1981 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing review from United States of America

Nothing has gone wrong. The previous owner of this Goldwing knew what he was doing; he performed all maintenance and rebuilt the carbs, changed all fluids, etc.

I rode this bike for approx. 8 months, and put around 5,000 miles on it.

The riding position was very upright and comfortable, with an easy reach to the handlebars and foot pegs. I'm 5'9, 190 lbs. Very comfortable for two-up riding. After about 1.5 hours of riding, both hands would get slightly numb from both vibration and small upward reach to the handlebars. Foot placement on the pegs was rather low.

The engine was a real performer, which truly surprised me. The only mod this bike had was a fishtail exhaust, which was more for show. The bike really started to take off past 4000 rpm, and pulled hard to redline. Impressive for a heavy touring bike. Gas mileage was always above 40 mpg, usually 45-47. The motor would rev too high for my tastes at freeway speeds, which is one of the reasons that I sold the bike. Taller gearing was introduced for the 1983 model.

Where I really wanted to comment was the handling of the bike. I had the unfaired, naked version of the bike, which reduced weight by some 50 lbs. The bike would slice through the turbulence left by large trucks on the highway, aided by its flat boxer engine. However, around turns I thought that this same aspect would produce countersteer. Almost as if the bike preferred to remain upright at all times.

A supremely reliable bike, best left to backroads and straight shots.