Part One - Initial Musings
I have had my motorcycle licence since I was 17 years old, got my first motorcycle at that time as well. It was a 1972 250cc Suzuki Hustler. Life got in the way after my teen years; however, I did ride a few motorcycle after that, but put my efforts into keeping older, vintage cars together. My favourite was the 1965 Plymouth Fury II that I drove from 1983 to 1992. It was quite similar to having an older, vintage motorcycle in that you had to be creative to keep it going as parts and reliability were always an issue.
Having another motorcycle and touring was, and has always been on my mind and with this, some bucket list items as well. Touring cross Canada, through the US States, having something to keep me active that would be enjoyable to work on and ride with my friends.
To start this adventure I looked for a cruiser that would take me and another person when required wherever. I looked at the style and reliability aspect and settled on a Suzuki C90T (1500 cc) cruiser. This motorcycle had power and a mind of its own when it came to handling and riding it. Since it was a larger, heavier motorcycle then anything I had rode in the past; I looked for a riding course to improve my riding ability so I was safe and could handle this new motorcycle with confidence. With this issue resolved, I started riding and touring so I could accomplish some bucket list items.
The first long trip I made into the Okanagan Valley to visit my cousin in Vernon, BC was excellent. The Suzuki operated flawlessly, and fuel economy was quite good. On my return I had a list of items I wanted that would enhance my riding and touring experience.
I started to look at these items, put a dollar value against each and realized that I would be spending a lot of money on a motorcycle that would in essence, never appreciate in value regardless of what I did to it. Armed with this information, I set out to replace the Suzuki with a motorcycle that had all, or most of the items I wanted in a touring motorcycle.
My son-in-law helped as well. We looked at Harley Davidson, BMW, and Honda touring motorcycles. Living on Vancouver Island reduces availability significantly, but we found a low kilometer 2008 Honda GL1800 Goldwing that met my requirements and at a reasonable price.
I went on-line and scoured the internet and Goldwing forums for information regarding the GL1800. I found that there were two issues that came to the fore regarding the GL1800.
The first was tire longevity. I read that tires used on the GL1800 scalloped, and did not last very long.
The second issue was the suspension. After some 35,000 to 50,000 Kms the suspension was soft and practically worn out.
I researched these two issues and found that for the tire problem, tire pressure was a key element in tire longevity. Tire manufacturers were advocating keeping tire pressure close or at the maximum design tire pressure when cold. The other component in tire longevity was tire balance.
I knew from past experience that tires need to be re-balanced over the life of the tire because of tire wear. I found that there was two alternatives to the life long practice of using lead weights on the tire rim. These were bead technology and a liquid formula.
I was introduced to the bead technology by a local motorcycle shop. I spent the evening prior to having new tires installed on the Suzuki C90T and decided that it was worth a try. I told the shop that I would try the bead technology, Counter Act Beads, but if I had an issue on my way back home, I would be back. The short story is the beads worked flawlessly and I was hooked on bead technology. There is another distributor of this bead technology, Dyna Beads, and these are apparently just as good.
The soft/worn out suspension issue was a bit more complicated. There are three primary distributors of suspension upgrades for the 1800, Traxion, Progressive and Race Tech. There is also a price difference with the cost being most expensive for the Traxion conversion, with Progressive and Race Tech being similar.
Once I finished my research, I settled on the 1800 and purchased the 2008 GL1800 in the fall of 2014.
I upgraded the suspension with Traxion suspension, front and rear, and installed new tires using Counter Act Beads and using 40 PSI air pressure in the front and rear tires. These two upgrades rejuvenated the motorcycle and enhanced my riding pleasure. I also took another advanced riding course to make sure my riding skills were up to the task of handling a 925 pound bike.
I did a trip to Palm Springs, San Diego, and San Francisco as well as one to Northern Ontario in 2015. The 1800 performed well and there is little that I would want to improve the touring ability of this motorcycle. I did; however, have one more issue to address. This was my financial position, specifically; I am a pensioner on a fixed income.
I started to investigate and look for an older, reliable motorcycle that might give me good value, allow me to ride economically, keep me active through maintenance and not be too hard on my pocket book. I also wanted fuel injection and it had to be a touring motorcycle.
During this time, I would reflect on whether I was heading in the right direction, older or just stay the status quo.
There is no guarantee that you will have trouble free motoring with a new or newer motorcycle. With the proliferation of electronics, how the motorcycle is controlled, and all the extras that can be had for a price, working on these newer motorcycles is quickly becoming prohibitive, or is the exclusive purview of the motorcycle dealership(s). Motorcycle manufacturers tend to keep the information required to fault find and fix these motorcycles to themselves under the guise of proprietary and intellectual property. This business model cannot be faulted because the cost to bring this technology to market is significant. We don't have to agree with this premise, but we do have to understand it.
I submit that one of the best ways to enter this world of owning an older vintage motorcycle is to research what you may want to look for, the pros and cons of owning/riding a specific motorcycle, but to also look for articles and motorcycle logs from people who have the same or similar bike that you may be considering. This type of information will assist in your making your informed decision regarding the way forward. You must take the romance out of buying an older vintage motorcycle. Once you own it and have it on the road as, hopefully, your main ride, the romance can settle in and you can enjoy your bike.
There are not a lot of motorcycles in the older category that fit this description. Insurance for older motorcycles less than 25 years old is the same as for newer bikes, hence no cost savings from the 1800 Goldwing. This combined with the want for fuel injection directed my investigation to the 1985 Honda Goldwing Limited Edition and the 1986 Honda Goldwing Special Edition Injected (SE-i). These motorcycles were well ahead of the time, and had more accessories than some of the touring motorcycles of today.
Armed with this knowledge, I started to do research to find out more about these two models. I looked at parts obsolescence, insurance rates (less than that for a GL1800), modifications that had been done regarding obsolescence, and recommended maintenance to name a few.
I also looked at my mechanical abilities to ensure that I was up to the task of refurbishing and maintaining an older bike as I had read that having a shop work on an older, vintage motorcycles gets expensive. This in itself would negate my wanting to be more economical and still enjoy the riding experience.
The electronics on these bikes is significant compared to a carbureted model.
One of the criteria for my owning an older vintage motorcycle was the need for fuel injection, and be a touring model. My research indicated that the 1985 Goldwing GL1200 Limited Edition (LTD) and the 1986 GL1200 Goldwing Special Edition - Injected (SE-i) were the main candidates for what I wanted. This narrowed my search considerably. It also reduced the availability of these specific bikes because of where I live.
Fuel injection never hit the mainstream in motorcycles until the 2000s. It was available in some motorcycles as early as 1980. Honda's foray into fuel injection was with the 1982 CX500 Turbo, 1986 CX650 turbo, 1985 GL1200 LTD, and the 1986 GL1200 SE-i; however, Honda found the cost involved to incorporate this technology into motorcycles at this time was cost prohibitive and was not used again until the GL1800 came on the scene. In a touring bike, the 1985 Honda Goldwing GL1200 LTD and 1986 GL1200 SE-i motorcycles with fuel injection were state of the art, and as mentioned were the candidates of choice.
Issues such as this older fuel injection technology used in older motorcycles may tend to "scare" people away from buying these motorcycles mainly because of the scarcity of parts. This mindset has been mentioned on the various Goldwing forums from time to time. From my research, I decided that there was sufficient information available be it in service manuals, or from the various Goldwing forums that the electronic system would not be an issue.
I would submit that this should not be a deal breaker as there is information available to provide a solution to most of the issues that can be anticipated. Older vintage bikes that have carburetors are not immune to obsolescence and lack of parts.
The bottom line regarding my research indicated that one of these motorcycles would more than adequately fit my requirement(s), and with this, I started looking for one of these models. As I previously mentioned, being on Vancouver Island tends to reduce availability, and it does increase the price depending on what you are looking for. I found a 1985 Goldwing LTD that met my requirements, and was at a price I was willing to accept.
Having found it, bought it, and licensed it for the road, I started the process of refurbishing this motorcycle to make it safe, and enjoyable to ride. I have kept track of costs to refurbish and fix this 1985 Goldwing LTD to a standard that I wanted. I could have done it for less expense, but making the decision that this motorcycle is my main ride I wanted to ensure that it would be as trouble free as practical considering that my riding friends have newer or new bikes that I would and have to keep up with.
This now brings me to the crux of this article, the cost of buying, owning and maintaining an older, vintage motorcycle. There are many articles on this subject on the various forums regardless of make of motorcycle; however, lets first discuss the decision process that may have lead a person to want to have an older, vintage motorcycle.
I am retired on a fixed income as many on these forums are. This is similar to the young people starting out at the low salary levels so being frugal and getting the best value for your money is paramount. The demographic for these older motorcycles seems to be an older person who knows the value in these older motorcycles as a daily commute, touring, or just for a weekend rider. The younger generation that looks at these motorcycles want an inexpensive ride and expect this to be the case. Both of these visions are worthwhile endeavours, and should be explored and acted on.
Ownership of these motorcycles entails a willingness to do your own work, to be able to sift through the many threads and information available to you on the Internet to resolve the issue at hand, and foremost the ability to use the various service manuals available for the bike you chose. You must be willing to learn new skills to address the problems that may arise. I surmise that most people who own these older motorcycles are mechanically inclined and can do most of the work themselves. For the younger, more youthful rider this may be a challenge, but should not deter them from owning an older, vintage motorcycle.
Doing the work necessary to make the motorcycle safe for the road, or have the work done because you do not have the skill set, or confidence to do the work yourself can be time and cost prohibitive. There are shops out there that may not work on these older motorcycles because of the requirement to investigate and source parts, or that parts have been discontinued. The expertise and skill set required to work on these older motorcycles is the same as for the newer models except that the information may not be available to the technicians for these older models.
Having the appropriate tools for the work to be done is paramount. I have downsized my tool requirement to essentials, and with this I have been able to purchase better quality tools that will last far longer than my riding career. I have also realized that there are specialty tools required to ensure the motorcycle is operating as it should. These tools may only be required every now and then, but not having these and relying on a shop is not in the maintenance model that I envision for myself.
Purchasing spare parts for the motorcycle you wish to own should also be considered. The network of dealers and motorcycle shops with new old stock (NOS) and still available parts is quite extensive. The amount of time you devote to learning and utilizing this resource will be invaluable as you own one of these motorcycles. I have also found that there are parts on newer motorcycles that can be used as substitutes or are the same part, but with a different part number.
Having a written journal specific to your motorcycle of choice is recommended from several aspects. It is easier to use than to scroll through a computer or cell phone looking for information specific to your motorcycle. It is an historic record of what you have done to your motorcycle, issues you have had and what you have done to address the issue. Conversations, parts numbers, modifications, prices and where items are located can easily be looked at. If your journal gets dirty, the information will still be there. It is low tech so batteries not required.
I do believe in using technology to help with my motorcycle record keeping, but it is not always available to me when I need information, hence the keeping of a written journal. Small enough to be on hand when working on the motorcycle and can always transfer the information into electronic format later. I have also found that keeping information in my head, and trying to remember this after the fact so it can be put into an electronic format can be difficult. Having the written information makes this easier and I do not have to worry about losing the information. Waking up in the early hours of the morning remembering what it was I wanted to remember does not enhance one’s sleep.
Being able to determine what needs to be done at the onset is essential to keeping costs in check. It is very easy to get into the snowball effect when working on these older motorcycles. It is always easier to do the work when the motorcycle is stripped down for another work issue because you won’t have to take the motorcycle off the road and strip it down to do this work. The flip side to this is your costs will go up, and for a person on a fixed income, or low salary, this can be problematic.
The ability to determine a maintenance work schedule and adhere to it is a close second to getting the motorcycle into a usable state. A 32 year old motorcycle needs attention and parts replacement as nothing lasts forever. Changes in legislation and industry standards also affect your requirements. Tires now have a date stamp that is supposed to initiate a certain behaviour. Brake lines are date stamped as well with the same intent expected. The modifications that the previous owner did may not be to your standard and require updating and/or change. These issues add to the expense of ownership.
Once we get to this point, let’s discuss the meaning of rebuilding an older motorcycle. The cost of doing this can be more than the cost for a newer, more capable and technologically upgraded motorcycle. The flip side to this is that any used bike may require exactly the same work with the exception that parts availability may be a non-issue. In rebuilding my 1985 Goldwing Limited Edition, I have found that the total cost when it is documented is not for the faint of heart. In reviewing the information I have kept, there are several high cost items that may or may not have needed to be done.
To minimize the shock of doing this work and keeping tabs on costs is to determine at the onset how long you intend to own and ride this bike, what you intend to do with the bike such as using it as a daily commuter, touring, only when the weather is right. Are you able to ride year round, mostly year round (weather dependent), or the short time between spring and winter. Will you have to do the work again during ownership, or should the work last for the length of time you will own the motorcycle. After this introspection, amortize your costs over the expected ownership time period, and ride your bike as you have intended. The sense of accomplishment from doing the work and the realization that once the costs are amortized and not that bad, your older, vintage motorcycle will give you lots of enjoyment.
There may come a time when you will want to sell, or replace this older motorcycle with a newer motorcycle. Having invested the time and resources to get this motorcycle into the operating condition and can very well affect your view on what the selling price should be. In my estimation this mindset impacts significantly on whether you keep the motorcycle or see it going to another, hopefully, good home. I fully expect that I will probably sell my 1985 Goldwing Limited Edition somewhere in the future, but until then I intend to use it as intended, a daily ride and touring motorcycle. I will get a return on my investment just through sheer riding enjoyment.
I must caveat all that I have stated saying that if you are going to upgrade in the near future, it may be better for you to go the extra and upgrade initially. All used bikes will require work and maintenance. Spending money on your motorcycle so that another person can enjoy the fruits of your labour is not a sound fiscal policy; however, I believe we have all done exactly this at some time or other. It takes a firm commitment to not be pulled into the newer is better scenario. If you embark on owning an older, vintage bike, have spent the time, effort and resources to make this motorcycle your ride of choice, then have confidence that you have made the correct decision and enjoy your vintage motorcycle.
If you get this far, trust you have enjoyed the read.
Cheers