Topic: GL500?

[Don R]

 I was offered a gl500 for $150 delivered. The owner used it to teach a couple guys to ride so it has run recently, he said it leaks oil since a truck loading attempt which sounds scary, and needs a stator which is a pain to get to. I have no fear of electrical but am not sure if it's a scary deal. I asked to see it soon so I'm assuming he'll call the next time he's going to the shop.
 My big question is seat height, do they sit lower than a cb750 or cb500 four?  I have 3 riders in tha family that are inseam challenged.

[Don R]

Seat height 30.4" according to Wikipedia, hmmmm.

[MoMo]

I've owned 2 Silverwings and ridden numerous others, perfect fit for me Don.  I'm 5'7" with a 29" inseam-can flat foot at a stop

[Don R]

 Thanks Larry good to know, at that price it's hard to say no but if they broke the engine case loading it in a truck I'll bail out on it.

[tbpmusic]

The bad stator would be a deal-breaker for me............

[MoMo]

The bad stator would be a deal-breaker for me............

IIRC it requires motor removal to do that. Also, water pump seal is a pita...Larry

[RAFster122s]

The water pump seal can use the Yamaha unit.  You have to be careful to not touch the ceramic disc in the pump seal with you hands.
You can drop the motor out of these on a wide cup from a good floor jack if careful. 

While changing the rear Stator you have access to give a thorough look at the tensioners. They are not too bad to change. They refer to the Water Pump seal, stator, and timing chain tensioners as performing a triple bypass.
The only other issue was the CDI units in the early bikes were problematic and can be replaced with a couple different company's products.
The CX and GL forum often does group buys from one of the sources for a better price.
The bikes once sorted out are highly reliable.
If the bike is a '81-82 and a Interstate (fairing, etc) from the factory it will have twin disc brakes up front with a twin piston caliper.  The earlier single piston caliper does not inspire confidence. The twin pot caliper does a much better job.

The CX forum is highly helpful.

Let me know what year and other specs...
The GL tanks are not as desirable to the cafe racer fans as the rear of the tank has a section that drops down like the Nighthawk tanks that blend into the side cover.

The GLs are a nice mid-sized tourer but many do not like it for two up riding as they want a lot of extra power on tap.

The '83 GL-650I is what they should have introduced for the market from the get go...much better motor from a power point of view.

Changing out the manual fan is also a recommended practice...putting in an electric fan from a used bike.  A thermostatic switch epoxied to the bottom of the radiator and then the fan only runs when  the temps come up to trigger tthe switch.  Easy fix with minimal fabrication and you will be inside the motor to do the pre-emptive strike on the water pump and stator...so it is all there...you also will be pulling the fan to do the waterpump seal.
The adapting the early seal to the case requires some sanding with a flap wheel sander that just fits in the opening and it does not take a ton of time to get the fit for the seals setup.

You have the TI ignition instead of CDI and you will have a 250W stator, capable of putting out enough juice to power heated gear, if so inclined.

The bikes are very stable at freeway speeds and above... She'll do 80 in cruise but it takes a bit of time to reach it. Around here in the South East you don't see many 70mph roads and cruising at 70 is usually the most you are going to be getting away with in a 65 zone...if clocked on radar.
75 can mean points and heavy fines.  In Ohio 70 in a 65 or 75 in a 70 is going to net you a big ticket and 2 points on your license. The insurance will boost your rates at the next renewal.... 4 points or was it 5 and you end up looking at a suspension on your license.
The 2 points accompanies a reckless driving charge, fairly serious charge.

A nice GL-500I goes for about 10x what they are asking.   But, that varies in different parts of the country.

I believe there are a few owners near you...  Blindstitch is one whom is very helpful and it is a good community like here for the Twisted Twins on their forum.

A good flush of the cooling system is recommended as you freshen it up.

If the block is cracked, run from it.

If it is a broken oil filter housing that can be replaced.  The threaded insert is not likely to be damaged, but I would want to take square to the base around the threaded part to check it for any tweak.  I would want to pull the filter to inspect it.  It could have damaged the oil pan, but not as likely as the filter housing.

The parts on ebay, forums, etc are not very expensive.

Sign up on the CX forum and pick everyone's brains on what you see that concerns you.

David

[Don R]

 Thanks David, that gives me interest. My brother wants something smaller and low as does my nephew and wife. 

[Don R]

 I'm going to look at it in the morning.

[RAFster122s]

Good luck!  The TI ignition is much more reliable and as long as the charging system is working properly then you would be in good shape from that perspective.
You may want to test the voltage and see if it is in range. The plug caps on the CX500 can have the same problem as the CBs. There are some sources for replacements, I don't think Honda has them any longer. There are rebuild instructions on the CX forum for eliminating the resistor with a section of brass rod (there is a discrete resistor in them.)  The replacement caps are in GB and I think that DSS now carries them (use the US location for ordering if going from there)
The plug cap is unique in that it seals off the recess that the plug is located in to keep debris out. (Don't want junk to go into the motor when pulling a plug out.)
When they replace with a solid brass bit the issue of resistance goes away and you then use resistor plugs.

This is an OK guide for buying a CX or GL... better than nothing.
Hope you see this before you take off.
https://motofaction.org/motorcycles/honda-cx-gl/honda-cx-gl-buying-guide/

If you have single caliper then go for this as a reliable and inexpensive 14mm MC for $28:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/401047901633?rmvSB=true
or for dual calipers then this $34.00  16mm or 5/8" MC works pretty good and is inexpensive and reliable.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/401047901633?rmvSB=true
Far cheaper than trying to rebuild one as the rebuild kits are pretty expensive.  You can also get the DSS MC that is an aftermarket unit for $40-45. It is probably suitable for the single caliper setup as I think it is a 14mm bore.

Hopefully the motor will be cold and you can get an idea on the tensioner and any motor clacking/clicking noises.
(part of the triple bypass corrective/preventive maintenance (water pump seal, tensioner/guides and cam chain - manual adjustment system unless the GL is a late model which has the automatic adjuster, and the starter clutch springs...since your bike is a TI model you are not likely to have a stator problem)
Exhaust shields can contribute to ticking and clinking and clacking noises so a screwdriver against them to press them up tight should change or eliminate any noise from that guard/shield.

Sirius Consolidated and Randakk's are the best sources for carb parts unless you are ordering from Honda.  The Mikuni carbs Murray Feldman sells are worth looking at if you need major carb work. Murray's carbs are a very good solution.
murrayscarb.com or Larry Cargill can work on the CX carbs and get them purring and clean. Larry charges around 300 for doing a set.

Murray offers a replacement to the H-box beneath the bike and lots remove it and put the intermediate pipe Murray makes and a set of take-off mufflers from a Harley. The tone is a deeper note than the stock quieter pipes.

Good luck in your exam tomorrow.
Hope you find it to your liking and is at an attractive price.

David

When you

[Don R]

 My local bike shop had a guy come in with 2 parts bikes for sale. Of course they didn't get me a phone number. The owner of the 500 was sick and then got better and took his gl1200 for it's first ride and now is going to vegas all week. I guess he feels better. Maybe changing his mind.
 My wife thinks she likes the gl500 we may find out.

[grcamna2]

I had an 82' GL500 Silverwing Interstate,it was a nice bike;they are very easy-mannered on power until you spin the engine past 6500 which is required if you like to pass in a hurry.The tail-trunk was nice to lean into on a long ride also;you can swap it out for the passenger seat in just a minute.They can be a little top heavy when putting it on the side stand on uneven ground,that's why I removed the Windjammer,that helped.

[RAFster122s]

You have to be careful backing them up if you deal with any possible vertigo when turning your head to the side and return to front... That is a combination for something ugly to happen. I get a touch of it that normally when I push it a bit trying to see further behind me...otherwise I'm fine. I made that mistake on a slight slope at night backing the bike out of a tight spot having been boxed into a parking spot by two cars very close together with me a sandwich. I did this the first month I owned the bike and ended up not realizing I had lost balance on the bike and had my feet too close to center, by the time I realized it I ended up dropping the bike with me astride. 
The GL500 is a bit lower than the CX500 seat height and you are able to flat foot it easier. Not that the CX is that much taller saddle height.  A full tank of fuel and moving slowly walking it out of a parking spot was where I found the top heavy feeling hit. Moving, not a problem.
Putting them on the center stand is your typical, grab the rear grab bar with one hand left hand grip with the other hand and with a firm kick on the center stand to put it on the center stand. 
They are good bikes, a bit boring on power but the CX will move when you want it to going up the rev range, just like the CB550 or 500... It isn't a rocket but it can get out of its own way.

Good luck with the check out...hope it is to your liking and your wife's liking.

David

[RAFster122s]

A few other links worth looking at
Used bike purchasing guidelines
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

CX/GL bike checklist, manual reference and things to note and pay attention to...
http://globalcxglvtwins.forumlaunch.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=72

Group discount for CX/GL owners at Discounthondaparts.com
http://globalcxglvtwins.forumlaunch.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=536

UK fellow with good CX/GL page with many useful topics and how-tos
http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/cx500/

A unique fellow who has some good stuff and a very unusual modded CX that is an acquired taste for many. He does have an excellent starter motor servicing that is very wise and effective. This would even apply to other bikes starter motors.
http://ofapars-.webs.com/


The CX500/GL500 - 650  Wiki page - lots of useful info
http://cx500forum.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

This duplicates some of the above links...CX/GL forum Quick Reference...a bookmark item for certain.
http://cx500forum.com/forum/general-discussion/10-quick-reference.html

Some motorcycle insurance carriers will cover your riding gear in case of an accident, that might really be a tipping factor if you were to go down you likely need a new helmet, gloves, and protective pads at least if not a new jacket or pants.  It adds up to be a very sizeable amount of money.
Allstate has that coverage and Geico is a good carrier. Don't know if you want to have collision/comprehensive...towing is predicated on that.   But you are a long time motorcycle owner...

David

[Don R]

 Thanks guys, that's a lot of good info. I have Allstate, I have full coverage on my two K0's and when I added the gl1000 with liability, my rates went down. The office girl said just go with it.

[Don R]

 I think the owner had sellers remorse after he made the offer to sell, awfully quiet now.