[Mike217]

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I just bought my first GL1500 and can't ride it because it sat for 8yrs and I am waiting on money for repairs which isn't a horrible thing because I live in an area that gets substantial amounts of snow although I do admit I would probably be riding if it ran. All I read about is how wonderful the 1800 is.Well, I don't own an 1800 so I don't care how well they handle or how fast they take off (which I am sure is true). I want to hear about the GL1500s that have a ton of miles, or how the the 1500 blows away all the other bikes by leaps and bounds, or just share some adventures that you have been on with your wing. Since I can't ride I want do to the next best thing (if not the first) and just use my imagination and learn. It's like getting a radio controlled car on your birthday but not having the batteries.




I will start, I sold my enduro this summer and bought an 83 gl1100i. I immediately new I made the right decision when I took it out the first weekend of ownership for a camping trip. I put a blanket, pillow, tent, food, beer and cooler in and on the bike and had room to spare I had a great weekend and didn't fill up until I got back around 200 miles later and averaged 40 mpg. I knew then that this was the bike for me.....until I started researching the 1500. I liked the things I had heard so after 3-4 months of looking I found a great deal on a low mileage 1995, which brings me to this point of reading but not riding. I would ride the 1100 but it has been winterized and cold/rainy isn't that enjoyable. By the way my 1100 is for sale (which would help with repairs on the 1500) if any of you are interested here is a pic

 

[erwjww]

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I started out with an 84 Aspy. Loved it and still have it. Bought a 97 Aspy last summer and boy am I glad I did. Some people will tell you that the 15 is not as agile as the 12 but I disagree. I think it handles alot better than the 12. It does appear alot bigger sitting in the saddle. That said I haven't had opportunity to take any long trips on yet but I ain't lookin back. Congrats on bike and good luck gettin her tuned and runnin. Maybe we can hook up for lunch and ride someday.

 

[Mike217]

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Thank you for the responding, Yeah I know I took a bit of a gamble buying something that doesnt run but after looking around here it seemed like with 13,6xx it was a no brainer especially since these things go hundreds of thousands of miles. And yes maybe one of these days there will be a car show or something in Sprinfield and we could meet.

 

[ziadelsol]

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Don't get down on your 1500 compared to the 1800 yet, thats like comparing apples to oranges. It all depends on what you likeor what you can afford at the time.

The 1500 is a great bike and once you get it up and running, with proper maintenance it will last you years. I had my 89 GL1500 for 7 years and it was a great running bike and if I had not sold it prior to getting my 1800 (Note, I did not sell it to get the 1800)I would probably still own it today. The longest trip at one time that I made with it was from Fairbanks Alaska to Rio Rancho NM. Other than that most of my trips were only 600-1000 mile excursions.

The one thing I loved about the 1500 is the trunk room, I was able to pack all that I needed for2 weeksand camp the wholetime without any problems at all. It is a great handling bike for its size and I was not wanting for power on it at all.

Just my .02 cents worth anyways. Take the time this winter to get it running and then just enjoy the ride next year with years to come.

 

[OnaWingAndaPrayer]

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I started my Goldwing adventure when an uncle gave me a 77 . Well it had sat to long in northern climates with no attention . I spent time taking it apart and working on it . In the end it became a parts bin because there was a title issue and I saw no reason to continue it's repair .

This led me to an 83 from another family member . It was rideable but needed love . With some cleaning and maintenence it was riden for several yrs . I was able to get the Mrs into riding with me . Thats the first bike we rode the Dragon and Cherohola on .

We wanted a little more creature comforts and began looking to the 1500 . I found a 93 needing transmission work .This bike had only 53K (and no,it didn't have aheel/toe shift ). It was already apart ( and is not complete yet) . A few months later I found a 94SE with 169K miles . It was quite a change to me learning how to deal with the heft of the 1500. Though soon we were comfy riding 2 up on this bike . It now has 185K miles and still runs great . I cannot say what maint was done before I purchased this bike . In the time I have had it its only had the timing belts replaced along with a couple sets of tires .Also replaced the battery and both starting solenoids.

I would expect if your bike is cosmetically in good condition then a complete fuel system cleaning ( tank and carbs ) should have you riding in high style . Best of luck .

 

[Winger77]

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A 1500 with those low miles is still brand new IMO. But the worst thing for them is sitting,,,,, they need to run. And I'm sure you will get her going by spring. Are you doing the work yourself?? Lots of valuable tech help here. So don't be afraid to tackle the unknown.

Once you have herrunning and do the general maintenance as needed on these bikes,,,,,,,,, you'll be ready to go around the worldwith dependability.I've had my 97 Aspy since 2006 and havedone 6-8,000 mile trips without any kind of "hic-up" at all. It still impresses me how great it performs.

Best of luck to you,, and be sure tocome here with any troubles you may have with it.

 

[sammy lou]

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Mike217,



I have had a 1992 aspencade for 3 years now. I love it!! Have made many long trips. Built myself a small triler, and the wing pulls it with out any trouble. It handles like a dream, and you will really appreciate its comfort and agility on a road trip. My wife had never ridden before this bike and she loves it also. Planning a trip next summer from Tennesse to california! Enjoy your bike!!



Wingrider60:waving::?

 

[meandred]

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congrats on the purchase,i to have a 95 1500,i purchased it in 08 and havent looked back,other than i bent the shift and repaired it mysrlf ,at the time i looked at the 1800 but for me i preferred the classic styling of the 1500,i have riden 2 differant 1800 and they are by far more giddy up go and ride like no other,but the new body didnt really appeal to me ,be careful of brutal shifting,i know,but once i became accustomed to the wieght and how to drive it there was no turning back.
other than timing belts and basic routine maintainance,it has performed like a real champ,the are a lot of articals here and the mass of information is astounding,just check all your relays and fuse holders,speedo cables,switchs,final drive splines,i only suggest this for 2 reasons,1 the bike has sit for a long period of time ,2 right now is the time being winter,do that and you ll have the most enjoyable summer next season,a little bit of work now will be well worth it,any questions p.m. me
oh .jfyi,a frien of mine has a 96 se with over 512,000 kms on it,and still runs all over the eastern seabord from here to florida,its a proven motorcycle,ENJOY

 

[djoyner]

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Congrats on the new purchase and I'm sure you won't be disappointed with your decision on buying a Wing (of any vintage).

Igot a great deal ona good-running'85 GL1200 Interstate with 45k miles in March of 2010and have put about 8k trouble-free miles on it since.

In January of this year, I found another great deal on a '95 GL1500 Interstate with 76k miles. I brought it home; did the typical maintenance items (timing belts, oil/filter, coolant, rear drive oil, etc.). I thenrodeit bike from Virginia to California and back in August and I had no issues whatsoever.

I've ridden GL1800's and it's true, they are quicker/faster and handle better than my GL1500. However, the difference in speed/handling wasn't enough to justify the $10,000.00 price difference (at the time).



At some point, I'm sure I will purchase a new, in the crate Wing, but I'm waiting for some significant changes in the GL1800 before investing that type of coin.

 

[Mike217]

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Thank you all for the encouraging words. I am very willing to do maintenance work on vehicles, but I a very bad at diagnosis so I found a Honda dealership mechanic to figure out and fix the problem and he is going to do the work in his spare time so I will save some money. I know it's going to take some carb work, which I have no desire to learn. Plus with all of the tupperware on this motorcycle it is more daunting than working on an actual car and that's why I am going to leave it to a Professional.

 

[mechtech1]

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Great find on the wing; I got back into MC with a 98 1500 Aspy that had been run thru a ditch by PO. I followed the Tech Section here for all the maintenance and repairs that were needed. In the process I found alot of stuff that had been neglected.
Most of the maintenence stuff is not going to cost much money. The big thing to get past is the mental block of thinking about taking off so much of the tupperware. But Dive in there and do it. Most of it comes off with a few screws. Many here will recommend a large number of zip lock bags to keep the screws and parts seperate and labled.
The more you dig into the machine the better you will feel about what you have. You are now a member of an elite group of people that own and ride the most awsome motorcycle on the planet. Just ask anyone here, they will brag about what color is fastest. Any problems, just do a search and there is most likely a past discussion that will have the answers you need. Keep coming back and reading the posts on the forum. My guess is that it won't take much to put the 1500 back on the road. There may even be some others on the forum that live close and willing to help.
Good Luck!

 

[Born Again]

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I went from a VTX to mine about 2 years ago. No way would I go back to a cruiser-style now. I first thought it would handle like a pig compared to the VTX, but cleared up that mis-conception pretty quickly.
I've had it from Illinois to MT, WY, CO, a couple of times so far and to Deals Gap and the Cherohalla and loved both the highway manners as well as the curves.
Very comfortable on the interstate at any speed you like, and just as easy to handle on the curves. Do not be afraid to do a little peg-dragging once in awhile, it seems to like it just fine.
In the rain, it handles great. All the plastic helps keep lots of wind and rain off.
You'll enjoy it.
Congratulations.

 

[SmartBiker]

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just turned 200k on mine with just routine maintenance.....awesome bike!

95 se

 

[POLKWING]

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Can only relate my experience with an '89 1500. Now has only about 82 K miles on it but in very good condition and gets AAA maintenance between my garage and favorite cycle shop.



Five years ago, after thorough prep. covered 5200 miles pulling a camp trailer and 2-up with wife on board. Never missed a beat, never hesitated when starting, all kinds of paved roads between Oregon and central Illinois.



I would do it again but both 84th birthday and a hip replacement coming up tomorrow might slow ME up, not the 1500.



If you can get a used 1500 with reasonable miles, good maintenance record from prior owner, have a shop or do it yourself thorough maintenance, once you own it, would bet you will never regret the purchase.



Can offer no opinion about an 1800, have never ridden one but see lots of positive reports on this website.



Take all the above or what it's worth. There are no iron-clad guarantees about anything in this life, not even our next heartbeat or next breath..



Good luck.



Polkwing (Oregon)

 

[Mike217]

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I'm not complaining about the 1800s I just don't have one in my soon to be future so any info I can gather on the 1500 is useful and any stories about where to travel gives me ideas on what to do next riding season as well as the confidence to attempt it on a 15 year old bike. Thank you for responding Polkwing. This is a great time of year to go in for maintenance (your I hip mean). By the time it's warm enough to go riding you will be all healed up and ready for another 5000+ mile trip.

 

[Dusty Boots]

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I bought my 92 Aspencade in Nov 07 with just 20K on it. It now has over 170.

I did a 3 month, 3 day, 34,000km/21,000+mi trip on my 19+yr old 1500 this summer.

Problems encountered were 1 blown headlight bulb and a front brake cruise control cancel micro switch going south on me.

I do all my own preventative maintenance on my 'Ole Girl and I wouldn't hesitate to take her on the same length of trip again next year. If you keepup on the regular (rather low) maintenance on these bikes, they're pretty well bullet proof.

If/whenI wear this one out, (some have over 500,000k on them)I'll look for another 1500. :thumbsup:



Some of the places I have been with her;



[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/v/Eo2J1oZN6zI&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]



[flash=425,344]http://www.youtube.com/v/J4X1D0Tu19k&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]



Here's some 'slide show' of a couple of trips



http://www.flickr.com/photos/dusty-boots/sets/72157608309145731/show/



http://www.flickr.com/photos/dusty-boots/sets/72157622512745002/show/



I'm still sorting out/processing the photos from this year's trip, but have some posted here;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dusty-boots/sets/72157627945145446/show/





Dusty

 

[LarryInSeattle]

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I bought my 94 Interstate with 28,000 miles in Sept. 2010. 17,000 miles later, the only thing I can complain about is that the gas gauge is not accurate. It shows empty too early and that does cause me some grief, but simple to work around.

I love this 1500. It is the best camp ground conversation piece ever made.

A recent story: In Yuma Arizona, last week, I was heading east towards Mission Tx and was in McDonalds using their free internet. An old Harley guy in the pirate uniform...comes up. "Where are ya heading?" I said, Mission Tx. He said... "I am going the other way, but my bike is in the shop here in town and my wife and I are in the hotel waiting for the jugs to be done." He also mumbled about what all else was being done. He then said, "Hell, I got 100,000 miles on this bike and I broke everything on it that Harley ever made." I said, "Harley makes a good motorcycle and some fine clothing." I learned a long time ago that the fastest way to get away is to agree with them.

Translated: Everything broke on his bike within the first 100,000 miles. His words, not mine.

 

[Mike217]

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Dusty boots that's incredible a 21,000 mile trip and those very minor problem not to mention the fact that you rode as many miles on your bike in 3 months as some people put on in a lifetime, and I thought I liked to ride sheesh.

Larry in Seattle that is funny about the Harley guy. I thought when I left high school I would get a way from all the clicks and arrogance associated with them, but nope you always have the Harley guys telling you what real bikers ride.when you get right down to it Harley, Honda Suzuki it is as important as what brand of cereal you ate for breakfast. I am a bit of a car guy and people ask me what my opinion is on their next purchase I always tell them Toyota Honda Nissan then they ask why and I tell them I haven't seen my mechanic since I started buying foreign. That said Harley and other American brands do have the cool/hot rod factor going for them. I really like the the looks of the Fatboy and the Streetglide and if I were going to be exclusively riding around town those maybe some good choices.Thanks for your responses.