1984 Goldwing Aspencade help

Job one is, make sure it's charging. That's an engine out job to fix.

Get on the ground and look under the bike. You are looking for loose wheel bearings and worn out brake rotors. Also looseness in the swingarm and breaks in the bag mounts, etc. Rear wheel bearings were a problem and often require a new wheel.

There is a weep hole on the water pump housing at the left front of the motor. Has it been, or does it now, leak?

The only other thing is to sniff the exhaust. 'Wings that sit a lot can have head gasket problems.

Be very thorough when looking at the tires. Look at the date and inspect for cracking. Other stuff, like timing belts, tune ups etc. you'll probably want to do anyway, for your own peace of mind.

Oh, it also might be a good idea to check the bottom of the trunk for cracks. Bags too, for that matter.

Charging system problems, headgaskets, or loosness in the rear wheel or swingarm would be deal breakers for me.

Uh, everybody is doing a great job on telling you what to look for, but something else occurs to me. You said you are new to motorcycles. I'm not sure I would recommend a full dress Goldwing for a beginner. They are very easy to ride after you get used to it, but they can be a handful when you are just starting out, and have to learn to ride a motorcycle, and deal with the size of the Goldwing as well. They actually feel a lot bigger than they really are, because of that huge fairing in front of you.

Also if you are new to motorcycles, I would suggest taking the MSF basic rider course before riding on the street. And also, while it can be fairly easy to learn to ride in a parking lot, dealing with traffic is another matter. Most car drivers out there are impaired by their cell phones, and won't see you. You would think they would see something as big as a Goldwing, but they don't even see other cars. You have to ride like you are invisible.

Best of luck with the bike, and with learning to ride. Just take your time and take it easy. Goldwings handle very well, but their size can seem a bit overwhelming at first.

At 6'3" 300 pounds you should be a good fit. I'm only 6' 220 pounds. I would suggest a large late model cruiser, they are big enough without the huge fairing, so they look and feel a lot smaller. I have owned a lot of cruisers, have a Kawasaki Vulcan 750 right now that fits me fine, but there really is nothing like a Goldwing. I'm having mechanical issues with mine right now, and seriously considering getting rid of it. I got it 2 years ago, rebuilt it from the ground up mechanically (except for the engine) and have had a lot of issues with it. Most of those issues seem to be age related. Remember these are old bikes. Would you buy an '84 model car? (yes, I'm into vintage cars, but only early '70s and older American) Some people have very good luck with them, and some don't. You are almost certain to run into some mechanical or electrical problems, so you will probably be learning to wrench at the same time you are learning to ride. Goldwings are addictive. Even after deciding a couple days ago to get rid of mine, I was out there again this morning wrenching on it.