1977 Honda Gold Wing

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Normal 0 Normal 0 I inherited this 1977 Honda GL1000 upon a friend's passing a couple of years ago. Though I have had some enjoyable excursions and even a brief period of daily riding, the bike sits idle much more than it should so I decided it is now time for someone else to own it. It has a clear title. I’ve posted a video at https://youtu.be/FLiHm6DkV2A so you can see it starting, running, etc. Normal 0 Although it is sometimes a couple of months between rides, I rarely go more than two or three weeks without starting it and letting it run until reaching operating temperature, and will at least roll it around in the driveway to keep it from resting on the same spots on the tires for extended periods. As far as I know, the engine has never needed any major work. With under 36,000 miles, that makes sense. Not long after my friend acquired the bike his health went bad so it was ridden very little in the four years he had it. He did, however, start it frequently. New timing belts and tires were installed just before he became ill. Still, given the age of the belts, if I were to keep the bike I would go ahead and change them before long despite their low mileage. That's a very easy job on this engine. And, although the tires were nearly brand-new mileage-wise when I became owner, the age of the rubber concerned me so last summer I had new Shinko Tour Master tires and tubes installed by my local Honda dealer. It has been about a thousand miles since the last oil and coolant change and the battery is less than two years old. Normal 0 Only a few hundred miles on the odometer were my friend's doing. I've added about 2,000, nearly half of them last summer when I rode it every day for the better part of a month, not only to and from work but also around town for any and every purpose. In the time I've had it, the bike has never failed to start right up. Even in cold weather after having not run for a while, it never takes long to crank. As with any Goldwing, after a cold start it might smoke for a few minutes - especially if it was parked on the side kick stand, as I usually do, rather than the center stand - and the primary chain might clatter a little until the engine warms up. A check of online Goldwing forums shows both are common even on newly-rebuilt engines. When I rode it every day, it smoked very little even with cold starts after having sat for several hours. Normal 0 Two other things that I always intended to get around to but never did, were the tachometer and front brake calipers. In cooler weather the tach is slow to respond. And, when the bike has not been ridden for an extended time, one of the front disc pads might bind after first use just enough to make manually pushing the bike difficult. A couple of light taps with a rubber mallet on the side of the caliper will free the pad, as will riding. Again, this is not uncommon with older Goldwings. The folks at the Honda dealership confirmed that the calipers should be disassembled and cleaned, with new seals, etc, installed. The calipers are extremely easy to remove so it is just having too many other projects that has kept me from getting it done. Normal 0 The only other thing from a functional standpoint that I am aware of is that the handlebars are slightly off-center, in that they seem to cant a couple of degrees to the right when tracking straight down the road. You can probably see that in the video. It has never affected the handling at any speed and the Honda folks tell me it's one of those things that would be good to fix but is not urgent. Oh, and as you might hear in the video, these bikes produce a noticeable whine from the transmission that other motorcycles do not. My Honda dealer told me that is due to the straight-cut gears used in Goldwings instead of the hypoid gears common to other bikes, but it can be a bit disconcerting if you are not used to hearing it. Normal 0 There is a little rust on the factory original pipes, and minor road rash on the right side. As the pictures show, the only other rust is on the left driver footpeg bracket where it bolts to the frame. The rust there is actually less severe than the pictures make it appear, and what looks like rust on the kickstand is in fact just road grime along with typical pitting of the finish. Normal 0 Other items of note, which you can see from the pictures, is that the left and right side covers do not match. I do have a matching left (battery) cover, but the point that holds the locking screw is broken. In addition, one side of the tank is missing the Honda emblem and the pinstriping on that side has bad spots. FYI: what looks like a ding on that side of the tank in the picture is not; it is just a combination of light and where the pinstriping is missing. My wife says I should have cleaned the bike up prior to taking pictures but, actually, I wanted the potential buyer to see its "daily" look. Finally, a vintage Goldwing aficionado will notice that the reserve lighting unit is missing. For those who are unfamiliar, the RLU simply illuminated a warning light on the instrument cluster when either a headlight or taillight failure occurred and, to provide some functionality in the event of a low beam headlight or a taillight failure, shunted a lower voltage to the high beam headlight or brake light filament, respectively, to compensate. It is not uncommon to see a faulty RLU removed and bypassed as is this one, resulting in a lighting system that works like that of every other motorcycle on the planet. The one I started with kept the warning light on constantly, even though the lights were fine, so I removed it. The Goldwing RLU system was discontinued a few years after introduction, so I suppose it was not that popular. In any case, my plans to replace it was yet another of those things I never got around to, though from time to time a check of eBay listings always turned up a few for $25 or $30. The RLU mounts on the left side of the tank and connects to the wiring system via two molex plugs near the seat, so it is another item very easy to install. Normal 0 The free accessories included with the purchase are a Fulmer 755 helmet, size L, with face shield, a full set of carburetor synchronizing gauges with all hoses and attachments, and combination carburetor adjusting screwdriver & wrench. The helmet is one year old in excellent condition, with a few very minor scuffs. The synchronizing gauges have been used little and are like new. The screwdriver/wrench combo is very handy for working with the carburetor adjustment screws and make it easy to loosen/tighten the locking nuts while keeping the screwdriver blade in the screw slots. The length is a real plus. It's a lot more convenient than using separate 8mm wrench and screwdriver. Normal 0 The listing specifies "local pickup only" to avoid misunderstanding but a designated agent or shipping company, of the buyer's choosing and expense, may be used instead. It is up to the buyer to make all necessary contacts and arrangements for that service. Heck, though, if you're within a few hundred miles, come and pick it up yourself and enjoy the ride back home. Normal 0 A deposit of $400 is due immediately upon auction's end, payable through PayPal only. The balance is due upon completion of the sale, i.e., when the buyer arrives to pick up the bike. If requested I will ship the included accessories at no cost to the buyer after receipt of the deposit, prior to completion of the sale. Final payment must be made via PayPal, cash, certified check, or postal money order. NO personal or business checks will be accepted under any circumstances. Buyer cannot take possession of the GL1000 until the full balance has been paid. If the transaction is not completed and remaining balance paid in full within seven days of auction end, unless satisfactory alternative arrangements have been made, the deposit will be forfeited and vehicle re-listed. Normal 0 While I have made every effort to describe the 1977 Honda GL1000 being offered as accurately as possible, detailing any defect that is known to me, and have every confidence of the buyer's satisfaction, I am not a dealer and certainly not a manufacturer so can sell the motorcycle only AS-IS with no warranties of any kind expressed or implied, with the following exception: Upon inspection of the motorcycle at my premises by the buyer or buyer's designated agent when arriving to take possession, if any defect is discovered at that time, which was not included in the above description and might affect the vehicle's mechanical, electrical, or structural reliability, integrity, or safety, at the buyer's request the transaction will be canceled and deposit refunded. No returns will be accepted and no refunds given once the buyer takes possession, whether in person or through designated agent, and the motorcycle leaves my premises. In the event of cancellation of the sale per the above conditions, the included accessories, if said were shipped early, must be returned and received by me within seven days of cancellation for the deposit to be refunded. While in mint or nearly-mint condition, since the accessories are extras included at no additional cost, no warranties or guaranties of any kind are given for them, and, except in case of cancellation of the sale due to circumstances as describe above, no returns accepted. On Apr-13-16 at 13:55:06 PDT, seller added the following information: I removed the the chrome guards that cover where the inlet tubes attach to the carburetors to better show the condition of the rubber collars (all good) and am maxed out on number of photos allowed by eBay so cannot show them in place. The covers are not missing and will be on the bike when it is picked up.