[Dimond]

I would like to buy a used GoldWing to get the feel of a GoldWing before spending a LOT to get one that is really decent. I have been looking at USED GoldWings in the $2 to $4 k range They are very old and/or have very high mileage. For example, found 1990 GL1500 with 150k mileage - but needs a fork lifter on one gear (and maybe a gear or two). I don't want to buy a bucket of rust - so how do I balance purchase price AND mileage AND repair costs? How many miles can you put on a GoldWing before you need to replace a lot of stuff or risk the ruin of your bike? If you drop the engine on a bike with 150k in mileage then what else should you replace? How do you decide the breakpoint where you say, "It is not worth it!"? How many miles until you say, "It is not worth buying or fixxng?" Thanks for your input.

 

[Two Wheel Wing]

First, welcome to the forum from Pa. Not sure what you mean by "get the feel of a Goldwing".. Do you think you won't like it or it will be too big to handle?? Have you had a motorcycle in the past and were you able to handle it?? If you have not I recommend a m/c saftey course which will help your riding skills. If you had a bike before then you will be suprised by the handling capabilities of the Wing.

And unless you are very handy with a wrench buying a bike in need of a lot of work will not enhance your riding experience. Maybe if you can fill in some of the blanks for us we can provide some useful information.

 

[LarryinSeattle]

Welcome to the forum from Seattle.

I highly recommend the GWRRA groups (Goldwing Road Riders Association) to find folks who ride wings in your area. When you attend chapter meetings you will find friendly folks that ride the same motorcycle you do, and like the members of this forum, they know their motorcycle.

http://www.gwrra.org[/url]

 

[Dimond]

Asking the question from another angle, "What is your estimate of the mileage that you can put on a GL1500 before you would do a rebuild? And, what would you rebuild?". I know you may want to ask a lot of qualifying questions - but make whatever assumptions you wish and provide your best guess at answer the question(s). The number you come up with is going to be based on your experience and comfort level - which will vary with each of us. Thanks for entertaining this issue!

 

[detdrbuzzard]

look on craigslist in your area, i'm sure there is a wing in your price range that doesn't need a trans repair

 

[GWTrike]

I would like to buy a used GoldWing to get the feel of a GoldWing before spending a LOT to get one that is really decent. I have been looking at USED GoldWings in the $2 to $4 k range They are very old and/or have very high mileage. For example, found 1990 GL1500 with 150k mileage - but needs a fork lifter on one gear (and maybe a gear or two). I don't want to buy a bucket of rust - so how do I balance purchase price AND mileage AND repair costs? How many miles can you put on a GoldWing before you need to replace a lot of stuff or risk the ruin of your bike? If you drop the engine on a bike with 150k in mileage then what else should you replace? How do you decide the breakpoint where you say, "It is not worth it!"? How many miles until you say, "It is not worth buying or fixxng?" Thanks for your input.

This summer, I bought a 1989 GW with Voyager trike kit for $4500, all new tires, and recent clutch. I put $500 into it - new brakes, new fluids, cup holders, tune-up, bank sensor (free), etc.

The bike only had 23K miles when I got it. These engines can go for 200-300K with minimal mtc.

Unless I was the one who put 150K mi on the bike, 150K mi would be too much for me - only because the forks, frame, bearings, timing belts etc have that many miles on 'em and you don't know how well it was maintained.

Be patient and the right deal will present itself. There is no reason you can't get yourself a nice GL1500 for under $4K or a GL1200 for even less.

 

[LarryinSeattle]

In my opinion, a motorcycle with 150,000 miles on it that needs transmission work is worth very little. I would let the current owner own that transmission problem.

There are a tremendous amount of good quality motorcycles for sale out there. You just have to take your time and do the research. A motorcycle that is ready to ride and needs no work is in your future if you just do the study.

There is a 1500 in the Seattle area that was taken apart for paint..... sitting in the guys garage waiting for an offer. He is asking 1800. Probably is gonna be a parts bike in the near future.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Rent one for a day or 2!

 

[Jaymom]

Dimond.....One month ago I bought a 1986 1200A Aspencade. He wanted $2300 and I wanted $2300 for my pickup so we swapped even across the board. I put a new front tire on it and so far that has been it. I know little to nothing about GoldWings but I do learn more as each day goes by. i have ridden it approximately 700 miles and i love it. I also have a Rebel 250 which gets ridden once a week just to keep it in good running condition. My bike has a odometer that sits on 79 thousand miles. How long it has been there is unknown. The bike starts, accelerates and cruise's like a dream. So to answer your question, from my point of view is that there is a lot of luck involved. I love my bike. I have issues with it that have to be addressed eventually but in the meantime Im riding every day and im not sorry for buying a 25 year old bike.
But anyway, good luck at your end and hopefully you will get a good deal. A GoldWing is a good deal to begin with when you think about it.

Harold

 

[calbigbird]

but needs a fork lifter on one gear (and maybe a gear or two)

Pulling the transmission apart is a BIG deal. There are to many good bikes out there for sale. I agree with D-Dawg, rent one for a day. There are big differences between the models. The new 1800's don't feel like the 1200's or the 1500's. You can invest a couple hundred for an all day test ride and save yourself a bunch of money toward a new bike. I think you will be surprised on how easy these things are to ride.

 

[Dimond]

I found your collective input provided very sage advice with the tone of the posts presented in a very uplifting manner. I am now armed with some new and optimistic perspectives as I move forward! Thanks to all of you.

 

[budoka]

Like mentioned, tranny woes are something to steer clear of..lots of $$$ possibly. But Wings in good to great nick are capable of extreme high total mile numbers 330k is ot out of the question for the engines without any significant rebuild or failure. The rest of the bike is subject to how well it was maintained...they are soo reliable that things could easily get neglected or forgotten until major suspension and driveline components wear out completely, but not because they are weak, but because the owner ignored the simple maintenance routines. Well kept bikes with well kept logs/records are the answer to your questions.

 

[Cantankerous]

There is a 1500 in the Seattle area that was taken apart for paint..... sitting in the guys garage waiting for an offer. He is asking 1800. Probably is gonna be a parts bike in the near future.

Wish I had known that before I bought the one I did!

 

[Bob Apps]

Hi. I am 62 years old and only been riding since May. I really don't know much about bikes, but with some hep I bought a 1978 Goldwing GL1000 22000 original km's for $1800.00. The bike has been great no problems.
However i think the gas tank is fairly small and maybe because it's carbed the milage does not seem that great.
Good luck.
Bob

 

[budoka]

Bob, your GL1000 has a 19litre tank (5.22 US/g and 4.18 I/g). That's not small for a motocycle really (lots of bikes have 16 litre tanks), but smaller than newer GL's.
Dimond, I hope you find a bike that suits you.
"You must choose...wisely!"Templar Knight, guardian of the Grail... Indianna Jones and the Last Crusade

 

[Bob Apps]

Thanks for the info.
Bob