Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

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

#31

Post by CYBORG »

M y 78 is very quit, and I like it that way. Especially on long trips
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Graham Cracker
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#32

Post by Graham Cracker »

rcmatt007 wrote:
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
The 78/79s have just the right amount of “growl” to them. Can’t imagine complaints about “quiet”...I like it that way too
Mark

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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#33

Post by Sidecar Bob »

I sort of fell into 'Wing ownership. If you told me I'd not only have a "LeadWing" but have the same one for 22 years & counting during the first few years I had bikes I'd have laughed you out of the room. I was quite happy with my GS400, even after I added a sidecar (the only thing I didn't like was that road salt ate drive chains). A friend had a Dnepr he wanted to sell and it seemed perfect for winter and I could sell the sidecar from the 400 and keep the Suzuki for summer. But keeping a Soviet bike running before the Internet was a daunting proposal. I somehow managed to find someone that had a business installing a BMW engines in Dneprs; That was a vast improvement (150cc smaller, 13 years older, 7 more HP) but when a main bearing in that failed a few months later I was told "You can't even pronounce the German word for main bearing without a special tool".

Around that time I stopped in at a local bike shop and the guy there said "someone traded in a bike and every time I look at it I think it would be great for you". It turned out to be a then 14 year old '77 GL1000. And he was right, it was a perfect match for the Dnepr's sidecar. And when its engine developed problems a couple of years later it was much easier to find a good used 'Wing engine that I could install myself than getting parts for the Dnepr was.

5 years into owning the 'Wing someone in a car turned left across my path and wrote it off. I bought the wreck because I wanted some of the parts to use on whatever I replaced it with (turned out to be another GS400 that someone gave me but when I got fed up with chain drives I replaced that with a GL500). While I was recovering from the accident (broken wrist) someone said "You need to talk to Dave. He has a GoldWing with a seized engine and you have an engine with a seized GoldWing." and I ended up bringing home the hulk that would become my summer machine (AKA Mr.H) that I still have almost 22 years later.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#34

Post by JamesPal »

You never forget the first time you ride a Goldwing. For me that was in September 1976. The ride was on my buddy's maroon '76. After that I went through a '77 CB750F and then a '74 CB750K. At that time there was no other bike that compared to a Goldwing. In '82 I bought the '81. It was born naked and it will stay that way. Besides, I need a naked to go with the '85 Interstate.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#35

Post by raiddrten »

I don't know about owning a naked gold wing. I swear that the bike owns me. It is a $300.00 barn find that a buddy found when he was buying a British bike. Cute cosmetically and the frame is solid, so I took a chance. It is missing a few parts and had ancient newsprint from 15 years ago wrapped around some of its parts. When I did compression checks, I thought that it was a paper weight, but a few adjustments later, all cylinders are at 150PSI. I am trying to retire, but some nice clients keep me working for a bit longer, so the bike is sitting for a bit longer.

Then another buddy insisted i look at an Aspy from 1984.This bike is gorgeous for its age and at a price that I could not pass up. The way it rides and all that power should make me want to sell the project bike, but I swear i just want the GL1000 just as bad as before. Like i said, these bikes own you.

None of that would make sense to most people, but I bet you guys understand
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#36

Post by 5speed »

Oldboy wrote: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..
I see a reoccurring theme here. lol
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#37

Post by Rat »

The Bulldog chased quite a few people our way ....

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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#38

Post by HOTT »

Acquired my first wing over 10yrs ago. To be honest I didn't really take it seriously as it sat in the corner of my shop. Little by little (with thanks to this site), I picked at it and was soon hooked by its genius. From there nights were spent working on and admiring '..how they did that !'... All this before I ever rode one!

So when I rode it around the block for the first time...OMG! What have I missed? Unbelievable! I love it!!

(side note) I Remember when they first came out (at that time I had a Harley and a CB750K) I was appalled at how HUGE they were and I thought they just ripped off BMW ( :IDTS: :IDTS: ). I was sooo wrong.

Now some years later I have more 'Wings than a sane person should have. Have gagle of great new friends and experiences.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#39

Post by rcmatt007 »

wow those pictures are a few trips down memory lane
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#40

Post by Dirty Dave »

Loved the 1st Wing I ever saw in '77 and knew I had to have one. Rode with this guy we met who had one while on our way to Los Angeles from Montreal via Vancouver. Custom paint job so I had no idea what it was at first. Was 20 years later when I
bought my 78 Wing, and then a 79 Wing and then an 84 Aspy. Traded the Aspencade in for the naked Valkyrie because
I don't like tupperware, hence just naked bikes.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#41

Post by heraldhamster »

ooh, not sure where to start. I came across an article in Mech Illustrated in '83,
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for a tadpole, or reverse, trike built on a 'big-bore' bike. they used a KZ1000. I knew a little bit about GoldWings, specifically they have a shaft drive & thought, "less maintenance and good power to weight ratio," one of those would be perfect for this. I also knew a little bit about flat fours having owned two VW Beetles.
so 11 years later I bought one used. ended up riding it for a year or so then took it to a tech school to have the motorcycle mechanics class go through it completely.
besides breaking a belt cover, it ran really rough after they were done, then died six months later. I didn't have the skills then to do anything with it so I dragged it around with me for another 15 years. it got water in the cylinders, collected moss & algae etc, etc. then I bought a runner in South PDX, OR. it was so much fun to ride I figured I needed another one to turn into a trike and keep one to ride.
but then I found one for a hundred bucks at an auction...
then one of the members on here who was local needed to get rid of his...
then I thought that a 1200 would be perfect for a trike...
then SOMEbody found me a 1500 with reverse that's in pieces... hey, it's already mostly disassembled for my trike.


uh, is that six or seven? whatever I still have them all.
sorta bulldogged custom 1978 GL1000 - "geekster"
full Vetter dress 1979 GL1000 - "Barge" (currently down)
1986 1200 Aspencade - "Heart of Gold" - daily rider
1990 1500 Aspencade - It's ALIVE! but very, very naked. not in a good way.
1978 for $100 - project in worx
1978 from a previous member here - taking up space
my original '79 bought in '91 - replacing engine (eventually, maybe someday)

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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#42

Post by alexanderherder »

Hi There.
Why i own a naked Goldwing? When i was eighteen i bought my first GL1000 and i still got it. i am now in the 40's. Just the looks and the sound of the flat four give me goose bumbs everytime. At the time i was 12 my neighbours drove GL's and i loved them. Than my neighbour said ; I found a bike for you so i went to the shop nearly 18 years old and bought my first GL1000. At that time i was the youngest Gl1000 drive and owner in the Netherlands. The Years after i had some 1200's and 1500's lover the flat six sound. The last 4 years i started to build a caferacer and man!!! what a great bike https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic ... 13&t=66452

Greetz Alexander
Recent collection goldwings
GL1000 k2
Gl1000 k2 cafebike Desi...
Gl1200 aspencade '84 made naked
Gl1200 Interstate '86 ( for sale )
Gl1500 '89

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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#43

Post by Gowing »

I stared at my buddy’s blue 75 for 4 days on a road trip to Vegas back in 1978. Super smooth, powerful and comfortable motorcycles. Even a ham fisted person can maintain them with the help of naked goldwing club!
Dave

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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#44

Post by Liam »

I saw my very first wing in the flesh sometime in the seventies. It was red and it was huge. I was fascinated by the flat 4 engine and the choke was a pull out mounted on the dash. I was only about 16 at the time, never thought I would ever have one.
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Re: Why do you own a Naked Gold Wing?

#45

Post by heli_madken »

I was on holiday in 77 camping down in Cornwall UK on my 400/4, one day I heard a really nice mechanical noise and looked up to see a GL1000 coming on to the site and to my delight the owner and his girlfriend pitched their tent next to mine.

We got on like a house on fire and traded bikes throughout the holiday, Barry actually liked the nimbleness of the 400 and I just loved riding his GoldWing.

So much that I saved up and took delivery of a K2 the following year. Rode her through to 83 when stupidly I sold her because my then girlfriend didnt like bikes.

My bike still exists and i have tried very hard over the last few years to trace the owner but have given up now and bought a beautiful fully restored K2 which I love.

To me that mix of mechanical engineering superiority together with 1970's 'proper bike' looks is to die for
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