New to me 77 goldwing

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rjdoles
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New to me 77 goldwing

#1

Post by rjdoles »

Hello Everyone. I just purchased a 77 Goldwing and one of the members on the GoldWing site suggested that I try this site as it is more specific to the older wings. I copied my first post from that site and pasted it here.

I just purchased a barn find 77 Goldwing with 42,000 miles on it for $500. It is in pretty nice shape but it is pretty crusty as it has been sitting for 15 years. The engine turns over with the kick starter so it is not siezed up. The throttle is frozen which is probably a stuck butterfly in one of the carbs. The rear brake pedal if pushed down, stays down. The front brake master cylinder plunger is stuck in. The owner says that it had an ignition problem possibly a bad coil when he parked it. The good news is that he drained the fuel before parking it. The problems are typical for a bike sitting for that long. I plan to take lots of pictures as I get it running and back on the road.

I am a retired electrical engineer from Columbus, Ohio and I have had lots of motorcycles over the years. I started out at age 14 with a used 1958 Allstate Highlander. That was a scooter made by Cushman for Sears. At that time, Ohio offered a restricted drivers license at age 14 for scooters under 5 hp. Once I turned 16 and got my "real" drivers license I moved up to a 66 305 Super Hawk. When I got out of the Army in 1970 I had my heart set on a red CB450 Honda but the dealers didn't have one and dock workers were on strike in California so the dealers couldn't get me one. The dealer said that he did have a red CB750. At that time the 450 was $1125 and the 750 was $1425 so I bought the 750. That sounds really cheap for a new motorcycle but I was making less than $5000 / year in 1970. No regrets on buying the 750 as it was a great bike. I have had many bikes since then. My last motorcycle was about 4 years ago and it was a VT750 Shadow Spirit. I sold it and bought an 05 Silverwing scooter.

My wife sat on that Shadow about 4 years ago and commented that she felt that she could ride it. She decided to get her MC endorsement. She asked me to find her something cheap to learn on so that if she dropped it she wouldn't feel bad. I found an 84 Elite 125 scooter for her. It was the first motorized 2 wheeler she had ever ridden. She practiced on it in our neighborhood for about 6 weeks while she was waiting for her MC safety course at the local Harley shop. The Harley shop used 500 Buell's for the class and after the 3 day class, she got her endorsement. She said that the Buell taught her that she didn't like messing with the clutch and gears and she wanted to stick with a scooter so we sold the Elite 125 and bought her a 250 Reflex and later a Yamaha Majesty 400. We have the Cardo radio's so we can communicate and we usually ride single file with her in the front. Our longest trip was probably 100 miles from home.

On one trip, we were on a county road and she was riding in front as usual and we were going to make a left turn. We both had our turn signals on when an Odyssey van passed me and hit her from behind. The woman driving the van had a load of teenage kids in the car. We assumed that there was probably mayhem going on in the van and the woman got distracted. My wife got pretty banged up and spent a couple weeks in the hospital. The Majesty was totaled so once the broken bones healed, she was back on the Reflex. She never got her confidence back after that accident and rode less and less.

I took her seldom used Reflex out for a spin 2 years ago. While sitting at a traffic light behind 3 stopped cars a guy in an F150 plowed into the back of me. Wow, my wife and I both got hit from behind. I glanced in my mirror and I could see he was looking down in his lap, I assume at his phone. He was braking but not looking to see that he was not braking hard enough. My wife's Reflex became a crush zone between him and the car in front of me. When I realized that he wasn't going to stop I had just enough time to stand up before he knocked the handlebars out of my hands. I ended up on my top box and his hood. Luckily I didn't get hurt but the Reflex was totaled. Since I am 73 and don't heal as quick as I used to, we took the insurance check for the Reflex and decided that it might be best to call it quits with 2 wheelers but this nice weather made me realize that 2 wheeling is not that easy to get out of your system. I love tinkering with bikes as much as riding them so here I am again.

I am going to take my time restoring this Goldwing. I know a lot about motorcycles but I don't know much Goldwings. I hope that I can get help from people on this site when I have questions.

Sorry for the length of the post. I started out to say hello and it turned into literature.
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GL1000 after wash.jpg
GL1000 after wash.jpg (142.97 KiB) Viewed 392 times
Started with an Allstate stooter made by Cushman and then a series of Honda motorcycles. 305 SuperHawk, CB750, VT600DC, VT750CD and then 4 years ago I left motorcycles for scooters with an Elite 125, Reflex 250 and Silverwing 600. Most recent is a barn find 77 GL1000 that I plan to resurect.
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Track T 2411
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#2

Post by Track T 2411 »

Welcome from Wisconsin! It looks like you got a pretty good deal! Check out the 'new 2 you' thread linked in my signature for some great info to get you started. Changing the timing belts should probably be one of your first priorities.
Enjoy the ride!
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

"He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail" - Abraham Maslow

"If you can't take the time to do it right the first time, how are you ever going to find the time to do it over?" -Unknown

Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
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Rat
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#3

Post by Rat »

Welcome to the 'Wingdom.

Nice find .... lots of good stuff in ShopTalk ....

Gord
"I'd rather Ride than Shine"
‘14 KLR650 ... not a rat ... yet
‘84 GL1200i ‘R2B6' (Rat to Be 6, the last, adopted by twowings)
My Original 'RAT' was a hybrid '82 CB900/1100F
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rjdoles
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#4

Post by rjdoles »

I picked up the bike on Monday. I sprayed it down with degreaser, powerwashed it and then dryed it with a leaf blower. I got the seat, tank cover, side covers off. Where do you start when you have to check everything? I paid $500 for it and my goal is to get it on the road for less than $1000 plus a lot of elbow grease.

There was no battery so i ordered a new battery. I could find them for $60 but every Honda I have owned had a Yuasa battery so I order one of those. It was $97.

Started with the stuck throttle. With the tank cover off I could see the butterflies moving a little when I twisted the throttle. I disconnected the throttle cables and discovered the butterflies operate freely from the linkage and snap shut when you release the linkage. Ordered a new set of throttle cables.

The rear brake pedal stayed down when you press on it. I drained the rear brake reservoir and put in fresh brake fluid. After pumping the pedal a hundred times with the bleeder open the pedal freed up and it now snaps back up when released. The rear tire spins fairly easily and when you press on the brake pedal it stop immediately.

The front brake handle does nothing. The plunger in the reservoir is stuck in. I ordered a new reservoir.

The rear tire looks pretty good but the front tire is dry rotted. Since the rears get changed more often, it may hold off on changing it for a while. Ordered a new front tire.

I took the muffler off which was a job. I was surprised that it was one big crossover muffler with two header pipes at the front. Cleaned and painted it.

So far the parts have been about $220. This is far as I have gotten while I am waiting on parts.
Attachments
GL1000 disassembled.jpg
GL1000 disassembled.jpg (86.45 KiB) Viewed 367 times
Started with an Allstate stooter made by Cushman and then a series of Honda motorcycles. 305 SuperHawk, CB750, VT600DC, VT750CD and then 4 years ago I left motorcycles for scooters with an Elite 125, Reflex 250 and Silverwing 600. Most recent is a barn find 77 GL1000 that I plan to resurect.
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Jonesz
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#5

Post by Jonesz »

That rear tire just has to be over 15 years old! Unless it was changed while the bike sat. You can take the DOT # off the sidewall and verify but there is no way that I would ride on a 15 year old tire no matter how good it looks. My 78 had been stored 18 years, the tire were 25 tears old. Off they came before any test ride. Also Like Track T says wouldn't try a start up until the timing belts were changed. That many years for those rubber belts sitting in one position can do a lot of harm to those belts and way worse things to your interference engine should one break. Your bike looks like it has most of the necessary goodies, nice bones and with some TLC your will be up & going before you know it.. Welcome to the madness! I am the same age as you, fun isn't it? My wife says there is no fool like an old fool or something like that. I forget.
Jonesz

1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
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pidjones
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#6

Post by pidjones »

Plan on replacing the rear tire. Cheaper than repairs and medical bills. Count on rebuilding the front calipers and replacing the front brake lines. Even though you have it exercised statically, you may well find the rear brake system is sub-standard and will need rebuilt, also. I once let our John Deere 216 set for eleven years without starting. When I did pull it out and got it running, the belts shredded as soon as I hit the blade clutch. So, replacing the belts is pretty important, too.
"Love 'em all.... let God sort 'em out!"
Ex 2006 GL1800 - the Black Pearl SOLD! to make room for:
2021 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited Dark Chalk Metallic
1975 Red GL1000 project - ex Pistol Pete project
1972 Triumph T150V Trident rescue - finished and FOR SALE!
1976 Yamaha RD400c
1978 GL1000 with '75 engine - the Hunley
Ex 1978 GL1000
Ex 1979 GL1000
Ex '79 CB750F rat bike
Ex '86 SEi
Ex '77 GL1000
Ex '76 RD400
Ex '72 Penton 125 set up for flat track
Ex '73 RD250
Ex '68 TR6C - chopped
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rjdoles
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#7

Post by rjdoles »

I pulled the mufflers/muffler off to clean and paint it yesterday. That was a big job for an old man. I didn't realize that it was one big u-shaped muffler with two head pipes attached at the front. You have to jack the bike up pretty high to get it out from under the rear tire. While looking online I saw that newer models have a crossover pipe that allows the two mufflers to be separated.

The bike didn't come with a battery. I opted for the Yuasa battery since that is what every Honda I have owned came with. Funny that it is an AGM but when it arrived it came with a six pack of battery acid separate from the battery. You peel the caps off the inline six pack of acid vials and let them drain into the cells. When that is done you put a sealing cap on the battery and stick it on a charger.

Looking forward to more parts arriving.
Started with an Allstate stooter made by Cushman and then a series of Honda motorcycles. 305 SuperHawk, CB750, VT600DC, VT750CD and then 4 years ago I left motorcycles for scooters with an Elite 125, Reflex 250 and Silverwing 600. Most recent is a barn find 77 GL1000 that I plan to resurect.
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#8

Post by rcmatt007 »

welcome to NGW... there are several active members close by you
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
"it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
'86 1200 (Beth's)(FOR SALE) with motorvation sidecar (sidecar sold) , July 2017 BOTM
'17 HD Road king and 08 HD Heritage softail (Beth's) (FOR SALE). I guess you can say we have MBS
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pidjones
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#9

Post by pidjones »

That's pretty much how the replacement Yusa for my '06 is. The first one lasted about seven years and then only failed because a fellow I loaned it to dropped it. Looking like the second may outlast it.
"Love 'em all.... let God sort 'em out!"
Ex 2006 GL1800 - the Black Pearl SOLD! to make room for:
2021 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited Dark Chalk Metallic
1975 Red GL1000 project - ex Pistol Pete project
1972 Triumph T150V Trident rescue - finished and FOR SALE!
1976 Yamaha RD400c
1978 GL1000 with '75 engine - the Hunley
Ex 1978 GL1000
Ex 1979 GL1000
Ex '79 CB750F rat bike
Ex '86 SEi
Ex '77 GL1000
Ex '76 RD400
Ex '72 Penton 125 set up for flat track
Ex '73 RD250
Ex '68 TR6C - chopped
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rjdoles
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#10

Post by rjdoles »

Battery, front brake reservoir and throttle cables arrived.

Got the muffler/s back on.

Chased the new front tire all over the bench trying to get it mounted but finally got it. I have a truing stand so I was able to balance it.

I bled the front brakes and after applying them the first time I found that the calipers were both stuck. The bike wouldn't roll after that first brake application. I have ordered two rebuild kits for the front brake calipers.

Installed the throttle cables and the battery. Changed the oil and didn't find any metal particles in the old oil.

After putting the gas tank cover back on and plugging in all the connections, I switched the key on. The appropriate lights are on and then engine cranks so the starter is good.

The fuel tank had been drained and it was clean inside. I put a couple of gallons of gas in it and switched on the fuel shutoff valve and fuel drained out of the filter. The gas gauge is working. I reconnected the fuel lines and was ready to try to start the engine.

I cranked the engine but it didn't attempt to start. I checked for spark and no joy. The previous owner said that there was an ignition problem and he is right. I removed the coils and ballast resistor. What a pain to get out. The coils read about 2.5 ohms and the ballast resistor read 3 ohms so I believe that they may be good. The points have been replaced by some sort of no-name electronic pickup and I suspect that it has died. Ordered a Dynatek pickup assembly.

Waiting on timing belts, Dynatek pickup and caliper rebuild kits so I can continue.

I am getting excited. My first ride may not be far off.
Started with an Allstate stooter made by Cushman and then a series of Honda motorcycles. 305 SuperHawk, CB750, VT600DC, VT750CD and then 4 years ago I left motorcycles for scooters with an Elite 125, Reflex 250 and Silverwing 600. Most recent is a barn find 77 GL1000 that I plan to resurect.
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#11

Post by rcmatt007 »

you might want to either start a restoration thread, or list questions/problems in the technical section as it will be seen by more members
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
"it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
'86 1200 (Beth's)(FOR SALE) with motorvation sidecar (sidecar sold) , July 2017 BOTM
'17 HD Road king and 08 HD Heritage softail (Beth's) (FOR SALE). I guess you can say we have MBS
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#12

Post by robin1731 »

rcmatt007 wrote:you might want to either start a restoration thread, or list questions/problems in the technical section as it will be seen by more members
Yup, past an intro thread now. ;) anim-cheers1

.
1976 Goldwing Super Sport
1985 Honda Elite
1976 KZ900 Dragbike
1992 ZX7 Dragbike (KZ900 style motor w/NOS)
and a rotation of various purchases
Randakk approved Carb Rebuilder
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rjdoles
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Re: New to me 77 goldwing

#13

Post by rjdoles »

Yes, I will start a restoration thread. Stay safe.
Started with an Allstate stooter made by Cushman and then a series of Honda motorcycles. 305 SuperHawk, CB750, VT600DC, VT750CD and then 4 years ago I left motorcycles for scooters with an Elite 125, Reflex 250 and Silverwing 600. Most recent is a barn find 77 GL1000 that I plan to resurect.
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