A couple of weeks ago, I got a hangering for a bike project. A bunch of browsing on the Marketplace got me to a 1982 GL500 down in Colorado Springs! I sold a couple of S2000 parts and took the cash and my utility trailer down to pick up this shining example of 80's Honda weirdness...
The engine spun freely w/compression, has plugs in the holes, shifted through the gears easily, and the brakes weren't bound up (definitely busted though!), so I dropped the $150 in his hand and we loaded it onto the trailer with a huge old forklift. Dragged it home with no issue
Step 1: remove broken bits.
Pulled the tank to get the locked cap off, and it turns out there's some rust involved, though hopefully not leaky!
The fairing seemed secure when I loaded the bike, but it was held fast by approximately 1x10mm bolt and some sort of JIS screw before it fell off the bike. The rest of the plastic nearly shattered when it hit the ground, so I guess this will be a naked bike... The wiring inside and behind was a crazy musty spider fortress, so I loosened and dangled as necessary.
I love those bikes! They're like a Japanese Moto Guzzi. Sure the paint and bodywork are fried, but I'm surprised at how little corrosion there is. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
Weren't those called Silver Wings?
Woody (Forum Supportum) said:
Weren't those called Silver Wings?
They were! The ones with fairings are the Silverwing Interstate. This was also available as a GL650 Interstate, but those are relatively rare.
These always seemed like interesting little scoots. Lots of ways you could go with this project; curious how it turns out.
I bet the bike's CG changed noticably with that fairing and associated stuff removed.
bluebarchetta said:
I love those bikes! They're like a Japanese Moto Guzzi. Sure the paint and bodywork are fried, but I'm surprised at how little corrosion there is. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
Moto Huzzi?
We're basically in a desert, so moisture is low but the sun is brutal. All of the electrical connectors under the side covers were exposed to the sun for ??? years, and they're turning to literal dust anytime I try to disconnect anything.
pres589 (djronnebaum) said:
These always seemed like interesting little scoots. Lots of ways you could go with this project; curious how it turns out.
I bet the bike's CG changed noticably with that fairing and associated stuff removed.
The fairing alone weighed over 50lbs. The bags were cool, but would have been tough to restore.
I'm sorry. Did you say One Hundred Fifty Dollars? Just making sure I didn't miss a zero. Okay, that's a deal.
Side cases are kind of funny; if I had just side cases I'd want the to be big enough to hold a helmet. But at that point they're kind of huge. So I stick with a single top box for 99% of my motorcycling. I bet those side cases aren't all that light either.
I am trying to buy a very cheap goldwing from Craigslist. The price keeps dropping but no response from three emails. I dont think he realizes his email is not forwarding.
pres589 (djronnebaum) said:
Side cases are kind of funny; if I had just side cases I'd want the to be big enough to hold a helmet. But at that point they're kind of huge. So I stick with a single top box for 99% of my motorcycling. I bet those side cases aren't all that light either.
The side cases felt like 2lb each, but the bracketry was significantly heavier. I agree, if it can't fit a helmet it's probably only useful for snack runs and maybe weather gear.
I started messing with the tank, which I thought would be just some mild rust removal. Unfortunately, it's 1/4"+ thick bondo all across the right side and the bottom is rusted through, so I'm working on sourcing a replacement.
There are lots of possibilities with that bike. Some I like:
Cool bike, following!
Looking at the inspirational pics posted, there's two types of tanks. Are they interchangeable?
Love these bikes! The have a really cool aesthetic with the longitudinal V twin. Following along.
I think one of the biggest issues with these is getting a 17" rear wheel. I want to think a lot of them came with 15's on the rear? Rear wheel swap and a whole front fork swap to something more modern seems like a lot of work but good improvements as well.
Run_Away said:
Cool bike, following!
Looking at the inspirational pics posted, there's two types of tanks. Are they interchangeable?
They are somewhat interchangeable; probably just as interchangeable as most Honda tanks from the late 70's/early 80's. Some used vacuum petcocks, others didn't. The rear mounting point is different from my last CB450, while the front is identical.
The GL500 has that nice swoop down at the rear that I'd really like to preserve, but it's also a much harder tank to find in good shape.
Those tank mounts are different than the CB400F and 550F of the era (which aren't even interchangeable themselves, I tried!)
You are probably aware of this, but look to the much, much more common CX500 for donor parts.
Hondas of that vintage like to melt out the back of their tiny fuse blocks. Make sure that all your connections and especially your grounds are clean so it doesn't strand you by the roadside.
Old Hondas will run forever as long as the electrons keep flowing.
Ahh. My first bike. It was a great bike to ride. Loved it. Seeing all of these customs are great. I like the Scrambler concept.
The scrambler looks sweet! It's kinda the look I want, but I'm wondering about comfort and grip riding around on tires that aggressive when I'm not leaving the pavement...
Awesome score! These are great bikes. I turned mine into a dirt bike and now that gas is $$$, it's my main commuter. Started life as an '80 CX500 Deluxe. Definitely not as much grip on pavement with knobs, especially in the rain, but it's fun to ride with the tires squirming a bit. Sure there is a bit less ultimate grip, but in the dry it will still lean right over. Most good dual sport tires are pretty solid on pavement, and they come up to temperature faster because there's less rubber to go around.
edit - the gas tanks are not all interchangeable. GL500s have that triple top tube setup where the CXs only have a single backbone tube, which makes things fit a bit differently.
Really like your skid plate setup and the color of those comstars!
