Not every bike is good at every type of riding. Could a Honda Gold Wing make a good trials bike? Unclear. What is clear so far is that, at least in Matt Spears' control, a 'Wing can make a more capable enduro bike than anyone ever expected. (Maybe even Honda, although we won't put words in its mouth.)
Spears has been showing off his skills on YouTube for some time now, often aboard his Gold Wing (fittingly nicknamed Piggy), or else trying additional shouldn't-work-but-somehow-does feats such as taking his Hayabusa up Hell's Gate. Sure, he might take more than one try to reach the top, but he usually manages to pull it off eventually.
New seasons bring new challenges, though, and those of us in the northern part of the US are just starting to come out of the winter months. At some point, Spears and a buddy decided it would be a great idea to put some studs in the Gold Wing's tires, visit their favorite undisclosed frozen lake, and try dragging a sled out to do some ice fishing. You know, as you do.
The pair packed up Piggy, along with a little 300cc dirt bike (also fitted with studded tires), in the back of Spears' Toyota Tundra. They then drove a few hours away to reach the lake, carrying plenty of supplies for their ice fishing excursion in tow.
Were they prepared for what was about to happen next? Yes and no. While they had some stuff for fishing and keeping warm (a tent, a stove, fishing equipment, a Husqvarna chainsaw for cutting a hole in the ice, and more), there were some other challenges that arose once they arrived at their destination.
For one, the truck's battery died almost immediately. For two, it turned out that the rear tubeless tire on the 'Wing had lost so much air, it came off its bead. With the aid of a ratchet strap and a portable air compressor, though, they were able to get it to hold enough air that Spears could roll it out and slosh the tire sealer (already inside the tire) around in order to get it to do its job. For three, just how were they planning to get the ice block up out of the hole they cut with the chainsaw?
Gloves? Who Needs Gloves In 10F Winter Weather?
Honestly, the guy is clearly talented, but he's also apparently low-key impervious to cold. Clearly, whoever's editing a video can tell you the story they want to tell with the footage they've captured, but basically Spears is riding around, sliding, falling, and doing pretty much everything else in ice and snow and without gloves.
He's got a helmet, he's got goggles, he puts on some armor and riding pants at one point, but no gloves. He even ends up pulling blocks of ice out of the hole that his friend Kevin cuts with the chainsaw with his bare hands. It's unreal.
Still, they remembered to bring a drill and a 16-inch bit with them to test the ice before trying to ride Piggy on it, because even prodigious enduro skills can't make up for the massive weight of a 'Wing as compared to your average dirt bike. The ice, it seems, is plenty thick, so that's good news.
Now, we clearly wouldn't suggest that you try anything like this at home, in the interest of being responsible adult-type people. But if you have already tried it in the past, how did it go? Let us know in the comments!
