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1200 c.c. GoldWing - is it reliable?

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MoneyGuy
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I'm a new member. I'm looking at buying a 1984 Wing, 1200 c.c. A friend says the 1200 is probably the worst built GoldWing. Can anyone comment on that for me? It's in great shape - 77,000 km (48,000 miles). Has a trailer also. Can anyone comment on the 1200 Wing form a mechanical point of view? thanks.
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johnmac
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Welcome to the forum! My '85 1200A has almost 97,000 miles on it and it never lets me down! I don't think there really is a "worst" year Goldwing. How well it has been cared for, not miles or years is what counts.
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Goldwinger
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They do have a history of electrical bugs, but because they have been around so long there is a fix for all of them. I had an 85 Aspencade sold it last year,ran great every day
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Shooter
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It's mechanical, it's also 21 years old. But the funny thing is that the guys who ride them pretty much seem to swear by them, not at them. I ride a 86-I, and it's not leaving my possession any-time soon. 72k and I think it's just about broke-in.... :gunhead:



Almost forgot to offer up another welcome....
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Brojees
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87-A 87943 0n the clock and ticking like a Swiss Watch.

Change out the connector plug on the alternator and you are home free. Oh and mine has every light known to man mounted on it. I don;t run them, but I have to assume the PO must have at least once and I have no electrical problems.
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Tonys96
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As mentioned there are a few problems, some experienced by a few, some by more than a few.

As far as the reliability of the 1200, they should be good for about 200-300 thousand miles gived adequate care. Don't know about anyone elses opinion, but that sounds reliable to me.
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Patch
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Hey MoneyGuy,

Welcome to the forum! :clapper: :waving: :waving: :clapper:

I purchased a 1984 GL1200 Aspencade just over 4 months ago and love it very much. It had 14,100 miles on it when I got it and I have put on almost 3,000 since getting it. It always starts and runs and I have not had any problems wit it. A very good machine if you ask me.:)
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Hawker22
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1984GL1200A wrote:
Hey MoneyGuy,

Welcome to the forum! :clapper: :waving: :waving: :clapper:

I purchased a 1984 GL1200 Aspencade just over 4 months ago and love it very much. It had 14,100 miles on it when I got it and I have put on almost 3,000 since getting it. It always starts and runs and I have not had any problems wit it. A very good machine if you ask me.:)
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Man, that is like about 700 miles per year for its 21 year life. What were the PO's doing with it?? At 14,000 miles, you should not have very many problems with ity for a very long time. Great find.
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Patch
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Hawker22 wrote:
Man, that is like about 700 miles per year for its 21 year life. What were the PO's doing with it?? At 14,000 miles, you should not have very many problems with ity for a very long time. Great find.
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The PO had it for just over a year and only put on 1,000 miles. I think that leaving them set is harder on them than riding them.

I did have a few problems but they were minor. It had old fuel that stung very badly in the tank. I had to dump it and clean it and put in new gas. I also changed out the filter. I believe the carbs were pretty gummed up too. I went through a large bottle of MMO and2 cans of SeaFoam throughout several tanks of gas and alsoacouple more fuel filters and now she runs like new. I still believe the the carbs need rebuilt to get all the gunk out but for now, it is running fine.

This will make a good winter project. :clapper:
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SilverDave
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  Many of us think its one of the BEST built wings of all time /forums/images/emoticons/big_grin.gif!!!                                                            The problems of the 1200 series were mostly the Stator... If you install an EC harness,and hard solder the  yellow wires..  then they are an awesome machine... Many owners consider the FCW  (Four Cylinder Wing ) one of the best cruising  bikes ever.../forums/images/emoticons/cool.gif I have 132,000 on mine, and no real problems... and by comparison , other Wings  (like the 1800,say ) have interesting problems like cracked frames, overheating,and multiple  CB or Cd player faults.../forums/images/emoticons/confused.gif I think it shows that all machines  have some flaws...                                                                                                                                                                                       I think a more  interesting question to ask is  .."How many 1500 owners  also kept their old 1200?"      ... LOL...  Quite a few....                                                                                            In a sentence.. I like mine because I can still make it "Dance" thru the twisties...                                                               .............and yours comes with a trailer too ??? get it.. get it !/forums/images/emoticons/emoticonsxtra/grinner.gif!!.. I bet you could sell the pair of them in  days,if you really did not like it /forums/images/emoticons/emoticonsxtra/goofygrin.gif..                                                            SilverDave /forums/images/emoticons/emoticonsxtra/cooldj.gif
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MoneyGuy
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The bike I'm looing for has a new stator, and has otherwise been well cared for. I took a friend of mine who knows infinitely more than me and he was very impressed.

Thx for the good info so far. Great site. I'm surprised I've had all these responses in only a few hours.

Another question: Currently I have a Honda Shadow 1100 c.c. It's a nice bike but it's not built for long trips, which is something I want to do. My wife couldn't take a long trip on the Shadow. I have to decide if I want to sell the Shadow to buy the Wing. It's a a big change for me. It's a lifestyle decision, I guess, but i have to decide if I want to sell the Shadow which I love to buy the Wing for traveling.

Any comments? How easy is the Wing for driving on short trips? I take my bike everywhere in driving season.

:baffled:

I may post a pic of the Wing later.
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Tonys96
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The wing is great for driving any distance, short or long.
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Brojees
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Well the difference amongst the Wing and the Shadow around town is simply not that great. On the highway though, there simply is no comparison. And the happiest wives are the ones on a Wing. Honestly, I would have a Moto Guzzi, but my wife is happy on the Wing and I like it as well.
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exavid
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:waving::waving:Welcome to the Best Goldwing Site on the Internet MoneyGuy!:waving::waving:

Dump the Shadow, you won't need it. I use my 93 1500 for 3000+ road trips and around town for errands. Once you get used to the Wing it's actually pretty easy to handle in town and parking lots. If your learning curve has a bump in it, the crash bars will usually catch her with no damage if you should drop her. There are basically two types of Wing riders, those who have dropped their bikes and those who lie about it. Not near as hard to handle as low speed as the BMW in my opinion. Take a look at the mileages on the Goldwings on eBay compared to just about any otherbike of the same year. Those Wings are running up high mileage because they are comfortable for town and highway. The trunk and saddlebags make them useful for shopping and other errands too. If it rains I don't think there's a bike I'd rather be on, ditto in the cold.

BTW there are no unreliable Goldwings unless they've been abused.:weightlifter:
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R
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I've had a lot of bikes, including a GL1500.. Went back to the GL1200.. It's going to stay with me for a long long time.. Great bike.. No problems other than the uncomfortable seat..

It's one of the best Gold Wings ever built...
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jdot84
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HEY! I'm a newby to. I have a 85 1200I ,I bought it 2 years ago,it has a few small cosmetic probs but mech. it's great it has 87000+ miles and I ride it as transportation as much as possible. I just wish that there were more after market stuff for it. I some times have a problem finding stuff i want. I find a lot on EBAY!!!!

I think you will be as happy with it as I am Mine. I had a 16 year laps in riding after my kids were born and I bought mine as a starter bike to get back in the swing but I love it. I'd like to get a new bike but hate the idea of giving up my interstate.

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keener
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Once in awhile, I think I'd like to upgrade from my 1984 GL1200A but then, I take her for a spin and the thought leaves my head to be replaced by a big grin. If you look after her, she'll look after you.
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MoneyGuy
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If it's dropped can you pick it up by yourself? Or do you have to do lots of this

:weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter:
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D
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MoneyGuy wrote:
I'm a new member. I'm looking at buying a 1984 Wing, 1200 c.c. A friend says the 1200 is probably the worst built GoldWing. Can anyone comment on that for me? It's in great shape - 77,000 km (48,000 miles). Has a trailer also. Can anyone comment on the 1200 Wing form a mechanical point of view? thanks.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.:jumper: I have a 1984 aspy and have 70,000 miles on it. looks great, rides great and change my oil and filter every 3,000 miles. you will love the handling and smooth ride. I was told that they 1200 would last 300,000 miles if maintained properly. I have no complaints with mine.

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Patch
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MoneyGuy wrote:
If it's dropped can you pick it up by yourself? Or do you have to do lots of this

:weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter::weightlifter:
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Funny you should mention this. I was over to a buddy's house on Saturday and we went looking for parts for his bike. We took his truck and I put my Aspy in the garage next to his bike. After returning and getting his bike fixed, I went to roll my bike out of the garage (he had went inside to wash up) and the antennas got stuck in his garage door. I held the bars with one hand while trying to get the antennas un-stuck. Needless to say, the bike started tipping and I managed to let it down on the guards very gently. Not wanting him to come out and see my bike laying on its side, I went around to the other side and lifted the bike back on its feet. I thought it would be much harder than it was, but surprisingly, it was relatively easy.
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