Warning: Controversial Material!
Pictured are a few of the single carb conversions I’ve evaluated (Ford, Solex and Weber carbs shown left-to-right)
I get a few inquiries about single carb conversions. This Tech Tip is my comprehensive answer.
Removing Stiction from GL1000 Front Forks
GL1000 forks are notorious for stiction…especially if you use inferior, aftermarket fork seals. A bigger problem: careless re-assembly of front end components that can introduce additional stiction. The typical scenario is putting some “bind” into the forks by the manner in which the front axle is secured on the left side. This often happens after front tire work by sloppy mechanics. The GL1000 is very sensitive to this detail!
Here’s how to remedy. Keep in mind that the sequence and order of this procedure is very critical:
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Lazy / Slow Return to Idle (or Erratically High Idle)
You might consider Randakk’s GL1000 Carb Rebuild Video
Are you plagued with a bike that runs great from about 2000 RPMs and up, but refuses to idle reliably below that speed? Does it sometimes idle OK, but often “hang-up” at a higher speed and take forever to return to idle? Do you have to put a small load on the engine (by letting out the clutch a bit when stopped and in gear) to get the engine to return to idle speed? Does the idle speed seem overly sensitive to changes in ambient and operating temperature? If so, read on.
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Randakk’s Supercharger Prototype for Honda GL1000
As I reported in the December, 2007 eNewsletter, the Supercharger Kit is on the road and performing very well.
For a variety of business reasons, I decided not to proceed to production.
This bike is now owned by a collector in Germany.
Clutch Reassembly Trick
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Ballast Resistors Explained + Ballast Testing Procedure
Like most battery/coil setups of this vintage, early GoldWings feature a “wasted spark” ignition design. This clever design was chosen by the engineers to save weight and space. Thus, only 2 coils are required to fire 4 spark plugs. All without a distributor as in most cars of this era.
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Effect of Excessive Electrical Loads on Ignition Performance
The electrical/charging system on a GL1000 is well-designed and fairly reliable compared to its contemporaries. In fact, stator problems are quite rare compared to later four cylinder GoldWings. Most charging problems on GL1000s are fairly easy to diagnose and remedy. The usual culprits are poor battery cable/starter relay connections, bad 30 amp master fuse and weak batteries. Occasionally, a voltage regulator will fail. Even more rare is rectifier failure. Stator reliability is a good thing, since replacement requires engine removal…a rather laborious task.
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Knuckle Busting 101 – Throttle Cable Detach / Attach
You might consider this item: Randakk’s GL1000 Carb Rebuild Video
Throttle cable replacement on GL1000s is a straightforward operation, but there is a trick I will share which makes it much easier to accomplish.
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Clutch Adjustment Procedure
This is a 3-step procedure. It helps if you have $10K worth of hand tools plus very small hands for Step 1 which is a royal pain! The good news is that Step 1 rarely needs attention for the life of the clutch cable once it’s properly set. Before you begin, loosen the adjuster at the handlebar perch and screw the barrel all the way in. Also, loosen the lower adjuster locking nut (where the clutch cable enters the rear housing) and screw the adjustment barrel all the way in (this would be clockwise from above). You should now have lots of slack in your cable.