Does your early GL1000 sound like a rattling bucket of bolts when idling? If so, you might have a serious engine problem but most likely you do not. Read on…
Honda GL1000 / GL1100 / GL1200 Head Gasket Details
Head gaskets on early ‘Wings are ultra reliable. The vast majority of these bikes are still running flawlessly on the original, factory-installed head gaskets which are now 40+ years old. Rare failures are usually caused by inattention and poor maintenance to the cooling system. But, a simple case of overheating can ruin your head gaskets. Warped heads are also a possibly outcome of overheating!
GL1000 Cylinder Head and OEM Honda Head Gasket
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Pod Air Filters or Aftermarket Pipes on Vintage Hondas?
I get a steady steady stream of questions about re-jetting for aftermarket pipes on the range of vintage Honda motorcycles we support.
Shade Tree Diagnostic Tests!
I was very fortunate to grow up in a neighborhood and farm family full of excellent shade-tree mechanics. Mostly they were short on cash and long on resourcefulness.
I learned quite a lot by pestering these very talented home-gown mechanics.
More on Fuel And Fuel Additives – Fear the Corn?
Warning: Controversial Material!
I grew up in a farm family in the South, so I’m very fond of corn. Of course I like grits, but my favorite form of corn is high quality bourbon! I have personally benefited from crop subsidies and understand the benefit of the emerging ethanol (made from corn) fuel market to corn farmers. I am sympathetic to their issues.
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Kick Starting a ’75-’77 Honda GL1000
Starters are very reliable on GL1000s, but it’s nice to have a back-up. The back-up kick start lever is found only on ’75-’77 models. Honda deemed this extravagant redundancy was unnecessary and dropped the feature on later models. I’ve actually needed the kick starter on several occasions to make it home when some aspect of the very reliable electric starting system failed. I also use my kick starter for another reason: it’s a good test of your bike’s overall state of tune. If it will start with the kick start lever, then you have a well tuned bike! There are many maintenance operations (like setting timing) where the kick starter provides some nice convenience.
Kick Start Lever Storage Location Continue reading “Kick Starting a ’75-’77 Honda GL1000”
Motorcycle Fuel Mileage Issues
Warning: Controversial Material!
I get lots of inquiries about fuel mileage these days. It’s no surprise given highly volatile fuel prices! Here’s what I know about the subject.
Vintage Motorcycle Carbs – Lean vs. Rich?
Experienced wrenches sometimes forget that we operate with a set of understandings that becomes so ingrained as to become second nature. I don’t normally rely on gizmos like the K&N Air Fuel Monitor shown on my supercharged GL1000 (above). But since things happen so quickly on that bike, it’s a useful and entertaining tuning aid.
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Honda DOHC-4 Performance Parts
Randakk’s CB1123F Cafe Racer!
Extensive “Build” Photo Album (200+ photos)
This bike was built for me by J.R. Luksik of CBX-tras with assistance from Ken Sperry, Rosey Lackey, Jr., Al Bergler, Jim Sawtell, Dennis Parrish and many others.
Brake Bleeding Tips
Bleeding the brakes on a GL1000 is straightforward and well-covered in any manual. However, this can be a most aggravating task. Below are some tips to reduce your frustration.
