Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

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Tyson
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Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#1

Post by Tyson »

Hi Everyone

I'm new to the Goldwing scene and I'm currently deciding whether or not to purchase a GL1100.
I have ridden a fully dressed GL1100, Vetter font fairing, panniers etc etc but my interests lie more in the "Cafe" versions I've seen trawling the interwebs.
My question is really for those currently riding Naked/cafe Goldwings I suppose.
1. How does it handle? Good in the twisty stuff?
2. What is the acceleration like? Exiting corners etc
3. Is it likely to scrape the footpegs/engine?

I am a moderately skilled rider who likes riding something a little bit different :-)

Thanks, I await your input :-)

Tyson
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RB
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#2

Post by RB »

They are a beast..lower center of gravity(boxer engine and gas tank under the seat)you can scrape pegs, mufflers, crash bars etc. etc. if you have the right tires..sticky...and know how to ride.. you can lower the front a bit and the back by getting shorter shocks and letting the forks up past the top of the triple tree clamps but this changes everything steering wise so be careful!!! Not recommended for the faith of heart..

Just IMHO!! ;)
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6adan
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#3

Post by 6adan »

Not a 1100 but this is my 79 1000. To me it rides good and handles good but I am probably older than you. I did change the carbs, cam, and timing to 75. It is comfortable enough that I can make a 100 mi ride or so without any problem.
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Trike and another 76 LTD bad shape, and several more for parts.
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#4

Post by Shaneo »

Not a cafe more brat style, lower bars, bar end mirrors and seat. I think it rides very good, but I'm no racer.
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#5

Post by Shaneo »

Just another pic.
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Tyson
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#6

Post by Tyson »

They look great.
That is the style I'll be aiming for. I'm not into going fast or racing around too much, I'm more into enjoying the bike, cruising around with the occasional squirt ;-) Thanks for your input!
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fish
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#7

Post by fish »

the shaft drive is heavy so WOT over rough ground can give a little tire spin.
These girls are a little heavy so you need to be smoooooth..
countersteering rather than muscling it in twisties.
The damping is antiquated.. if you wanna ride it hard you gotta upgrade to better parts & get the suspension really dialed in for your style and weight.
In my opinion the point of a NGW is coolness & one of a kind factor.
In traffic with 2 or 3 modern sport bikes they all look alike & all sound alike & all even shift gears at the same time.
The NGW with it's unique exhaust, gear whine from the shaft drive & the NGW style, have a look and a sound completely unique. get the carbs dialed in & these girls purr like a kitten & roar like a lion!
Go to bike night at the hamburger stand & the NGW will get more comments than a row of fully faired modern sportbikes.
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#8

Post by olchris »

fish wrote:the shaft drive is heavy so WOT over rough ground can give a little tire spin.
These girls are a little heavy so you need to be smoooooth..
countersteering rather than muscling it in twisties.
The damping is antiquated.. if you wanna ride it hard you gotta upgrade to better parts & get the suspension really dialed in for your style and weight.
In my opinion the point of a NGW is coolness & one of a kind factor.
In traffic with 2 or 3 modern sport bikes they all look alike & all sound alike & all even shift gears at the same time.
The NGW with it's unique exhaust, gear whine from the shaft drive & the NGW style, have a look and a sound completely unique. get the carbs dialed in & these girls purr like a kitten & roar like a lion!
Go to bike night at the hamburger stand & the NGW will get more comments than a row of fully faired modern sportbikes.
I couldn't agree more.. I beleive you need to know what you want, not what others think... Handling and performance are not (a deal breaker) and any part of my decisions building a NGW MC.... There are plenty of other and cheaper options out there but it's a 70's bike for me to spend time with...

If you Tyson, want to buy a bike go here ... http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=56795 or PM me as its almost ready...
1972 Norton.. Rebuild from boxes.. http://www.accessnorton.com/strange-fra ... 44-60.html and here http://www.accessnorton.com/strange-frame-t18084.html SOLD
1975 Mk3 Norton.. Too good to mess with, but refurbished...
1975 Goldwing #1 SOLD
!975 Goldwing #2.. http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 2+wing%232
1975 Goldwing #3... http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic. ... =Wing+%233 Going very slowly but going forward..
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#9

Post by bladredhead »

Tyson wrote:They look great.
That is the style I'll be aiming for. I'm not into going fast or racing around too much, I'm more into enjoying the bike, cruising around with the occasional squirt ;-) Thanks for your input!
it sounds like you might be happier with a more or less stock riding position. the cafe/brat whatever look is largely accomplished with lower bars or clipons. if you're mostly wandering around at a sedate pace, that position might get uncomfortable quickly.

these bikes scoot around just fine in stock configuration. brakes and suspension can be fiddled with to match riding style.
Broken 1976 gl1000... and a few others
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#10

Post by delling3 »

Well, here is the GL1000 that I took from a full-dressed model to what you see here. I found that it handled the twisty stuff quite well, and while I may have been a bit slower than my buddy on his ZRX1200, it wasn't so much of a difference as you might think. I have since moved on to a Kawasaki Concours, as for me it was kind of the perfect balance between the two extremes. I found the dressed wings to be too biased to the touring side of the ledger, but liked the wind protection and baggage that the Concours had to offer.

FWIW, I never got more comments/thumbs up, etc. that I did when I was riding the Wing.

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Previous:
1978 GL1000 - JUNE 2017 BOTM: Sold
2006 Kawasaki Concours: Sold
1995 Kawasaki Concours: Crashed/totalled.
1976 GL1000: LAST RESTORATION, sold
1981 Honda CB900F Supersport: 3rd restoration, sold.
1979 Yamaha XS-750F: 2nd restoration, sold.
1982 Honda FT-500 Ascot: First (only) new bike. Family forces sale.
1973 CB500 Four: First restoration, long gone.
1972 Suzuki TS-100: First bike, sold.

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Tyson
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#11

Post by Tyson »

What a great bike!
I'm looking at building the bike myself according to my SWMBO budget ha ha. But I'm going to ride a GL100 with only a front vetter fairing hopefully tomorrow. I'll get a better feel for the weight and balance, then I'll decide then.
Thanks so much everybody for your input.
Tyson.
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#12

Post by UK_Andy »

Those of you that built a cafe/brat/bobber from a dresser, whats the differemce in riding stripped down, more poweful?

Is it noticeable a different machine?
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#13

Post by 6adan »

For me it feels like a light bike but then I also ride a GL1500 so compared to that it is light. It is less top heavy without the fairing.

Danie
79 GL1000,75 GL1000,76 GL1000 LTD,70 CB750k JDM, 79 CBX, 2000 Valkyrie CT 2008 Goldwing Roadsmith
Trike and another 76 LTD bad shape, and several more for parts.
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#14

Post by olchris »

UK_Andy wrote:Those of you that built a cafe/brat/bobber from a dresser, whats the differemce in riding stripped down, more poweful?

Is it noticeable a different machine?
Once you see the light! there may be no turning back :2thumbs :2thumbs !!

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1972 Norton.. Rebuild from boxes.. http://www.accessnorton.com/strange-fra ... 44-60.html and here http://www.accessnorton.com/strange-frame-t18084.html SOLD
1975 Mk3 Norton.. Too good to mess with, but refurbished...
1975 Goldwing #1 SOLD
!975 Goldwing #2.. http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 2+wing%232
1975 Goldwing #3... http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic. ... =Wing+%233 Going very slowly but going forward..
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Re: Cafe style GL1100 - What are they like to ride?

#15

Post by ericheath »

Several years back someone posted pics of a guy who took his gl to track days. He never won but finished near the top against the mostly sport bikes. Most people expect these to have torque like a modern v-twin at lower rpm. It took me years to get over my fear that mine would blow up if I rode it at the rpms where the torque is. These are old school, camwise and need to rev to find their power. Ride it between 4-7k and it's pretty quick.
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