Many Take Part In Wing Ding At Expo Square

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa's streets are busy with far more motorcycles than usual this weekend.  It's for an event called Wing Ding; the nation's largest meeting for Honda Gold Wing motorcycle owners.  It's a shot in the arm for Tulsa.

The parking lots of Expo Square are packed with Honda Gold Wings.  It's the comfort cruiser of motorcycles and the owners are meeting to compare.

"There's no better way to travel the country and see the sights, in my opinion, than on a Gold Wing," said Steve Hollingsworth from Alabama.

A big part of the rally is education.  Riders can brush up their skills.

"What we do is use the experience course and every year members come out to hone their skills so they'll be better on the road," said training director Mike Stiger.

Dick Meeker drove his granddaughter from Ohio to Tulsa for Wing Ding and they're both learning to ride better.

"Because as I get older and need to ride better, I need to look further ahead and have more time to make judgments and more time to react," said Dick Meeker of Ohio.

Even with the thousands of Gold Wings, there are probably not two that are alike.  For these riders, the bike is just the beginning; the accessories make it their own.

Jimmy & Sharon Alford have a spin-off of a Gold Wing that's taken them all over the country.

"It's got air conditioning and heating, cruise control and a steering wheel and a four cylinder Ford with automatic transmission, so it's part Ford and part trike," said Jimmy Alford of Oklahoma.

Inside Expo Square, dealers are selling every variety of Gold Wing and every imaginable accessory.  It's a little smaller than last year because of the economy, but money is still changing hands.  Organizers say riders are here from every state and 52 countries.