Topic: 78 GL1000 20 year sleeper! Old Blue.

[Don R]

 I rode the 78 to breakfast this am, every day I can ride gets me that much closer to spring.

[grcamna2]

I rode the 78 to breakfast this am, every day I can ride gets me that much closer to spring.

You said it 

[Terry in Australia]

Well it's Spring here, in fact Summer is only a couple of weeks away, and I'm riding my bike to work every day now, man it's nice to get out and ride on a nice warm day again after a chilly Winter.

I'd be quite happy if Summer was extended for a few more months, come to think of it, I might have to start burning some styrofoam so as to add to global warming, and lengthen my warm weather riding season!

[RAFster122s]

4PM today here in the NE TN area of Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City Tennessee it was 76 F  @ 4PM.  Saturday at 4PM they are guesstimating it will be 46 F at 4PM if not lower. Golf courses were clogged up, motorbikes and bicycles were out in force, people for walks, etc.

David

[Don R]

 I removed a few more accessories from the 78, the weight of some of those parts is amazing. I'm stripping the 79 down to naked status to see if it sells easier. I removed the windjammer, built a headlight from 750 parts and put on DSS turn signals. They are single element only. fooey. I also ordered new handlebars for my 750 K1 and didn't expect them to be euro spec. They are. I like it, anyway so on the K1 they go.

 

[Don R]

 The K1 is still on my lift so I rode the gl1000 today. It was 55* and the road salt got washed away by rain. Anyway I topped off the gas and treatment, rode it home and checked the non operating tach. The cable is broken at the bottom so I tested the gauge with a drill motor and it seems to operate properly.
 I ordered a motion pro tach cable and have a 750 seal which is the same.

[grcamna2]

The K1 is still on my lift so I rode the gl1000 today. It was 55* and the road salt got washed away by rain. Anyway I topped off the gas and treatment, rode it home and checked the non operating tach. The cable is broken at the bottom so I tested the gauge with a drill motor and it seems to operate properly.
 I ordered a motion pro tach cable and have a 750 seal which is the same.

Must have been good to get back on the bike on Jan.21st ! 

[Don R]

  That short ride was good for me, family commitments made it late in the day. I'd have liked to ridden longer.  A couple years ago I rode at least once in every month.

[Don R]

 I think I sold my 79 black and gold tonight. Only $1K, sob story and a lady that sold me a cb400F for $400. It was a pile of something then but was a nice bike when I sold it.  I'll spend much of the proceeds on the 78 old blue.

[RAFster122s]

I think I sold my 79 black and gold tonight. Only $1K, sob story and a lady that sold me a cb400F for $400. It was a pile of something then but was a nice bike when I sold it.  I'll spend much of the proceeds on the 78 old blue.

Gee Don, that's awful...
Don't understand the CB400F for 400 and the old lady...So, the lady that bought your Goldwing sold you a CB400F for $400 in exchange?  $1000 isn't much money for a good running Goldwing.  Heck, if I had it I would have given your $1250 for it...
I have no idea what it is worth...Probably $2000 or more.
Were it a nice 75 naked wing it would be worth more than that...they are getting to be very desirable if in great shape.  They go for pretty good money when they aren't in great shape.

[Don R]

 She lowballed me until I said no go away. She previously sold me a 400F that had been abused, it was a beat up old dog, later I looked at a cb400T her kid had. it was total junk, they are bike abusers.  She had a trio of nice cushmans but I believe she inherited them. Wanted too much and didn't negotiate.
 Another guy came by to look, he has an st1300 and wants a project bike to work on with his son. I wish he would buy it.

[Don R]

 You can't give away a gl around here. I need to paint it flat black and put euro bars on it.
  I'm almost aggravated enough to swap the good parts to the 78. If I did the wheels, that gives the 78 recent wheel bearings, tires, better rotors, I can swap the new pads to match the rotors they are on, swap on the battery, chrome rocker covers, new water pump, chrome intakes, K&N air filter, put the headlight in a 750, and sell the exhaust with the sportster mufflers. I'd probably come out ahead.
 The 79 does have a  set of 83 carbs with accelerator pumps, I don't want to move those.

[Terry in Australia]

The only reason you can't sell it Don, is because you want to. As soon as you decide to keep it, someone will want it..........

[RAFster122s]

Sounds like you have mapped out the plan for what you need to do to the bike... Pour it into your blue '78 ('79?) rather than give away all the hard work and money if you aren't going to get anything from it.  There is a Craig's List GL1000 near Lexington KY if I recall correctly that has motor out and basically in  baskets and they want $300. Normally they are $2K or much higher anywhere around here the few times I've poked about.

You are selling it to pour the money into the blue Wing, so why give away the desirable parts? Sell the lesser parts on the Wing that is being sold.  Unless the guy who has the ST1300 returns to buy it...then do the swaps and let it go.
Would it sell on ebay for OK money?
Or, is ebay (feebay) too much hassle, risk, and cost?

[Don R]

 ebay may be an answer. I pulled the facebook ads, Just the one here.

[Don R]

 I sold the 79 tonight and will order the new Michelin Pilots tomorrow for the 78.
Edit, didn't get the pilots, a different Michelin the shop owner has experience with. I'm looking for an AGM battery for it now. My local parts guru didn't have one.

[Don R]

 The blue 78 wing is my official long range rider now. It got titled registered and the insurance card is in it. Woo Hoo. Now for the tires and timing belts. I want to make a window for checking the timing while running.  I haven't checked anything else so it will get a full tune-up.

[Terry in Australia]

Sounds good Don, what tyres did you buy? I've got Road Pilots on my VFR750 and while I've heard great things about them, I haven't ridden it in the wet. I've got Pirelli Angel GT's on my FJR1300 which are very good also. Cheers, Terry.  

[Don R]

 My bike shop's owner has a Valkyre with +200,000 miles on it, he uses a Michelin other than the pilot and gets great mileage, Anyway I said if you have good experience with one, get that. I'll report on the exact model. He rides somewhere every summer usually a week going somewhere then turns around and comes back a different way.

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah it's amazing how easy it is to put up big miles on modern bikes Don, my 2001 Fjr1300 has done 234,000 Km (146,500 miles) and will still happily launch me to speeds in excess of 150 MPH, doesn't blow smoke or leak oil, and the spark plugs haven't been changed in over 30,000 miles. Oh, and it gets around 50 miles to the (imperial) gallon. Cheers, Terry.

[ekpent]

Yeah it's amazing how easy it is to put up big miles on modern bikes Don, my 2001 Fjr1300 has done 234,000 Km (146,500 miles) and will still happily launch me to speeds in excess of 150 MPH, doesn't blow smoke or leak oil, and the spark plugs haven't been changed in over 30,000 miles. Oh, and it gets around 50 miles to the (imperial) gallon. Cheers, Terry.

Sounds like your right in the market for another clunky old shaky and slow CB750 Terry    Those modern bikes can spoil you fast.

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, that is just so true Eric, I hate to admit it, but I'd rather ride my modern bikes than my old clunkers any day of the week, and I laugh when I see members here spending big bucks to make their old clunkers go faster when modern bikes are way faster out of the box, and used modern bikes can be had for a fraction of what folks are asking for clunky old shaky and slow CB750's.......

[Desert-SOHC]

But its about the sewing machine........

truthfully if I had the cash I would buy a modern bike and use the 750 for play but she's my daily driver.

[Terry in Australia]

Nothing wrong with that mate, I've had SOHC CB750's since I bought my first one new in 1978, and I've loved them ever since. To me they're a passion, not a fashion, and that's probably why I get steamed when I see them being abused by folks who don't have any regard for them. Cheers, Terry.

[Don R]

 A guy inquired about buying a 750, I replied I had a bike for every budget, he had $500 for a running bike and asked if I have a hardtail frame. Suddenly, it seems I sold all the cheap bikes, sorry dude.
 Another guy asked me to work on his vtwin Yamaha. He doesn't know how to mount a speedometer or taillight. And the wires are hanging all over. I inquired if it's a bobber. It is, and I remembered I don't work on Yamahas. He then asked about a running 750, they are all going to be priced over $5K sorry.
 A lady wanted my gl1000 for her son's birthday. I had bought a bike from her and it was trashed, I saw another one her son owned. It was worse. She was 33% short on the price, if it was a good home I'd have let her have it but the bike deserves better.