Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

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Whiskerfish
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#16

Post by Whiskerfish »

5speed wrote:SNIP
So Octane, if you are reading this..my wife would like to speak to you about the 3 goldwings in the shed. :mrgreen:
lolol lolol lolol lolol lolol dancr dancr dancr dancr lolol lolol lolol lolol
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#17

Post by 82_GL1100 »

It seemed like a good idea at the time. A friend had a badly neglected Wing for sale cheap, and I thought it would be an cheap, easy project. It turned out that the bike liked 3's. 3+ years, 300+ hours of labor, $3k+ parts to get it back on the road. Rode it about 3 years, then let it sit for another 3 years. Getting it back in shape again now.

Learned a lot, had a lot of fun, but I'm not sure I'd ever use "value" to describe my Wing. At least not financial value.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#18

Post by ritalz »

I wanted one when they were first introduced. At the time I was riding a CB500F and not quite ready to buy another bike. Life got in the way and kept the 500 till I wrecked it in 1990 (I think). Didn't do much riding till my 75 found me in 2005. Soon after that I found this site. I've only owned one non Goldwing since and it was a Silverwing that simply did not satisfy my wants.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#19

Post by gregforesi »

In late 2005 I was in the market for a new bike. I wanted to do some traveling and would also be commuting 70 miles a day in fair weather. I rode the K1200LT (nice, but too tall for a commuter), rode the 88" Ultra (it was a pig) and ended up with an 1800 wing. After I did a stealth number on the 1800...nobody looked at it. Kind of yanked my chain because it is an absolutely terrific motorcycle. So wandering around doing searches on custom wings, I (like many others) ended up here where I came across this bike in the gallery.
Naked Wing.jpg
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I thought that bike looked pretty darn cool and that maybe I could do something with an old wing. So there it is. I've put 30k on it, and it's on a second engine, but I like my 1000 a lot. It runs terrific, handles passably well, and people actually look at it like it's a motorcycle. I'm not the builder that some are (HOTT comes immediately to mind) but I think I did a fair job. Met some real nice folks from here too.

I've heard a lot of comments over the years. My two favorites are...
"I've had three of those and I never thought of doing anything like that to one!" - A VERY jealous old fella
"That's the gnarliest looking Goldwing I've ever seen". - Young fella on a Sportster who thought he could pedal faster than me.

And it's always a hit at the Distinguished Gentlemans Ride.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#20

Post by CYBORG »

gregforesi wrote:In late 2005 I was in the market for a new bike. I wanted to do some traveling and would also be commuting 70 miles a day in fair weather. I rode the K1200LT (nice, but too tall for a commuter), rode the 88" Ultra (it was a pig) and ended up with an 1800 wing. After I did a stealth number on the 1800...nobody looked at it. Kind of yanked my chain because it is an absolutely terrific motorcycle. So wandering around doing searches on custom wings, I (like many others) ended up here where I came across this bike in the gallery.

Naked Wing.jpg

I thought that bike looked pretty darn cool and that maybe I could do something with an old wing. So there it is. I've put 30k on it, and it's on a second engine, but I like my 1000 a lot. It runs terrific, handles passably well, and people actually look at it like it's a motorcycle. I'm not the builder that some are (HOTT comes immediately to mind) but I think I did a fair job. Met some real nice folks from here too.

I've heard a lot of comments over the years. My two favorites are...
"I've had three of those and I never thought of doing anything like that to one!" - A VERY jealous old fella
"That's the gnarliest looking Goldwing I've ever seen". - Young fella on a Sportster who thought he could pedal faster than me.

And it's always a hit at the Distinguished Gentlemans Ride.

DGR-1.jpg
, Don't be modest, (it's not your style), YOU built a great bike. I've loved it from afar for years lolol lolol lolol
1978 custom GL1000
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#21

Post by low-side »

I've found that unless I bring a bike back from the dead I don't really connect with it. A few years ago I'd been thinking about getting a larger classic bike like a 4 cylinder wing or a BMW and I came across an ad for 2 titled GL1000s, non runners, for $800. 1 was a 78 with 39,000 mi and the other was a 79 with 29,000. The 78 was in better shape, so that's the one I resurrected. I love it and now my wife loves riding with me where she was scared to on my 75 CB750. Mine isn't naked anymore though, it has Vetter bags and trunk.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#22

Post by desertrefugee »

I should mention this - which reinforces why I have no intention of selling my nekkid '78:

I've had a lot of motorcycles over the years. But, no kidding, this old custom '78 gets more nods, comments and appreciation from folks than any motorcycle I've ever owned. Can't really explain it. I think it's just the imposing look of the opposed 4 cylinder hanging out there in all its glory. It looks like it means business. It's all motorcycle and no extra frills.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#23

Post by digschopper »

I'm a BSA/ Triumph guy. My 500 5ta bobber was finished,but a long way to go on my 750 Bonnie bobber. Asked the local salvage yard owner if he had any bikes." Look under that tarp,there's some old japanese bike I think." It was a 77 wing,ugly but complete,unsiezed motor. $200 and I took it home. Points were wired wrong,so within half an hour it ran. It's old,it's wierd,it's very un- Harley. Their reputation speaks for itself. In no time I saw something in it waiting to come out,like carving a log into a statue. I love this old whale. Now,if I can just finish it...
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#24

Post by gwdave83 »

Classic good lucks, comfortable UJM riding position, plenty of power for me and affordable. That's what first attracted me and still does and why to my wife's dismay, I own 10 different naked Wings which I have collected over the years.
Bought them cheap and can't seem to part with them. Six are licensed and I ride a different one nightly on my after work "relaxing time" ride and four are future retirement projects.
I live in a small town in a rural area and love to take an hour ride down country roads daily when the weather allows. People around here see the guy on the old Goldwings riding a different one all of the time.
My wife just doesn't understand my attraction to the old bikes. She does like to ride with me on our Valkryie Interstate though.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#25

Post by WingMan71 »

Why do I own a naked Gold Wing, or any Gold Wing for that matter?

Well... naked Gold Wings are just plain cool. They look like a motorcycle should, not like some mutant cockroach like many of the current crop of bikes look these days.

Second, Gold Wings are the easiest big bike for me to ride. I'm small, and the very low center of gravity afforded the Gold Wing by it's horizontally opposed engine layout and its gas tank under the seat feature make it really easy for a physically small person to manage the weight of a bike this size in slow speed/parking lot maneuvers.

I've owned four Gold Wings and still have three of them. ('76 GL1000 LTD, '87 GL1200A, '06 GL1800.)

Thank you Honda for letting us small guys ride two-up with three bags full of luggage!
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#26

Post by pidjones »

Just this sickness that I have.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#27

Post by skydog »

I was going to buy a chubblehead FXR ,basketcase . got there 15 minutes to late . bought a Vetter dressed 78 and never looked back .Found this forum and started collecting parts ,resulting in the 75 . Bought and sold 3 1000's , then I saw a 84 Standard and HAD to have one.Now I have 3 running and the original 78 almost there again.I will add that all I want to do
any more is ride :crosso
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#28

Post by Graham Cracker »

Did someone mention they are QUIET?
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#29

Post by Oldboy »

Bought a bagger, fixed it all up, looking for something else to do, Saw Octane's build......the rest is history.....except I have 2 nudies..
Cheers...

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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#30

Post by rcmatt007 »

Graham Cracker wrote:Did someone mention they are QUIET?
in 78 they made them a bit louder.... lots of complaints about the quiet lolol

and mine was never naked.... just been in 40+ states and several provinceds
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