My GF's engagement present...sshhh its a secret!

[bottobot]

Hey Everyone!
I've been a fan of this site and all your amazing bikes since seeing some very special Goldwings on Bike Exif. I started poking around on this site I saw some other very inspirational and creative bikes. So here's my story.

So I've decided to ask my girlfriend to marry me. I surprised her on our second anniversary with a '78 CB400A so she could learn to ride. We spent our third anniversary on a motorcycle trip all the way around Australia. She rode a BMW f650gs. Now back in Canada she is back on the automatic and it simply will not do. Since motorcycling is a huge part of our lives I've decided to restore a goldwing and hide the ring in it. I want to surprise her with a bike when I propose.

Here's the bad news the goldwing I got is old and won't start. Its a 1979 GL1000.


The good news I got lots of time and some mechanical ability. I really want to keep a log of the progress here so I can compile it at the end and show her all the hard work that went into it and of course to get as much advice and tips from you guys as possible.

Here is her old bike.

[vanillagorilla]

That's awesome! Sounds like she'll love it, and you.
I think I speak for us all, "We're here to help!"

[bottobot]

IT STARTS!


I thought I would give it a couple more tries before I left the shop but it starts! WoooHoooo!


It sounds really rough and the carb are going to need a thorough cleaning for sure but this is real good news.

[sunnbobb]

Sounds good. Please replace the belts before you run it any longer...

[bottobot]

Sounds good. Please replace the belts before you run it any longer...

Will do. I actually already have a bunch of "tune-up" parts I ordered awhile back based on what I read on this forum. I am will do them tomorrow, thanks for the reminder!

[bottobot]

That's awesome! Sounds like she'll love it, and you.
I think I speak for us all, "We're here to help!"

Hey thanks vanillagorilla! :D

[bottobot]

Ok now that I'm home from the shop I'd like to give to give you the back story on this particular bike. It belonged to a man who was once a brutal alcoholic. Lets call him Al. About ten years or so ago he got sober, went to AA and started to get his ---- together. After being sober for about 7 years he starts to get lonely and gets into hiring prostitutes. I don't know all the details but Al ended up falling in love with one of these women and it led to him catching some real bad STD's. He gets real sick. My good friend, lets call him Bob, takes him out for rides and helps him with his bike from time to time. Eventually Al gets bed-ridden for awhile. He gets bed sores. Maybe as a result of being on too many painkillers or other complications I don't know about, the bed sores get real bad. Half his --- is gone pretty much and even when he gets a bit healed up its too sore to ride. Bob helps him install different seats, even fabricates a special custom seat but he just can't ride anymore. The Goldwing sits, disused and abandoned for a couple years. Bob still checks in on Al from time to time but sometimes Al doesn't answer the phone or the door. Too many painkillers. Its a pretty sad story. One of the few things that gave him any joy in life he can no longer physically use.

Flash forward a couple years and my GF and I are back from Australia. I of course having fallen in love with some of projects here on the site post some links to my pal Bob showing the cool custom jobs people are doing on these tired "Oldwings" . I tell him how much I'd like to do one myself and he puts me in touch with Al. We work out a price, which is low because the bike doesn't start and may have some other "problems". What they are? Al is pretty vague so I negotiate him down to a cool thousand bucks. Which for a non-running mystery problem GL1000 is fair price. Part of the deal is that once I have it restored he'd like to go around the block on it. Deal. I park it and start working on some other bikes I have queued up. About a week later I'm brainstorming with a friend about how to propose and it hits me like a ton of bricks. I have to do a Beluga Bike and hide the ring in the glove box with a stencilled "Will you marry me?" inside with an arrow pointing to the ring.

The Beluga whale is one of those inside couple's jokes. Basically on our road trip circumnavigating Australia we were camping every night. We already had a running gag about pretending to be whales and so one night we decided we needed a call and answer when entering the tent after dark. That way we knew it wasn't an axe murderer and it was just one of us. We came up with "Beluga Whale!". Because no one else would ever say that when answering the question "who goes there?". Now we use it whenever we come home, instead of saying hello or something. Its just this dorky thing that we do and think is hilarious.

So my vision for this bike is to paint it purple (her favourite colour) and then do a Beluga decal on the side of the tank. Drop the bars a bit, upgrade suspension and find some ways to make it lighter. Not gonna do some mega mod customization as I would like to propose in a couple months. I just want to clean it and get it mechanically sound and spruced up.

So that's the story!

[polkadot]

Nice story, but as a 2 time matrimonial veteran, I suggest you not tell her the full story of the bike's PO. Also, you need to keep your camera in your workshop. Think about the threads you have enjoyed following. I bet they were loaded with pictures. It is also your best way of documenting the rebuild when you forget how something went together. Good Luck and remember we are all in this together!

[Sagebrush]

Great story and looking forward to following this thread.

[Fred Camper]

I can keep a secret. Looking forward to the restoration.

[Roady]

Let the wrenches fly. Great story there. Throw us the questions, we're all in this one together.

[ole496]

Geez that's a rough story, but I'm glad you rescued that goldwing from neglect. I can't wait to see how this all turns out! Good Luck!!

[wingless1]

great ideas-sad about Al.
Good luck with it all.
There is a guy in Van runs a shop called "straightwings"-he can hook you up with salvage parts as needed. Has a website and seemed good the couple of times that I dealt with him.

[bottobot]

Thanks for all the encouragement. The girlfriend already knows where the bike came from though. I couldn't really hide that. It's ok though as the sentimental factor of having this thing find a new life and new beginning will really connect with her. Al made some pretty big mistakes that he couldn't come back from but he was happy that the bike was going to someone who would give it the love it needs, even though he was pretty sad to let it go.

I've started tearing down the bike. I'll be hitting up straightwings for some stuff I'm sure. Is the owner of streetwings a member here? Also if anyone would like to drop by workshop please feel free. I'm in broadway and granville neighbourhood of Vancouver, BC. Just message me and I'll send you the address.

Everything is incredibly dusty and dirty. I am considering doing a custom carbon mold to replace the current false tank but I am uncertain about that yet as I've never done a carbon fiber mold before. Basically anything I can do to reduce weight on this bike I will be considering. In a little while I will post all the goodies I have bought for this project but for now I'll put up some tear down pics.

Here is the side. There are some terminals marked ACC Terminals in a black box. Anyone know what these were used for? I'm imagining some type of easy access for an electronic accessory, maybe a stereo. That's my best guess.


The other side.




This battery has seen better days. I don't think it holds enough charge to start the bike as I had to use a different battery to get it going. I'm giving it a good charge and will clean the terminals and put it back in and see how it performs.



I need to replace the gauge cluster in the tank. The PO drilled two holes in it for some reason.


I forgot my keys at home and can't get at the fuel cap so for right now the false tank is stuck until I get my keys and open the lid and figure out how to get the fuel cap through the false tank as it seems hung up on that. Also the flasher relay is making a crazy whine when I turn the flashers on. Turn signals work though, just a super annoying noise. Going to have to replace that too.

[Sagebrush]

ACC is the 5A fused accessory terminal. The buzz you hear is from a buzzer designed to warn the rider that his turn signals have been on too long. I suspect the holes were for switches that operated some accessory.