1975 GL1000 last licensed 1986

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Fire-medic

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33 years ago this Goldwing was last licensed for the street. Hauled to my friend's shop by a VMax owner, who has delusions being able to return this to the street cheaply. 34K miles, so about 3,000 miles a year for the first 11 years of its life and it's been off the road since that. He's had his Vmax in at my friend's shop for carb cleaning and some other general maintenance. Unfortunately for him the cost if he has the shop restore the Goldwing to function would probably end up being about what the value of the bike is. He needed some cheap used Vmax parts and asked me about getting some used VMax parts from me but he balked at a two-digit number for pricing on what he wanted so I'm sure he's not going to want to spend four digits getting this thing restored to reliable, functional use.

I didn't read the tire dates, I suspect they're probably about 35 years-old. You might want to air them-up with nitrogen before you visit the drag strip to practice your launches, trying for a good 60 ft., and seeing what your e.t. is. A bit of carb chain polish and I'm sure a 108 mph trap speed is probable.

It's going to be expensive: going-through the brakes (the front master cylinder piston is frozen in its bore, and I suspect the high-tech [for the time] dual front disc brakes' calipers are probably frozen, too), the carbs, pulling and treating the gas tank, two new tubes and tires, a new battery, new brake pads (would you trust what may-be forty+ years-old brake pads?) and at a minimum master cylinder rebuild kits, having the carbs rebuilt, gas lines, maybe a fuel pump; replacing any control cables that need it, and a set of valve cover gaskets to install after you check things in the valvetrain, and whatever-else needs to be addressed as you go through it from one end to the other. I forgot, both sliders are not going to oxidize, as they both have generous coatings of fork oil to prevent that. Parts and labor, I think will run $1500 at a minimum, probably more.

The first Goldwing had a plug-in foot pedal kicker that operates perpendicular to the wheelbase of the bike for kick-starting purposes, it was under a removable cover on the right side of the false gas tank and plugged into the left rear of the engine just behind the clutch. Guys who are familiar with old BMW twins will be familiar with the side pedal location for kick-starting.

The full dresser kit is a Calafia Eliminator II fairing and bag system. Looks like a knockoff of a Vetter Windjammer.
 

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I love those older wings. I had a 78 that I partially restored. I did pretty much everything you mentioned and did the work myself and I bet I had over $2g in it. Sold it for $1500. It had the vetter dress kit. Looked better without it. It was originally black. I used the gm Vette black, Black Pearl metallic with added gold flake. Over $80 a quart not to expensive but still kinda pricey for paint considering you still have to buy the activator. Never could find an oem mechanical fuel pump. I wound up going with a low pressure electric pump. Made my own block off plate, and mounted it in the same local as the mechanical. Was my first bike. Then the gen 1 Max, and now a gen 2. Been looking for another gen 1 wing. Saw a you tube video of one with a supercharger on it. It would wheelie into 3rd gear...... Just insane lol. Bike weighs as much as a 2nd gen Max. I was looking into a VW carb swap. And the 4 to 4 black widow exhaust on the wing sounds sick. I had the Jardin exhaust on mine, I took out the baffles. Never lost power though, would still peg rpm needle past red line. Make sure he changes those timing belts. Interference engine.
 
carbon fiber Gold Wing.01.jpeg The 1975 specs say the GL1000 Gold Wing is almost exactly the same weight as a Gen 1 VMax. Also 78 HP, 61 lb. ft. torque.

A good point on the timing belt. Since this bike isn't mine, I'm not really a responsible party in the possible work being considered. I suspect the current owner will leave it outside, and do a bit of work on it, but be unable to complete the project into a going, reliable bike. It will deteriorate in the elements and end-up in some scrapyard. It's got some potential, but the value isn't there for a refurbishment and sale for profit, the point I made previously. As a 'knock-around' bike, it could save wear & tear on another bike. Since these things have longevity, doing what needs to-be done, completely, could make a useful bike out of it, but I doubt that's going to happen, due-to limited financial resources.

I think VW's used Solex carbs. I think there's a two-barrel, dual Weber carb setup available, and I think I recall someone had a Holley system, one two-barrel for replacement of the stock 4 CV carbs.

Here's a shot of a bike I saw in Daytona during Bike Week, which is about 5 weeks away. A supercharged early GW.Gold Wing-Winston dragster .jpeg

My friend's early GW using two Weber carbs, he fabricated the carbon-fiber bodywork.
 
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The market for em just isn't there. I knew I would never get my money back on mine. But every winter I'd do a little here, do a little there. Made it my own, didn't really care about originality. In its own right it was, from what I did to it I don't think there is another like it lol. I think in 77 Honda changed the size of the carbs, and reworked the cam grind to offer more torque the to rpm range after they saw everybody turning them into touring bikes. They eventually put vetter out of business by adding their hondaline saddle bags, trunks, and fairings. From what I read the 75 was the second fastest bike in the 1/4. Just slightly slower than the Kawasaki z1. It's funny how Honda was making it to be a go fast bike, and then totally redesigned it. They are corner eaters though. I've dragged the boards in almost every corner I went in with it, crack the throttle and stand it back up.
 
The shop is working on the mess.
1975 GL1000 dirty carbs.01.jpg
A view of what needs to be done. Remember this is before ethanol in gasoline.
1975 GL1000 dirty carbs.02.jpg 1975 GL1000 dirty carbs.03.jpg
This is what the stock carbs wish they could be.1975 GL1000 Weber carbs.01.jpg
 
Those things are ugly, lol. It must have some sentimental value, for the owner to be fixing it up. Prolly be cheaper to convert it to vw carbs.
 
The ultrasonic tank is gonna munch on these for awhile. Aftermarket Asian rebuild kits are pretty-cheap, comparable to K&L kits for quality, but cheaper.

I think someone made a manifold for an SU carb. VW beetles used Solex carbs, I think.
 
I bought my kits from k&l for my wing when I had it. $20 x4. A good machine shop could build any kind of carb mount from the OEM intake runner. I saw a pic on a wing forum where he went with flat slides with pod filters. I even think once I found a single carb setup for it also. But I wouldn't think it would make good power. I'd like to see a vboost setup on a wing. Could be done with runner setup very similar to the v Max.
 
Yep that is what I would do ! Them old GW carbs are contankerous to

Your not kidding Kyle. I found the carb setup on our Max, very easy to work on after working on my wing carbs. To split those you have to separate the manifold, and then separate each bank. And hope those o rings are still good, if you didn't order them for the fuel ports because they don't come in the carb kit. They don't come in a kit that I found. It's all order as you need it. And if you don't want to wait. Slap it back together, and it leaks. Your back to square 1 lol. Easy to sync though like the v Max. If you have the adapters lol.
 
Pretty-cheap:
https://www.ebay.com/i/221843843460?chn=ps $36!

s-l1600.jpg
 
From previous experience with lots of aftermarket kits I would not use the hard parts like emulsion tube or needle out of this kit unless you absolutely have to the af screw & jets should be ok .
 
Thanks for the advice. This isn't my bike or rebuild. I'm just an interested observer at the shop. I think many guys on-here like to see problems solved, regardless of the bike. It might highlight something they have going-on with their ride.
 
That's cheap for 4 kits. Hope quality is good. But, you have to take what you can get with that old of a bike.

I got most of my wing parts from saber-cycle. Never had a problem with them, But this was 7 years ago. Got head gaskets from them, and timing belts. Replaced the clutches at the same time. That was a long day lol, but it was fun. Replaced the valve seals, and cam shaft seals. All the coolant crossover pipe o-rings. Looking back now, it would have been allot easier just to have done a bare frame restoration on the thing. But didn't have the space, or the funds, and when spring came around I was ready to ride, and made sure it was ready to go.
 
Thanks for the advice. This isn't my bike or rebuild. I'm just an interested observer at the shop. I think many guys on-here like to see problems solved, regardless of the bike. It might highlight something they have going-on with their ride.

Too many times I've come across a thread with no conclusion. Not here, but other forums. It's aggrevating. The op says they'll report back, and that was ten years ago lol.
 

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