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Mid 80's bike

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
After riding the v30 for a bit then jumping back on the v45 and going for a cruise, I can honestly say I prefer the smaller v30 over mine. Less engine power on the v30 is only noticeable on the highway but it will hold its own at normal highway speeds. THe main reason I prefer the smaller bike is the seat. It sits higher and further back which is nice when you're 6'3". So I found an ad on the local classifieds online for a lady who can recover motorcycle seats and rework the foam. I dropped off the seat on the v45 to be redone. She's going to raise the driver seat foam about an inch and sculpt it to allow a seating position an inch back. I couldn't justify the cost of a corbin seat for an old honda. This seat should be more comfortable when I get it back.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Kind of hard to tell when looking at the drivers seat but it now has an extra 1.5" of foam added to the flat part and over an inch removed from the angle rising up to the passenger seat. Overall I'm happy with the results. Seems like a much more comfortable seating position. The lady was able to reuse the same material to cover the seat which saved some time and money. :cool:

e20a8ec6228b47c2b84e7181cba918cf.jpg
 

Kane

New member
$1000. Only 35k kms on her. Barely broke in.

A little over 20K miles on an '84? WOW! Sounds too good to be true. Nice find.





But after all I suppose, you do live in Canada ... not much time to ride bikes during the year.
 
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NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yes. Both bikes have less then 35K kms on them. Depending on weather our riding season runs from mid april to mid october so roughly 6 months. I find that up here you either find very low mileage bikes that people jut have had sitting in their garage for years without using them or the guys are diehard and have well over 100k km on them. I lucked out on this bike. I was looking at one a year newer but exactly the same model. It was in worse shape and they wanted twice as much as I paid for this one. I can't wait to take it for a good ride now that I had the seat reworked to make the seating position more comfortable for me.
 

Kane

New member
After 30 years, regardless of the odometer, the bike would probably love to have all of her fluids drained and replaced before she hits the road. Yum.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well, I decided this week that the v45 is just too small of a bike for me framewise. I decided to put her up for sale on kijiji and start looking for a touring bike. I orignally had my heart set on a mid 80's yamaha venture and found a couple I liked but after doing some research and talking to the sellers, I decided against it as the ones I was looking at were the early series which were prone to second gear failure. I was close to heading out yesterday to pick one up but after talking to the guy he informed me that the transmission was missing second gear. I quickly changed my mind. Within 20 minutes of making that decision, I received a reply for the ad I had placed to sell mine. A local guy has a 1983 honda goldwing gl1100 he wants to trade me. I went to look at it and the mechanics are all there. It's in decent shape for the age and basically needs a new front tire and some general TLC to make it good again. I decided on the trade. Going tomorrow afternoon to pick it up. It's going to need the brakes bled and a new front tire for safety as far as I can tell.
 

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NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Got the new/old girl home yesterday and have her half torn down in the garage. Ordered some parts for her already including a new choke cable, air and oil filters etc. She's looking good and running strong. One item on the list to be repaired is the passenger back. The material itself is alright for the age but the meta backing plate is completely rusted away. I'm going to have to fab up something new to hold the foam and leather. Overall she's in better shape than my old goldwing.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Here's a picture of my first goldwing after fixing her up. She was a true definition of a pig with lipstick. Had a fresh coat of paint on her so I was told. In reality it looked my like a five year old painted it with a spray can in the back yard. I had to replace the complete exhaust system. After 5k miles the engine blew so I had to search for a replacement. Basically tear down the bike to the bare frame to remove the engine. Once I got her reliable again she was alright.

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NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
So I basically had the goldwing torn down to the frame and engine over the past couple weeks giving it a good once over. The more I dig into this bike the more impressed I am. She had new brakes front and back but the lines were full of air. I got the brakes bled and they work great now. The guy I got it from said the previous owner told him it needed new front fork seals. He didn't know much about bikes apparently. So I used that to my advantage as a bargaining tool. Upon closer inspection in the luggage compartments, I found the old fork seals in a bag. Turns out all she needs for a safety is the front tire which I got done today. The dealership mixed up when they mounted it though and mounted the rim backwards as the new tire is directional. Not a huge deal. I was excited to take her for her maiden voyage so I installed the tire anyways just to try it out. I was very happy with the overall performance of that bike seeing as it is an '83. The engine runs smooth and the tranny shifts perfectly throughout the gears. Front and back brakes are good now. I'm going to run it for a bit then bleed the brakes again. All the lights work. This one has no stereo though so I ordered a simple cheap radio and speaker setup that mounts to the handlebars. It also has inputs for an mp3 player etc. I figured that while I'm at it I might as well install a 12v/usb adapter combo plug in on the dash in order to charge the cell phone as I'm driving. I'd have no problem jumping on and riding on a long cruise with it.

The front tire is now off again so I can bring it to the dealership to have it mounted the right way.

One of the reported problems over the years on the goldwings is a poor charging system. This bike already has a volt meter installed. There is a noticeable drop in volts when I turn on the rear lights. I will be swapping out all of the lights on the lower and upper rear bars for LED lights. $17.95 for a pack of 15 of them on ebay so I'll give it a shot to see if that reduces the draw on the charging system.

Digging further into the mess of parts that filled the saddle bags, I found several "notes" from previous owners indicating some of the maintenance that the bike has had over the years. This was a pleasant surprise since another problem on these old wings is the starters go over time. I found a note saying the starter was changed in 2008.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
*HIJACK ALERT* ............................ :brows: ... just havin some fun.

I rode a 86' Tour Glide ..............

IMG_2180.JPG

.......... for 28 years and never thought I'd need anything else. Never any issues in 110,000 miles. Decided to look for a new bike after a month with the TG in NH two years ago. Didn't realize how much advancement in the newer machines. I won't be going back to anything that is pre-2000.

Quit foolin around and just come on in to the 21st century!

2012 HD Limited & 2007 HD Fatboy

11221839_10153306659233482_6560125005703186429_n.jpg

Also have a 2007 Honda 750 Shadow Spirit for the wife. I don't think they make a lower seated, smoother shifting motorcycle ...... great for a beginner rider. It has plenty of power and will carry my big ass 80 mph all day long and still get near 50 mpg.

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NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
If I had the budget for something newer believe me I'd have a nice cruiser sitting in the yard. Actually considering selling the wing and picking up a 99 valkerye nomad that's for sale for a good price.

Meanwhile, found on the back roads today on a 3 hr round trip.....
ea7f22c011d9a797604d1c3922e0ddc3.jpg
7ac49928e264241a5e2da6c9368c6a81.jpg


I loaned dad my v30 for the ride since he just blew the drive shaft on his '01 valkerye interstate.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Anyone else here with older goldwing experience? If so, what'd you think of the engine crash bar setup? The ones on this bike are better known as shin busters. I'm always nailing my shin bones on them at every stoplight. I contemplated removing them altogether but that would mean losing my highway pegs.

So I did a search on ebay and found a set that mounts differently and doesn't stick way out in line with the shin bones.

My goldwing came with the driver floorboards and heal toe shifter. The original pegs and shifter were in the saddlebags with a note saying they were removed in 1984. Im amazed they never got lost in the shuffle over the years. While nice to have on the highway, the floorboards are in the way when trying to maneuver the bike around the yard.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Got the old girl running like a top. She's smooth. I was having an issue with the front forks leaking air. I found the problem yesterday. Turns out the valve stem needle at the top of the fork was loose. I tightened it up and she's fine again. I took the missus out for a ride after work today.

I plan on riding the goldwing as much as possible in June since we have a bike trip planned for july. I just want to get all the bugs out of her before the trip

eccdc724e4b6be89a1f3c18bf744b235.jpg
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NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Installed the new (old) crash bars I picked up on ebay. These ones don't stick out and hit me in the shin bones. I also had to do away with the floorboards and modify the lower front fairing pieces so they'd fit. Handling this big ole girl around the yard just became allot easier. After I ran it about 500miles I decided on another oil change to get rid of any old loose crud inside the engine. Gave her a few more squirts of Kleen flo carb cleaner into the airbox with the filter removed. I also installed a 12v lighter socket in order to facilitate a cell charger or mini air pump etc. Still waiting on the stereo and led lights to come in. The led lights at going to replace the regular bulbs on the rear bars in order to reduce strain on the alternator.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Here's the new crash bar and footpegs set up. Much better setup and feels like the bike shaved off 50lbs

81f7f0e82a0b1fe06107f9ade8322035.jpg
2fb365817e8647a339efa2630a5c6c69.jpg
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Looks GREAT. I like that look better. Those GoldWings are nice riding bikes from what I hear. Enjoy!!!!!
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I love the ride on the goldwing. The air suspension is a great addition. I also added a sheep skin seat pad on it for longer rides.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I did a bit of research and found out that the crash bars I installed actually came off the earlier goldwing 1000 model offered until 1979. Nonetheless. I prefer them to what was on there originally. Switching back to pegs vs running boards was also a good move. The bike has a more sporty feel to it now. She's running flawlessly now.
I've got a two day ride booked to head to hibbing mn in July to see the world of outlaws late models race. Going to be three of us riding down. 650 km one way.
 

Big Dog

Large Member
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Isn't there a Canadian law that makes it advantageous to own a older bike? I had a Canadian want to buy my old Harley because it was grandfathered out of some law that made it financially attractive. Some sort of tax disadvantage to newer bikes.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Not sure on that one. I know that after 25 years old some insurance companies consider them classics and limit the mileage you can put on in a year.

Meanwhile out on the back roads this evening. ...
8795a6ba2ed7c8316a0704e0d9b54bf2.jpg


I met up with a local bike group I'm part of and went for a cruise out in the country.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I bet it was a nice day for a ride. Nice looking group of bikes, now you need a pic with all the narly dudes and dudettes on them.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
A goldwing reunion of sorts showcasing goldwings throughout the years starting with my '83 gl1100. There was also a mid 90's 1500 and a 2001 1800. Dad's bike is behind mine. It's a honda valkirye interstate 1500. Highly sought after model of bike since that was the last year they made that model. We were missing a 1200 goldwing though to complete the collection.

I never was a fan of the gl1500 body styling. Looks more carlike then bike.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yes. Both bikes have less then 35K kms on them. Depending on weather our riding season runs from mid april to mid october so roughly 6 months. I find that up here you either find very low mileage bikes that people jut have had sitting in their garage for years without using them or the guys are diehard and have well over 100k km on them. I lucked out on this bike. I was looking at one a year newer but exactly the same model. It was in worse shape and they wanted twice as much as I paid for this one. I can't wait to take it for a good ride now that I had the seat reworked to make the seating position more comfortable for me.
Well I'll be a black sunmbich last Monday I bad the goldwing at work and while going home at lunch. She came to a completestop in front. I got rant into. Still at the hospital.
If I had the budget for something newer believe me I'd have a nice cruiser sitting in the yard. Actually considering selling the wing and picking up a 99 valkerye nomad that's for sale for a good price.

Meanwhile, found on the back roads today on a 3 hr round trip.....
ea7f22c011d9a797604d1c3922e0ddc3.jpg
7ac49928e264241a5e2da6c9368c6a81.jpg


I loaned dad my v30 for the ride since he just blew the drive shaft on his '01 valkerye interstate.

Here's the new crash bar and footpegs set up. Much better setup and feels like the bike shaved off 50lbs

81f7f0e82a0b1fe06107f9ade8322035.jpg
2fb365817e8647a339efa2630a5c6c69.jpg

Isn't there a Canadian law that makes it advantageous to own a older bike? I had a Canadian want to buy my old Harley because it was grandfathered out of some law that made it financially attractive. Some sort of tax disadvantage to newer bikes.

Not sure on that one. I know that after 25 years old some insurance companies consider them classics and limit the mileage you can put on in a year.

Meanwhile out on the back roads this evening. ...
8795a6ba2ed7c8316a0704e0d9b54bf2.jpg


I met up with a local bike group I'm part of and went for a cruise out in the country.
 

Jim_S

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Well I'll be a black sunmbich last Monday I bad the goldwing at work and while going home at lunch. She came to a completestop in front. I got rant into. Still at the hospital.

Brian, good to hear from you!

We hope your recovery is progressing.

Jim
 

Leni

Active member
Well, at least you are still alive and kicking. Glad to hear that you are out of ICU. Keep us informed on how you are doing please.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Still in the hospital trying to sort out my insides. Spicy food is no more for now. Still on oxygen and have to take short breaths.
 

Jim_S

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks for the update Brian.

Someones around here just about anytime if you need someone to talk too.

Jim
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Hate waking up at 4 am with burning back pain. It really limits my mototion for now. Until only 3 days ago I was still using a walker to get to the bathroom
 
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