The GW seat height will be lower than the GTL, so your shorter inseam will appreciate that.
The Wing is going to be a lot more forgiving to any "inattention" while riding. It is also rock solid up to the speed limiter (~125 mph). Won't get to that speed near as quickly as the GTL, but has no issue getting there, and 100 mph is a "comfortable speed" (but sucks the gas down). You will find yourself shifting for a non-existent 6th gear quite often.
You will feel like you are taking a step back in tech going from the GTL to the Wing. The Wing does not have any ride modes, minimal suspension adjustment compared to the GTL, and stock suspension is crappy compared to a GTL IMO. An upgrade to a Traxxion Dynamics "full monty" will greatly improve the suspension feel, but is around $4000 (worth it IMO, my '02 had it, and handled better than my friends almost new stock '17).
The GPS on the GTL is much better. The Garmin unit just works, and integration with the wonder wheel works great. The Wing's setup is useable, but lots of people just use a stand alone unit instead.
Braking on the GTL is also much, much better. Both have linked brakes, but work a little different. The rear brake on the Wing activates 1 piston on each front caliper and 2 on the rear. It has an overly complicated system that can be troublesome (but the later model years had improvements). Never felt my rear worked well on my '02. There have been several recalls on rear braking system on most all years from '01-17, so make sure that the recalls have been taken care of. The brakes not being bleed is not a huge deal overall, just a pain to bleed the brakes well (especially the rear) with so much brake line. Make sure you disable the anti-dive setup on the front brakes, causes very stiff suspension if it goes out (and does for many).
The riding position really is a person to person preference. I find the Wing to be a very comfortable bike for me (after I added bar risers).
Only reason I got my '13 GT instead of another Wing is the Wing prices are just too high for what they are, and got my GT for a good deal.
Still working on getting my GT to be as comfortable as my Wing was, but I think a GTL would probably be more what I need. Need a new seat for sure. I could do 12 hour days on the Wing and be just a bit stiff. Anything more than 8 on the GT, my butt is on fire and legs are aching. Bar risers and highway pegs helped quite a bit, but stock seat is just horrible for me.
A '15 Wing is a sporty touring bike. A GTL is a sport bike you can tour on.
The Wing is going to be a lot more forgiving to any "inattention" while riding. It is also rock solid up to the speed limiter (~125 mph). Won't get to that speed near as quickly as the GTL, but has no issue getting there, and 100 mph is a "comfortable speed" (but sucks the gas down). You will find yourself shifting for a non-existent 6th gear quite often.
You will feel like you are taking a step back in tech going from the GTL to the Wing. The Wing does not have any ride modes, minimal suspension adjustment compared to the GTL, and stock suspension is crappy compared to a GTL IMO. An upgrade to a Traxxion Dynamics "full monty" will greatly improve the suspension feel, but is around $4000 (worth it IMO, my '02 had it, and handled better than my friends almost new stock '17).
The GPS on the GTL is much better. The Garmin unit just works, and integration with the wonder wheel works great. The Wing's setup is useable, but lots of people just use a stand alone unit instead.
Braking on the GTL is also much, much better. Both have linked brakes, but work a little different. The rear brake on the Wing activates 1 piston on each front caliper and 2 on the rear. It has an overly complicated system that can be troublesome (but the later model years had improvements). Never felt my rear worked well on my '02. There have been several recalls on rear braking system on most all years from '01-17, so make sure that the recalls have been taken care of. The brakes not being bleed is not a huge deal overall, just a pain to bleed the brakes well (especially the rear) with so much brake line. Make sure you disable the anti-dive setup on the front brakes, causes very stiff suspension if it goes out (and does for many).
The riding position really is a person to person preference. I find the Wing to be a very comfortable bike for me (after I added bar risers).
Only reason I got my '13 GT instead of another Wing is the Wing prices are just too high for what they are, and got my GT for a good deal.
Still working on getting my GT to be as comfortable as my Wing was, but I think a GTL would probably be more what I need. Need a new seat for sure. I could do 12 hour days on the Wing and be just a bit stiff. Anything more than 8 on the GT, my butt is on fire and legs are aching. Bar risers and highway pegs helped quite a bit, but stock seat is just horrible for me.
A '15 Wing is a sporty touring bike. A GTL is a sport bike you can tour on.
Statistics: Posted by blupupher — Sat Mar 09, 2024 2:05 am