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Honda : Gold Wing THE ‘UNDRESSER’ 1980 GL1100 STANDARD: MINT Picture(s) and Description:
1980 GL1100 STANDARD: THE ‘UNDRESSER’ In the late 70s and early 80s big guns were being fired in Japan. Yamaha released the XS1100, Suzuki produced GS 1000s and 1100s, Kawasaki brought forth the Z machines: first a 1000cc four then the 1300cc six. Honda had their CB900s and their own interpretation of an in line six, the CBX, as well as the Turbocharged CX500T to answer these salvos from the competition. It was a time of intense development, and that spirit was also applied to Honda’s touring piece-de-resistance: the Gold Wing. The GL 1000 had enjoyed unparalleled success since its introduction in 1975. Interestingly, it had originally been conceived and prototyped as a six cylinder 1470cc machine called the M1. But six cylinders was considered too radical at the time, even though both Kawasaki and Honda would be producing sixes just a few years later; such was the dizzying pace of progress in those years! The 4 cylinder GL was originally produced without the now prerequisite fairing, saddlebags, tour box, rear engine guards, radios, compressors, CD players, back rests, cup holders, GPS systems, ABS brakes, computerized EFI, cruise controls, air bags!!!, etc, etc. This 1980 GL1100 represents the last version produced before factory accessorization began to take root. While a bolt on windshield and throw-over bags could easily be added for long trips, elemental open air freedom is what this bike is really all about, and on a hot, humid summer day, there is nothing quite like the wind in your face and the engine heat in your wake, not in your lap. This bike is from a time when most things were simpler. This is the ‘Un-Dresser’. While all of those lavish bells and whistles may be nice for two up interstate touring, an extra several hundred pounds certainly moves a motorcycle away from its roots. This ‘plain Jane’ GL weighs every bit of 100 pounds less than the dressed Interstate model, and it is a revelation in terms of lighter handling and acceleration. The original Gold Wing broke new ground with advances in mass centralization by locating the fuel tank beneath the seat. Even decades later, models like the 2010 ‘backwards’ engine Yamaha 450 (James Stewart/ Supercross racing) use novel designs to maximize mass centralization, such is its importance. So of course when over 100 pounds of accessories are added to a motorcycle, things just ain’t the same. Riding this naked GL is sort of a cross between experiencing a high horsepower superbike and a laid back tourer. This machine has the power and handling of the former with the smoothness, comfort and reliability of the latter. This is the best of both worlds. Honda engineer Shuji Tanaka was the Gold Wing Large Project leader. His job was to take the GL1000 out of the seventies and propel it towards the 1990’s. Engineer Tanaka applied the oriental philosophy of San-Gen-Shugi which brings the designer face to face with the user. Tanaka became a Gold Wing rider, traveling thousands of miles on a GL in the US, traveling to rallies, meeting and talking extensively with hundreds of Honda customers in the field. First he came to truly see the GL from the owner’s perspective, then he began to re-design it. This is San-Gen-Shugi. First, all drivetrain components from the crankshaft through to the final drive shaft were beefed up to maintain or increase the level of reliability. Then the displacement was pushed from 999 to 1085cc. To further tweak power delivery, carburetor size was reduced to 30mm, and together with more efficient combustion chambers and better ignition control from electronic timing and vacuum (as well as centrifugal) advance, Tanaka-san was able to deliver more power and greater efficiency. Noise and vibration control were enhanced as well. The icing on the cake was that slightly lower overall gearing used on this year/model only. The result? This 1980 GL1100 Standard is the quickest member of the entire Gold Wing family, posting a ¼ mile time of 12.47 seconds at 107.39 mph (Cycle Magazine). The 1980’s was also the start of a very productive period of chassis development at Honda. Fork tube diameter on this GL was increased 2mm to 39mm for increased rigidity. Suspension ‘stiction’ was dealt with by incorporating Syntallic Teflon-like bushings in the front forks and in the rear shocks. Air suspension had become popular due to its use in motocross and road racing in the late 1970’s, and this model is equipped with coil springs plus air springs front and rear. Each end has a single filling point to maintain perfect balance, and the result is compliant and smooth action plus an extra degree of adjustability which is achieved by changing the oil level and hence the air chamber volume to tune progressive-ness. Furthermore, load capacity and ride height can be easily adjusted by varying air pressure. The ride height is .6 inches lower than the ’79 model, and adding or subtracting a few psi sets the suspension perfectly for riding solo, two up or two up with luggage. This bike really handles! The quest for comfort did not stop with good shock absorbers. As part of the head to tail redesign for 1980, Mr. Tanaka and his team of engineers also stretched the wheelbase dramatically by 2.4”, increased trail by .6” and increased rake from 28 to 29.2 degrees. Later models became even longer and more raked out, loosing the 1980’s perfect balance of steering response and stability. These improvements also allowed for an improved seat: more room for rider and passenger. This model is truly a developmental watershed, and it performs admirably even by today’s standards while being a historical milestone along the Gold Wing’s long road of development. If you love your Gold Wing dresser, you should consider adding this “lightweight” version to your stable of motorcycles. And best of all: It’s a Honda! OK, maybe I’ve gotten your attention, and you are a little bit interested or maybe even excited about this model. But wait, there’s more: buy now and you also get these Ginzu knives absolutely free! Just kidding. Let me tell you about this exact motorcycle, and a little about myself. I am a retired certified Honda technician. I own and operate RetroTours, Inc and as one part of that business I recondition old bikes and sometimes sell them. You can get some idea of what we do here by visiting the website: www.retrotours.com . I came out of a restaurant after lunch a few months ago and met Brian who was sort of admiring whichever old bike I was riding that day. We got to talking and before long, I agreed to stop by his place to check out this old Gold Wing that he wanted to sell, although reluctantly. Brian had rescued the bike from the original owner who let it languish in his garage for a decade or so. During his 8 or ten years of ownership, Brian got the bike running, got a nice paint job done by a local auto body shop and tried to slowly upgrade and maintain it while using it casually, mostly for short rides around town. He started it for me, and I gave it a quick look over before loading it into my truck for the short ride back to my shop. I’ve had it here for about three months now, and I have put a little over 1,000 miles on it while debugging the bike from front to rear. I have put the bike into excellent mechanical condition for the next owner, and I have enjoyed riding it immensely. It is a joy to ride, and it is also quite lovely to behold. Strangers comment on how nice it looks regularly. It can also be very thrilling, as serious acceleration is just a twist of the throttle away. At the same time, it is quiet and comfortable, and the handling is very, very good: great suspension, decent brakes, lovely steering. Shuji Tanaka should be proud of his work in designing this model. Let me give you a tour of the bike. Use the 24 pictures and zoom feature to study it closely. Please note that the fuzzy white specs on the ‘gas tank’ top are just specs of pollen or dust. Both tires are fresh and correctly sized. The front is a 100/90x19 Bridgestone Excedra, the rear is a 140/80x17 Avon Azaro. I had both wheels off to check wheel bearings which are greased and smooth, and both wheels have been balanced. The rear wheel drive splines are good and have been greased regularly. Both rims are straight and true. Handling and steering is perfect up to over 100 mph. The rear shocks and the front forks both have fresh oil and tight seals which do not leak at all, and neither end loses suspension air pressure, even when the bike sits for several weeks. The rear suspension system is equipped with a sensor that turns on a red warning light on the dash if the rear air pressure gets too low, but the sensor has been disconnected, most likely because the red light would sometimes flash annoyingly, especially if a short stature rider kept rear shock air pressure low to bring down the seat height. The front and rear hydraulics have fresh fluid, and I flushed both systems thoroughly. I replaced the o ring and piston in the rear brake caliper due to corrosion. All brake pads and discs are fresh and clean; both brakes are powerful and do not drag or leak. All electrics work perfectly including the electric starter and the charging system. This model is not normally known to have stator problems, unlike other year/models of Gold Wing. The battery is fresh and holds a charge very well. The standard horns are little anemic Japanese things that gave up the ghost and have been replaced with an automotive German item wired through a relay mounted near the tool box. It is louder than the originals. The engine runs like a freaking top! Really, it is SWEET! I had the carbs off and went through them completely. I rebuilt the carbs with complete rebuild kits: new jets, float valves, o rings and gaskets. I was able to extract the press fit slow jets to clean them thoroughly. I synchronized the carbs properly with vacuum gauges. The machine starts instantly, and holds a perfect idle at 900 rpm. Throttle response is outstanding, mileage is great, and it will pull cleanly from 1000 rpm to the red line. The air filter is clean. Compression is perfect; there is no smoke or oil consumption at any time. The motor is nice and quiet too. It sounds healthy and tight because it is healthy and tight. Make no mistake, there are nearly 50,000 miles on this motor, and it promises to deliver 3 times that before it demands anything beyond routine oil changes and maintenance. The clutch, transmission, drive shaft and final drive all work perfectly, there are no oil leaks whatsoever, no fuel leaks, no coolant leaks. Everything is clean and tight! All wires and cables are nicely routed and free of fraying, corrosion or other defects. All controls fall right to hand, the ergonomics are dialed in for a 6 foot tall rider. The seat is adjustable fore and aft by about 3 inches; it is quite comfortable and free of blemishes. The exhaust system is in very good condition, with no substantial rotting or corrosion. The body paint is plain gloss black and does not hide any body damage; it was repainted because the factory paint had faded. All body parts are in very good condition, overall appearance is very good. The chrome is in good repair: no real rust issues, no pitting, no peeling. The plain black paint compliments the chromed parts very nicely. You may or may not want to add pin-striping. The fork lower cases, the valve covers and the belt covers are all aluminum parts that receive a clear plastic protective coating from the factory. The plastic is deteriorated a bit, and the appearance of these parts, while not horrible, could be enhanced by polishing off the remnants of the plastic and then polishing the aluminum base material. Alternately, chrome plated valve and belt covers are readily available for this model at reasonable prices. There was some staining on a similar plastic coating on the crankcase in the area of the dipstick caused by a very slow fuel leak from the carburetors over a long period of time. The leak has been eliminated and the stained plastic coating has been removed with a small wire brush on a Dremel rotary tool. All this can be seen in the photos. Here is the best part: The original owner kept a service history on this bike, and all maintenance from day one is documented in the original owner’s record book that was packed with the owner’s manual at the factory. The complete service history of this machine is contained in the photos. This documentation makes it clear why this machine has survived for 30 years in such exceptional condition: the oil and filter have been changed regularly, and the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule has been adhered to religiously. Timing belts were replaced at 30,000 miles. Here is the rare combination of an interesting and desirable machine with a complete documented service history. Absolutely turn key. Buy and ride! There is a tool tray and an owner’s handbook. There is no toolkit. There is a clear Pennsylvania title. There is also a very nice KG luggage rack with brackets to fit this machine (not mounted: loose) and there is a sissy bar and pad to fit the KG rack. My perfect positive feedback score on eBay is very important to me. While I have tried to make this bike seem attractive (heck, it IS attractive) I have also mentioned its flaws. I have described it honestly and completely and not omitted anything of consequence. Feel free to contact me with any questions, I will answer promptly. If you need more photos, just let me know. This is a 10 day auction, and there is a reserve, but the reserve is very reasonable. I will be very surprised if the bidding does not pass the reserve. A $500 deposit is due within 72 hours of the close of the auction. Payment in full is due within 10 days of the close of the auction. Preferred method of payment is Paypal for the deposit, and bank transfer for the balance. I can accept any payment method you prefer, just please allow ample time for checks to clear. I can help with delivery and will deliver personally within several hundred miles if you pay gas and tolls. I could also meet you halfway. You could fly to Philly when it warms up in a few weeks, I can pick you up at the airport and you can ride it home. Wouldn’t that be fun? Stay here overnight if you like. I will be glad to bring it to a nearby shop for crated or uncrated shipping. If you prefer, I can totally arrange the shipping for you by a reputable experienced carrier, and you can add the cost of shipping to your final payment. I will be happy to sell to customers outside of the USA, and will work with you wherever you are to make sure you get your Gold Wing quickly and free of hassle. My only goal is to make sure you are completely satisfied. PLEASE BID WITH CONFIDENCE, AND FREQUENTLY! OK; I would also like to make a few dollars, but I’m willing to earn it.
