From: buffalo@wam.umd.edu (Duncan D. Sterling)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Re: Goldwings are darned interesting motorcycles
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:16:50 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park

In article <1992Dec22.112025.17746@bnr.uk> datasbld@bnr.ca (Datasbuild) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.153812.9911@news.mentorg.com> mikej@mikej.mentorg.com (Mike Johnson) writes:
>>John Sloan writes a remarkably clear and reasoned article
>>on what GoldWings are good for.
>>
>>John you have captured the essence of Wings.  Well said!
>>
>>Mike Johnson
>>One who commutes on a Wing
>>mikej@wv.mentorg.com
>
>Yes, I agree that Wings are interesting.  Their engine design is very good and
>the handling is an unforgettable but not unpleasant experience.  I speak from
>experience as I owned a Wing for 8 months and used it to despatch around
>Smoke (London) on it.(!)  Mine was a '78 with fairing and panniers.  I used to
>dent the downpipes on kerbs....

Hear Hear!

I bought an '82 GL1100 Interstate in the middle of last May.  It had been
sitting for almost 2 years when I bought it.

With fresh plugs, fluid changes, valve adjustment, and a new timing belt, I
proceeded 2 weeks later to subject the bike to a 2 month, 14 thousand mile
juggernaut.  The trip ran from Washington DC to San Diego to British Columbia
to the Alaska Panhandle. Then, back to southern Cal., back to northern Cal.,
return to southern Cal. and home.

Total maintenance: 1 set of plugs, 3 oil changes, 1 valve adjustment, and 1
tire balance on the road.  Only mechanical problems: the first day on the road,
when using the reserve setting on the fuel petcock, the bike stalled.  Why?
because the previous owner had never ridden the bike far enough to use the
reserve, so the tube that runs to the bottom of the tank was full of 3 year
old gas.  It blew out with the next full tank, and worked fine after that.
The valves had never been adjusted since the factory, and had become very
tight (which 'wings do if you don't adjust 'em).  After pre-trip adjustment
the bike used oil for 3 thousand miles, and then stopped.  The valves had
re-seated themselves!

The bike was horrendously overloaded at the start of the trip, and with the
addition of my S.O., plus all her stuff, the overweight problem only got
worse.  Despite all this, the bike handled well (even on the highway 1
twisties between San Simeon and Monterey, Cal.), and managed to achieve
42-47 MPG to boot.  Out of the wind, with a cushy seat and backrest, CB,
and AM/FM cassette, the trip was much less painfull than it could have
been.  I was in much less pain than the guys on sports bikes 
(and "sports-tourers") who I rode with on the trip.  Especially at the end
of 600 mile + days.

All this with 10 year old technology!  If someone makes a better bike for
touring (except perhaps a newer 'wing) I'd like to know,
because I'll buy one.

 

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duncan Sterling          buffalo@wam.umd.edu   GT750L, KH500A8, CA175K3
University of Maryland    "Yeeehaaa!" - Slim Pickens in "Dr. Strangelove"   
College Park, Md.         "2 strokes are quicker than 4" - anonymous 
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles