern on our YouTube channel, and in this session, he answers a viewer's question about why Honda made it so difficult to change the air filter in a Goldwing.
Honda Goldwing Air Filter Change
Why do you think Honda makes it so difficult to change the air filter on a Goldwing?
John Talley: I don’t know. That thing may be a little bit sadistic. It is unreal how tough it is to do one. I don’t care which year Goldwing you’re trying to dive into, they are tough. We did several different procedures on ours, and if you need help walking you through that, in the video … I go bolt-by-bolt, how to go all the way down to that air filter and all the way back out, so if you would, refer to the playlist for that particular unit. Don’t be afraid of it, just take your time and lay out everything as you’re pulling it apart, that way it’ll be a lot easier to put it back together. I don’t know why but just on what they call the “shelf”, there are like six different length and diameter screws, just for that? I mean, really Honda? You needed to do that to us?
Changing the air filter on a motorcycle is a pretty easy, straightforward job on most motorcycles. But on the Honda Goldwing GL1800, not so much. This is because of the shelter assembly built up on the Goldwing. We did a Honda Goldwing air filter change in which John shows you how to dig down to the air filter and replace it, starting with removing the seat. This is followed by disconnecting the side panels, instruments, and the rest of the shelter assembly to reach the ECU. After the ECU is moved, then you can access the air filter. Yup, it's a pain in the butt to do what would otherwise be a simple maintenance task on just about any other motorcycle. Watch the video below to see how to change the air filter on a Honda Goldwing GL 1800.
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