How much should I ask for my gl1100?

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handyrandy

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Waynesburg pa
Hi Folks, I am selling my gl1100 and am trying to decide what to ask for it. I have started at $2500 but it maybe to high. Here is what I say about it. Thanks for any advice.

1981 GL1100 Goldwing standard. Runs excellent. New inspection. 72539 miles $2500 I will consider a reasonable offer. New seat, starter, Progressive air shocks and progressive fork springs. LED taillights. This bike is in Waynesburg Pa
Please note, this bike is 34 years old. It is not a new bike and needs occasional mechanical work to keep up. If you are not reasonably mechanically inclined and dont like tinkering on old motorcycles this is probably not the bike for you. If you already like tinkering on old motorcycles especially old Gold wings this maybe the bike for you. The reason I am selling is I have a dualsport that I ride most of the time now and never use this bike anymore.

What it needs. The headstock could use rebuilt. Drivable but will start to shimmy if I let go of the handlebars. I have another one to install.
The removable frame section was rusted out on bottom and I sleeved some tubing over it and it has been fine for me. I also reinforced the tubing around the center stand. I was a professional welder for 17 years so I am pretty good at it.
GOLDWING_1 1200px.jpg
 
I paid $500 for my 81. Bled the brakes and rode her home no shimmy. Didn't have the baggage yours has though.
 
It could sell to the right buyer for 2500. It is clean, If you wanted to move it faster then 2000 should get more interest, if you have the time just keep listing it till you get the price you want.
It`s a shame but a fact that we put allot of time and money into these bikes and it`s hard to get it back, you can but you cant be in a hurry. By the way, here we like to find them in need of repair to get them cheap..the fun is working on them.
Good luck with your sale.
 
Thanks for the replys fellas, I dropped the price to 2000. I looked on ebay and many good serviceable wings can be had for less than $1000 sad but that is reality. It was fun while it lasted.
 
I checked out you CL listing, If it were me I would take some more pics, one of the rear, the dash/stereo, a front and the other side, maybe one with all the luggage opened up to show the carrying room, maybe the tire tread if its good, I would also not mention anything about tinkering or working on them it may give some the idea your trying to tell them it will need work, if it runs good that's all I would say, don't want to scare them away.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=147487#p147487:3hza7cgy said:
zman » Mon Apr 27, 2015 7:05 am[/url]":3hza7cgy]
I checked out you CL listing, If it were me I would take some more pics, one of the rear, the dash/stereo, a front and the other side, maybe one with all the luggage opened up to show the carrying room, maybe the tire tread if its good, I would also not mention anything about tinkering or working on them it may give some the idea your trying to tell them it will need work, if it runs good that's all I would say, don't want to scare them away.
+1 you can always discuss future maintance possibilities once you have a keen buyer. With that amount of disclosure in an ad most people will still think that there are still other problems. I would be saying how " amazingly reliable a 34 year old motorcycle is a GW"
 
Thanks for the help, I changed my craiglist ad. Going to take some more photos

I am trying to decide what to do about the front end. The main problem is that the older style stock front end is to light for the loaded bike anyway. I wish I would have bought an 82 that had the heaver duty front end. Several years ago I hit a deer and bent the forks which I changed out. Before the deer I could let go of the handle bars and the bike would track smoothly. After the deer and fork change if I let go of the handle bars it will start to shimmy. I bought another headstock from ebay with plans to rebuild the headstock but dont really want to screw with it. I hate working on bikes really. I only do it because I cannot afford to pay somebody else to do it.

I want to be honest with the buyer and say look this probably needs done for safety's sake, but I have been riding it that way for several years. And then there's the frame. It seems fine to me now, but I want to be honest about it. I was hoping to find a buyer that had experience in old wings and just like to tinker with them.
 
The interstates and aspencades has a weight, not entirely sure if it is for this reason but something that could be bolted on to the fork tubes behind the faring, tracking can effect wobble too, one of those things that has to be solved one step at a time.
 
Also if your alignment of the tubes when bolted to the triple trees will cause a shimmy if out :(
 
I don't run the weight with my Windjammer so I don't think that will help you. I am pretty sure that the weight was to counteract lift from the Hondaline fairing.
 
There is a procedure for aligning the entire front end. It all should be loosened and positioned and tightened in the right sequence. Even then it's possible for the tire alone to cause wobble if it's on incorrectly or at odds with the rear tire.
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=147515#p147515:3mdxmll1 said:
slabghost » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:50 am[/url]":3mdxmll1]
There is a procedure for aligning the entire front end. It all should be loosened and positioned and tightened in the right sequence. Even then it's possible for the tire alone to cause wobble if it's on incorrectly or at odds with the rear tire.

+1
My worn out Shinko was providing quite a bit of unfriendly feedback
 
Last year I sold this 1975 Honda GL 1000 on eBay for $2200. It took me 3 days to sell it. Part of it was just being lucky, right buyer at the right time. The other part of it was the actual listing. If you are trying to sell the bike then you have to sell the bike. Its all in how you word the add. People want to buy a bike that doesn't need any work for that kind of money. If you list the bike as something that will need constant fiddling then you will have a hard time getting that kind of money. Talk about all of the good things about the bike. Personally I think that you have a really nice looking machine there with cool Honda bags and gear, matching paint, and it sounds like it runs really well.

"bike shimmies when I let go of the handle bars" -- Dont let go of the :sensored: handle bars, lol.

You could talk yourself right out of a sale by talking about the things that the bike MAY need. You don't need to be dishonest, but lets face it, all of our bikes could use something. If it runs and drives well I would focus more on that...

LOTS OF PICS IN YOUR ADD TOO!

I also like to pose my bike on a nice sunny day, you would be surprised how much more inviting that makes the pictures look.
 

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You seem very up front and honest. Not great salesman qualities. I think if you fix the front you'll be more comfortable selling the bike and less likely to blow the sale.
 
Fixing the bike has crossed my mind. I would be willing to accept less money the way it is though. I am trying to decide how much it is worth the way it is and how to word it. Yes I am too honest.

Thanks for all the feedback.
 
To be fair, I had fixed every known issue on the '75 before I sold it. It had a complete new brake system and new tires as well a bunch of other things I had taken care of. That bike was ready to take anywhere.
 
Congrats on the sale, he should be happy with that one, compared to the neglected quantity of goldwings out there it is nice to find a clean cared for GL.
 
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