3 Things You MUST Know Before Buying A Vintage Goldwing!

In this video we discuss what I’ve learned over the last 5 years of owning my 1985 GL1200 GoldWing. Thanks for stopping by please smack that subscribe button :)

[SkunkMonkey]

On the early 80s I was the kid who set up the new bikes. I also was the kid who installed all the Wing accessories from chrome to radios. Have decided to find a clean 1100 or 1200 to complement my KLR. Thanks for the video.

[jeffsworkshop]

I just rebuilt a 81 GL1100 and did it all with the help of YouTube.
Not as hard as you’d think, my skill level was low and I’ve had so much enjoyment both fixing it and riding it.
Tires were done at a garage, but I did the rest. Labour of love.

[jimh.]

I've had a 1984 Goldwing Interstate for about 25 years. My main advice is to drain the carburetors if the bike will sit for more than a month or two. The carbs gum up. It's a lot of work getting to, and rebuilding those 4 carbs. I should know, over the years I've done it twice!

[rayworx]

I turned a wrench on Honda motorcycles at various shops in California for 30 years and the ONE most important precaution I can advise would be:
DO NOT TURN OFF THE FUEL PETCOCK AND RUN THE ENGINE TILL IT DIES! There is always gas left in the carbs that will plug up if left to sit. You MUST physically drain the carbs
to be sure!

[insatiable_mind]

I met a guy at the gas station with a 1980 Goldwing with a matching sidecar. It even had Honda badges on it, though he said it made by a company here in the states. It was the coolest thing. I look for first and second gen, GL1000 and GL1100’s sometimes. The newer versions have so many appealing features but the ‘78-‘80 models look so good.

[raccafracca]

I have an '85 Goldwing Interstate 1200 and love it. It needs some TLC and am going to try my hand at it. It will be my winter-time project in the garage.

[DonaldT-sf]

These wings are capable of going well over 500, 000 miles. Every time I change the oil I automatically change the coolant at the same time, mine is a 1986 Honda gold wing interstate.

[forcefed]

I've got a 76 gl 1000 in my garage that my dad left me when he passed away 2 years ago come Jan 18th. as a kid, I went everywhere with my dad if he was taking the bike out. its metallic red and naked. My dad bought it 2 years old in England, and brought it over to Canada in 1980. Very good memories on this bike. its in pieces atm. My dad had started rebuilding it but never got the chance to finish it. maybe one day when funds permit, Ill be able to see this thing ridable again. Crazy fact that not a lot of people know: when the gl 1000 was released, it was one of the fastest accelerating motorcycles in the world. Made perfect sense why my dad bought it. He had to have the baddest bike out of all his buddies! lol

[nelsonphilip]

Retread rider here sharing with you that my old GL choice was/is a 1998 Gold Wing Valkyrie.
In so many ways it's the "naked" version or the fulfillment of the M-1 Gold Wing prototype. And like the O.G. GL1000 series, it has virtually none of the features and standard equipment that came with it's stable mate, the GL1500; no cruise; no ABS/LBS; no self canceling or 4-way flashers; no reverse (except export to Japan model!?) Heck, the Valkyrie doesn't even come equipped with a center stand! Another important feature of the Valkyrie GL-series, that distinguishes it from the Gold Wing, is that it didn't have all that plastic bodywork! When it comes to a turn-key riding & ownership experience, the Gold Wing is in a class all by itself. Enjoyed your video and thanks for posting it.

[Thebonesoftrees]

I got an '08 KLR and an '85 GL1200 limited Goldwing. Best bikes ever.

[frontcentermusician]

Had my 83 Interstate for 12 years now. Anything newer has a lot of added plumbing and sensors that I don't want to deal with.

[michaeltait]

I still have my 99Valkyrie and new 3 gen KLR. Love them both, sometimes difficult to choose which one to take out for the day

[delongsrepairs]

Okay I hope someone sees this. How and what is going on with the radio deck? I would love to update mine to something like that to be able to use the speakers on the bike.

[John_Ridley]

To me the most appealing thing of old bikes is working on them. I'd actually rather have a bike that needs work than one that doesn't.

[Butwhy]

New to riding and just got a 81 gold wing gl1100 with 45, 000 miles. It has a Volvo carburetor on it eliminating the 4. So one carb

[brucehelppie]

The worst issue I’ve read about is replacing the stator. There is a ton of wiring as well.
The 4 cylinders look cool, but I think I’d pass…

[wlingrell]

I don't agree that it is difficult to work on at all. It takes time and a repair manual. I have done everything on my wing, timing belts arde easy to change, carbs easy to rebuild. Engine comes out easy but takes time.. Once you have them in good mechanical condition, just maintain them. I was lucky and found one a couple years ago with only 31000 kms on it. But it had been parked in heated garage for a few years. It is like new now. Love the 1200 Aspencade. I had a 1982 1100 Aspencade years ago, that was a good bike too.

[jesseholden]

I personally just love all the aspects of the Wing. I enjoy working on them because I can do my own work and I like to see if there are areas needing attention or just cleaning up.
The weight is great, considering that it's a tourer machine, and the size of 1st gen's (flat 4's) is nice due to not being super huge to maneuver.
The maintenance is critical but not excessive, and it will pay off after rolling the odometer over twice. It isn't a crotch rocket, but there are things, everyday Joes, can do to help it out a bit.
Their price isn't overwhelming, only modest, which opens up opportunity to upgrade if desired.

[ujmrider]

I bought a 1980 naked wing with 25k miles on Good Friday 2023. It had been parked up in a garagefor a very long time. No problem, im a mechanic and have restored several vintage motorcycles in the last 25 years, including a 78 Wing. The previous owner of the 80 had traded it in, as-is for something brand new at a Kawasaki dealership. Thats where i bought it from. They had installed a new battery and new tires and brakes, but didn't get it running. It looked all clean and complete so i bought it for a reasonable price because they wanted it gone. They told me the carbs were likely gummed up. NOPE! Carbs had been drained and were pretty clean. However they were way out of sync, and the valves were out of adjustment limits. Also had one bad coil and very chopped up wiring harness ( why, just why do people eff up the wiring !?) I've sorted out all the wiring, installed new timing belts and tensioner pulleys, changed fluids and filters, adjusted everything, etc. The engine is actually quite healthy and sounds really good. The forks are not holding air now and its not safe to ride once all the air leaks out in 20 minutes. I'm eliminating the air assist and installing progressive springs asap. It turns out there was a lot more wrong with the bike than appearance indicated. So after saying all this, i recommend NOT buying an old Wing unless it's currently in good running condition, or do you actually want a bunch of time consuming work?

[oshawott]

I'm looking at a 84 GL1200 standard and the nearest shop is over an hour from me so I will be doing most maintenance myself. Does much if any of the difficulty come from the removing all the extra stuff from the interstate models?