The Mule has been traded!

[LAB3]

Living off a rich woman? Oh you scandalous man.

Not at all! This is a matter of convenience for both of us and I love resurrecting an overgrown yard as much as wrenching on bikes. She's less than five years older than my parents if that's what you where wondering...

[Steve]

You left out the big screen TV.

Trailer hitch. Reverse gear.

Reverse did not happen until the 6-cylinder models in 1988.
Later models also had the capuccino machines.

Steve, as to the unified brakes, I'm familiar with that set up from my Venture. Pretty sure it's got Dot5 brake fluid in it now, they feel mushy but work well enough.

You had better hope it does NOT have DOT5 in it now. That system is not compatible with DOT5. If it does have DOT 5 in it now, you will have to basically replace or rebuild every component that has any rubber, including master cylinders, hoses and calipers.

Not sure if the original system was spec'ed for DOT3 or DOT4. Those are compatible, DOT4 just has a higher boiling point. DOT5.1 is also compatible, but DOT5 is not.

.

[LAB3]

Reverse did not happen until the 6-cylinder models in 1988.
Later models also had the capuccino machines.




You had better hope it does NOT have DOT5 in it now. That system is not compatible with DOT5. If it does have DOT 5 in it now, you will have to basically replace or rebuild every component that has any rubber, including master cylinders, hoses and calipers.

Not sure if the original system was spec'ed for DOT3 or DOT4. Those are compatible, DOT4 just has a higher boiling point. DOT5.1 is also compatible, but DOT5 is not.

.

That was the plan, in the mean time I'll at least flush it. There's a pickup and travel van here I can use and the hardware store is literally within easy walking distance. If I an get it in the same state as the Mule was (needing NOTHING) for $750 I'll be in the ballpark of what it's worth to me.

[Redman]

/////////////quote
1983 Naked Aspencade GL1100
////////////EndQuote

Ah, so it was a dresser.

A friend of mine had an 1100 Aspencade. Suspension adjust compressor and all.
I helped him take off the wheels (to take in for new tires) and wheel bearings fell out, and he learnt about that problem with that vintage of the comstar wheels. But I see you dont have those.

Now you get to deal with water cooling, and that big rubber timing belt.

I dont recall what year it was that the goldwings became Interstates with the full faring and luggage.

[LAB3]

/////////////quote
1983 Naked Aspencade GL1100
////////////EndQuote

Ah, so it was a dresser.

A friend of mine had an 1100 Aspencade. Suspension adjust compressor and all.
I helped him take off the wheels (to take in for new tires) and wheel bearings fell out, and he learnt about that problem with that vintage of the comstar wheels. But I see you dont have those.

Now you get to deal with water cooling, and that big rubber timing belt.

I dont recall what year it was that the goldwings became Interstates with the full faring and luggage.

Haven't run the numbers yet to see if it's an Aspencade or Interstate. It's been repainted so that's not telling me much, that metal side cover is the key I'm guessing without running numbers.

[Redman]

. . . . . Aspencade or Interstate. .........

I am not that well versed, but based on experience with my friends bike (a few years ago) the Aspencade had the on board compressor and accompanying push button panel, front/rear and increase/decrease.
Steve might be able to point out other remaining tell-tales.

[Gorminrider]

Haven't run the numbers yet to see if it's an Aspencade or Interstate. It's been repainted so that's not telling me much, that metal side cover is the key I'm guessing without running numbers.

some opinionated people tell me the Interstate is the one to get. You likely have it judging by the dials and the ease that it was stripped of fairing and "stuff" . Apparently the Aspencade came with electronic doofunnies and the 80's were not a good era for them...

[LAB3]

After running the vin number on the Goldwing and also doing some deciphering of the evidence, here's what I've come up with. Neither the grey nor the maroon is a stock 1983 color. It appears that it's probably a bit of a hodge podge of parts put together to make a motorcycle, just as the Second Harley I bought and turned into a bobber (For it's time) Looks like it may have caught on fire at some point, my guess is a hung float on a carb or perhaps some spillage igniting while refuelling.





The gas tank on a Goldwing is merely a cover, the actual tank is below the seat to keep the weight lower. The gas fill cap under a lid in the false tank allows you to fill it, here's no kind of guard or anything to keep some gas that dribbles out of the spigot from splashing down onto the hot engine. On most bikes, you can hold it at a 90 degree angle to keep this to a minimum, on the Goldwing it has to point straight down to get the gas where it needs to be.




So the vin says 1983 Honda GL1100I, meaning Interstate. The metal side covers on it now, near as i can tell, are off an Aspencade most likely from a different year. This pic is an approximation of what it looked like coming from the factory.

http://veh-markets.com/motorcycles/honda/210162-1983-honda-goldwing-gl1100-interstate.html

Turns out the spark plug caps are resistor type and both banks tested the complete opposite! The right side was dead on close enough to 5k ohm to not worry about, did the 1/4 inch clip and back on they went. The left side on the other had had NO continuity! Did find a site about taking an old resistor out and replacing it with a piece of 12 or 10 gauge wire then running resistor plugs. Mine don't want to seem to come apart so I'll see what the auto parts store has, something THAT simple makes it a lot more likely to not backfire, snort or buck, which sounds even more horrid with open pipes!

[LAB3]

Well that took longer than it needed to! Two weeks ago I discovered both caliper bleeders where stuck and two extractor sizes did get them out, that was my last job on the list. Had to order a pair of front calipers, turned out the seals I ordered where not the proper size. Waited a week for that to clear up and as of yesterday it's on the road. Did some tweaking and tuning and with some glass packs in the straight pipes there's nothing else that sounds like it. Will probably put all the racks and luggage on it tomorrow just to try it out, it'll be amazing how much more I'll be able to carry and more importantly, keep dry

[Rob S.]

...it'll be amazing how much more I'll be able to carry and more importantly, keep dry

We're moving on up
To the east side
To a de-luxe apartment
In the sky, aye, aye

Mazel Tov

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Would like to hear that with the glass packs. Can you post a video? If it sounds anything like when my dad put a pair on his ‘76 Int. Scout Traveller, it’ll sound bada$$

[LAB3]

Would like to hear that with the glass packs. Can you post a video? If it sounds anything like when my dad put a pair on his ‘76 Int. Scout Traveller, it’ll sound bada$$

Definitely a percussive rasp to it. I'm going to have to wait til morning to get the electric choke set right on it then I can properly tune it. Put a VW carb on a single carb intake, that four carb rig looks like a real nightmare to work on and I figured out it had carbs from at least two different years on it, one set has pressed in jets the other two removable. There's a definite advantage to simplifying as well, I can get a carb kit or air cleaner darn near anywhere, I'll get some audio posted when it's dialed in.

[Rob S.]

I'll get some audio posted when it's dialed in.

We'll need more pics. You know what they say: If we can't see pics, we may not agree with it.

[GS1150Pilot]

It'll lose some power and responsiveness with a single carb, and those conversions can be a pain in the @ss, too.

[LAB3]

It'll lose some power and responsiveness with a single carb, and those conversions can be a pain in the @ss, too.

After 27k miles on a 450 the last two plus years a loss of power doesn't phase me much. Knowing I don't need to downshift going up hills is plenty fine by me, I often forget I have another gear to shift up to going 60mph if I want it.