76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

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dontwantapickle
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76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#1

Post by dontwantapickle »

:-D
Last edited by dontwantapickle on Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#2

Post by desertrefugee »

Not sure exactly what your speed goals are, but "land speed racing/wide open speed" are not what the Goldwing does best, or easily. You'd save a bunch of money if you started with a 15 or 20 year old sport bike. Even a 1200 gear set will top out at around 130 - if the HP is there.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#3

Post by dontwantapickle »

:-D
Last edited by dontwantapickle on Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#4

Post by ericheath »

I have a 1500 final drive (2.833:1 with a 160/80/16" tire) mated to a 1200 swingarm (doesn't fit without some major surgery). I think this combination with a stock 1000 would be in fourth gear to hit top end.

Mine has a 1200 motor with 1000 heads and cams and carbs. I'm not sure if fifth gear would gain a lot over fourth gear in it. I haven't had it above about 105 in this setup and that was in third gear. No place safe to do it if I was in a stupid feeling mood. Here it's an automatic loss of license. With the stock final drive and an 18" Lester and a 1200, I had it to 125, two up, (and we're still married) and I think it had plenty to go still.

Your other less expensive, less engineering option is finding an 18" rear Lester rim or re-spoking a stock hub. The Lester 18" rim is 3" wide and will accommodate a little more width safely.

Next Spring (maybe) I will put an 83 final drive on it and see how that is, or a 1200 15" rim. The stock 1000 mated to a 1200 was too much first gear torque for my liking. The taller gearing helps mpg if you can keep your right wrist in control.

If you do follow through with this, beefing up the 1000 swingarm is pretty important.You can hold the swingarm in your hands and flex the two ends. A racer on here said the first thing they did to all Honda swingarms of this vintage was to weld a hoop around the swingarm to stiffen it.

MikeC has a pretty good example somewhere on here. He did his underneath. I think you lose the centerstand, but if you want more speed that has to go anyway.

Frame flex is also notoriously bad.

I now defer to the more knowledgeable and prudent and hope that you really spend some time checking the frame out before venturing down this path. A supercharger or turbo is probably needed to get above 130 mph with a stock 1000.

Unfortunately PhotoBucket has screwed us all in the wealth of free info out there on the web. It is absolutely astonishing the vast amount of free information that people have posted (just trying to help others) unawares of their policy. I am really hopeful that a class action suit can force them to put the pics back up. Yeah, right.
Whatever I suggest here should be given ample time for a moderator to delicately correct. I apologize in advance.
77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#5

Post by robin1731 »

Going with a taller(lower numerically) gear will probably give less top end speed with a stock engine. You would need to up the HP just to get near red line with the stock gearing on a 1000. Aerodynamic drag is the biggest killer. It is exponential in it's affect. I doubt any bike from the 70's will hit redline in high gear because of that.

Easiest way to gain horsepower? With nitrous. But you don't just bolt it on and hit the button.

Like Eric said, many bikes, from that era, will run faster in 4th gear than in fifth gear. They just don't have the power to pull the rpm in high gear.

.
1976 Goldwing Super Sport
1985 Honda Elite
1976 KZ900 Dragbike
1992 ZX7 Dragbike (KZ900 style motor w/NOS)
and a rotation of various purchases
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#6

Post by desertrefugee »

Exactly so and my point above. Gearing is only half the equation. Gotta have the juice, too.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#7

Post by CYBORG »

I have nitrous on my 78,....and I LIKE it. ( passing gear)
1978 custom GL1000
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#8

Post by Rat »

IMG_0042.JPG
IMG_0042.JPG (222.12 KiB) Viewed 279 times
A fast 1000 will look something like this ....

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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#9

Post by dontwantapickle »

:-D
Last edited by dontwantapickle on Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#10

Post by 5speed »

dontwantapickle wrote: I have plenty of pics of the bikes I have built (past and present) and if it wasn't for stupid photobucket I
would gladly post them to show that I'm not just blowing smoke.
https://imgur.com/
pics please! :mrgreen:
I say get at it..you won't know until you try.
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1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#11

Post by Sugs »

You should probably take a look at this thread then, some extreme mods going on with this bike for the same reasons you have. Maybe a good source of info...

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18084&hilit=salt+flats
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#12

Post by robin1731 »

If you want to do the flying mile go with a turbo or blower. Nitrous is great for drag racing and short bursts. Not so great for long distance. You'll use up a lot. I used about 1/2 pound for a 1/4 mile run with a soft tune. It wasn't on until 2 1/2 seconds in to the run and took 3 seconds to get to 100%.

And I'll say it again. If you want to go with a smaller numerically geared rear end you will need more power than you'll get from a N/A engine. Only so much you can do with these.

Of course if you have an unlimited budget. :twisted: :twisted: Then call me. I can get you "started".

.
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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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#13

Post by dontwantapickle »

:-D
Last edited by dontwantapickle on Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#14

Post by dontwantapickle »

:-D
Last edited by dontwantapickle on Sun Jan 14, 2018 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 76 GL1000 final gearing upgrade question for WFO speed

#15

Post by CYBORG »

That bike holds the class record at the East coast racing Association. The class was A-BG. I know as I was part of the team that help set the record in 2013. It still stands today
1978 custom GL1000
1977 custom with 1200 engine
1985 gl1200
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