Is my bike destined to fail me?

[oldhack62]

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the fact that Dan created this site because of his admiration for a motorcycle almost exactly like mine -- a 1983 Goldwing 1100 Interstate.
That said, I read every day about folks changing this part, or fixing that problem, and wonder if I didn't adopt a monster-in-waiting this spring!
You see, my GL 1100 Interstate is pretty much (as in, as far as I can tell, minus some hoses and cables) original! Nobody's swapped a blade connector for the dogbone fuse. The stator is still original, I think. The starter very occasionally hesitates when the engine is hot on a hot day, but so far has performed its function.
I've DONE the routine maintenance on it, including valve clearances! The previous owner, who is a long-time (think 1960's, I mean!) motorcycle guy who makes his living rebuilding and customizing older motorcycles -- rode THIS ONE to Bike Week in Daytona in February -- refurbed it over the winter.
I mean, I don't expect machinery -- especially attached to a 27yo bike -- to last forever, really I don't. But you guys have me spooked, looking for the thing that's going to leave me stranded by the roadside on my next ride! And, yet, it only has c. 54,000 original miles!
I'm half-tempted to trade it in on something newer that I can count on -- or, at least, is warrantied -- for the next year or so. But, darn it, I really am starting to really enjoy and excel at (after c. 2,500 miles) riding this 'Wing!
Legitimately, what can I expect? Is this bike a time bomb waiting to explode, or am I likely to have a year or two (or more?) before I need to replace major parts or give it a decent burial?
I really don't want to have to break in another forum. Really!

 

[mortiki]

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the fact that Dan created this site because of his admiration for a motorcycle almost exactly like mine -- a 1983 Goldwing 1100 Interstate.
That said, I read every day about folks changing this part, or fixing that problem, and wonder if I didn't adopt a monster-in-waiting this spring!
You see, my GL 1100 Interstate is pretty much (as in, as far as I can tell, minus some hoses and cables) original! Nobody's swapped a blade connector for the dogbone fuse. The stator is still original, I think. The starter very occasionally hesitates when the engine is hot on a hot day, but so far has performed its function.
I've DONE the routine maintenance on it, including valve clearances! The previous owner, who is a long-time (think 1960's, I mean!) motorcycle guy who makes his living rebuilding and customizing older motorcycles -- and rode THIS ONE to Bike Week in Daytona in February -- refurbed it over the winter.
I mean, I don't expect machinery -- especially attached to a 27yo bike -- to last forever, really I don't. But you guys have me spooked, looking for the thing that's going to leave me stranded by the roadside on my next ride! And, yet, it only has c. 54,000 original miles!
I'm half-tempted to trade it in on something newer that I can count on -- or, at least, is warrantied -- for the next year or so. But, darn it, I really am starting to really enjoy and excel at (after c. 2,500 miles) riding this 'Wing!
Legitimately, what can I expect? Is this bike a time bomb waiting to explode, or am I likely to have a year or two (or more?) before I need to replace major parts or give it a decent burial?
I really don't want to have to break in another forum. Really!

I used to have a 2005 Ultra Glide and I spent more time broke down than I have with a 'wing. I drove my silver wing for a year and only reason its apart now is I am adding interstate package and did a frame-up restore. My 2 Gold wings are in fair shape only and Bella will still run good but I messed up fork seals and Trixie has a starter problem from neglect most likely. If well maintained you should have a few more years of fun before any major work and even then the major work on a 'wing is 10 times easier than a Harley or Suzuki. Back in the '80's I had a GS1000gl and while I did make it to Colo from Ark I had a month of repairs to get it home and twice I was working on roadside. I think you made a good choice and hope you have many a mile of fun, but if it does break it is far easier to fix than a new one which could break down just as easily.

 

[Omega Man]

oldhack62 relax...My bike has over 270,000 miles now on the original motor and in the last 20,000 I've only had to replace the battery, brake pads, tires, and fuel pump(which by the way still works, it just leaks!!!). The original stator still puts out 14+ while cruising w/o the 3 wire mod. I do have a soft knock when accelerating hard, but nothing that keeps me from taking this old girl anywhere. These aren't Harleys so relax and enjoy the ride. :rocks:

~O~

 

[mcgovern61]

Don't get spooked!!!! My '82 was given to me after sitting outside in the weather for 12 years! The engine was blown (PO ran it without oil we think). I found a wrecked '81 and took all of the usable parts and engine and swapped them out and ultimately put the '82 back on the road. Turns out, the '81 engine actually might of had over 168, 000 miles on it and likely has loose bearings. It rode and sounded like a diesel at times! I was a little scared, I admit, but hey, I was riding again. Well, 7000 miles and two years later, that engine was (and is although it is on my garge floor) still running and the bike has never left me stranded! The stator issue is normally resolved by clean connections or cutting the three wires and soldering them.

For the most part, like any piece of machinery, these bikes have some years on them and a well maintained bike is better than a bike sitting around. Also, a well maintained bike will not leave you stranded if you use common sense and follow the Honda Owners manual for normal maintenance. These bikes are pretty simple and most items can be checked pretty easily. I think Honda did a great job engineering these machines, but I also don't think they expected them to last 25+ years! Just look at this forum and how many of our 1100's are on the road all across the country! I would not hesitate to go anywhere with my bike!

 

[joedrum]

one thing you can count on in most cases is the heart of the old wings i mean motor is a rock solid run all day touring machine ...a lot of everything else is no better than other bikes ....i consider the ignition ,electrics,shocks,carbs and other things average or below par ....and the fact that honda is a crappy co. on parts and service and would like to crush them all like the cash for clunkers was all about getting old cars distoried so poorer people couldnt benifit from them..

the fact is if you ride right and matain what youve got your bike will proably run till you dont want to ride anymore....

thats why i dont use a thermostat have the fan hook manualy and some other things done so i hav complete control over everything and use ATF in the gas ....

my 79 monguel motor has never been broken into and its 32 yrs old and has a gazillon miles on it .....

people like me who do things like putting 1200 motor in the mongruel changing final drives adding different wheels and such was done for my own pleasure not because it needed anything.....

personaly being a farmer and mataining huge equipment i know what a good motor is all about .....these old wings are made in a way that far exseeds other bikes by a long way ...there built like a greyhound bus made to go a million miles if the rider dose there part period .....

id say hang in there and let it prove it to you Oldhack .....thats what i think

 

[AApple]

Don't be spooked by what ya read here. Everyone has to do preventative maintenance, and on an older machine like ours, it''s just part of the deal. You really rarely see a post about some major malfunction leaving someone stranded somewhere, and if you do, it is usually something that just got put off, instead of fixing. It happens.
I've put about 15,000 miles on mine since I got it. I've changed the oil/filter, the fuel/air filters, put a new front tire on it(which I knew it needed when I bought it), and rebuilt the rear shocks....that's it, other than putting fuel in it. I did modify the main fuse from the dog-bone to a blade type, and the stator wiring mod had already been done.
I have no worries at all about taking mine out every day. I fix what needs to be fixed, and tinker when I feel like it, just to make it better for me.
Ride it, maintain it, and enjoy it! Don't be skeered! :mrgreen:

 

[paddy.shadow]

any machine is destined to fail, What you read in here and may spook you a little, are Guys like myself who tinker and can't stand or can't afford to let someone else work on their machines. Do the regular maintenance and you should be fine. My '83 Aspy had 32k original on it, so I expected a few things that were timed out, rubber bits etc.. I believe that with a moderate amount of mechanical skills and tools and a good manual (that I would be glad to send you the pdf file) you can mange to keep your wing running and enjoy it for as long as you like!

 

[Joep]

Do be concerned about the issues or probs we may have had with these machines.. take notes on what we have replaced or need to fix, and make notes so that you can 1. prepare for possible replacements before they are needed, 2. steps we used to resolve replace them, and 3. about what mileage we did do them. this will allow you to pick up the parts ahead of needed normal up keep .. as these will allow PREventive and not reactive maint..

 

[detdrbuzzard]

well if its bothering you sooo much riding on a 27 yr old bike i'll come take it off your hands and give it a good home where it will be pampered the rest of its life :grin:

 

[dan filipi]

well if its bothering you sooo much riding on a 27 yr old bike i'll come take it off your hands and give it a good home where it will be pampered the rest of its life :grin:

I guess I'm second in line!!

Well first off Oldhack, what is it exactly that concerns you or that you've read here that worries you?

Any machine will need proper maintenance and ours being over 25 years old will need rubber parts replaced, there's no 2 ways about that.

I completely understand wanting a bike that won't break down and under warranty, that's why I bought our Suburban and my service van new so I wouldn't have to work on them. In my younger years I had all that I care to do on cars.
Let me tell you though, new does not necessarily mean reliable.
Our Burb needed a tranny at 45k miles, CD player quit, and soldered in LED bulbs in the instruments burned out. My service van has 40k miles, occasionally the steering pump makes a stripped gears sound.
They are both not Honda's but my point is a machine wears. I don't care what vehicle your driving your playing the lottery going on a long trip, anything can fail.
Look at the GL1800. Faulty welds, overheats under 25 mph, something about faulty or weak shifting forks.
I personally don't want one, they scare me something is going to snap in half!

With proper maintenance after going through and replacing everything questionable with quality parts, I feel my GL1100 is very reliable and the best fit for me both financially and in it's character.

 

[RBG]

things YOU can DO BESIDES NORMAL MAINTENANCE:

Put new belts on her

replace dog bone fuse with blade..10 minute job

cut and solder the three yellow stator wires.

watch the fuel pump and water pump weep holes if they start to weep replace the pumps.

put a volt meter on her and watch your stator output..

drain a quart of oil before your next oil change put in a quart of diesel and run her easy for 100 miles this will clean out a lot of sludge do this once every few years.

run some sea foam through your carbs to clean them up a bit..can't hurt.

change out your brakes lines to braided

put in progressive spring..front end maybe back end too...

none of this is required but if you r worried about break downs this will eleiminate/reduce the likely hood

 

[Tory]

Old hack,the paranoia comes from reading a technical post section.
This section is aimed toward repairs and technical issues SO that is what you will read.

Read the workbench section of wing world and youde be afraid of owning a newer wing with all the issues you will see but it dont meen there problemed bikes,just all the letters are from people having problems not the folks out riding trouble free.

That 1100 you have is the most reliable motor cycle ever built.If you dont believe me,ask Emilio Scotto who put 500,000 miles on one.Doesnt mean you will never have a problem,but there is no bike that can garrentee no problems.

I love and trust my 27 year old bike and will take it anywhere a new bike will go,after all,it wasnt my old bike the craped out before my 2400 mile trip,it was my cousins 2 year old bike that failed and he stayed home wrenching.

 

[paddy.shadow]

There is reason that the goldwing earned the reputation that it has, and you purchased an excellent example! stop worrying :heat: and enjoy the ride :yahoo:

 

[Tomahawk]

I have an 83 with 84,000 miles on it. It starts everytime runs great all the time and have rode it all over Ontario Canada lots of times, The new bikes don't run away from it. Goldwings are the timex of the bike world. They just keep on ticking.

Carry a CAA or AAA membership and a cell phone and if you happen to break down help is a phone call away

Enjoy your ride and all the history it holds

 

[OldWrench]

Well I guess I’ll throw my two cents in. I just love old motorcycles. I have two 1100’s and getting a third very soon. The Goldwing is just one of the most reliable bikes you can have. I did the Harley thing many years ago and I never had one that would hold together very long, I have also had other bikes that drove me crazy, a Matchless and an old BSA and they were just as unreliable.

My 83 wing speedo shows 88k miles but I truly believe it is 188k. I bought this one for 500 bucks because the owner couldn’t get it to run and someone told him the engine needed to come out and the starter clutch replaced. The carbs were gummed up and the motor oil looked like mud. I went through the carbs, flushed the engine with some SeaFoam and got some clean oil in her. Put a new AGM battery in and the old girl starts instantly and runs beautiful. I would ride it anywhere anytime.

With that said I’m a mechanic by trade and I have learned that no matter how reliable something normally is any of them can brake down. But with proper preventive maintenance the risk of being left along side the road by a Goldwing is very slim in my opinion.

Of course your other option is a new Goldwing but that will only set you back about 20k, you can do a heck of lot of maintenance for a lot less. :grin: :grin:

 

[dan filipi]

My 83 wing speedo shows 88k miles but I truly believe it is 188k. I bought this one for 500 bucks because the owner couldn’t get it to run and someone told him the engine needed to come out and the starter clutch replaced. The carbs were gummed up and the motor oil looked like mud. I went through the carbs, flushed the engine with some SeaFoam and got some clean oil in her. Put a new AGM battery in and the old girl starts instantly and runs beautiful....

And it's still a runner! That's enough to convince me right there to keep mine!

Here's some more,

I have a '83 parts bike with an odometer that says 2440 so ya gotta believe that's at least 102440 miles.
It had water in the oil from sitting open for 9 years outside!
After fresh oil and lubing the rings with atf I got it broke free and running in 2 days.
I had to use the carbs from my bike but that's expected, the carbs on it are of course plugged, had water in them also, but this engine runs quieter than my runner. The oil pressure light actually turns off while cranking slow.
The starter clutch is frozen (from water getting inside) and a valve is bent but it will be in my runner by the end of this year.

Impressive reliability even after blatant abuse.

 

[oldhack62]

...Well first off Oldhack, what is it exactly that concerns you or that you've read here that worries you?
Any machine will need proper maintenance and ours being over 25 years old will need rubber parts replaced, there's no 2 ways about that...

Well, that's just it, Dan -- I HAVE DONE the proper maintenance, and I believe the PO did, too, but some things regularly described here appear not to have been done (the dogbone fix, et al). Should I do them pre-emptively, despite no signal that they need doing currently? Or, should I just prepare to do them when the time arises (as in, buy and stash repair/replacement parts)? Or, should I get rid of the bike before they need replacement?
I really don't mind doing the routine stuff (aka, maintenance), but I've always resisted (both my brothers succumbed, professionally -- which means, of course, I have knowledgeable support) being a mechanic, despite personal knowledge and experience turning a wrench. I really don't want to rebuild a motorcycle. I just wanna ride!

 

[dan filipi]

but some things regularly described here appear not to have been done (the dogbone fix, et al). Should I do them pre-emptively, despite no signal that they need doing currently? Or, should I just prepare to do them when the time arises (as in, buy and stash repair/replacement parts)? Or, should I get rid of the bike before they need replacement?

Yes.
That's known as preventative maintenance.

A weekend and less than $50 in parts will take care of these very minor issues.

 

[mortiki]

Well, that's just it, Dan -- I HAVE DONE the proper maintenance, and I believe the PO did, too, but some things regularly described here appear not to have been done [/quote]


Oldhack, What you do not see on here is the millions of wing owners just riding. I would say 90% of this forum falls into 2 classes. Restorers and adders. Restorers are taking neglected wings that are ready for scrap and making them whole again, like me with silver. They are working on wings others have given up on and sat neglected for years or torn apart and left. Adders are modifiers who want to remake a wing to fit them. You fall into neither class. Unless you wish to add lights and better sound then you will not run into 90% of whats on this forum but the other 10% could be the difference between many years of trouble free riding and months of frustration. I can tell you that hands on with a bike makes the riding a lot funner and gives you confidence in your ride. If it would make you feel better then try the simple things or have them ready in case. If you had a new ride it would be the same way and even if it is warrantied you still have to get it from road side to dealer. Even AAA will not stop traffic for you while you get a Harley off the road(I know for a fact).

 

[Andyb]

I love to tinker almost as much as I like to ride. So, when you see me posting about some issue, I could very likely ignore it. But, tinkering with my bike is the way I destress from work.