[deradler1]

imported post

I found my 81 in a neighbors yard last summer. It has the original Windjammer fairing and Vetter side bags and trunk. Because of the help I've had here I have been able to replace the speakers with original speakers, get a replacement seat (it had a rip in it when I bought it), and get a driver's backrest. I ride mine to work and back whenever I get the chance.

It is about a 60 mile round trip. it handles great in the city and when I get away from the city out to the more open road and can open it up, it responds.

Also my wife loves to ride with me on the weekends and I have have never had any lack of power with the two of us.

 

[litfuse]

imported post

It took a long time for me to get all of the neglect out of my 1100 but now it is a daily rider. I have put 10000 miles on it from the original 19600 that I found on it.The $1200 purchase price plus repairs of around $2000 and the learning curve repairing it has been well worth it to me. The only noise will be the square cut gears and the wind going by.But then I put a VTX1300 exhaust system on it to so it is not that quite.
I do ride it hard and still get 40 mpg.

 

[THEBIGRED1]

imported post

:waving:

I bought my '82 Aspencade GL1100 With every intention of riding it out for the season and moving on to something else. Coming off a sportster.....the weight seemed too much at first. But I trained on the motorcycle.....trying with all my might to overcome her flaws (steering bearings Bad brakes bad forks). :headbanger:


After two weeks I have fallen in love with the old girl. When it rains I am sad. I have found that a few positions are there to always be comfortable. I often just put the left foot on the crash bar and rest the clutch hand on the knee. Nice. As long as you do it her way....she will whisk you away into her way of doing things.....bliss.

Worth the money I now fully intend to spend to restore her to glory. :cheesygrin:

 

[britman]

imported post

What they all said .Ive just rebilt and 82 went naked with it got it for 300 bucks and im in it now for about 2000 . Five years ago i did a complete engine rebuild on an 83 and the rest of the bike had two engines got that for free . Ilove the bike its so comfy rode a short trip of 380 miles got off felt like i just got on it my friends on there Harleys that laugh at me for having an old ride and are pissed cuz it keeps going where worn out . Bring it back from the dead you'll love it .

 

[Endwell_Tim]

imported post

I spent a lot of time getting my 81 running, boy was it worth it. Thanks to the guys at NASSIR1 synching the carbs, I had almost no primary chain noise, and that engine ran perfectly, no buzzing at all. Cosmetically, it was no beauty queen, but it didn't lack power or ride quality. If I didn't stumble across a good deal on a 1500, I'd still be the lucky guy riding it.

 

[goldie4ever]

imported post

The most surprising thing you'll love about the GL1100 is how nimble and light it feels.. great excelleration, smooth shifting, excellent gas milage..

you'll love everything about the GL1100.. I sure do and I am coming from 2005 kawasaki meanstreak & 2005 yamaha v-star 1100 classic.. my friends think I am crazy but I know I am not.

 

[AspectOne]

imported post

A lot of good posts here, I loved my 1100 and the thing that was not pointed out on most of the replies here is that the 1100 was modeled on a 750 frame, it handles more like a 750 than it does an 1100 and thats part of what makes them so much fun.

It will do anything you ask of it up to its engineering limits and sometimes even a bit beyond when needed. They are just a solid, reliable and fun machine.

There's my 2 cents for ya.

A1

 

[justayooper]

imported post

I have a 82 Interstate with 69000 miles on it and I love it. I do about 100 miles a day on it back and forth to work. Gets about 45 mpg which is outstanding in my book. The wife and I do not hesitate to do 250 miles on a Sat or Sun just cruising around. It's smooth and more than enough power to do anything I need to do with it. No matter where I am people just love to look at it and admire it. Even Harley guys know what a great bike it is. Get it fixed and ride it, you'll love it.

 

[peterbilt]

imported post

i enjoy my 1100 very much its extremely comfortable for me you have to get used to sitting at a posture, and sometimes riding with your legs cramped up alittle but the highway pegs help tremondusly

the only problem i have is the stock seat other than that i can ride mine all day and night


in the extreme heat the radiator and engine are almost unberable but if you dont sit in traffic alot its allright

fuel economy is around 40mpg if you keep off the throttle, the ride is supurbe ive had people ride my 30yr old bike that own a brand new or newer bike and they swear the ride on my old girl is better than theirs

ive takin it to bike shows and ive had people come up and say you just cant kill a goldwing

 

[DanGl1100]

imported post

Great stories. :clapper:The mopre I read stuff like this, the more I get excided about

getting mine finished and on the road. With the help from you guys it will happen

this year.Thanks Dan:blackstuff:

 

[coachk64]

imported post

I spent 16 years on a 1981 Interstate until I sold it and bought a 1986 Aspencade a couple of years ago.



During that whole time all I ever needed to replace was the starter, clutch cable, speedo cable, tires, and brakes.



WhileI find the 1200 to be more comfortable, smoother, and quieter, there's no doubt in my mind that the older Interstate I had would beat it off the markand probably through the gears. There were times that I had the front wheel a foot off the ground and I definitely had more confidence kicking it down and passing someone quickly on the 1100 (maybe some of that comes from maturity and wisdom, however).



If for some reason I lost my 1200 and had to shop for a new bike from scratch I wouldn't hesitate at a good deal on a nice 1100.



Fix it up and ride it, you won't be sorry.

 

[JC Springer]

imported post

GoldWings R Great I have a 85 Aspencade and I love the Hell out of it . I am a short guy and dont weight too much either. And She just ZIPPS me along . I am planning on a Sturgis trip in August this Yr, with over 123000 mile on her now.

Great Site!!! Great People!!! Never met so many people who wanted to help others in any other Bike Brand Name like the WINGERS )

 

[JamesPal]

imported post

So I have to add my two cents. I have owned my '81 since 1982. It has 53K on it of which I put 50K on it. Family and other commitments have gotten in the way. It has sat for the last 10 years. It is coming back in July. But I can speak from experience.

Buzziness-
The 4 cylinder horizontally opposed engine configuration has perfect primary and secondary balance. This is where the weight of the piston stroke and the power pulses are balanced across the block. Sorry six cylinder guys, but only horizontally opposed engines in multiples of 4 have this. My Subaru has the same engine config and it is extremely smooth also.

Power-
In 1981, the GL1100 was the slowest of the big Japanese 1 liter bikes. It was tested in the 1/4 mile at 12.9 seconds and over 110 MPH. If you have the guts, a STD model will top out over 130 MPH. This power will get the job done. It has one of the lowest center of gravities of any bike. I was always able to outrun my Suzuki buddies on the twisties. I've never ridden with Kawasaki guys and only well ridden sport bike could show me its tail light. Good tires really shine here.

Comfort-
In my single days I did a 3.5K run down the coast from Seattle to LA and back up through the Nevada desert. It was an 8 day trip. My only complaint is the distance between the foot pegs and seat is too short for me. Some guys put hi-way pegs out front of the cylinders. I don't like riding like that. Having my legs under me provides a better connection to the bike. Sometimes I will stretch out over the crash bars.

Fuel efficiency-
When my bike was new it would consistently turn 48 MPG. The last time I was able run it it was in the 37-39 range.

Criticism-
The only problem the '80 and 81 (they are virtually the same) is the rear tire load capacity. It is a bigger problem for the Interstate. Most tires in the size range have about (memory ???) 380# load limit. An average rider, a full load of luggage and fuel and a light passenger will put you over. You can look at the tire rating (front and rear then total) on the tire sidewall and do the math.
Back in the day the bike magazines suggested running higher (40psi) rear tire pressures. This is extremely important in hot weather conditions. Heat build up is the problem. As you already know tire flex causes heat, low pressures and high speeds contribute to heat, and high ambient temperatures add to the problem. Tire failure is a real problem. Honda corrected this on the '82 models by changing the tire size.

General-
I'm not a 'dresser' rider so the interstate does not interest me. The '81 GW was one of the last that had a sporting basis. In '82 gearing was revised (lower) with more spread in the gear ratios. This was for the trailer towing touring people. As far as I'm concerned, there is not a better bike period.

 

[ding dong]

imported post

I now own a gl1000 and a gl1500. In 84 I bought a new 83 1100i and put around 75k miles on her in the 10 years that I owned her. Been from OKC to Vancouver and all over the Western states and to Florida and the Smokey mountains on her. Even 1150 miles in one sitting. Loved that bike I just seemed to fit her perfectly. The 1500 is my favorite for 2 up cruising and the 1000 is just a ball to ride the in twisties or just putting around town but the 1100 was my favorite overall.

 

[picasso]

imported post

I have had 4 of them and plan on getting another when I get back on my feet money wise ,I do not see any reason to get anything else. They got plenty of power.Comfortable , dependable , long lasting, easy to maintain, and are cheap to buy so they are right in my price range. You can ride with anyone and outrun very many .
Google Emilio Scotto,,,one of the longest trips ever made on a bike was on one of these.

 

[jjolly]

imported post

Nomados has nailed it! Poetic words for a bike that just does. We have an 83, I ride 2 up, have pulled a loaded trailer for 15 straight days and have never worried about having enough power to get out of the way..We have scraped the pegs many times and a short ride in the evening has often turned into a 200 mile tour of some out of the way places..(A short ride then a stop at grocery store last night turned into 118 miles and 3.5 hours!!)
I often want to find a better (newer)(less abused)(lower mileage)(prettier) bike than the one I own but Nomados' words make me want to pull the Interstate out of the garage right now and take a ride in this rain storm we are having..
Carol Ann and I really enjoy this old bike and after reading these posts I am inspired to keep the old 1100 going for a while longer......

 

[morram]

imported post

Why in the heck would you want to pass a slow Volvo on a hill?

 

[THEBIGRED1]

imported post

'82 aspy Just bought for 1,500

Looking back at the past three weeks....It has been an amazing ride on my old girl.

What is it that keeps me running out for a ride? The old girl has a soul.....and a strong one. A very unique center of gravity....that can fool someone who is not used to it.

The weight was a bit much for me at first coming off a much smaller bike.

It really came down to just leaning it down and seeing what happens.

After watching some u-tube video's of some wings leaning hard one night......I decided the next day to dig a little deeper. Once you become one....the old girl blows you away. ....even with some notable neglect.

Adam

 

[FitzAl]

imported post

I love my GL1100. It goes and stops well for a heavy bike, and handles nicely on the back roads where I live. I know the newer Goldwings handle better and I plan on a GL1800 soon, but I plan on keeping my old GL1100 too.

 

[big daddy]

imported post

MY poor 82 had sit outside threw the winter without even a cover when I but it. Engine froze, huge guy had run the **** out of it with no maintenance. Withonly a little help I got it running and fixed the little stuff and my wife and I have rode it for 2 yrs on long trips and it never let us down. Plenty of power even 2 up. Amazing bikes, I didnt think I would even like it, just had to sell my harley and wanted something to ride. I give it a big thumbs up. bigdaddy