[corneo]

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If people don't know, I tinker on older bikes. (20 years or older) I rebuild them and either sell for a profit or play with them and sell them at cost. It's a hobby.
My GL1100 is the largest bike I have ever gotten in to mainly because bikes of this size weren't built over 25 years ago. (seems like yesterday to me.. getting old blows)

Anyway, I have learn things from this bike that you don't notice on smaller bikes. Like the shocks, I have replace them and the first thing I have notice was I sit a little higher in the air. The other thing I have notice was I have much better control of the bike on the roads. Which did shock me because I never thought the shocks played such a important part of driving controls. (bad shock on smaller bikes are not very noticeable)

So from what I have learned that if you are having problems with driving and getting that "floating" feeling you may want to take a close look at you shocks. (what I mean by floating is when you are driving and you find your self countering movements of the bike. zig zaging down the road.... and it's not from drinking too much)

Something else I have learn from the shocks is what they said about setting the air pressure for the shocks, which made a lot of sense to me. They say measure the distance from the upper frame to the rear axle with the bike on the center stand. Put the bike on the ground and all the weight you would normally have when riding. Then take measurement from the first points you measure again. Itshouldn't change any more the 1 1/2 inches. Adjust the air pressure to meet this.

These new shock told me air pressure can be set from "0" to "70" without hurting the shocks. (these are new and not Honda factory shocks, maybe you shouldn't do this with Honda's shocks??)

Anyway, thats my "I didn't know this" Hope this will help somebody else out.

 

[Renegade]

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Thanks Corneo... That's what this forum is all about.. We "Wingers" are unique and any information we get on our steeds is like money in the bank. Like yourself, I find myself dated on a lot of things due to my age. I tend to focus on the GL1200's,while others are into the GL1500's, GL1800's etc. I wish my Aspencade would last forever.. :weightlifter:

 

[BRowan]

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Good observations Corneo. I know people who run their Wing shocks regularly 15-20psi more than what Honda say. It might reduce the overall life of the air shock but the only ones I know of that blew seals were ones that were never pumped over the limit!

Most people under 6 feet tall just set the shocks so they can plant both feet down firmly. Not the ideal way but I suppose if you are short on legs it's the only way.

 

[exavid]

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I've run the rear shocks on my '86 pretty high without any problems. My wife and I are not small people so when riding together I usually run the rear shocks to 70psi. When we are both on the bike and the shocks under load the pressure gauge shows around 115lbs. At first I worried about that much pressure on nearly 19 year old shocks but decided that if they blow, they blow. I'll repair them. So far there's been no sign of leaks at all. I've been experimenting with pressure settings and have currently settled on 14lbs front and 45lbs rear, with me alone on the bike. It's nice to be able to adjust the pressures on the fly, having the pressure controls on the left handlebar is such a temptation to play.


Like corneo, I like to tinker on the older bikes, partly because I can afford it and partly because I get a real kick out of bringing a machine heading for the breakers back to life. I've restored a couple basket case old airplanes, a couple of sailboats, several cars and now I'm finding I like working on bikes because the pieces are cheaper than airplanes and they are smaller and lighter to handle. I like looking at new 1800s but expect my GL1200 will last me as long as I can handle two wheels!

 

[BenMC]

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exavid wrote:

Like corneo, I like to tinker on the older bikes, partly because I can afford it and partly because I get a real kick out of bringing a machine heading for the breakers back to life...

I wish more people were like you guys. Too many good old bikes go to the scrapper each year and are lost forever, many of them could be resurrected with a little bit of cash and effort.

 

[exavid]

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Old bikes and old guys kinda go together

 

[englishted]

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exavid wrote:

Old bikes and old guys kinda go together

I enjoy tinkering with olds bikes as well. The newer Goldwings are not as much pleasure to work on because of their complexity and cost of parts.

 

[Kyle]

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I think what I like best about the old bikes, is if you do run into trouble on the road, you still have a fighting chance at finding a fix. I always carry with me a few common nuts and bolts, some cable, some wiring, other odds and ends, and there is a story to go with each one. With the new ones and all the computer junk.....I wouldn't stand a chance. Call me up a tow truck from my cell phone.....Oh and guess what....I'm probably in the middle of nowhere without a service tower!!!



Kyle

The KISS factor - Keep It Simple Stupid!

 

[exavid]

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The thing I like most about older bikes is that I can afford one!:goofygrin:

 

[corneo]

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exavid wrote:

The thing I like most about older bikes is that I can afford one!:goofygrin:

That's what makes us Guru's ...... we're too poor to pay somebody to fix them. :shock::cheeky1:

 

[KLACKO]

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exavid wrote:

The thing I like most about older bikes is that I can afford one!:goofygrin:

Amen to that, brother...