I've worked with a guy for four years that owns a 78 Goldwing. It's not really my kind of bike but it's super clean. He rides it to work and promptly covers it up. He's not mechanically inclined but the thing has never given him a problem. About 2 weeks ago he comes in to my office and tells me that the bike is running poorly. He then tells me that he parked the thing last fall and did not drain the tank or carbs and I tell him it's probably just bad gas and to clean things out. He tells me he had to put $500 into the thing for a tune up and tires years ago and he's not putting any more money into it. Yesterday at the end of the day he stops me and tells me he's made up his mind. He's gonna get rid of it and asks if I want it. I tell him I kind of have my hands full with my 550 project but ask what he wants for it. $200. After some back and forth I ask him if he would want me to come and get it and work on it and then bring it back to him so he can continue to enjoy it and he says no. Just wants it gone. So I told him I'll take it for $200. I went down there this morning.
I turn the key on and there's no lights, no start. Nothing. He tells me it sometimes does that and sometimes it starts right up. Then he tells me he thinks it's an electrical problem because the headlight and tail lights don't work either. I get it loaded up on the trailer.
40 minutes later I'm home and before I even unload it, I grab a screwdriver and pop the side cover off and notice the positive battery cable is finger tight. After tightening it, it starts right up. Runs like crap but starts fine. I get it in the garage and notice the lights that don't work and start looking into it. All bad bulbs. A trip to the store for bulbs and that problem is sorted. Then I drain the tank and add fuel system cleaner and two gallons of fresh gas and start it up. Took it for a run around the neighborhood and about 5 minutes in it bucked real hard, fell on it's face and backfired and then....ran like a Swiss watch. I rode it around town for over half an hour. Not one issue. Idles beautifully.
I'm going to do a tune up on it and detail it but then I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. It might be a cool bike to take longer trips on. But it would also be cool to flip it and use the money to buy more parts for my 550. The thing sure is clean. This guy's dad bought the bike new in 78. He passed a few years ago and my friend (his son) took it. It has 36,000 miles. Here are some more pictures.
