05-30-2018, 11:33 PM
(05-30-2018, 03:20 AM)misterprofessionality_imp Wrote: 1983 Honda Goldwing Aspencade . I will say this, it really isn't this bike's fault it was terrible. I'm sure in 1983 this thing was Glorious to behold and a marvel of modern awesomeness. A status symbol even. in 2015, this bike was a disagreeable old man with irritable bowel syndrome. The brakes, quite often, decided they were going to simply lock up, despite being worked over twice. the battery died several times due to the brakes locking up and causing the always-on brake lights to drain the battery (coupled with some other issue that was never identified). the carbs were impossible to balance and the exercise was futile anyway, because any measure of balance you achieved was out the window after the next 20 miles. because of this the bike would stall while travelling down the highway, any time you let off the accelerator for a moment (which made the battery issue even worse because of how many times it had to be restarted). The bike itself weighed over 1000 lbs, which is just ludicrous for an 1100 cc bike (my CB11 has a bigger, more powerful engine and weighs literally half as much). I hated that thing, and he was named Henry, because it just sounds like the name of an old man you hate. i bought it for 1500 bucks, spent another 2200 at the shop, and sold it a few months later for 200 bucks to a guy who wanted to chop it into a bobber. i hope it burst into flames in his driveway. That's the absolute last time i buy an antique motor vehicle.
I bought a new Aspencade in 1982, the first year they were available. It was a beautiful motorcycle, comfortable, smoothly riding, and very reliable. I road it for 7 years and never had a mechanical problem with it.
Towed a tent trailer through the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire with ease. Climbed Mount Washington without a hiccup. The only problem I had there was the American corn oil gas.
In 1983 Honda changed the gear ratio of 6th gear to get better gas mileage. My friend wanted to buy mine because he could not pull a tent trailer up the hills without down gearing.
The 4 cylinder Goldwings weighed about 750 pounds, and had a low center of gravity because the fuel tank was under the seat and the 4 cylinder flat four motor was mounted low.
If you buy an antique bike you are always going to run into unseen problems. That's why people sell them instead of keeping them. I sold my Aspencade after 7 years of riding because the chrome on the bottom of the exhaust system was beginning to pit. A new one cost as much as the value of the bike. A new Aspencade back then cost CDN$8500 out the door. I sold mine for CDN$3500.
About antique bikes. I was at a antique bike rally 6 years ago, just before I returned to motorcycling. I was admiring a restored Norton Commando when the owner sitting in the shade of tree offered to sell it to me. I replied that old bikes are like old girlfriends. You always wonder why you let them go, until you meet them again. Then you say to yourself, oh yes now I remember. Everyone within earshot laughed including the owner.