Topic: Goldwings Goldwings Goldwings

[Bankerdanny]

There's a guy over in Indiana selling 3 Goldwings ('77 naked GL1000, '83 GL1100 Interstate and '86 GL1200 Interstate) and a '75 CB360T.

He wants $2k for all 4 or $500 each. The '77 is calling to me. I really have better things to spend $$ on, like saving to go to Colorado in August, but $500 for a complete naked GL1000 (it does have a K/Q seat though) is very very tempting. He says he doesn't have titles yet, but is in the process of getting them.

[rb550four]

Always tempting those wings are.
He's working on the titles? Can't tell you how many times I've heard that before, never happens .
 I'd offer 500 for the naked (doesn't have any bells or buzzers) and the cb 360, with bills of sale for each. Bring a big trailer, maybe you could get a better deal  on those interstates while loading the other 2 up.  The big honda bikes are cheap in NY, , no titles real cheap, not running and no titles are dirt cheap and plentiful. I've been watching them on CL all last summer. I'm not sure why the used wing/interstate market is poor for resale. Maybe that it's one of those things people just want new.
 
The 360's are still a wanted machine by many, haven't seen a cheap one around here in a while.
Good hunting.

[Flyin900]

Just my two cents.

I have done a number of early Goldwings and for $500 with no title hopefully your planning to part it out. I can tell you it is almost impossible to get one of those bikes running well and looking decent for less than $2K plus your purchase price. They are not a SOHC inline four and are quite complicated with the finicky carb rebuilds and water pump issues and head gaskets on older bikes. I have done lots of inline fours, which are a piece of cake compared to a Goldwing. Definitely plan on pulling the heads if it has sat of quite a few years, since the flat fours are prone to cylinder rusting when valves are open during a long layup.

They were a technical wonder in the mid 70's with all the innovations they had to offer, yet now require lots of work and some pretty good technical expertise.

Here is one I just finished and I spent $500 to buy it with a title; though not running and $2500 in rebuild/repaint/refresh costs and 300+ hours of work.

[bill440cars]

Just my two cents.

I have done a number of early Goldwings and for $500 with no title hopefully your planning to part it out. I can tell you it is almost impossible to get one of those bikes running well and looking decent for less than $2K plus your purchase price. They are not a SOHC inline four and are quite complicated with the finicky carb rebuilds and water pump issues and head gaskets on older bikes. I have done lots of inline fours, which are a piece of cake compared to a Goldwing. Definitely plan on pulling the heads if it has sat of quite a few years, since the flat fours are prone to cylinder rusting when valves are open during a long layup.

They were a technical wonder in the mid 70's with all the innovations they had to offer, yet now require lots of work and some pretty good technical expertise.

Here is one I just finished and I spent $500 to buy it with a title; though not running and $2500 in rebuild/repaint/refresh costs and 300+ hours of work.

Nice!!! That is some mighty fine work there! 

[Bankerdanny]

Fortunately this would be my 2nd GL1000 in the past 5 years, so i have some experience in what is necessary.

[RAFster122s]

Very nice naked wing Flyin.  Looks like you spared little expense with wheels and polish work.  Did you do the carbs or farm them out to Mike Nixon?

[Bankerdanny]

The exhaust is the wild card. Running is about $400 for the Randaak carb kit, fuel filter, plugs, fuel lines, coolant hoses and a battery.

Its always hard to tell in pictures on the condition of the paint. Could just be dirty. A seat is going to be $200- $300.

$2k is on the high side I think, but $1200- $1500 is a number you could easily hit with a few "while I'm at its"

[Desert-SOHC]

I've been working on a 1980 GL1100 standard that had a color matched Vetter kit (I already have the fairing, bags, and mounts off it) that I was told was sitting for 15 years...less than 21,000 miles on it.  If I end up getting it I know that I will need to do belts, carbs, brakes, tires, and hoses on it, but it runs REALLY well without and noises in the engine.  I don't any history on it but it looks like it was stored indoors while sleeping.

[Don R]

 I spent about a thousand on my 79gl getting it ready for Sturgis. It isn't as pretty as pictured above. now I have a 78 that sat for 20 years. I've been riding it a little, it seems to be coming along with no leaks and a little tank rust.

 I'm going to sell the 79, waiting for spring. 1 1/2 years on everything, battery, starter, water pump, oil seal, coolant, brakes, wheel bearings, Michelins, Sportster mufflers, condensers, points, filters, new rear grab bar and front turn signals, recently unwindjammered.  The bad, neutral light has two levels of on, paint, 78 speedo chugs a little only when cold, may still have a low speed jet partly plugged. Still has the Sturgis Iron mountain and needles park tags on the handlebars.  They just don't bring much money unless they are stunning.

[Flyin900]

I commend those who can get a bike back on the road for a reasonable price and just enjoy the bike for the fun or riding it. This level of restoration isn't what most would shoot for and I do apologise if I offended anyone about taking a $500 bike and restoring it to their liking.

I actually do all my own work in regards to the poster about the carbs and that includes breaking them down completely to replace the shaft felts. If you get away with no water pump replacement most likely on a 40 year old bike you are living on borrowed time. I did extensive restoration internally on the motor including clutch replacement, full head rebuild, water pump, Dyna coils and both oil pumps cleaned and checked and many of the mods that are suggested to improve the bike. Every switch and both gauges were fully taken apart and cleaned and restored. The starter was rebuilt and every wire/connector was cleaned, with PO attached scotch locks removed and wires soldered and heat shrinked back to new.

With tires, battery, bearings, fork rebuilds etc with all the above work there is a reason that it hit $2400 range, since this was a full on restoration. I only do this style of restoration, since as noted these bikes really don't command a decent resale price unless you have a pristine example and wait for the right buyer.

[RAFster122s]

Quite true Flyin, your bike would command a very good price and might recoup the money you put in it.  I tend to do many of the same things you do.  The risk of doing a mechanical restore and solid runner out of a bike without improving or restoring the cosmetic is if you have coverage for accident damage or someone totals your bike ( hopefully without you on it!) then you will get far less for the bike.

I like what you did with your bike. Lots of people will spend $800-1200  for a pro for painting. If paint is good, then like Danny says you can get them running reliable and safe spending over about $1k to $1500.

Depending upon what you can afford as wages are all over the map depending upon where you live and what kind of work you do.  So, disposable income varies greatly as well. So it really depends upon what you want.  Not having a real pretty bike can help make it less attractive to thieves...
Not that worrying about what if is going to help if a thief decides they want it.
David

[Flyin900]

I understand and I live north of the border so insurance is different up here, as in more expensive with greater coverage. Theft isn't' usually an issue on these old bikes like in the HD world, plus I have all my bikes covered for their full appraised value.
I am planning on offering this for sale in Europe after riding and enjoying it for a few months since my appraiser has contacts overseas and has sold and shipped vintage cars over there, so its worth a shot. In the Canadian market the value would be $4-5K range as it sits now and close to double that in Europe.

[Bankerdanny]

In my case I am thinking about buying it and making it into a solid runner as a gift for a very good friend of mine that let me live with him basically for free for a couple years when he was flush. His finances took a major beating due to poor decisions and a nasty divorce (which would seem to be related, but actually really aren't) and this would be a way to repay the favor in a very small way.

[Don R]

 That's awesome Danny. I don't have many GL parts but would help if possible. My brother wanted to do that with a 750 but ended up with so much money in the bike he didn't feel like he could afford to give it away.

[Prospect]

I recently bought a 75 goldwing for $1100.  Of the 17 bikes I've owned over the years this is only the second one that I bought that runs.  I wanted a goldwing that runs because I had heard stories of how difficult it is to get them running right.  I picked up a rear grab bar and original exhaust today and I plan to put this bike on the road in 2018. 

I'm curious to hear opinions on whether these bikes will ever be in demand by collectors.  I bought one because I wanted one and I don't see the early wings ever demanding the prices of early cb750's.

[Bankerdanny]

I don't believe the '75-'77 GL1000's will ever get anywhere near the price of K0-K1 750's.

The '75's in the relatively rare Sulfur Yellow command some decent money. But still you can pick up a really clean fully sorted naked wire wheel GL1000 for $5k or less all day long.

Heck, I sold my clean and running fully dressed GL1000 with about 26k miles for $1,300 in 2014. The buyer flipped it a few months later for $2,400 converted back to a naked bike with a NOS seat. And that was with really nice original paint and exhaust too.

Today that bike would fetch a bit more, but not a lot, maybe $3,500.

A lot of people have misconceptions of what the early GL's are like. Sure they are big heavy bikes, but they are also very fast and will show their tail lights to any stock SOHC4 in a straight line and not fall behind much if at all in the twisties.

[RAFster122s]

It is the dressed up versions have tainted the name smeared across the whole line...original intent of the bike was something else while Americans started throwing vetter fairings on them immediately after buying them and Honda changed directions to create the rolling coaches/ couches they are today.
 
Which years go back to a decent looking naked bike? Naturally the '75-79 do...beyond that what does a dressed Goldwing look like without its fairings and luggage?
David

[Flyin900]

The naked bike continued on until 1984 through all 3 sizes of the GL four cylinder engine. The last year was the 1984 GL1200 Standard and was the best version IMO regarding the full development of the four. It wasn't the best handling, as I think the early GL's are probably the winner there. Yet it did have the dual TRAC anti dive front forks and a built in fork brace and larger forks overall.

By the 1200 cc version the bike had overcome the noisy Hyvo chain issues the early bikes exhibited and the valves were now an hydraulic style, so no further valve adjustments were required. The starter clutch issues were a thing of the past that definitely can be an issue with early wings that have sat for a long period or not been well maintained.

I have owned and restored  every four cylinder version and each has its endearing qualities, just like an Honda inline four in its variety of sizes and models.

Here is an E Bay listing for a beautiful 1983 GL1100 Standard in excellent condition. eBay item number:361875387034

[Don R]

 I think the 75's are starting to get a following, especially low serial number bikes. There were a couple at Davenport last year and I thought were priced rather steeply. I did check serial numbers and saw none that were very low.

[palepainter]

I am being given a 75 basket.  Under 20k on motor.   But will need a butt ton of work.  But the price is right I suppose.  I have seen some great looking wings and am feeling a bit motivated to build a beast.  Are there performance upgrades available for these with in a working mans budget?  A few of my favorites.

[Don R]

 The 75-76 were the faster ones, the 1100 carbs were once considered a bolt on performance mod since they have accelerator pumps. There were a few 4-1 headers but I haven't seen one recently. 1000 heads and cams fit on an 1100 engine. There are dual weber carburetor intakes available too. Randaak had a blower kit once upon a time. He still sells parts. electronic ignition upgrades are out there  and that's all I know. I never heard of a big bore kit or anything.

[palepainter]

The 75-76 were the faster ones, the 1100 carbs were once considered a bolt on performance mod since they have accelerator pumps. There were a few 4-1 headers but I haven't seen one recently. 1000 heads and cams fit on an 1100 engine. There are dual weber carburetor intakes available too. Randaak had a blower kit once upon a time. He still sells parts. electronic ignition upgrades are out there  and that's all I know. I never heard of a big bore kit or anything.

Thanks for that bit of information Don.  Just collecting parts and info at this point in time.  I have a 77 motor in my possession and will have the 75 here as soon as I get the 750 running in a few weeks.

[Don R]

 Like the 750's, many of the parts work best when matched. I've heard the 1100 motor bolts in a 1000 bike too. My brothers 76 has 1100 rocker covers, no kick start and the title said 1100 when he got it. I haven't actually checked the numbers, but it may be an 1100 motor.