Might pick up a GL500

[SovietMike]

I found a gl500 for sale near by. I'm on the fence about it can anyone sway me either way? How easy are they to work on or should I just stick with the full sized goldwings? As I already have a gl1000 and gl1100

[J.C.]

I haven't ever worked on a Goldwing but I have spent a lot of time on the CX500/GL500 family and they're very easy to work on. How many miles? Has it had a new camchain/stator/water pump seal in recent memory?

For some info on them - and a bunch of how-tos for maintenance things - see here:

https://motofaction.org/motorcycles/honda-cx-gl/

...and see this - may help:

https://motofaction.org/motorcycles/hon ... ing-guide/

[delling3]

I have no first hand experience with the GL500, so can't comment on how easy/difficult they are to deal with.

What do you want out of your bike? What is your experience level? How big are you, and will you be carrying a passenger, or other loads?

The GL500 was considered a middle-weight when new, but by today's standards, it's a pretty small machine. I think it'll keep up with traffic, but won't do it quite as effortlessly as the Goldwing. I am 6'3" and well over 300 lbs., - the GL500 would be underpowered and tiny for my frame, but if you are smaller in stature, it might be a good fit.

I think it would be fine for a commuter/city bike, or a longer-distance mount for a smaller rider. They have developed a cult following, and a lot of them are being made into Café Racers/Street Trackers, etc. They are much smaller and light weight, with less power, so less intimidating than a GL-1000 for newer/smaller riders too.

Although they share more than a little DNA with their big-brother, it really is a completely different riding experience. I would suggest you define what you want to do with it, and then ask the question again.

[SovietMike]

I'm 5'11" and 180lbs and My gl1100 was my first bike and my experience is not much I've taken a couple of smaller bikes around the block and my gl1100 for short rides but I've owned both my bikes for under 6 months. Also I have no idea about the mechanical condition of the GL500 I'm waiting for a response from the current owner, he acquired it after the po started to cafe it and decided he didn't want it anymore.

[SovietMike]

And for a 2 person bike it's kinda wimpy? I'm looking for a bike to get to and from work on maybe like 35 miles round trip and I think the max speed on that journey is about 55 mph and I do want to be able to take the gf out for a spin as well every once in a while

[Track T 2411]

If you're just bombing around two-up, the 500 isn't bad. I ran a 750 two-up for several years on day trips and such, and it was 'sufficient,' but definitely too small for us to seriously tour on. My 2 cents...

[salukispeed]

nice one up knock around or commuter bike. will go 80+ mph but way too many RPM for there long term. I have a 1982 GL500 Silverwing that has super bike bars and the damaged fairing removed so it is light and fun. Be ware the early ones had stator and ignition issues that are expensive to fix. I think 1981 was the first year for the better stator and same Ti ignition as some 1100 goldwings. 82 was a prolink Monoshock. Can ride 2 up if small light people or short distances.

[Sugs]

Before I found my wing I was looking for a CX500 so I could turn it into this:

CRK Roadster kit

[Sidecar Bob]

To put things into perspective the GL500 makes 50HP, which means its HP:weight ratio is better than any Harley dresser before the Twin Cam. That doesn't mean it is going to handle 2 up touring as well as your GoldWings do but it certainly would be capable of the sort of use you described.

As you may already know the SilverWing came with 2 different optional trunks (high and low) that could be mounted in place of the removable rear seat. This suggests that Honda intended them to either carry a passenger or go touring 1 up but trunk relocation kits to allow both sold well enough to tell you that they were capable of at least weekend trips with a passenger. I know of at least one fellow (a little shorter than you but probably a bit heavier) who annually travels from Wisconsin to Ottawa for the Canadian CX rally and returns home via the Amish CX rally in Pennsylvania pulling his trailer behind his GL500.

I had one with a Velorex sidecar for 5 years and saw 140-150 Km/h on the speedo (it was probably a bit optimistic) a number of times and carried adult passengers in the sidecar regularly. The only reason I replaced it with a 650 was that I had become concerned about road salt getting into the frame (I used it mostly in the winter) and I couldn't find another 500 at the time.

[rcmatt007]

they are nice around town bikes. Redwood actually did her first cross country trip on a cx500c. That one had a nicer lower seating position. You have to rev them up, so a little different than a wing.

[Sidecar Bob]

Yeah, they do need a lot higher RPM than a GoldWing but they can sit at 7,000 RPM for hours.

[rcmatt007]

agreed.... great bikes. When I had the chance to grab a low mileage one two years ago I did