Whew, that a lot of questions! First let me say, welcome to the forum. Having owned both a 98 GL1500 and 09 Gl1800 Wing I can tell you they are simular and yet very different. My 1500 was a great touring bike. Good for long distance and interstate drives. I could travel 600+ miles in a day and not be exhausted. The engine was pretty much bullit proof and I had very few problems. My 1800 is all that and more! It's a 900 pound motorcycle that can run like a sports bike. It handles twisties with ease and has more power. It's fuel injected vs the 1500's carbs. The 1500 wears bias ply tires and the 1800 radials. From my experience the 1800's everything the 1500 was and lots more.
The early 1800's frame and cooling problems are well documented, but most of the problems were resolved if the owner took the bike in for the recalls that Honda had. From MY 2005 and up those problems don't seem to be prevelent.
As far as how long a Wing will last, well a lot of owners report over 150,000 miles without major problems. I've seen guys report over 225,000 miles on their GL1800. So the engine and drivetrain on both Wings are capable of handling high mileage. The secret is how the bike has been maintained. Has the previous owner adheared to the recommended maint schedule and changed oil and filter regularly. If the bike has high/higher mileage things like valve timing and belts come into play. Have they been adjusted or replaced?
Both bikes will take you wherever you want to go with minimal problems. My choices then would be in order
1. A Gl1800 that has been well maintained and had all the recalls done.
2. A GL1500 years 1998-2000 SE model.
You should be able to find a 98-00 1500 for around $6-9,000. An 1800 years 2001-2004 should be in the range of $10-14000. I guess the bottom line is buy what you can afford. You can't go wrong either way. Hope this help... Ride safe and enjoy..
The early 1800's frame and cooling problems are well documented, but most of the problems were resolved if the owner took the bike in for the recalls that Honda had. From MY 2005 and up those problems don't seem to be prevelent.
As far as how long a Wing will last, well a lot of owners report over 150,000 miles without major problems. I've seen guys report over 225,000 miles on their GL1800. So the engine and drivetrain on both Wings are capable of handling high mileage. The secret is how the bike has been maintained. Has the previous owner adheared to the recommended maint schedule and changed oil and filter regularly. If the bike has high/higher mileage things like valve timing and belts come into play. Have they been adjusted or replaced?
Both bikes will take you wherever you want to go with minimal problems. My choices then would be in order
1. A Gl1800 that has been well maintained and had all the recalls done.
2. A GL1500 years 1998-2000 SE model.
You should be able to find a 98-00 1500 for around $6-9,000. An 1800 years 2001-2004 should be in the range of $10-14000. I guess the bottom line is buy what you can afford. You can't go wrong either way. Hope this help... Ride safe and enjoy..
