Back in the saddle again, well hopefully

[vanonsixtysix]

Hello everyone,

I am a Goldwing rider of yesteryear. My first Goldwing was a 1979 and since then I have owned a 1980 Interstate, a 1981 Interstate, a 1982 Interstate, a 1983 Aspencade, a 1985 Limited Edition, a 1986 Special Edition, a 1988 1500, and then a 1989 1500. I amassed around 300,00 miles during that time but then retired from riding in 1996.

I am retired now and on a limited income so I can't afford to spend a lot of money but I am interested in buying another Goldwing for nostalgia's sake as I promised myself years ago I would take one more trip at some point. And, well, I think that time is now.

Obviously, a lot of time has passed and the Goldwings I am familiar with are now in the antique category so I was wondering if owning one of them, say a 1982-1983 is a even viable option today due to parts availablity, etc. I have even been told that dealers will not work on bikes older than 10 years. Wow!

I would appreciate any feedback.
Dennis

 

[dan filipi]

Impressive lineup of bikes.

in my opinion having owned many used cars and trucks, a few older bikes, a few newer bikes, nothing beats new off the line in technology, comfort and almost always, reliability. Bikes get old, they need repairs and lots of TLC. All depends on what you want and can afford. Nostalgia and sentimental value have their place too.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Dan has very good considerations. Nostalgia equals dollars, lots of work. Did the nostalgia thing years back in the early '90s when I got back into snowmobiling. Instead of buying a newer machine went with a Skiroule, the type my father sold in the early '70s. Spent a lot of time, resources and cash to keep these older machines operating. Working on these in -40 deg C weather was no fun either.

Don't want to disuade you from owning an older vintage GW, I have an '85 Limited Edition that I have been working on for the past 7 years as a long term retirement project that has kept me busy, but I do use it for daily riding and two up touring. Have loosely kept track of expenses and it's not for the faint of heart.

If you find one that you want and are willing to do the work, an older GW can be a very reliable daily rider and touring machine, lots out there that meet this profile. It's getting to this stage that is the difficult part.

Good luck on your search and getting what you need. Cheers

 

[julimike54]

Welcome to The Forum and enjoy! Ditto what has been stated. I've owned my '86 since new and over the years have kept up the maintenance, the amount spent probably is equal to what others spent reviving the bikes that have been neglected. One of those 'pay me now or pay me later' things

 

[vanonsixtysix]

Impressive lineup of bikes.

in my opinion having owned many used cars and trucks, a few older bikes, a few newer bikes, nothing beats new off the line in technology, comfort and almost always, reliability. Bikes get old, they need repairs and lots of TLC. All depends on what you want and can afford. Nostalgia and sentimental value have their place too.

Thanks for replying dan. My biggest issue is finances being that I am now living on a fixed income. However, there is a lot of sentimental value involved too. There is no amount of money that can replace all the amazing memories I had riding my Goldwings and 300,000 miles can rack up a lot of memories!

 

[vanonsixtysix]

Dan has very good considerations. Nostalgia equals dollars, lots of work. Did the nostalgia thing years back in the early '90s when I got back into snowmobiling. Instead of buying a newer machine went with a Skiroule, the type my father sold in the early '70s. Spent a lot of time, resources and cash to keep these older machines operating. Working on these in -40 deg C weather was no fun either.

Don't want to disuade you from owning an older vintage GW, I have an '85 Limited Edition that I have been working on for the past 7 years as a long term retirement project that has kept me busy, but I do use it for daily riding and two up touring. Have loosely kept track of expenses and it's not for the faint of heart.

If you find one that you want and are willing to do the work, an older GW can be a very reliable daily rider and touring machine, lots out there that meet this profile. It's getting to this stage that is the difficult part.

Good luck on your search and getting what you need. Cheers

Thanks for the reply Red and for the wise advise. If I had the funds I would also buy one of the newer ones, but unfortunately I don't have that luxury so I am trying to make a decision based on the best I can do, i.e., best well kept bike, newest bike as possible, the year model that had the best ratings, etc.

 

[vanonsixtysix]

Welcome to The Forum and enjoy! Ditto what has been stated. I've owned my '86 since new and over the years have kept up the maintenance, the amount spent probably is equal to what others spent reviving the bikes that have been neglected. One of those 'pay me now or pay me later' things

Hello Mike and thanks for the reply. I agree with you 100%

 

[Dirt Road Cowboy]

Welcome Dennis!

I got my '78 GL1000 in 2010, and I had a few PO problems to work out, but she's running good now.
Like you, I'm on a fixed income, so no fancy new bikes for me.

The aftermarket and used parts availability is pretty good for these bikes, and with a little skill, they aren't too bad to work on. Not H-D easy, but not complicated either.

A few years ago, I was wanting to make a custom GL1000, so I bought practically enough parts to build another complete bike (including engine and frame). Well, life happened, and I don't expect to do that project anymore, so now I have enough parts to keep my '78 going for many years! It may even outlast me! LOL! (It has less than 60k on it right now, so from what I hear, it's just broken in!)

I also don't want a show bike, so mine are a bit on the rougher looking side, but even then, I get more compliments than the guys on their shiny new cruisers!


My advice would to get the best one you can afford in the year range you like the most. (I prefer the versatility of the GL1000). Then, buy some spare parts that you may want to have around a little at a time. (That fits into my budget to do it that way.)

Then, just have fun!

 

[Rednaxs60]

1000/1100/1200 are all good contenders. Weight is a consideration. Going from say approximately 600 pounds for a 1000 to 850 pounds for a 1200, 250 pound difference when not moving makes a difference - a motorcycle is only heavy when it is not moving.

Like the looks of the 1000 as well. Haven't refurbished a carb GW yet, but it could be a future consideration.

Lots of good forum threads on refurbished older GWs.

Mechanically, there is very little you cannot find used, aftermarket, from a newer GW, or other OEM motorcycles. The same for electrical.

Engine components are a bit more challenging, but with a bit of patience, ingenuity and research, these type of issues can be overcome.

 

[vanonsixtysix]

Welcome Dennis!

I got my '78 GL1000 in 2010, and I had a few PO problems to work out, but she's running good now.
Like you, I'm on a fixed income, so no fancy new bikes for me.

The aftermarket and used parts availability is pretty good for these bikes, and with a little skill, they aren't too bad to work on. Not H-D easy, but not complicated either.

A few years ago, I was wanting to make a custom GL1000, so I bought practically enough parts to build another complete bike (including engine and frame). Well, life happened, and I don't expect to do that project anymore, so now I have enough parts to keep my '78 going for many years! It may even outlast me! LOL! (It has less than 60k on it right now, so from what I hear, it's just broken in!)

I also don't want a show bike, so mine are a bit on the rougher looking side, but even then, I get more compliments than the guys on their shiny new cruisers!


My advice would to get the best one you can afford in the year range you like the most. (I prefer the versatility of the GL1000). Then, buy some spare parts that you may want to have around a little at a time. (That fits into my budget to do it that way.)

Then, just have fun!

Hello Dirt Road Cowboy!

Thanks for the reply and for sharing. I will always have a special place in my heart for the 1000s as my first Goldwing was a stock 1979.

Hope you are enjoying your bike and hopefully I will be able to share some experiences with you!

 

[vanonsixtysix]

1000/1100/1200 are all good contenders. Weight is a consideration. Going from say approximately 600 pounds for a 1000 to 850 pounds for a 1200, 250 pound difference when not moving makes a difference - a motorcycle is only heavy when it is not moving.

Like the looks of the 1000 as well. Haven't refurbished a carb GW yet, but it could be a future consideration.

Lots of good forum threads on refurbished older GWs.

Mechanically, there is very little you cannot find used, aftermarket, from a newer GW, or other OEM motorcycles. The same for electrical.

Engine components are a bit more challenging, but with a bit of patience, ingenuity and research, these type of issues can be overcome.

Thanks for passing all this on. This will no doubt be an adventure!