1978 Honda Gold Wing

GL2-4117197

Clear

From the private collection of Ewan McGregor Only 697 miles from new! 1978 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Frame Number: GL2-4117197 Engine Number: GL1E-4117283 Movie fans will know Ewan McGregor from his roles in 50-plus films, including a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars series and Christian in the musical Moulin Rouge. But McGregor, a consummate motorcyclist may be more impressive to us with his riding résumé, which includes the travel documentaries Long Way Round and Long Way Down, in which he and longtime riding mate Charley Boorman circumvent the globe on a couple of BMW adventure-tourers. McGregor’s ever-changing collection of motorcycles is wide-ranging, with everything from track bikes to scooters and everything in between. Now, in an attempt to “thin the herd”, a selection from this very discerning of collections is available for sale. See my “other items for sale” for details. In a world grown accustomed to an excess of decadence on all fronts, it is hard to imagine the mixture of awe and disbelief that greeted the Honda Gold Wing on its arrival in 1974. 'Motorcycle or sci-fi fantasy?' was Bike magazine's reaction. 'Quite simply the most advanced motorcycle ever made,' was Honda's preferred description, and given the mind-boggling specification: 1,000cc flat-four engine, water cooling, belt-driven overhead camshafts, shaft drive, triple disc brakes, etc, it was certainly complex if not, strictly speaking, that advanced. One of the fastest production motorcycles of its day, the Gold Wing was described in Honda's Stateside ads as 'the epitome of what touring is all about', and proved eminently capable of taking sales from both BMW and Harley-Davidson. Over the years the 'Wing has continued to grow in engine capacity, overall size and complexity, which only serves to underline the increasingly collectible original's purity of form. This 'time warp' Gold Wing was purchased new by its now deceased first owner from Bennett's (Barnsley) Ltd in November 1980 and first registered 'ORH 11'. Its owner was an ex-racer with a passion for fast motorcycles and cars, and his wife enjoyed riding also. When she became restricted to traveling by car because of ill health he was reluctant to part with the Honda, which remained in the garage, unridden, passing to his niece after his death. Sold by the family, it had covered only 328 miles from new when the second owner vendor purchased the machine at auction in April 2012. Purchased by McGregor in the UK in 2013 in the UK, it was then imported in to the US and, because of the mileage, went through an arduous process to get a California title. Now, completely legal, this amazing time warp machine has been thoroughly enjoyed, but still only shows 697 miles! Displayed as part of the McGregor collection, it remained ready-to-go. The bike is now offered in excellent mechanical condition. It starts easily, idles smoothly and has good responsive power. It shifts perfectly with a good clutch and brakes, suspension and all electrical systems work exactly as they should. It is the most smooth and comfortable ride. Cosmetically, the bike is in excellent condition, considering its age. It is not perfect, but has the lovely consistent patina of a perfectly original 37-year-old bike. The original black paint is in excellent, the original seat is near-perfect, and all other surfaces present well with blemishes consistent with age. The machine is offered with spare keys, purchase receipt (1980), expired MoT and tax discs, Honda Service Booklet, from the UK, and clean, clear California title. This is a fantastic opportunity to acquire a ready-to-go concours “preservation class” motorcycle, with unprecedented mileage, complete history and unprecedented provenance and ownership history.