Best Honda Goldwing year for Cafe Build

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Rat
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Re: Best Honda Goldwing year for Cafe Build

#31

Post by Rat »

My (humble?) opinion is .... if you can't see it from the seat .... it don't matter ....

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Re: Best Honda Goldwing year for Cafe Build

#32

Post by Explorer »

My sentiments exactly, hear, hear!
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: Best Honda Goldwing year for Cafe Build

#33

Post by Lucien Harpress »

I've got a yellow '76, and it took me a while to decide that's the model 1000 I wanted to go with- the spoke wheels did it, and I liked the tank lines of the early bikes SLIGHTLY better, from a purely stock perspective.

That being said, I would (eventually) LOVE to cafe out a later 78/79 model- eliminate the speedo and tach by moving them down to the pod, drop a 1200 motor into it, and somehow work spoke wheels back into the equation.

But that's personal preference. You really can't go wrong with.... well, ANY of the 'wings, really. Just depends on how much you want to put into it.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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Re: Best Honda Goldwing year for Cafe Build

#34

Post by desertrefugee »

Lucien Harpress wrote:
That being said, I would (eventually) LOVE to cafe out a later 78/79 model- eliminate the speedo and tach by moving them down to the pod, drop a 1200 motor into it, and somehow work spoke wheels back into the equation.

But that's personal preference. You really can't go wrong with.... well, ANY of the 'wings, really. Just depends on how much you want to put into it.
Something that has been on my radar for a while. One of these days!
- Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning to ride in the rain.
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Re: Best Honda Goldwing year for Cafe Build

#35

Post by warhead_71 »

I'd say any of the GL1000's, up to '79, mostly because they are lighter. Still a tank compared to actual British cafe racers. But also the lines are better suited to traditional racer "bump seats". The 78-79's have those boxy faux tanks that look reminiscent of a Norton Manx or the early Honda CB450 Black Bombers... which is how I tried to style mine.
( Other bikes: 76 CB200T | 68 CL350 | 69 CB350 | 76 CB360T | 78 CB400T | 81 CM400 | 79 CB750F | 81 CB650C | 73, 74, 76 CB750K | 83 V45 Magna | 84 V65 Magna )
'78 GL1000 :: EMGO Superbike handlebars, Corbin touring seat, National Cycle F-16 windscreen, EMGO "Roadhawk" wide-mouth 24" megaphones.
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