Finally a GL-1200 owner...

['87GWTraveler]

Hi to all! I just picked up an "87 GL1200 Interstate. I'm a long time rider in the Silicon Valley's backroads. This is my first Goldwing, and I am impressed with what a 30 year old bike is capable of. I will be haunting the tech section for parts recommendations as well as advice. Looking forward to meeting you all!

Chris

 

[desertrefugee]

Hey Chris! Welcome to the joint. You ought to start a new thread and give yourself a "proper" intro replete with pictures!

(I didn't know Silicon Valley folks dug old Goldwings! Good to see.)

:salute:

 

[DaveKamp]

Another 2000 miles on the odometer. Still drops #1 at very small throttle openings, been running ATF with the fuel. I hear what sounds like valve ticking on the left side... I haven't acertained wether it's actually valve, or if I've got a little exhaust leak that the manifold or in a pipe somewhere... but with trailing throttle, it goes away, and when I roll on throttle, I hear a little ticking. Don't hear it when I'm really giving it a handful, but then again, there's lots of other important things going on that kinda overwhelm that sound. I don't think it's got anything to do with #1, on account that its on the wrong bank.

I get lots of vibe from the engine in the 2000-2800 range with lots of throttle... still thinking that's timing belt oscillating a bit.

Unfortunately, my feet have been rather firmly positioned on the footpegs, and hands on the grips, so I've yet to put it on centerstand and applied tools to the various fasteners for a deeper look.

I did, however, unlock and extract the no-longer-functioning stock stereo, and also the speakers and amplifier. In place, I found a pair of plastic-cone/rubber surround 3 way speakers, probably overrated at 50wRMS/100w peak, but they're clearly more capable than the stockers, and the original stereo's plastic sliders, once epoxied and pop-riveted to the case of the new stereo, it slips right in beautifully. Gotta extend the antenna wire, and apply a proper ground to the power supply, but I think this rascal will do fine. If anyone's curious, it's an XRM47BT... just AM/FM/USB and bluetooth control. The thing is basically more air than hardware- with the cover off, there's a front panel, and a back panel, and enough space to place a folded-up peanut butter sandwich inside... no mechanism for playing CDs or cassettes. It's extremely light... between it and the speakers, the bike just lost about three pounds.

I think I'm gonna stay ahead of the curve on this one- this winter I'll pull it apart for a carb and clutch cylinder job, and while so, give it a little forklift alternator, change most of the lighting to LED, get a trailer hitch on it, some driving lights, and cut that @!#%# blinker canceller solenoid wire... Oh, and a new windshield... a little taller... and probably a radar/laser detector.

As big, and cumbersome, and massive, and clunky, and overburdened as these bikes are, they're actually lightweight, compact, nimble, and sprightly... very capable of swallowing up large expanses of asphalt and concrete, in a totally nonchalant way... Ho-hum... (yawn)... oh, 95mph... guess I better ease up on that a little... :moped:

 

[Tom_Charlton]

Welcome from Southern Illinois.

 

[joedrum]

Nothing like staying on top of things with an oldwing

 

[DaveKamp]

Okay, so I got a moment between nasty dirty projects, work, and running errands to post an update...

I've been running ATF in the fuel, and the affect is very noticeable- I'm killing mosquitos in large volumes everywhere I go...

I'm getting 'chuffing' out the intake and exhaust a couple times when the engine is cold, and occasionally when warm. Just out of curiosity, I pulled the vac test point plug on number 3 (just in front of right foot), and it threw a bit of a chuffing fit... with fire spitting out that one when it did...

Now, in my experience, pulling a multi-carb vac plug and seeing something like this would suggest THAT cylinder having somewhat of a valve or ignition-type issue (firing on an open valve), HOWEVER... from what I see, it appears that the plenums on the GL1200 may be somewhat 'unified' towards the center. If that's the case, the point of ignition could be a different location, and just travelling to the #3 port.

Anybody shed any light on this for me?

And next... anybody else seen this particular attitude in a GL1200 motor, if so, what should I go looking for? Perhaps a loose timing belt tensioner? It has gobs and gobs of power when the #1 cylinder is firing, so I don't think I have a valve timing issue... and as nicely as the igniton fires all four, I don't immediately suspect an ignition problem, BUT... if its' fully electronic, it COULD be getting false triggering events from something...

Oh, and I replaced the stereo... the new speakers dropped right in place, and the head unit slid into the rails with basically no modification aside from attaching the sliders to the outside of the unit. I took out ALL of the OEM system (none of it functioned) including the amp and auto-volume module. This kit sounds pretty good in-town, but could use more air-moving capacity on the highway... that is, until I get a helmet com system (stereo, intercom, phone, 2-way radio interface) in place, then the speakers won't matter at all... but if I could find an extra pair of saddlebag covers, I'd consider mounting some 4x10's and another power amp in there... ;-)

Oh, and I also pulled the handlebar switch assembly off the left side, and hosed out all the old grease in the turn signal switch. Even though I covered the fairing with several layers of cloth, I still managed to dribble some carb cleaner on a little spot on the left lower, and it bubbled up some paint, but it's on the back side, so not as noticeable, and seein's how it will rarely be sitting still, and NEVER be parked in a line up for a beauty paegent, and I live on a mile of gravel road, the bike will NEVER be clean enough for anyone to notice...

But the turn signal cancelling fritzo is MUCH better. Not perfect, but much better. I'm guessing by the wiring diagram that there's one set of contacts that throw the turn signal direction choice, and a second set that activates the cancelling module, and when the cancelling module pulses the cancelling solenoid, the solenoid pops the detent latch, dropping the turn signal switch back to center, until the module activation contact has closed... and time, grease, and grime have interfered with that set of contacts such that the cancelling module doesn't get a good signal. This would make sense, because the cancelling module's signal is probably a really low power signal, which would be very susceptible to less-than-stellar connection quality.

Anyone got suggestions re. the miss and chuff?

 

[joedrum]

I'd say it's in the carbs ...as you explain it ...1200 carbs are small ...they are also rubber slides in them ...first thing I'd do is to take the bowls off and cream the jets ....I'd say the idle jet or Jets could be block ....I wouldn't go after the slides just yet as they are like hard to deal with and could damage them ...hard and very expensive to replace ...wouldn't go there till other things don't work ...

 

[slabghost]

You might also want to check to see if that float is stuck.

 

[DaveKamp]

Well rats.

Things were going greatish... still dropping #1, but I figure the carbs need to be pulled, cleaned judiciously, reassembled and synch'd, with new seals and O-rings, which will be a winter project... that and the clutch slave cylinder.

and the stereo system works fine... small speakers don't do well against wind noise, but they're fine enough...

Turn signal cancelling is now working properly...

And I got hit by a pheasant. Minding my own biz, rolling down 53rd Street at 45mph, and a pheasant flies out of the ravine to the west, in a good breeze, and collides head-on with my left saddlebag... WHACK... feathers fly, and he tumbles down the pavement... and the left side cover skids across the pavement, under the wheels of an oncoming mini-van. Crunch.

The pheasant got up, and ran the rest of the way across like a frantic FROGGER episode.

Yeah, there's a bunch of covers on EBAY... not a single black one that I see. (sigh).

Wish there were some really nice aftermarket replacement bags that used better latches, and had more interior space... perhaps I could make a pair...

 

[DaveKamp]

Okay, so I have this problem... well, some people would call it a problem, others call it a blessing, but it's both, so it's just a fact to me...

I solve problems while I sleep. Home problems, work problems, people problems... doesn't matter, my boss loves it, my wife hates it, and I can't change it. Oftentimes, it makes sleep very... tiring. :beg:

And this problem (the friggin' cover) is one of those problems. I obviously need a cover... the only thing nearly as stoopid as driving around without a cover, is driving around with a cover that doesn't match... and finally... having yet another cover get blown off and smashed.

And I looked around at aftermarket bags too...

the solution I've found, is probably just to make a good pattern of the existing (right) cover, have my buddy with the laser cut me some aluminum sheet, and carefully FOLD it "origami" into new covers.

While I'm at it, have them cut with cutouts for speakers in the lids... and while I'm at it.... mebbie make the whole BOTTOM part too. And then a trunk... make it all out of sheet aluminum, TIG weld the seams, sand them smooth, paint it black... put real latches on it, make them so that even if the latch is released, the cover won't just blow off. make a real frame underneath, and incorporate the trailer hitch, make the lighting... and then build a danged trailer the same way...

Now... see why solving problems in my sleep can be a BAD thing?

Perhaps I should just keep my eyes open for a 1500, and 1800, or an injected 1200 that has all it's covers... :swoon:

 

[Tom_Charlton]

Re lost saddle bag cover:

Make retainers for your covers using cord and electrical terminals. Tie a knot in the cord before crimping the terminal. Attach to the saddlebag cover latch nuts.
run a small screw into the side cover posts to secure the side cover.

alternative: always lock your latches.

 

[DaveKamp]

Yes, a previous owner put one retainers on each cover, and I did have it locked... however it got hit, it was enough to pop the latch right off, and rip the retainer right out. I was looking forward at the time (trying to dodge the incoming bogey) so I don't know HOW it managed to hit like that, but the end result was in my rear-view mirror.... feathers, bird, and the condemned cover.

I can't say something like this hasn't happened to me before... 30+ years ago, I lost a cover from a really nice aftermarket bag I had on my CX-500D... just a broken latch that time... and once every 30 years shouldn't bother me, but it frustrates me just the same. I shouldn't have trusted the retainer... whatever goes back on, I'll use flat nylon strap, like what's used on lifejackets... and better latches.

 

[desertrefugee]

To me, sourcing another OEM lid would be the simplest solution. Ebay has lots of them with prices all over the map. Hopefully you retrieved the crunched one to save the hardware. That helps in widening the available list of potential candidates. Plus, black is easier to apply a temporary color coat than, say, Wineberry.

Origami sounds appealing, but I fear it might end up a frustrating experiment...unless you're a heckuva lot more artsy-craftsy than I am.

 

[DaveKamp]

Unfortunately, after it tumbled underneath that vehicle, there wasn't a single piece of recoverable hardware... what was still attached, was mutilated beyond recovery. The replacement, however, is complete. I'll hafta disassemble, then paint, then reassemble, but no worries there.

Origami... the trick is to cut one piece, with all shapes included so that all one needs to do is bend, then pull the pieces together, then tack, then pull together, then tack... then pull together. It seems very complicated, but it's not. A buddy of mine in Tulsa is building a 70 foot Chinese junk in his front yard, the hull is built on 'origami' fabrication... www.svseeker.com

Making all the pieces out of aluminum, and TIG welding, would yield an impressive result... It'd be slightly heavier than stock plastic, but a whole lot tougher. I figure that if I were to do that, I'd probably make them larger yet... incorporate LEDs on the OUTSIDE (rather than sink them into the storage space), and incorporate placement for big speakers in there.

But I've kinda got too many irons in the fire right now... I'm in process of starting a new workshop building, and it not only ties up all my time and resources, my workshop tools are all moved out of the old buildings to allow demolition while I build the new building over top of 'em... so... yeah... :builder:

 

[mcfirefighter]

Hello from MO. I also have a 86 GL 1200 A I had to do a poor boy mod on it and it's the best thing that I done for it.
Have more done it a little diff the others on the forums but the out come is better. I am new to this forum as well, I have
photos and info that I can send you if you ever have to do the mod. MCFF

 

[dan filipi]

mcfirefighter » 20 minutes ago[/url]":25w3iom2]
Hello from MO. I also have a 86 GL 1200 A I had to do a poor boy mod on it and it's the best thing that I done for it.
Have more done it a little diff the others on the forums but the out come is better. I am new to this forum as well, I have
photos and info that I can send you if you ever have to do the mod. MCFF

Pics of mods are always appreciated on the forum!

You can post your pictures in the alternator forum for us all to make use of.

 

[tinman38]

Thank-you would like to see your mod. I am hoping not to do this mod anytime soon. But enjoy the creative differences in the many who have done this. I hope to see your work as soon as you can find the time. Tinman

 

[DaveKamp]

I found a wineberry cover online, it's now covered. I wish the rest of the plastic was wineberry, too... but gloss black is easy to fix when something goes wrong... like what just happened scrubbing bugs off the left hand rear-view mirror... all the paint came off. (sigh).

I'm cursed- between bugs, tar, gravel, and rain, fragile plastic and pitting chrome, I'll NEVER have a 'pretty' motorcycle... so I'll just keep rotating the tires. ;-)

 

[desertrefugee]

I don't know Dave, I think you're being too hard on yourself. It's pretty easy to tell whether the imperfections on a motorcycle are from neglect or just honest wear. Issues resulting from use versus abuse generally reveal themselves up front. I am pretty sure I know which yours will be.

To me, a well-tended road warrior has its own appeal - it makes no excuses and does not need to be "pretty". Keep doing what you're doing, buddy, and spray paint that darn wine berry flat (or gloss) black, willya?

 

[Denver]

Agreed, their made to ride, use, & enjoy. :yes: They;re not ment to be trailer Queens. :nea: